Christmas Day

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We celebrated our first Christmas together in a most traditional way.  We woke up when we wanted (read: without an alarm), made coffee, opened presents bestowed upon us by family and by each other, played with said presents, and then quickly donned bathing suits and packed the car for a day on the water.

You see, kayaks were engagement gifts to each other, but we didn't get them until we could both enjoy them together.  In that sense, they are belated gifts and even more belated has been the inaugural launch of these vessels!  We had not planned on Christmas day as "launching day," but the weather was beautiful and it just seemed appropriate.  Ryan checked the coastal weather advisories and we opted to drive to White Beach, a Navy base on the Pacific side, for some paddling and maybe some snorkeling.

When we arrived, we noticed the wind was considerably stronger than we'd noticed at our home in Okinawa-shi.  We walked down to the beach near the campground at White Beach and it didn't seem so windy after all.  There were several rock formations not far offshore that looked inviting, so we thought it best to brave the wind.  No time like the present to see if these boats could float.

The paddle out to the farthest rock formation wasn't too bad, but keeping our kayaks near the rocks was another chore altogether.  Ryan took the plunge, literally, and investigated the rocks underneath the surface near our larger rock formation.  He saw a sea snake, but I couldn't find it when I paddled over to it.  The water was clear and beautiful, but I didn't trust my snorkeling abilities enough to get some swimming in and then paddle back.  It was a great area, though.

Ryan got his swim in, and then we paddled back to the largest of the rock formations.  It offered a beach, and I was really struggling with the wind at this point.  Ryan suggested we pause there on the beach and explore a bit.  I loved the idea.  We parked the boats and walked around.  The amount of trash and sea debris that washes along the shorelines of Okinawa is amazing.  One would think that Okinawans don't care a lick about sanitation or keeping their beaches clean.  What one doesn't realize is that the amount of trash that washes all along the coastlines of Okinawa and outlying islands after a typhoon is enough to keep the incinerators going for several months.  Then, in less than one month's time, another typhoon complete with trash is on the way.  We found a good amount of crap, but we also found a rubber buoy in good enough condition for Ryan to refurbish into a float, several pretty cowrie shells, and a bobber in decent shape.  Not bad for 15 minutes of walking around and a good rest.

We paddled the rest of the way back.  Ryan spotted some more rock formations further to the south and asked if I wanted to explore.  I DID want to explore, but a brief assessment of my energy stores told me to save those rocks for another day.  

The verdict on our kayaks was more than our share of thumbs up.  We selected these particular kayaks because they were sit-on-tops for casual paddling out to snorkeling spots and because they were the angler versions of these particular sit-on-tops, meaning they offered two in-board rod holders on either side of the seat and an optional third rod holder in front of the seat.  The best of both worlds, we thought.  We didn't fish today, but rather wanted to get a feel for the kayaks.  They are amazingly stable.  I could scramble around on mine without any fear of tipping when the water was calm.  When the seas picked up a bit, I had to use more care in scrambling around, but no more than one would expect.  Overall, we are pleased with our engagement gifts and eager to see just how much fun we can have with them.