[Paddlewise] Day #14, Scum on the Water, Fire in the Sky

2/17/08

Plan today was to head to Pirate's Cove to work on my rolling. Haven't tried
many lately and my success rate was dropping. It was a beautiful day with
just a few wispy clouds to occasionally occlude the sun. Despite the mild
temps, at least I could count on some solar energy between tries.

The paddle to PC caused me to change my plans. I was paddling through
stretches of brown lumpy water. Clumps of foam would dissipate with every
paddle stroke, but I had no idea where all this stuff was coming from and
decided to head to open water.

I decided to head on to BAR and maybe do some rolling in the protected cove.
I paddled close to the shore through dense beds of kelp. Low tide made me
keep my eyes open for sucking rocks, but the ocean was very calm. Off in the
distance I noticed a canoe floating unattended. I figured it must be some
snorkel fisherman, but I could see no line to secure it. I headed over
thinking, if something unfortunate had happened to the owner, the least I
could do was see that his pretty wood strip canoe found a good home! When I
got close, I notice there was a line coming over the gunnel, so I figured it
was safe.

At BAR, the tide was too low for any arch time. The water here was crystal
clear, but showed a plethora of kelp everywhere I looked. I hate kelp, its
entwining tentacles always grasping, trying to pull you down to DJL. Plus
there are all kinds of spidery bugs living in kelp and I hate spiders. I
couldn't find any clear water for rolling, so just hung out enjoying the
small surf rolling in.

On my way home, the canoe owner had found his way back aboard. I stopped
outside the jetty to finally try some rolls. I rolled with my Onno and my
GP, but didn't spend much time at it. The water was still chilly and I
didn't feel like swimming out of the harbor by my lonesome. Paddling back to
the beach, I contemplated future rolling practice in the warm confines of
Aqua Adventures practice pool.

Mark
www.sandmarks.net
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