Long Break.

I have not posted for some time.  But I wanted to let anyone that may occasionally view my Blog that I am still kayaking often and will continue to post when anything of interest occurs.

Still at it

Still kayaking often, just have not made a post for a while.  Not much interesting happening this time of year.  And I have not been on a kayak dive for some time.  I have done some long paddles since getting my new kayak. It has a little more speed than my Scrambler XL, longer and sleeker also more controlable in the surf.

Some pics from my Frida (7/26 ) paddle.

 

Sea Lions

 

Kayak tourist at La Jolla Caves

Mt Soledad and La Jolla.

It Happened Again

Well, It happened again.  I went kayaking  on March 13 in the afternoon.  Came home and locked my kayak on top of my car.  When I got up the next morning my kayak was gone, the tie downs were cut and the cable lock had been cut and was missing with my U-bolt bike lock. I made a Police report.  The Police said that there is very little hope of getting it back.  And I don't think I will be as lucky as the last time.  They also said that there are no locking ssytems that will completely deter a determined thief.  They just keep the honest people honest and the lazy or ill-prepared thieves foiled until they come back with the right tools for the job.

So I had no choice but to find another kayak.

So my new kayak!!!

 

Whale Watching 1/20/13

A crystal clear warm day in San Diego.  Went kayaking on Sunday with my buddy Sue to hunt for Gray Whales.  We launched at Marine Room. There was no surf at all along this section of beach and the surface was glassy as far as we could see. A forty minute paddle to about two miles off La Jolla Shores, but just a half mile from the Chidren's Pool is where we headed.  This is where we most often see whales.  There must be some kind of underwater geographical feature that channels them here. Everytime I have seen a whale from my kayak it has been in this area.

No sooner had we reached our desination then we started spotting them.  The one pictured below would breach and exhale about five times and then sound, its tail would rise and then disappear below the surface for a deep dive.  He would then be gone for about five minutes.  We witnessed this about four times.  And though we are not sure it may have been the same whale.  This is based on timing and the repeated behavior.

 

 

 

But we know for a fact that there were more than one in the area as we did see more than one spout at a time

PIctures speak a thousand words

 

The water was so still and glassy you can see my reflection.  This was taken at our furthist point from shore in open water.  Hardly a ripple.

 

 

Then back at The Marine Room we were able to see the Leopard Sharks where they hang out in the shallows.  There were dozens of them.  This is a yearly occurance.  but not usually at this time of year.  This is very unusual.  This is more a late spring and summer phenomena.

The Monster Returns - June 10

So Sue and I launched our kayaks this morning at the boat launch on Avenida De La Playa in La Jolla.  I wanted her to experience this entry point so she could compare it to Marine Room.  Both have their benefits. At the boat launch you can drive your car right out on the beach and unload. but then you must go find a parking spot, and they have a time limit.  Sometimes hard on a beautiful summer day.  At Marine Room you must portage your kayak down to the beach.  But once parked you can stay there all day with not time limit.

On our first paddle in La Jolla she made it out past the Children's Pool.  So this time I set a goal of South Casa or Hospital Point.  I let her set the pace and told her that when she felt she had reached her limit we could turn back.  Well, she kept on paddling and paddling. And before you knew it we were past my original goal and she still felt like continuing.  So we then went as far as Marine Street Beach.  Below is a picture from Sue's kayak of our furthest point south.

Created a Monster

Sue's first La Jolla Paddle

My dive buddy Sue recently purchased a used sit-on-top ocean kayak.  She was exited to get out and try it.  So we met one Sunday morning at Marine Room, La Jolla Shores . I had told her that I would let her set the pace and the distance we went each time. But I expected her to increase it a little each time we went. 

I had ulterior motives.  I wanted to create a kayak monster just like I have become.  I gave her some instructions and shoved her into the surf.  She paddled out and made it through the surf without spilling.  I then turned to the beach to get my kayak launched.  When I turned back she was in the water.  I paddle quickly out to her.  I gave her verbal instructions on how to get back in.  (I was not about to show her.  I am not going to get totally soaked just so she can learn to get back on her kayak.  She the one who tipped, not me).  After a few tries she was up and ready to go.


