wildwahinepaddler

Beautiful day!

I so wanted to go out paddling today.  The wind was cooperating and I got down to the beach earlier and immediately carried my board down to the waters edge.  Then I noticed some surge in some of the waves breaking at the shore and a person who had just come in from swimming told me that the water visibility was not good.  Surge at the shoreline and kicked up water visibility usually mean there is some activity happening under the water….and there was a bit of a swell.  Not much of a swell, but it was definitely there.  I knew I could get out past it and the water would be perfect…..I really wanted to go!  I even watched it for a time and put my leash on and with board in hand, went out knee deep…… I really wanted to go out.  After some serious contemplation and disappointment……I opted to not go out paddling.  I was bummed, but I went swimming instead.  Swimming is the one activity that I can do that my body doesn’t hurt at all.  It’s a relief to be moving through the water and not hurt whatsoever and of course, water always makes me feel so good!  I hate my hip right now.  It is hanging me up in all sorts of ways and if I was a normal person…..I would have given up on paddling weeks ago…..and given in to defeat.  I guess that’s not me…… I don’t want my hip to rob me of the things I enjoy!  That said, it is already doing that on a daily basis but I am a fighter.  People look at me like I’m crazy…..hobbling up the sand…..dragging my board into the water…..cringing when I sit down in my low beach chair.  My hip surgery is only a few weeks away….but some days it seems like an eternity away!  I will now be away from Maui for a week for the holidays…..and I don’t know what shape I will be in after I return…..but I will continue to try to do what I can.  Thank you for being a part of my pity party…… at least my hip can be fixed…..until then…..I deal with it as best I can.  Happy Holidays!

I got out paddling!

It was another perfect morning.  Calm seas and light breezes and even though I got down to the beach at 10:00 a.m., I went out paddling!  Thanks to my husband who takes my board down to the water and carries it back up the beach for me!  Just walking up the sand incline to the grass is a major chore for me so I really appreciate him helping me.  It was great to get out on the water!  I paddled down to the end of Kam 2 and turned around, but just before I started paddling north, I saw a manta ray zip along just under the waters surface in front of me!  I haven’t made it down to the boat ramp lately, so I was so happy to see the manta ray.  I really miss my turtles!  It sure was a beautiful day and I hope tomorrow will be more of the same……..

It killed me that I couldn’t go out!

OMG……..it was a super perfect morning!  After so much craziness with the wind and conditions, this morning was perfect.  My husband usually has some time on Wednesday morning to help me in from paddling, but not this morning.  I drooled at the perfect glassy water and even took my paddle down to the beach!  I contemplated going out without help, but in the end, I opted to just swim.  This is so frustrating for me!  I enjoyed my swim and I was grateful to see fish down at the reef……I guess I have to be grateful for small things these days.  I sure hope I can go out on Friday and that it stays nice………

Nice day!

The weekend was crazy windy!  But this morning looked promising.  I headed down to the beach and the wind had not come in yet, so I went out paddling.  I headed north because I really don’t trust the wind right now, but the breeze that was blowing was actually blowing from the south!  I paddled as far as Charley Young Beach and turned around and headed towards Kam 2.  The ocean was very wavy!  I notice that my balance is not what is should be as this darn hip gets worse, so I turned at Kam 2 and paddled in.  I watched carefully today coming in because of course I didn’t want a repeat of Friday!   I got in okay and my husband was waiting on the shore to help me.  It’s really a help that he carried my board down to the water and carried it up the beach for me when I came in!  I sure hope I can keep on paddling up to the time I have my hip surgery…..but I don’t know.  Everything is such an effort these days that even simple day to day chores exhaust me.  My swim was wonderful though!  Swimming is the only time I feel no pain so I really enjoy that.  The ocean actually calmed down as the morning got later….but then the wind started to come up as I left the beach.  This year has been a year of strange ocean, water, and wind conditions!  I am just happy I am still able to go to the beach.  I will be very glad when my hip is fixed and I can start moving normal again!

Beautiful day!

Wednesday started out windy again.  When I arrived at the beach, there was commotion out on the water and I could see a couple of whales spouting quite close to shore.  The lifeguard caption passed me and told me there was a whale out there with a fishing net wrapped around it’s tail.  The Lifeguards took off with the jet ski and were going to try to cut it off of the whale, but they disappeared farther and farther out to sea.  I ended up just going for my swim due to the windy conditions, but when I left the beach, the lifeguards on the jet ski were still out there.  Thursday ended up windy and overcast….but today it was nice and sunny!  I really wanted to get out on my board, but with my hip getting worse, I have been hesitant to go out unless my husband is able to be there to help me back in.  He had a little time this morning so even though it was already a bit windy, I decided to go out.  The conditions were bumpy at times, but I was so glad to be out on the water!  I paddled down to Kalama Park where a few other paddlers were out also.  I saw one fleeting turtle and then decided to paddle back towards Kam 2.  On and off…. the water got nice…..even glassy a couple of times….but the wind wasn’t backing off completely.  I was thoroughly enjoying the glassy moments!  I got down to Kam 2 and the wind seemed to pick up, so I turned and headed north. I made my way back to the beach and saw my husband coming to the shore to help me.  Just as I hopped off my board, I looked back and a totally unexpected wave was going to break on me!  There was nothing I could do, so I pushed my board into the breaking wave and moved away from my board, getting caught and dunked by the wave!  My husbands first response was to save me…..and he ended up getting hit by one of the fins on my board, and got totally dunked under the water as well!  Another wave was right behind that one, and it dunked both of us and sent my board flying!  By the time a third wave hit us, our hats were gone, my sunglasses were gone, and we were both drenched.  Even the bottom of my swim suit was almost off of me!  Wow….we got in and neither of us could believe what just happened.  The waves weren’t big waves, but they had some power that neither of us were expecting!  The waves seemed to have come out of nowhere……this is why we have a great respect for the ocean…..you never know.  A tourist found our hats and returned them to us…..but my sunglasses had disappeared!  I went swimming and looked for them, but the visibility wasn’t very good which probably has something to do with the power in even small waves.  It was a beautiful day…….even with the bizarre mishap!  Good news came too……the lifeguard captain updated us on the whale in crisis yesterday.  They called for some back up and the whale was followed and they were able to cut the net off of it’s tale!  That was very good news…….

Just hanging out!

The wind has been unbelievable!  Days and days of wind and no paddling…..makes me grumpy.  Finally today was perfect!  I got out a bit late, but headed down to the boat ramp anyway.  Sure enough, three turtles were waiting for me when I got there!  Then two more turtles surfaced too!  I had the turtles all to myself.  Two more turtles surfaced and I got a few photos…..it was so perfect down there!  It wasn’t long before the snorkel boat came roaring in, so I was happy with my turtles for the day and headed back.  Just as I was passing Kam 2, I ran into a paddling friend so we chatted for a few minutes.  We couldn’t believe how nice it was!  The conditions stayed nice through my swim too.  I am really enjoying all the new little tropical fish that are hanging around down at the reef!  Before I left the beach, the wind started to come up, but that was okay.  As long as the mornings are nice and calm……it’s all good!  I hope it is nice tomorrow morning too…….