Tess, Visiting From Seattle

I went kayaking today with my dive buddies, Mark (right) and Debbie (center) and their friend Tess, from Seattle. We met at 10:00 and they picked up their kayaks from one of the rental places along Avenida De La Playa in La Jolla. While they were doing that I got my kayak down to the beach and got it ready to go.


Mark and Debbie rented a tandem kayak. Here they are over against the cliffs and cave area east of La Jolla Cove.

It was a pretty calm day. Not much of a swell and the surf was just small ankle slappers over at the Boat Launch. There is still a very heavy Red-tide. So visibility below the surface was only a foot or two. So it was not possible to see anything of the reef


It was calm enough to paddle into the Caves. But since we were not with a guide Mark, Debbie, and Tess were restricted from going into the Caves. Being on my personal kayak I was able to. I took a quick excursion into Emerald Cove and through the pass-though cave, which is about 50 yards to the right of this picture of all three Tess in the foreground, Mark & Debbie behind.







Tess is a kayaker back in Seattle. She is used to Sit-in kayaks. She usually goes on lakes and rivers. This may have been her first time on a "Sit-on-top".

From there we took a trip out to Buoy "A" in the kelp. Saw a couple of Harbor seals. Then paddled back in to shore. I went into the beach first to help the others come in through the surf. It was so small that everyone made it in without any help, and no-one tipped.

Over to El Charro's for some Shrimp Burritos.

Having spent 4 years in Seattle it was fun chatting about it. Reminiscing about all the things to do places to visit. Told Tess about the kayak tour place on Alki Beach that I went when there last year.


Another great day at Sea & Shore.

Kayak dive anchor Rock

Kayal Dive #4
Anchor Rock from LJShores
Descent time; 0940
bottom time 37 mins
Max depth 71
Vis 20

I met up with new kayak dive buddies today - Gus and his son Brian. 

We met at the Avenida De La Playa boat launch at 0800.  Set up the kayaks and paddled out to the dive site.  While still at the shore we observed that the Pelicans were diving for fish near shore and there was a harbor seal playing in the  practically non-existent surf.

Started off a gray day but that is good.  Cool for paddling. On the way out we observed the large pod of Dolphins I have been seeing lately.  (I am going to imagine they are the same ones I have been seeing.) We met  up with a returning kayak fisherman who had landed a two foot Humbolt Squid.  We hope to see one. We anchored our kayaks and got in our gear.

The surface water is a nice watery chocolate brown from the Red Tide. So the descent was dark with no visibility. About 30 feet you could feel the thermocline and the water temp dropped to about 55.  Then the vis opened up to about 20 feet. 

We explored all around Anchor Rock. All regular reef inhabitants.  I saw at least one yellow Treefish. Upon ducking under the water we could hear the Dolphins pinging their sonar.  They must have been all around us. But they rarely come close to scuba divers.  They were probably just out of visibility, just like the White Sharks.  Anyway, we had a great dive on the Rock and in the adjacent kelp bed. 

A nice relaxing paddle back to a shore discussing the dive and possible future dives.  After loading up the kayaks and dive gear off for some shrimp burritos at El Charro.  Sun was starting to peak through the marine layer for a nice meal in the sun watching the tourist kayakers walking down to the beach.

Paddle to Ruby E and HMCS Yukon dive sites

This morning I launched my kayak from Mission Bay and proceeded out the channel to open ocean.  Gray and overcast with a nice breeze keeping it cool.  I had not decided where I would go at first.  Point Loma kelp bed or Wreck Alley.  My hope was to see some blue whales.  I am not sure if I can get out far enough in my kayak to see them.  But one report from a local weatherman said he spotted some from Torrey Pines.  This suggests that is is possible.  And I have seen gray whales in close to shore.

Exiting the Channel I spotted some dive boats out at the Ruby E. So I decided to head there.  A little wind chop but the swell was small.  At the Ruby E I stopped and chatted with the divers there.  They then set off for a second dive at Point Loma kelp beds. 

I could see some boats out at The Yukon.  So I paddled there.  Once there I chatted with the divers there.  Was told the Yukon is now completely over on its Port side. I don't know when that happened.  I could be a while ago.  I have not dived there for quite some time.

