Kim's Sup Part Two or.. More time well spent..

About week later I decided I really didn’t pull a muscle but maybe cracked my rib. That’s what it feels like anyway. Don’t worry… it only hurts when I paddle real hard. So.. Over the weekend I tried to paddle casually into a few over at the left. Pretty small but I could have surfed bigger without much more pain so no worries. Wait. Before I go way off tangent and end up with a third part to this stand up paddle confession story of mine, I have to say one thing. You can’t just tell me you are a shortboarder, or a longboarder, or a supper, or a sponger, a kneeboarder, or a kite boarder or, I just surf when it’s good, or blah, blah, blah. Just surf. One of everything please..Thanks! I still plan on getting on a surf mat and on a kneeboard this winter. If you only have love for your own race, then you only leave space to discriminate.. which only creates hate, which can only make you irate. Except those spongers. Fuck those guys…. Just kidding… and the kiteboarders…. Kidding..

So here’s the story I was trying to tell you about yesterday. It goes like this. Riley was taking me on his morning walk up at Bates. We hooked up with Feta and Lou on the way back. I notice some fins heading in the same direction, at the same time my brother Mike calls and gives me the up to date surf report from Venturah.. Actually he hasn’t arrived in the VTA yet but it’s not happening in Hueneme. Which by the way is the Chumash word for “halfway” or “resting place” Halfway to where? Glad you asked. Halfway between Malibu and Rincon of course. Google it. Sorry. No. .I made that up but it sounds good yes? It is the however the only deep water port between LA and San Francisco. So I headed home waiting to hear something on the surf, and wondering if I should forget about it, and go cut the dolphins off in LC for a photo shoot. Sometimes I wish someone would just tell me what to do and where to go. Kidding.. Surf report came back negative but too late to cut off the dolphins. So now what? I need a new plan.

I decided to grab my Camera , load the SUP, head south, and cut them off for some photos around Hobson’s, then maybe drive a bit further and launch the SUP. Making the left into La Conchita is a piece of cake but heading south is a pain in the ass, at least in the Westy. I try to not let the f-bombs fly as I merge into the southbound traffic. I am sure most of those drivers missed the sign and flashing lights two miles back that said “END FREEWAY - CROSS TRAFFIC AHEAD” I know the dolphins are not too far ahead of me so I start scanning. As soon as I am safely in the slow lane, I look over, and there they are. Heading north! It could be a different group so I keep heading south. Past Hobson’s. Past Crap Reef. Past Pitas. Pass Mondo’s (where I briefly thought about paddling out on Kim’s Sup) Pass Solimar ( where I wish the waves were a little better so I could paddle out on Kim’s Sup without a crowd) Sheesh.. See how quickly this story is getting away from me. Stop!

There are no fins to be seen down this way so I turn around and head north thinking briefly again about paddling out on Kim’s Sup as I pass by Mondos . Stop! I need a new plan. I will rush back to LC and shoot some photos of the northbound group I passed on the way down. As soon as I pulled the u-turn and parked, there they were, about 100 yards north of me.. I briefly thought about running them down. Nevermind ! New plan!!! Forget the photos today go to the cove and cut them off on the SUP. So I did. Finally a plan that I could live with. Not that cove.. the good cove.

No waves and no one in the parking lot. Good. Perfect. I don’t surf the cove much anyway but I don’t really want to be caught with an 11’ SUP on my head. As soon as I hit the beach I saw them. At least two fins about 200 yards south of the cove. Sweet.. I hit the water and the conditions were perfect. Glassy, foggy of course, 10’-20’ visibility in the water, and two fins only 100 yards away. So I paddle on out thinking wow this is great and a bit unnerving at the same time. I have been surfing with these guys for years. I have been on the same wave. I have had them pass by within a few feet. I have had to duck dive right in front of six of them, heading full speed, straight at me. But that was just them passing me by. This time I was going to try to hang out with them for a while. I soon as I got pretty close I stopped and sat down for a while. There were two of them. Big ones with big unique fins but neither that I knew by name. They didn’t seem to be going anywhere or maybe I just stopped them. The three of us all kind of hung around in the same area for quite a while, and it crossed mind that if I fell in, they might ram my already cracked rib. Ouch.. They would get pretty close sometimes.. maybe 10’ -15’ and then they would disappear . Occasionally they would come up to the surface and just stay there. I see that behavior a lot now that I have been watching them. This time I was sure they checking me out. Then they both disappeared. So I headed north to towards the cove to see if they would catch up with me when.. poo’fe.. That is the sound they make when they surface. Kind of a soft poof. I don’t know something like that. Anyway it’s the sound of more fins coming up from the south.

Note to self. It’s way easier to count dolphins from this angle especially with the clear water. Six in this group, and without a doubt I know some of these ones but, not by name. This group appeared a lot less freaky than the two bigger ones. They were on a slow but steady trip up the coast. I let them come up to me and then started to paddle in front of them hoping they would pass me. Nope. So I stopped again and just let them cruise by me. Two up front, the other four bringing up the rear. The water is so clear I can see the bottom, the fish, the eel grass, and a lot of sand if you know what I mean. Super good waves coming is what I mean.

I just kind of fell in line naturally behind these guys and followed them into the cove, on up the point, all the way to indicator. I can’t really explain how cool it was. I was right there with them and they didn’t seem to mind a bit. I could see the four below me so clearly it was like slow motion. They’d surface right in front of me, poo’fe.. And for a brief moment in time I was part of this pod. Pretty cool. They never tried to speed away, change directions, or ram into my ribs. In fact I had to slow down a couple times. Pretty freaking cool. Once I hit Indicator I decided to turn back and leave them alone. I didn’t want to wear out my welcome but was looking forward to another encounter. Plus there was somebody out surfing the left and I didn’t want to be spotted on the sup.. Ha..

