Surf 's Up

  This week Kona received some winter swell.  it wasn't huge, no ten foot faces throwing rocks the size of grapefruits over the sea wall.  But it was big enough to keep me out of the water, at least I skipped snorkeling for a couple days.

Its a  three board day for the lifeguards at Turtle Beach.

    One of those days I did something fun, something that I've wanted to do for a while.  Dressed in my swim suit, I took a sand chair down near the ocean on our lava rock beach.  Close enough that the waves were crashing at my feet.  I then held tight as the bigger sets sent waves over me and the sand chair.  A bit like a roller coaster ride for an old man.  And I'm like, "Surf 's up, dude!"
    The next day I went to Kahalu'u.  The surf was still high and for me it was a swimming exercise.  The current was sufficiently strong that I had to use my wits to keep from being washed backwards.  Even my friends the fish were having trouble swimming in the strong current.  The life guards were in their moment of glory.  They didn't close the beach, but they placed a buoy about fifty yards from the beach and yelled at errant snorkelers through their bullhorns.  To be fair, the current was really strong.

Saddleback Butterflyfish   Kahalu'u   March 2011

     Two days ago, the swell moderated a little.  Sandra and I went swimming at the Kailua pier.  Considering the extended strong swell, the water was remarkably warm and clear.  (As an aside, it seems like the really cold winter ocean temperture that we experienced at this time last year isn't going to materialize.  This day the water was probably 78 degrees F.)  I had neglected to shave during the incoming swell and with three days growth of beard,  my mask leaked like crazy.

Barred Jack  Kahalu'u February 2012

    Sweetie and I (and my soggy proboscus) made the loop in the cool clear water, me stopping to dump water from my mask every minute or so.  By the time we got back by the pier, the repeated accumulation of salt water had washed away my defogging soap and the mask was pretty cloudy.  Spitting in the mask does help.  and tucking it firmly under ones nose decreases mustache leak a little.  It was in this slightly improved state that I got a glimpse of a Saddleback Butterfly.  This pretty fish, while not extremely rare, is uncommon enough to bring joy whenever it is spotted and it is almost unheard of at the pier, so I regard it as the third really good butterfly seen up against the Kailua Pier in about month.
    Which brings us up to yesterday.  By this time the surf had diminished significantly.  And we were in the middle of a week when high tide comes during the day...the perfect day to go swimming at Kahalu'u with its shallow rocky entry.  If anyone out there cares, the so called sand channel entrance at Kahalu'u has been thoroughly washed away by this season's small storms.  During a very low tide it is necessary to walk across the water covered rocks for about ten painful feet.  During a higher tide it is necessary for us cognoscenti to dodge between the legs of the hoi poloi who insist on needlessly treading that painful, submerged lava.  So if you want to appear competent and save your feet in the process, put on your mask and fins in the initial pool  and swim out.  On the way in, its the same routine in reverse;  swim into the first pool and take off your fins sitting on the sand.   Your feet will be soooo happy.

The second in the pair of handsome Barred Jacks.

    Taking my own good advice, I put on my fins and gloves and clawed my way, gurnard-like, through the stumbling forest of human legs.  Of course, I had neglected to shave (again) and my mask, despite being positioned painfully beneath my nose, continued to leak.  Lucky for us, this time the soggy nose was rewarded with a good fish, a pair of Barred Jacks.  It was a bright blue day, the water clear and fish well illuminated.  i circled them for half an hour and here you can see the photographic fruit.  This fish is uncommon enough, and sufficiently spooky when you do see one, to have avoided my personal photo collection.  But no more!

    Last night, during one of my nocturnal meanderings (which I understand are common among the geriatric) I shaved.

May your seas be warm and your waters clear,
jeff