November 2020

Let’s Get It Straight

Getting to where you want to go can be difficult. And getting there in the most direct way is also challenging. What you will notice when you standup paddle, especially as a new paddler, is that your board will not track in a perfectly straight line as you paddle. With each stroke, the nose of […]

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Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 3)
There is time to think when you camp alone, arguably too much. On my third day on the island, I was worried about a medical procedure my little one was scheduled to undergo that day. The thought of her, scared and possibly terrified or hurt, kept butting into my thoughts. My wife told me to … Continue reading Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 3) →
Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 2)
Day 2 The morning was chillier than I expected, but the air was still, which was what I had hoped for. I prepared some oatmeal, ate some dried mango, and drank two cups of tea. I put on my board shorts and rash guard, hat and glasses, clipped a knife to my belt, checked that … Continue reading Solo on Santa Cruz (Part 2) →
Solo on Santa Cruz Island (Part One)
Day 1 I lined up with the others at the dock in Channel Islands harbor, waiting with my gear laid out for inspection. Groups of people filtered in and laid their gear on the ground in front of them. It appeared that I was the only one by myself – which suited me fine. I … Continue reading Solo on Santa Cruz Island (Part One) →
Deleted Scene from His Name is Cwiz – the Feud with Anchorwoman Jane Valez Mitchell
[from my book His Name is Cwiz – here is a deleted scene/chapter] The Feud with Anchorwoman Jane Valez Mitchell When Cwiz was inbetween jobs after returning from his travels overseas, he would come home with nothing to do. The rest of us were in school, or working regular full-time jobs, and he was supremely … Continue reading Deleted Scene from His Name is Cwiz – the Feud with Anchorwoman Jane Valez Mitchell →
Lessons at the Zoo
We broke down and decided to do something already – – anything. We masked up and went to the San Diego Zoo. We figured it’s outside, safe enough, so off we went. Kate complained on the drive down there. About five minutes in, she was asking how much longer it would be. I kept trying … Continue reading Lessons at the Zoo →
Seabound Solitude
Shayla Tonge is a film student who made the coolest, most beautiful documentary about the peace and joy of standup paddling, and in particular, about my SUP experiences on the water. I have included a link here to the documentary, which she named Seabound Solitude. Enjoy! Jeremy- Seabound Solitude.mp4 (vimeo.com)
Eating on a Paddle-Camping Trip
From time to time, someone asks me what sort of food I bring on my paddle camping adventures. The question usually comes from someone who is wondering how I carry all the food and drink I need without weighing myself down too much. It’s a good question because there does seem to be an inverse … Continue reading Eating on a Paddle-Camping Trip →
Injured
I used to play a lot of basketball, but oftentimes when I played, I would play for too long, and I would come home wrecked. My knees would hurt. My back would hurt. Even my stomach would hurt if I played for hours. I jammed my fingers, and sometimes had to wear a splint. I … Continue reading Injured →
Let’s Get It Straight
Getting to where you want to go can be difficult. And getting there in the most direct way is also challenging. What you will notice when you standup paddle, especially as a new paddler, is that your board will not track in a perfectly straight line as you paddle. With each stroke, the nose of … Continue reading Let’s Get It Straight →
The Mysterious Fin
It was another gorgeous morning. I paddled through what remained of the harbor feeling strong. The tide was rushing out, and it felt like I was paddling down a fast moving river. Underneath me, I could see kelp stalks bending under the powerful sway of the current. I was making record time out of the … Continue reading The Mysterious Fin →
Dudes’ Annual Paddle Adventure 2020 (Part 3/End)
I tripped out of the tent, cursing the tent flap for the surly bastard that it was, and walked over to our makeshift kitchen table to heat up some tea. A mug in hand, now feeling more sanguine, I took a seat in my camp chair, and looked around my feet. Beneath me were the … Continue reading Dudes’ Annual Paddle Adventure 2020 (Part 3/End) →
Dudes’ Annual Paddle Adventure 2020 (Part 2)
As I sat sipping my hot tea and watching the brightening sky over the water, Kenny sidled up to me, “Check this out.” He dangled a realistic-looking toy rattlesnake before my eyes and playfully shook its rubber body at me. I asked, “What is that for?” Kenny held his finger to his lips, and then … Continue reading Dudes’ Annual Paddle Adventure 2020 (Part 2) →
Dudes’ Annual Paddle Adventure 2020 (Part 1)
The five of us, masked per Covid-19 protocol, and laden like mules with gear, lumbered down the gangway to the boat in San Pedro, that was to take us to Two Harbors on Santa Catalina Island. We hunted for seats with good air flow and found some in the bow. Our talk during the ride … Continue reading Dudes’ Annual Paddle Adventure 2020 (Part 1) →
Finding Flow
When I paddle, I am rarely thinking about past failures. While paddling, I am rarely considering the checklist of tasks I have to accomplish, or that brief I still have to write. I don’t think about the hurtful thing someone said to me, or the time I spoke too harshly to someone else. I don’t … Continue reading Finding Flow →
What the Fog?
I had not been on the water for a few weeks and it felt good to put my body into the old familiar stretches. I leaned out with the paddle so far that it felt like I would fall forward, but then the blade hit the water and stabilized me. The stroke, which had been … Continue reading What the Fog? →
