There is time to think when you camp alone, arguably too much. On my third day on the island, I was worried about a medical procedure my little one was scheduled to undergo that day. The thought of her, scared and possibly terrified or hurt, kept butting into my thoughts. My wife told me to … Continue reading Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 3)
Tag: adventures in sup
Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 2)
Day 2 The morning was chillier than I expected, but the air was still, which was what I had hoped for. I prepared some oatmeal, ate some dried mango, and drank two cups of tea. I put on my board shorts and rash guard, hat and glasses, clipped a knife to my belt, checked that … Continue reading Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 2)
Solo on Santa Cruz Island (Part One)
Day 1 I lined up with the others at the dock in Channel Islands harbor, waiting with my gear laid out for inspection. Groups of people filtered in and laid their gear on the ground in front of them. It appeared that I was the only one by myself - which suited me fine. I … Continue reading Solo on Santa Cruz Island (Part One)
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
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
Tips for Paddling with Little Ones
Avalon To Kate, my four-year old, Sunday has always been known as “crepe day, paddle day” which is, to me, a far better name for the day after Saturday. You can guess from the name what happens at our house. Every Sunday morning, I make crepes, and then we go paddle. I have been taking … Continue reading Tips for Paddling with Little Ones
How I Succeeded in Circumnavigating Catalina (Circumnavigation Part Deux)
A sudden gust threw another whitecap over the nose of my paddleboard, slowing me to a stall. I teetered, hunched down, and dug deep into the foam with my paddle. I felt like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. I still had the bad taste in my mouth from the last time I tried to paddle … Continue reading How I Succeeded in Circumnavigating Catalina (Circumnavigation Part Deux)
Adventures in StandUp Paddling 