After this break I headed back to Mission Bay. No whales or even dolphins this day. But a nice paddle

Dolphins

On August 8th and 9th I went paddling out to the Far Kelp bed northwest of The Children's Pool in La Jolla. There had been some reports of Blue Whales not too far from there. I was hoping to see them. I did not. But while out there on both days I got right in the middle of a large (60 plus) pod of Dolphins. They may have been Common Dolphin but I am not sure. Here are a couple of pictures.

Moody Blues

May 22, 2011


Sunday evening I packed up the kayak and headed down to Huphrey's By The Bay for the Moody Blues concert. A quick paddle from Bessemer Street to Humphrey's to settle back with all the other boats for the concert.
It was supposed to drizzle some. But, except for about ten minutes just before the concert started it stayed dry.
They played all their hits and some less known (by us casual fans) deeper tracks. Most recognizable songs performed were; The Story in Your Eyes, In Your Wildest Dreams, Tuesday Afternoon, Nights In White Satin, The Other Side of Life, and Higher and Higher, to name a few.

Once upon a time,
Once when you were mine,
I remember skies,
reflected in your eyes.
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you think about me.
Once upon a time in your Wildest Dreams.

Surf's up

I packed my dive gear and headed for La Jolla Cove. There was a large swell coming in from the west. Swell was breaking on the outside reef of Boomer and breaking in the Cove as well. So I went to La Jolla Shores to check conditions there. North of the Lifeguard tower surf was shoulder to head high, and the surfers were out in force. A few of my buddies and I watched a class try to get out in the surf. After fifteen minutes or so most of them had not made it out of the surf zone. And a few were pushed back into the beach. So they decided to go to breakfast. I went back home and exchanged my dive gear for my kayak.

I went down to Bahia Point in Mission Bay. I launched my kayak and headed north. I decided I would see how much of the Bay I could circumnavigate. First I went around Bahia Point into Santa Barbara Cove. Then out around El Carmel Point. Back hugging the shore into San Juan Cove. Turning east, with the wind at my back I passed the Catamaran Resort. Passed Riviera Shores, through Fisherman's Channel and under the Ingraham Street bridge. Then I headed back north again past Crown Point Shores. I skirted the edge of the wildlife preserve to Campland By The Bay. I then took a short paddle up Rose Creek Inlet, between Mission Bay High School and Mission Bay Park. I went until the rock weir at Grand Avenue. Turning about I headed back to De Anza Point. On the way there I spotted a Blue Heron fishing along the shore. His head feathers were nearly purple.

Mid way along De Anza Point I made a mad dash across the channel between it and Fiesta Island. Need to avoid the ski boats and Jet Skis. I timed it right when traffic was clear. Then I ran down the west shore of Fiesta Island. I stopped for a ten to fifteen minute break on Fiesta Island. That was two hours into my paddle.

When I got to Stony Point on Fiesta Island I headed across Perez Cove under the south portion of the Ingraham Street bridge. I followed the bridge over to the south shore of Vacation Isle. Then back across to Ventura Cove and Bahia Point.

A total of about nine miles, in just under three hours. Sometimes the wind was at my back sometimes I was headed into the wind. The wind picked up when I was crossing in front of Fiesta island. And it was producing some decent size wind waves, directly from my starboard beam, causing wind spray over my gunnel.

A satisfying paddle on a beautiful, sunny San Diego day.

Spring Break

After a few months off I got back on the water today. A nice sunny and warm Spring morning. A little bit of wind chop from the west, nothing to extreme. Just nice to get back on the sea. Out to the far kelp bed. Then north to the outer ecological preserve marker buoy. Traveled in to Scripps Pier. Then south along the coast to the boat launch. Half a dozen sea lions rafting outside, plenty of seaguls, terns and pelicans enjoying the schools of bait fish.

Whale Watching Season

I went out kayaking to the outer kelp bed off the Children's Pool in La Jolla, It is getting to be Whale Watching Season. First thing, right in the surf was a small pod of dolphins. They had swum off by the time I had gotten through the non-existent surf. So I paddled on out to the Far Kelp Bed. That was Thursday, January 6 Spent some time waiting for the sight of any whales. None today. A lot of Sea Lions in a raft (that is a group of sea lions). And some swimming alone.

On my way back to shore I met up with a guided group. The Guide said that they had seen five gray whales on Sunday. So although I saw none today. I will keep checking as often as I can.