The Sting Ray Shuffle

Let this video serve as a reminder to shuffle, shuffle, shuffle... 

Lessons from an 11-Year-Old Girl

Today I had an awesome paddle with an energetic 11-year-old girl.  This was her first time out on a SUP board but she caught on quickly.   Watching her reminded me about 3 simple things I need to remember as I'm learning to surf:

1) Just go for it. (She jumped right on the board and went at it.)
2) Don't give up. (She struggled a bit but pushed herself on the massive board that was twice her size.)
3) Have fun.  (She laughed and had a great time.)

As adults, we sometimes bog our minds down with so many things that it can be difficult to focus on a single task.  We over-think and over-analyze.  Children are so resilient.  They know how to live in the moment, something taken for granted as we get older.  When I hit the surf this weekend, I plan to clear my mind and keep things simple by following steps 1-2-3.

Thanks for the lessons!

The Chula Vista Nature Center... a Local Treasure

The CV Nature Center is located west of the Interstate 5 at the E Street exit.  It is a wildlife refuge and is visited by many people each year.   Yesterday I was an honored guest of the Nature Center because my extraordinary kid donated her $10,000 grant to them.  She won as this year's Cox Conservation Hero and chose the Nature Center as her beneficiary.  They were due to close this past February as the City can no longer fund them.  They have become their own non-profit organization.

This was my first time to the Nature Center.  What a wonderful place!  Even more amazing is that all the sea creatures I have been running into out in the ocean were there.  They have all the local fish in the aquarium, a couple of large sea turtle and about four baby sea turtles from a recent rescue.

Here is a leopard shark.  These are the ones I see at La Jolla Shores.  They also had the orange Girabaldi fish.

These guys are the reasons why we need to do the shuffle dance in the shallow water.  I definitely don't want to end up stepping on one of these sting rays!

How amazing is this sea turtle?  There are several out in the bay between J Street Marina and Coronado Cays.  They apparently like the heat that radiates from the power plant.  I'm waiting to run into one as I'm paddling out there.

Please support this local treasure, the Chula Vista Nature Center, by visiting one day.  It's a great way to learn about our local wildlife and how to help preserve our environment.

Perfect Paddle for a Female

There are so many different paddles out there, it can be overwhelming if you're shopping for the first time.  I know I was.  I was fortunate to have a knowledgeable salesperson, plus he is actually a SUP boarder himself.  I bought my paddle at Bob's Mission Surf and I had the man himself, Bob, help me find the right paddle.  I feel I bought the perfect paddle for the price I paid.  Paddles can cost around $200 and up.

 
I ended up purchasing the Kanaha Quickblade.  I love my paddle.  It has a comfortable palm grip and Bob cut it to the perfect length for me.  It's ultra lightweight at only 20 oz.  The blade comes in different sizes.  I chose the small (8.3).  I like to feel the pull through the water when I'm paddling.  I've tried narrower blades, which glide through the water more easily but I prefer feeling the tug.

Notice that I put wax on the shaft.  It get pretty slippery when it's wet so the wax helps with my grip.

Also, Bob put an edge protector because newbies like me tend to hit the sides of the board (rail) and you don't want your baby getting all dinged up.  The best is that my fiberglass blade is a smoking hot red.  You don't have to throw away your fashion-sense when it comes to sports.  I'm not afraid to stand out and you can spot my blade in an instant.

Lastly,  check out the qb headgear.  Don't be afraid to represent!

Why Did I Look?

Have you ever been told "Don't look" to save you the misery and pain from whatever it may be?  But then, you LOOK, regrettable because at that point it's too late to turn back.  Humans are naturally curious people.  Some of us are better at controlling our curiosities than others.  I, on the other hand, always have to look.

A friend sent me a link to a site called Sharks Are People Too  I knew it would be best not to check out the site for now because these shark sightings are starting to freak me out!  I don't want it to affect me getting into the water.  Well today my curiosity got the best of me.  I opened the link.  First thing you see is a Great White Shark.  I ask myself, "Do you really want to look at this?"  No... yet I still surf through the site.  What's my problem, huh?  

The Odds

They say your chances of being attacked by a shark are less than of being struck by lighting or being in a car accident -- and people get in their cars every day.  What does the shark hold over us then, that makes us so afraid?

The website has a ton of interesting facts and information relating to sharks.  There is even a link to Ocean Tides and Temperatures for anywhere around the world.  The 2010 Pacific Coast Shark Sightings is what caught my attention.  I quickly scrolled down each incident, checking to see which areas had a shark siting.  Unfortunately, all the places I enjoy paddling has had a shark sighting already this year.  Why did I look?  

I'm just gonna go with the odds stated above under the picture.  Someone asked me when I mentioned about the shark sightings, "Well would you rather die bored, aged in a hospital bed or continue the enjoyment of the ocean and getting attacked by a shark?"  Hmmm... trick question.

Time to Play With My New Toy

You can never have enough toys.  At least in my case, because that's how I roll.  I love to play!  Of course, I enjoy the occasional new shoes and clothes but I love toys!  Just the other day I had to go to REI to return something from the myriad of items I purchased the last time I was there.  As I walked through the front doors I told myself, "Just return and go."  From the time the cashier asked, "How may I help you?" to "Have a great day."  I convinced myself to check out their limited items of surf gear.  Cool, didn't really find anything outstanding and started moving towards the exit.  A blaring red "clearance" sign caught my eye and low and behold, a Burton Lux snowboard, 150.  My size.  That's an omen.  So I walked out with a new board.  Go figure.

Today I received my newest toy... the iPhone 4.  Yeah, I know.  I'm not usually one to follow the pack but I did my research and it was the best option for the pretty penny I paid.  So, I neglected my baby (paddle board) today to play with my toy.  The point I wanted to get to with this post is this new app:

How awesome is this!  All I have to do is click the icon for the surf report and bam.. all I need to know in one tap of an icon.  I'm still playing around with it.  Look forward to future posts.

Surfing for a Cure

The summer heat has hit San Diego a little late this year but just in time for everyone to enjoy the Luau and Longboard Invitational in La Jolla.  Each August, the annual Moores UCSD Cancer Center Luau and Longboard Invitational surfs for a cure to raise awareness and much needed funds for cancer research.  By bringing together some of the most respected men and women in surfing history with business leaders, scientists, local politicians and national celebrities, the Longboard Luau is one of the world's most successful surfing fundraiser and has an international reputation for celebrating the "aloha" spirit in the fight against cancer.

Each company-sponsored team of four is paired up with a longboard legend
to compete in the surfing contest.
I believe that's O'Neill in the white with red lettering shirt up front with the lei.

My life as a paddler has definitely effected the way I watch surfing.  I was definitely taking mental notes on what I was seeing.  It was awesome seeing the legendary surfers still going at it.

I'm not sure who this guy is but he was rippin' it up!

Aside from the surfing, there were entertainers as well.

Yeah, of course there were the wahines but
most of my photos were of these guys :)

It was a great day watching the surfers, enjoying the sun and hanging out with a couple of cool people.  Thanks Rebecca and Nancy!

Me, my new friend Nancy and good friend Rebecca.

If you want to read more about the event, click on the link below:

DelMarTimes.net | Surfing for a cure: Luau and Longboard Invitational promises swell time