Shopping and Swimming on Christmas Eve

December 24, 2024 

On Christmas Eve we decided that we wanted to get some groceries for a more special menu for Christmas Day.  We took our kayaks and paddled into the estuary.  Depending on what the tide is doing the waves can build quite a bit at the entrance as the water from the estuary runs out and the swells come in.  We timed our entrance and rode a smaller wave in, and then we easily paddled our way up and figured out where the deeper channel was that the Pangas followed, although even that got very shallow at low water. 

We found a spot on the docks that was out of the way for the Pangas and left our kayaks to walk along the main road, the only paved road, through town.  All of the other roads were sand.  

Once we had gotten our groceries we returned to our kayaks and paddled back down the estuary.  Unfortunately from inside the estuary it was hard to see the swells that were coming so it was hard to time our exit, but we got out during a smaller swell period and stayed dry.  It was not uncommon for us to see the pangas get air as they planed their way out of the estuary and hit a large cresting wave on their way, which was what we wanted to avoid.  

After our groceries were stowed away we wanted to go ashore to the beach and decided to try a surf landing on the beach instead of timing the large swells into the estuary again.  We paddled over to the outside of the break line and then Falcon and I waited while Jason rode a nice-sized swell in with his kayak.  It was a bit big and he got rolled on the way, but he had fun doing so and had intentionally chosen a bigger wave.  Once his kayak was well up on shore he came back out in his swim shorts to where we were waiting safely outside of the break.  Jason then took Falcon into the water with him, and I caught the next smaller wave and rode it in to shore.  Jason and Falcon swam in, which made Falcon quite happy and of course he wanted to stay out and play in the waves.   

The swells were way too big for him to actually play in, but he had a great time in from the break learning to ride the wave on his little kickboard / boogie board.  This was Falcon’s first real experience playing in strong waves since he had gained the skills and comfort to be under water and get pulled around. 

During these days of large swells we had to keep a constant grip on the handle of his lifejacket, but we still gave him the freedom to experience the force of the waves pushing and pulling him, and he had a great time and learned very quickly over the next few days how to stand to be strong in the waves, to watch for the next wave coming, and how to start to ride them in.   

When it was time for us to return home we decided to walk the kayaks along to a different area on the beach where the swells appeared somewhat smaller.  Jason then took my kayak out past the break, and Falcon and I came out together.  We put Falcon in, I climbed in, and we were safely on the water once again.  We waited while Jason swam back in and brought his kayak out and we all paddled home for Christmas Eve.

With Christmas lights up around the outside of our boat and also some inside, it felt somewhat like Christmas, but it was hard to make it really feel like Christmas time when we were comfortable, or even slightly hot, in bathing suits and swimming all day. 

Falcon loves lights and loved helping to put the Christmas lights up and turning them on.  As soon as the ones outside were on he wanted to go out for a walk around the deck to enjoy seeing them up close.