Olde Port Beach
I launched solo at 7:00 a.m. this morning from Olde Port Beach (which,
incidentally, is the launch site for KayakBoy's Friendship Paddle in June.)
I chose to paddle alone, rather than trying to find a buddy, because I was
looking for some relaxation. I planned to come ashore someplace, set up my
chair, and read for an hour or two - not something I'd usually do with
someone else.
My intent was to head around the breakwater and up the coast towards Diablo
Canyon. However, as I rounded the point of the jetty I encountered some
rather choppy seas. I knew some of it might be bouncing off the
breakwater, but I've been around there several times, and this seemed to be
choppier than usual. Since I wasn't planning on returning for a few hours,
and knowing that the wind was likely to kick up later on, and since I was
alone, I chose to turn back and head the other direction - toward Avila
Beach, Pirate's Cove, Shell Beach, and Pismo. I may have been
overcautious, but that's the way I think one should be when paddling alone.
It was a glorious sunny morning with just a bit of haze in the air, and
very little breeze. I like to listen to music when alone. I have this
nifty CD player dry bag I got from REI. It has a waterproof headphone
connection - far superior to my old method of using a Ziploc bag, zipped as
close to the headphone wire as possible. (Of course, you've got to open it
to change the CD. You just make sure conditions are favorable when you do
so.) I had some very peaceful, beautiful music to listen to - Shawn
Colvin, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Karla Bonoff - very nice.
I thought I saw some dolphins out to sea, but when I paddled close enough I
could discern that they were sea lions playing around, porpoising and
holding one fin out of the water. Interestingly, there were no sea lions
on the jetty - absolutely none. I'm used to seeing dozens, high on the
rocks and playing in the water, and being serenaded by their barking. I
guess it has to do with the time of year. There looked to be a couple
hauled up on the buoy.
Every time I paddle in the Port San Luis area I see at least two sea
otters. I'm conjecturing that it may be the same two each time. Do they
mate for life? Anyway, I saw two where I usually do. As I paddled further
I saw several more, with an occasional seal.
I paddled under the Unocal Pier, and in towards Avila Beach. UNOCAL has finally
finished the rebuilding of the beach area (which was torn up to remove a plume
of oil.) It was still too early for many beach-goers to have arrived. I headed
east around the point, enjoying the many birds who nest on the outcropping on
the east end of Avila. I stayed close to shore, looking at the interesting rock
formations, and avoiding the kelp beds just to my right. At one point I almost
paid for getting too close. I was paddling in what I thought was safe, deep water,
between some shoals, looking at the shore, when I glanced the other direction
and saw a breaking wave about to hit me broadside. I leaned into it and braced
- no problem - but panicked when I thought that it might carry me all the way
in and dump me on some rocks. I glanced shoreward and saw a big exposed rock,
not to far away and just ahead of my path. Luckily, I spilled off the back of
the wave and it didn't carry me any further. I quickly paddled away and out to
sea. I'm guessing that there must have been a shoal under me which I hadn't perceived,
which caused the wave to break, but when it had passed the shoal it flattened
out, allowing me to stop rushing toward shore and paddle away. Phew! It felt like
a close one!
From there I paddled around and past Pirate's Cove, the local
clothing-optional beach. It was still too early for many people to have
arrived. There were a couple of people fishing (fully clothed), and there
were some people camping at the far end of the beach. They had a big
family tent set up, with a little backpacking tent next to it, and various
chairs, towels, etc. strewn around. They had a campfire going.
I paddled out and down toward Shell Beach. I enjoy this part of the coast.
There are some beautiful homes overlooking the water, but it still seems
relatively unspoiled. There were dozens of harbor seals hauled out on
rocks, and several of them slithered into the water and swam my way to
check me out.
I went as far as the first group of rocks by Dinosaur caves. By this time
my stomach was growling and I wanted to go ashore, eat my lunch, and read
for awhile. I thought of going back to the protection of Pirate's Cove,
but had come too far - my stomach wouldn't wait that long. Instead, I
landed at the foot of Vista Del Mar Avenue (page 65 of Rob's book.) The
waves were crashing, but I managed to chase the last swell in and land
without incident. The tide was so high that there was very little beach,
but I set up my chair at the water's edge, got out my lunch, and read my
book for a half hour or so.
I still had a long paddle back to my van, and THE LAKERS GAME WAS ON AT
NOON, so I cut my peaceful reading session short and launched down the
steep beach, through the waves, once again without incident, though I did
have a momentary mini-crisis when I realized that my paddle was reversed
left-to-right. It wasn't a problem on my cheap old CampMor paddle, but
with my new graphite model, it made quite a difference. Once I figured it
out, I was able to paddle out past the break, then flip the paddle.
The wind had kicked up by this point, and I had a headwind heading back,
but not too bad, and I made good time getting back to Olde Port Beach. The
waves were very small - the larger "swells" were probably two feet at the
most, and I paddled in with almost no noticeable surf. I thing Olde Port
Beach is an excellent choice for the Friendship Paddle - it's protected by
the breakwater, and the waves never get too bad, even on a windy day.
All in all, it was a great morning on the water. Otters, sea lions, lots
of harbor seals, the usual assortment of birds, including a great blue
heron standing onshore, and a great egret standing on a kelp raft. The
conditions were excellent and there were plenty of sights to see.
I look forward to paddling there again with a few (?!) friends during the
Friendship Paddle.
Gordon Snapp
Submitted on May 6, 2001