I wasn’t even to the rivermouth when two more fins popped up. Took a seat and there was qunt’aw (lighting). Pretty much the first dolphin I named and the first dolphin I have seen and recognized from the water. I would like to think he or she was cruising along with ox’kon (thunder) but ox’kon does not have that distinctive of a fin and I didn’t have a camera. But where there’s lighting there’s usually thunder..

Lighting and Thunder..

Time well spent.. or Kim's Sup part one.

So when I started this little Dolphins of the Rincon thing I figured it would be fun to actually know some of the dolphins that cruise by everyday while I was out surfing, or walking on the beach, or just sitting on the porch. So far I have cataloged about 75 fins.. Some of quality on the photos makes a second ID questionable but hey, even the worst one was identified by Mark up at Okeanis. Mark and Daniela have been a huge help by the way.

I don’t have anyone down south that I am sharing info with at this time. However based on the amount of fins spotted down here, which have also been spotted up in Monterey, I would say it’s a safe bet that some of these fins definitely make it in to Baja Norte. What does this all mean.. hmm... They are getting better waves than me lately. But not last Monday. Labor Day brought the first decent waves of the season to the Rincon and I was stoked! I heard a few people complaining.. Why... Hey it was pretty good! Quite a few that came through that day were really good. I surfed close to 6 hours and was happy to be back home. 6 Hours.. That should show you how desperate I have become.. Funny thing. Not one dolphin the entire time I was out. I am sure that at least two cruised through between sessions when I went home to take a nap…

Wake up!! Riley was ready to go. Do something. Anything.. Just hurry up. So we took a bike ride down to the pier to see how the waves were looking. Not epic... but there were a few guys out and I am sure they were stoked to be back home too. Two dolphins came through the Cliffhouse section, passed by the rocks all the way to the call box. Actually I don’t know if there is a callbox there but this was the best dolphin wave of the season. I could see both of them clearly building speed though the first section riding inside the wave like only they can do, past the rocks which are kind of sketchy for dolphins and people, then they both burst out simultaneously doing two perfect airs in a row, then two alternating airs before doing their flyaway twisting kick outs at the end.. One of them rode about 20 yards further before doing his flyaway twisting kick out getting pretty dang close to the freeway in my opinion. What did I get out of this little 20 second encounter? I think they were saying Don. There’s three hours of light left and this swell is dropping fast, so you better get on it. So I did. Moving along...

My friend Kim loaned me her SUP (Stand up Paddle Board) for a few days. I know. I hate these things as much as the next guy but, this one is kind of a cruiser, and while, you can catch waves on it. I’m not planning to catch any.. just cruise. blah.. blah.. Well you know. . Ok. hmm. Then.... Anytime in the water is time well spent. I know Kim got this one for paddling around on flat days hoping to get out there and hang out with the “Dolphins of the Goodland” Personally I have been secretly wanting one of these for the same reason for quite some time now.

Tuesday.. There was still some surf to be had but, I had this new toy so.. Yea.. Hopefully run into some friends.. Dolphins that is. First off it’s not as easy as it looks. There is the width of 30 inches and a ridiculous length of 11 feet to consider. Try getting that through the hobbit tunnel of La Conchita or into your car without being seen. This is a super nice Jimmy Lewis board but must have come out before they put those nifty little built in handles. Somehow I came up with an ingenious carrying system that even MacGyver would have been proud of. Using the leash and the paddle, I made it through the tunnel and to the beach. Easy Peasy. There was actually surf that day in LC but, luckily no one on the beach, and no one to notice me paddle out. The steep beach break waves looked kind of fun and like certain death on the sup. Anyway I am out here to cruise around and look for some dolphin’s right? Ha.. I didn’t see any dolphins so I cruised on down to the pier where I might be able to catch some waves…

There was a lone surfer out at the beach break just north of the pier so I stayed way offshore to insure he did not see my face. I had paddled this thing around once before on really smooth water but other than that, this is my first time on the sup. It’s weird paddling around with your stance straight ahead. Weird standing out in the middle of the ocean. Weird trying to get through the pier on such a huge craft with the current sucking in and out. Weird this tall paddle. Just weird. So I get by the pier and no one is out. Good. High tide and not really enough swell . Good. I was heading to where I saw the dolphins catch that wave the day before, and that is where I was heading the minute I left the house. Stop!!!

I know what you’re thinking… a thousand sunsets, dolphins, heart shape stones, magic sea glass, stupid love song covers, and now a SUP.. WTF.. That is why I started shooting portraits of raptors and have a small but powerful collection of skull shape rocks. It’s harder than it looks those SUPS. My first wave.. A knee high but treacherous take off over the previously mentioned rock section. Shifting to a surf stance was easier than I thought given how off balance I am on that thing the rest of the time. Dig the paddle in and glide. Fun! Second wave.. Might be chest high. It’s hard to get this thing turned around and going. Which side do I favor when I am catching a wave? I favored my right side and dug really hard to get in this one then.. tweak… snap.. crackle.. I pulled something and instantly forget about the trampoline injury that was bothering me but I did catch the wave. Fun! Fun! Ouch!! I should have headed back after that but no one was out, and I wanted to get a few more. It was really hard to catch anything without putting any pressure on my right side but I managed a few more. Fun ! Fun! Fun! Ouch.. I was planning to tell a different story but the preamble turned into a preramble so that is the end of Kim’s Sup part one.. Or.. Time well spent.