[Paddlewise] Day #40, Finally back on the Water!

5/8/08

Darn, I feel like such a slacker! I haven't been on the water since Carnage
Sunday, so it was nice to join Ken for a longish paddle this noon. We agreed
to meet at noon thirty, but Ken was already on the water when I arrived at
12:10. I guess he just wanted an excuse not to help me with my boat!

We made quick work of the harbor and were greeted outside with a nice visit
from some dolphins. Three of them were head straight for us and lazily came
up right off our bow for a snort before heading right under our boats. We
took our first break around BAR and conditions were squirrelly, but I
managed a pass through the arch for the first time in a while to find Ken
practicing rolling outside. I snuck in one more pass and we headed on for
Crystal Cove. I figured Ken was in charge of this paddle; I planned to head
wherever he told me to go and he figured we should at least beat out our
Sunday paddle. Paddling past Reef Point, we saw the very wave forming over
the hidden rock that took me out on our last paddle.

Heading on we neared Steve's reef at Abalone Point. The tide was high, so
conditions were safer, but you could see the water churning over the reef
that Steve danced with not so long ago. Seal Rock was not far off and Ken
felt we should at least go a bit past where we turned on that paddle. I took
the inside passage at SR, the rather mild conditions as they were, but I was
thinking they might change the name to Stinky Rock as I passed down wind. A
couple coves down, we stopped to rest before our trip home and I used the
time to enjoy the beautiful view of the Laguna coastline.

It had been a muggy paddle south, but once turned towards home the wind
greeted us to cool us down. I hugged the rocky coast, while Ken took the
outer route. For a bit of change, I switched to my GP for the paddle home.
Despite Steve's recent carnage, AP was rather tame, so Ken followed me on
the inside passage there till we rested in the choppy waters to the north.
The Green House at Crystal Cove was to be our next stop, but we separated
quite a bit on this stretch. I like to see the coast moving by close up to
show my progress, but Ken kept on an outer course. Near Reef Point things
still seemed rather tame, but when I got closer a nice set rolled in. I was
in a good angle to handle things and soon found myself plowing through a
small set of waves. Things were going peachy until just north of the reef
when an overhead wave decided to land right on my vicinity. I though I might
again find myself wrong side up at RP, but made it through upright, although
soaked from head to waist for the rest of the paddle.

Ken decided to follow me for a bit close to the shore and got to realize one
of the benefits of inshore paddling when we passed a couple of surfergirl
wanna be's prancing a bit on the shore. This part of the shore can seem a
long paddle at time, but hugging the coast makes things go by quicker as you
have to keep an eye on the occasional sneaker wave. I had no problem passing
the myriad of small reefs, while avoiding said sneakers and we were soon
back at BAR. Conditions had turned for the worse, so after a brief rest we
continued on our final leg.

We were glad to hit the Secret Beach and as a salute I did a celebratory
roll. We'd put in a good day of mileage, so headed home to recoup.

Mark Sanders
www.sandmarks.net

#
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