2011: Post 14 – St. Philips to Topsail

It was not a good weekend to get people together for a paddle.  It seemed that people were busy on Saturday or were just not interested.  Sunday, being Mother’s Day, didn’t lend itself to getting people together for a paddle either.  It seemed this weekend was going to be a paddling bust. 

I contemplated paddling by myself.  Sometimes I have, but I prefer not to.  Then I heard from fellow paddler, Tony, that he would be free for a couple hours this afternoon.  So we meet at St. Philips again; it is so just close and convenient.  The two of us paddled from there Wednesday past (see previous posting) and today we decided to paddle in the other direction to Topsail Beach.  There was little wind and very little swell and so we took our time, hand railing very close along the shore. 

I think we have been paddling together so long now that we must be mentally communicating…. Usually, when we do this paddle, when we get to Topsail Beach we generally get out for a little stretch.  Today I did not feel like I needed to get out and Tony just looked like he was content to stay in his kayak too.  We hung around there for just a few minutes and, without speaking, we just started to paddle back.  

I’ve been noticing more and more with the little group of regular paddlers we have that we don’t need to discuss things at length to make decisions.  I guess there is a point when paddlers become so accustomed to each other that fewer or no words are required.  New paddlers might ask one another “do you want to paddle out past the headland into the wind and waves?” But people who have paddled together longer will just know that paddling to the headland to get into the wave action they can see is a common desire (or not) and so they don’t need to discuss it, they just go….  I guess it is all a part of group dynamics.

Anyway, here are a few pics from this afternoon ---- >

Don't scrape the paint there, Tony!

Tony showing some paddle control skills

Not much swell today, but Tony found a little in close 

Tried to get a picture of a gull sitting on rock,
but instead got him during take-off

Another GP convert?  Probably not.  But I offered my spare
and Tony decided to try it for a short stretch on the way back. 

Like the Gull, this Duck took to wing  before I could
snap off the shot of him on the water.  I had to
snap it quick and almost did not get him in the
shot at all.  You almost don't see him as he blends in
so well with the color of the rocks.

Rinsing off the salt water at the end of the paddle.

My GPS read 13.71 km in just under 2.5 hours.  Just fine for a nice little relaxing Sunday paddle.