Then we set out. I said that pretty much everyone can make it over to " The Caves" Even the tourists who have never been on a kayak can do this.  So we went there.  Then I asked; "Can you make it to Buoy "A"?"  She said she could. We did. 

Then I asked; "Can you get to Buoy "B"?  She said she could and we did.  Just about here I told her that out towards Children's Pool is where I have seen Gray Whales. 

Then she asked how far is it to "Children's Pool"  I told her that it was about 20 minutes from where we were.  She wanted to attempt it.  I reminded her; "You understand that we have to get back, right?"  She did and we went there.  Just as we headed there we found ourselves in the midst of a small pod of Dolphin.  That was a great sighting for her first time out.

At that time I told her I was very impressed with what she had accomplished but thought we should turn around.

We turned about and I explained to her the differences we would experience with speed and apparent speed now that we were going with the swell instead of against it.  Soon we were back and ready to attempt re-entry through the surf. I gave her a few tips on how to avoid tipping in the surf. And she did it just right and stuck the landing 100%  She was stoked about what she did. It was not until we were eating lunch and she went to lift her Iced Tea to drink that she realized how much had really done. She had to augment her lift with her other arm. Bu that was just a momentary thing. And she can't wait to get back out. 

But my plans have been foiled.  I don't have to Create a Monster. It was there lurking beneath the surface all the time.

Whales Sighted at Mission Beach Yesterday

Well, today (Friday, April 20) is my Furlough day from SDUSD Transportation. A day off with out pay designed to help the budget. The weather report said that In-land it will reach the 80's or 90's With temperatures in the desert in the 100's.

But along the Coast the high pressure is going to keep the fog and Marine layer hanging around the shoreline most of the day. But that is not going to stop me from getting out in the water.

Reports were that yesterday a Gray Whale and its calf were seen in the surf zone at Mission Beach. They were able to get video of the two whales. So I thought this would be as likely a day to see some whales as any.

So I got up early, loaded up the kayak and headed for Marine Room to launch. The weather report was accurate. It was overcast and cool. Not much wind though. So just before 0800 I headed out onto a gray green sea to try and spot some whales. The swell was kind of large out of the Northwest with another smaller, short interval, swell coming from the SW. The NW swell was big enough that I had to stay outside the reef breaks at Children's Pool, Wind & Sea, and Bird Rock.

I made it down to Crystal Pier in 90 minutes. There I took a break. While resting on my kayak I noticed a flock of Brown Pelicans coming towards me like a storm-cloud out of the WSW. They were following a large school of bait fish. As they came closer I noticed that not all the splashes were from a Pelican plunging into the water. A good sized pod of Dolphins (possible Pacific white-sided) hunted the same school. Resting there, the Pelicans and the Dolphins swam or flew right around my kayak. Never even pausing in their hunt, they plunged and splashed and dove all around me. In less then ten minutes the school was decimated and the birds and dolphins vanished as fast as they had appeared.

Not having seen any whales I decided I would head back north. I was going to paddle for half an hour until I got to Bird Rock and then take a rest. As I got to the south side of Bird Rock Cove I saw, off to my left, three large Bottlenose dolphins. They were on a course to the North. At first they were making good speed and to keep up I had to paddle as fast as I could. I did this for about half an hour with no break. Then about Wind & Sea it appeared that i lost them. By then they had crossed inside and were about 1/4 mile ahead.

I then rested for a short time. After proceeding on I caught sight of them again. Still between me and the shoreline. This time they were slowly hunting on the reefs. So slowly that I had to go about half my regular speed so as not to overtake them. I did this for about another hour. During that time a few Sea Lions came by to pester the Dolphins and check me out. Finally near to The Children's Pool I lost them for good.

Though I did not get to see any Gray Whales, it was a terrific paddle. Hit the shoreline at 1150, three hours fifty minutes after leaving. The last two hours spent following my three dolphin pals. The surf had fallen since I left and I stuck the landing with no spills.