Marathon Paddle (Part Two/End)
I woke up feeling sticky on the floor of the boat. The outside of my sleeping bag was covered in dew, but I was hot and sweaty on the inside. I felt like a soggy ham sandwich in a Ziploc bag. I sat up and looked over the boat’s railing at the water in the … Continue reading Marathon Paddle (Part Two/End) →
Marathon Paddle (Part One)
The Captain answered my phone call with “Hey-O.” Without preamble, I said, “So I have this idea.” “Yeah?” I continued, “We rent a boat, motor out to Avalon, sleep on the boat, and then paddle back the next day. Hoover can drive the boat and track us back. I’m thinking like a 24-hour deal.” The … Continue reading Marathon Paddle (Part One) →
Exploring with Old Friends (Part Five)
The Captain cranked up the motor as best he could against the heaving swell. But the engine was out-matched and we were barely making headway. We stared at the instruments, trying to gauge how far the Painted Cave was from our current location. Suddenly, while staring intently at the radar screen, a wave of nausea … Continue reading Exploring with Old Friends (Part Five) →
Exploring With Old Friends (Part Four)
We slept peacefully as our boat gently rocked in a harbor as quiet as a graveyard. I slept in a berth tucked into the end of one of the catamaran’s narrow hulls. The ceiling was a foot above my head, and as I tried to get to sleep, I kept opening my eyes and looking … Continue reading Exploring With Old Friends (Part Four) →
Exploring With Old Friends (Part Three)
After our cave canal escapade, the Captain and I returned to the boat with shit-eating grins. We turned the boat westward and putted alongside Anacapa’s captivating coast, passing the eastern and middle parts of the island. We eventually found a spot to take a look around in a cove in the western islet. It was … Continue reading Exploring With Old Friends (Part Three) →
Exploring with Old Friends (Part Two)
I could see a pile of sea lions from the parking lot when we pulled up to the dock in the morning. The first thing I heard when I got out of the truck was their raucous barking, which made me smile. I took a deep breath, smelled the sea, and looked at the fog … Continue reading Exploring with Old Friends (Part Two) →
Exploring with Old Friends (Part One)
The four of us have been friends, solid friends without pause, since 1989. Because we have remained close over the decades, we have stockpiled thirty years of stories, which inevitably come up every time we are together. When we settle down on a couch or around a dinner table, the old tales always worm their … Continue reading Exploring with Old Friends (Part One) →
paddle questions
In just my last few paddle sessions with Kate, we have seen a humpback whale spout in the distance, flirted with a family of bottlenose dolphins a few feet from our feet, scrounged up starfish off the sand in shallow waters, and marveled at pelicans hunting in graceful arcs over our head. We have hunted … Continue reading paddle questions →
Making Memories
I love that Kate feels safe on the water. So many don’t. “Daddy, let’s look for spouts.” That’s what she said to me today, as we loitered at the end of the harbor’s jetty. The endless Pacific stared at us, and we bobbed, undecided. I observed the swell direction, boat traffic, wind, and the chop. … Continue reading Making Memories →
Dolphin Musings
When you consider large marine mammals, you see a highly evolved organism, supremely attuned to their environment. Dolphins, for example, are efficient and deadly hunters. They travel and live in complicated social and familial relationships. They have evolved for survival in harsh oceanic environments all over the world. In order to do so, dolphins have … Continue reading Dolphin Musings →
Enjoy the Journey – a paddle story from Laguna to San O
Five paddleboards laid on the grass at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, paying tribute to an ebullient morning sun. The sight of the boards themselves, pointing out to sea, and strewn with gear, made my heart swell. Morning walkers with their dogs seemed to linger with curiosity. They looked furtively at the boards, the paddles, … Continue reading Enjoy the Journey – a paddle story from Laguna to San O →
Top Ten Tips for First Timers
You’ve seen people standup paddling as you sip your margarita at your waterfront restaurant table. You‘ve said to yourself, “Hey that looks like fun. I’d like to try that.” If you’re finally going to try it for the first time, here are some tips: Do not take your maiden voyage on a SUP in the … Continue reading Top Ten Tips for First Timers →
Dolphin Rescue
The sea had been flattened and becalmed, with only gentle undulations of mild swells on the surface. With virtually nothing to check my progress, the board paddled smooth and therefore fast across the water. A long straight-armed stretch, a twist of my torso, a long lean forward, and the plunge of the paddle’s blade made … Continue reading Dolphin Rescue →
I SAW A GREAT WHITE!
My mother, like most, enjoys telling stories of the cute things I did as a kid. She likes to say that when I was three years old, I was able to identify, and correctly pronounce, all of the dinosaurs pictured in my treasure trove of dinosaur books. Each night, she would read the books to … Continue reading I SAW A GREAT WHITE! →
The Finback Whale Encounter
It was a warm day, flat and calm on the open ocean, a perfect day to look for whales. The visibility, both in and out of the water was phenomenal. Catalina Island’s features, although 26 miles away, were easily seen. Any anomaly on the surface of the water could be spotted from miles away, and … Continue reading The Finback Whale Encounter →