The Ocean

I can only comment about the ocean right outside our condo. I have spent a lot of time in it.

Looking out over the ocean from the lanai, the colors are deep green and blue. When you are in it, it appears clear and lightish green. The waves are impressive, in the afternoons higher and stronger and the ocean is deeper, referred to as high tide. As far as this Kansas girl has gathered, anyway.

There are two reefs protecting our shore. It took us a bit to figure out how to get past the first reef. It requires water shoes which we bought at the nearby ABC store. You wait til between waves if possible, then step about a foot onto the reef. It is very uneven and you can’t tell if the next step is going to be up about 6 inches or down due to the depth perception being thrown off by the water. You take about six careful steps, trying not to have the waves push or pull you and knock you down, and then jump off the other side, about two feet to six feet depending on the tide. The area before and after the reefs are all sand. The shadows look like rocks but mostly aren’t. There is about 20 feet between the first and second reef that we play in. In the mornings, we water jog it about 200 feet across and back, for exercise.

I am not a water baby. It took til this afternoon for me to finally stop watching for the waves to come. Because the waves break on the first reef, they never will break over our heads in between the reefs. If I am watching for them, I take a little jump to lift me off my feet. Today I realized the wave will lift me up and I don’t need to jump. I even back floated. We tried floating on the boogie boards (you can’t boogie board these waves because you can’t get on top the waves due to the reef). My favorite positive is tucked, facing the waves with my feet and floating over them.

I put the snorkel mask on for a bit today to practice and was rewarded with seeing one tiny tropical fish, turquoise blue and black. It got me excited for our upcoming snorkel adventure.

I could still feel the waves when I laid in the lawn chair this afternoon. I’m gonna sleep like a baby again tonight. I love the sound of the crashing waves.