[Paddlewise] The next best thing

Haven't been out kayaking much lately. It's funny to hear all the cold
weather folk wishing for summer so they can go kayak, while for me, I can't
get up the gumption to take my boat out. Summer here is flat and hot and
while I paddle, I'm looking forward to winter. But I spent last night
watching my videos on TV, which inspired me to get out on the water to get
wet one way or the other. I'd really like to get the boat out to go surfing,
but the surf report has been pretty spotty, so I just headed out on my usual
jaunt.

While the sun was out, it was still quite a bit cooler at the water when I
head out about 3. There was a bit of boat traffic outside the harbor
entrance to add to a little bit of chop to make things a little more
interesting. There's nothing worse than heading out on a totally calm ocean
under the hot sun; I start feeling like the heating element on a solar oven!
A large contingent of teenagers were holding a summit meeting on top of BAR.
The braver souls were doing backward somersaults into the water while
goading the meek into timid watery plunges. I watched for a while then
headed to Toxic Creek beach.

Tide was low, but there were some fun size waves rolling on to the beach.
For the first time in quite a while, I got to punch the ol' QCC through a
bit of white water. The beach was deserted and I snuck in close to wait for
the waves. There were some baby waves that tried to toss me to the shore;
there were some snot-nosed adolescent waves jumping on my deck; there were
the occasional belligerent teenager waves that gave me no respect, but I was
waiting for the Big Mamma wave--seeing as everyone knows waves are a
matriarchal society! As it usually happens a teen wave rolled by and he must
have PO'd his momma, because she was chasin' right behind. I had to hurry to
get there before she broke to enjoy the full brunt of her parental fury! She
wasn't a giant mamma, nothing I couldn't handle by now, but the first
glimpse of her, hidden as she was by the teen wave, got the blood racing a
bit.

When I was soaked head to toe and the waves started to die down I headed for
home. I stopped in the harbor to knock off about 5 rolls and then call it a
day when a couple teenagers showed up with face masks and spear guns! Don't
wanna be around when they get their momma mad!

So I had some fun on the water. It's not surfing, but it was fun and wet and
the next best thing.
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