Malibu to Pt Dume Round Trip
Five of us met this past Sunday at Dan Blocker Beach. Captain Peter O'Sullivan, Psycho Doc John Ernst, Rick Powell, Boatbender Mike Brown, SkinBoat John P. The old access road to the beach is gone and the new access road is at the end of Malibu Drive from Webb Way and PCH. It is a long 25 mph drive to get less than 1/4 mile away from the Life Guard Station we launch from just so we can move our boats to the beach without risk from damage from rocks.

I won't squeal but someone was very, very late delaying our launch just a bit so that it was 0918 before we were all launched through a small but dumping surf. Heading west directly toward Point Dume we were treated to a sunfish swimming alongside for a short while. The water was calm with a gentle swell and the slightest hint of a breeze.

At Paradise Cove we encountered a tall ship in the cove from Dana Point with a group of Sea Scouts aboard. Continuing along we reached the point in 70 minutes at what we felt was a reasonable pace. The tide was going out but there was still plenty of room in the channel between the point and the rocks. It looked calm but the looks were deceiving as there was a strong current running west to east.

Paddling through the channel was work! Like paddling uphill. We made it through to Westward Beach and John decided that we were going to land on this steep beach with high dumping surf so, the sheep that we are, we all followed to all land without carnage. Looking back at the surf we wondered why we were there but there we were.

We spent about 45 minutes taking care of things and having a snack and generally avoiding the launching through a 6' breaking surf at irregular intervals.

The fearless kayakers, led by BoatBender, finally launched, one by one with such precision that you would have thought we were a paddling demonstration team! Such perfection not having been seen in weeks from Westward Beach, to the amazement of the SOT paddlers that had just shown up and were debating whether to take their boats off their cars, or not. (To our amazement, too!)

We started through the channel surfing on the swell all the way through and continued along the coast swinging in along Paradise Cove. As we approached Dan Blocker we were greeted by a large pod of dolphin swimming in and around us; they arched out of the water in perfect form and some came straight up in pairs, slamming their bodies together. What a show!

The tide was out and the surf was up. We landed one at a time with minimal carnage. Two OBE's on the final approach. No injuries to people or boats, just a couple of very minor kelp awards.

Afterwards, we adjourned to the deli at the Cross Creek Shopping Center for great food and scenery!

Another great day on the water with great companions and great food...Does it get better than this?

    John Petersen (with a little help from Mr.Boatbender)

Submitted on June 23, 2003