Just A Day At Newport Beach
I went for a little paddle today at Newport beach. I left the harbor and
headed south, off Corona Del Mar. It was a real nice day, but it was hot,
even at 9 AM. At first I couldn't figure out why I didn't feel like paddling
20 miles, but then I realized the heat was dogging me.
The tide was real low and a good swell was coming in and breaking over the reefs.
I watched in awe of the power of the ocean as I sat just outside one reef while
a large set came through. In the troughs of the waves, the reef was exposed. After
the set went through, I rested a few minutes, still in front of the reef. While
sitting there, day dreaming in la la land, I began to hear the clicking of small
rocks banging on the ocean bottom. I had often heard this sound in swallow water
with a good swell, and the sound was caused by the swell moving the rocks around.
It took a moment for my mind to register that the sound meant I had drifted into
some swallow water, and when I looked over the side, I saw the reef just four
feet away. Then I looked offshore and saw a set coming in. A few quick strokes
and I was out of there.
After a couple of miles of coastal paddling in the heat, I had enough and turned
around. Back in the harbor, a breeze picked up, cooled me down, and make me fill
better, so I decided to paddle around the harbor. I still wasn't feeling as motivated
as I usually do, so I decided that I needed a Coke. I don't normally drink soda,
but there are times when I just got to have one. I decide to buy a Coke at the
fish and bait dock next the PCH bridge and Southwind's rental central.
On the way to the fish and bait dock, a fish jumped out of the water and came
just two feet from hitting me in the head. That was a first for me.
While sipping on a Coke, I walked around in Southwind's rental center to see
what was going on there. They were pretty busy, and I saw a guy getting what
appeared like his own kayak off a rack. Earlier this week, there was a post
on this list from a Steve who had a question about the OC coordinators. He
later ended up emailing me personally and mentioned that he kept his kayak
there. I looked around and saw only a couple of kayaks that seemed like they
weren't rentals, so I figured there was a pretty good chance that this was
Steve. I asked him, and sure enough, it was him. What a small world this
is! Steve and I ended up chatting and paddling a lap around the bay together.
Duane Strosaker
Submitted on June 24, 2001