follow my/our adventures as we paddle board around the entire island of Puerto Rico in 30 to 40 separate paddle trips of 10 to 20 miles in length. Already more fun than you can imagine. Anyone is welcome to participate and we need your ideas and feedback
ART: The first leg of the journey done with a big group of friends. Tanya, Lincoln, and I load up the car and head south to meet up with Jim, Heather, Savannah, Stuart, Anton and Julie at the Ponce Yacht Club. We load up 6 boards and 8 people in Jim and Heather's dinghy and motor 8 miles straight upwind in about 15 knots of breeze to Coffin Island.
LINCOLN: I remember pulling through the big steel letters on the interstate that simply read P.O.N.C.E. So cool. Well, you certainly know where you are. Next I hear Art tell me to look to my left and I see it for the first time- the island of Caje De Muerto. It's our intended destination and hear it's beautiful. I also hear Art and Tanya discussing how far of a paddle it is, somewhere along the lines I hear "Only a seven or eight mile paddle."
Great. This is... mmm... my sixth time paddleboarding? Yup, this is gonna be fun.
After a while we get to the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club and meet up with the rest of the group. What can I say about this crew.? Where do I begin? Well I just don't have the words on how cool, how much fun, how awesome, well, might have a few of the words but their just aren't enough adjectives to describe how much I enjoyed being around each and everyone one of these human beings. So rather than describe everyone I edited this 2 minute video laying out the Cast and Crew of this awesome trip. Check it out:
ART: I have never been to this island or the Yacht Club and both exceeded expectations. The water was magazine clear where we launched to do the 8 mile downwinder.
LINCOLN: Art predicted the roughest part of the day would be the ride out there. 7 PaddleBoards, 8 people, 1 cooler full of water and beer, and choppy seas. No worries, Jim and Heather's huge Dingy mowed through most of the chop (Thanks much in part to the expertise of Captain Jim). I actually enjoyed every bit of the ride out, especially Heather who was cracking me up as she braved the front of the boat and "road the bull" the whole entire time.
No wonder they call her THE HURRICANE. The whole time we had the radio going and we were jamming to all kinds of music. Some cheesy, some great, but all the music kept us rocking for sure. What sticks out in my head is ACDC'S "ROCK N ROLL AIN'T NOISE POLLUTION", Foreigner's "HOT BLOODED", and Pink's "I'M COMING UP." All of which I used for the soundtrack for the folllowing Vids. Check out this one of the ride out. Yeeeehhaaaaaa!
HEATHER: What an amazing day with new and old friends. It was super cool to reconnect and with such a common interest,,,,keeping my Bark board scratch free!! Dinghy ride I think was more work than the rocket paddle downwind, thanks to Antoine! Better keep your eye on that kid... he's a SUP rookie coming up the paddles! Really couldn’t couldn't ask for a better day... Gorgeous Caja De Muerto with Gringo pasta salad, seashell hunting, paddle board shuffling, downwind cruise.. oh yeah!!.. that's why we were all piled in a 19ft dinghy with 6 SUP's and 8 folks! Post downwind cervezas and a sundown on Miss MaJic.. when are we doing this again? Thank you Art for getting us ALL out on some paddle virgin waters!!
LINCOLN: The water, holy sh#&*t what beautiful water. Crystal clear underneather and a bright, glowing blue turqoise looking down at it above. It was truly the most beautiful water I have ever seen. Art said it right- "magazine clear". What a blast paddling out to the beach and swimming around, collecting conch, eating some of Heather's yummy Gringo Pasta Salad, and taking photos of it all. Fun, fun, fun!
Check out Video us rocking out Caje De Muerto:
EDITOR'S NOTE: WAS FORCED TO AUDIO SWAP FROM FOREIGNER'S "HOT BLOODED" TO CREED'S "HIGHER". NOT MY DECISION- DAMN YOUTUBE AND THEIR SILLY COPYRIGHT RULES- WORKING ON SOME NEW ANGLES TO AVOID THIS STUPID PROBLEM IN FUTURE. OH YOUTUBE: YOU BASTARDOS! -L.
ART: Heather and Anton didn't take much longer paddling back than it took to motor all the way up to the launch. It took us about 1 hour 15 minutes to motor there and took Anton and Heather a little longer than an hour and a half to paddle home. Tanya , Lincoln and I pulled in about half an hour behind. So much fun to just hangout and catch up with good friends on the back end. As always lots of laughs, a great happy hour(s), and we hung out on jim and Heather's pimped out sailboat Miss Majic. Gotta thank Jim,Heather, Savannah and Stuart for the boat support, food , cold beers and beverages, and basically hooking us up ALL day.
LINCOLN: Yes, a big thanks to Heather, Jim, Savannah, Art, Tany, Julie, Antoine, The Baus's dog Ella, and to their cat...um...Jigaboo? (Hey, I didn't name him.) For real guys, thanks to all and can't wait to do it again.
Check out this video of the 8 Mile Paddle back from Caje De Muerto and then the party back on the beach and then on the Baus's boat. What a great time! You guys Rock!
