I could see a pile of sea lions from the parking lot when we pulled up to the dock in the morning. The first thing I heard when I got out of the truck was their raucous barking, which made me smile. I took a deep breath, smelled the sea, and looked at the fog … Continue reading Exploring with Old Friends (Part Two)
Author: suptime
Exploring with Old Friends (Part One)
The four of us have been friends, solid friends without pause, since 1989. Because we have remained close over the decades, we have stockpiled thirty years of stories, which inevitably come up every time we are together. When we settle down on a couch or around a dinner table, the old tales always worm their … Continue reading Exploring with Old Friends (Part One)
paddle questions
Daddy, do starfishes have mouths? In just my last few paddle sessions with Kate, we have seen a humpback whale spout in the distance, flirted with a family of bottlenose dolphins a few feet from our feet, scrounged up starfish off the sand in shallow waters, and marveled at pelicans hunting in graceful arcs over … Continue reading paddle questions
Making Memories
I love that Kate feels safe on the water. So many don’t. “Daddy, let’s look for spouts.” That’s what she said to me today, as we loitered at the end of the harbor’s jetty. The endless Pacific stared at us, and we bobbed, undecided. I observed the swell direction, boat traffic, wind, and the chop. … Continue reading Making Memories
Dolphin Musings
When you consider large marine mammals, you see a highly evolved organism, supremely attuned to their environment. Dolphins, for example, are efficient and deadly hunters. They travel and live in complicated social and familial relationships. They have evolved for survival in harsh oceanic environments all over the world. In order to do so, dolphins have … Continue reading Dolphin Musings
Enjoy the Journey – a paddle story from Laguna to San O
Five paddleboards laid on the grass at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, paying tribute to an ebullient morning sun. The sight of the boards themselves, pointing out to sea, and strewn with gear, made my heart swell. Morning walkers with their dogs seemed to linger with curiosity. They looked furtively at the boards, the paddles, … Continue reading Enjoy the Journey – a paddle story from Laguna to San O
Top Ten Tips for First Timers
You’ve seen people standup paddling as you sip your margarita at your waterfront restaurant table. You‘ve said to yourself, “Hey that looks like fun. I’d like to try that.” If you’re finally going to try it for the first time, here are some tips: Do not take your maiden voyage on a SUP in the … Continue reading Top Ten Tips for First Timers
Dolphin Rescue
The sea had been flattened and becalmed, with only gentle undulations of mild swells on the surface. With virtually nothing to check my progress, the board paddled smooth and therefore fast across the water. A long straight-armed stretch, a twist of my torso, a long lean forward, and the plunge of the paddle’s blade made … Continue reading Dolphin Rescue
I SAW A GREAT WHITE!
My mother, like most, enjoys telling stories of the cute things I did as a kid. She likes to say that when I was three years old, I was able to identify, and correctly pronounce, all of the dinosaurs pictured in my treasure trove of dinosaur books. Each night, she would read the books to … Continue reading I SAW A GREAT WHITE!
The Finback Whale Encounter
It was a warm day, flat and calm on the open ocean, a perfect day to look for whales. The visibility, both in and out of the water was phenomenal. Catalina Island’s features, although 26 miles away, were easily seen. Any anomaly on the surface of the water could be spotted from miles away, and … Continue reading The Finback Whale Encounter
Adventures in StandUp Paddling 