Little Waikiki

I start the morning with a 5.25 mile run along the coast and then up to the Mahana Ridge trail.

The water conditions are still pretty rough here. I’m not sure it is a good idea to be swimming in the local open ocean. In fact, I am sure it is not a good idea.

Last night my dad and I ate dinner at a restaurant along Kaanapali Beach. The water there was super calm. Perhaps because it is sheltered by the neighboring island of Lanai from the north west swell. So this afternoon we drive back and I swim there.

It is a beautiful beach but the surroundings are pretty built up with hotels and condominium buildings. It is kind of like a little Waikiki.

I get out into the water and it is super nice. It is lovely blue and warm and calm water.

I make my way north to a point called Black Rock. It is mostly a sandy bottom here and not super clear. However the sun is out, the water is warm and I can see Molakai and Lanai with large puffy clouds towering over both. It is such an enjoyable swim.

I empty myself into every breath. I’m trying not to figure things out or strategize some plan for my near or distant future. I am aiming to lean into trust. The very act of breathing itself becomes an act of faith - to rely on the fact that it is enough. I hold on to the belief that if I do not work to resolve my problems, the floor will not in fact fall out from under me.

I get to Black Rock. It is pretty neat but a little crowded with other swimmers and snorkelers. It is not as clear as Kapalua Bay.

After I feel like I have explored all that I care to explore I turn around and head back south.

I pass the point where I started and keep swimming south.

I get to a reef and there are some steady sets of small surf rolling in. There are hydrofoilers, stand up paddle boarders and body boarders here. The ocean floor starts to get a lot more interesting too - lots of coral and colorful fish.

I eventually reach a point where looking back at Black Rock feels about the same distance as the lifeguard tower at Salt Creek point looks from the south end of Strands. So I decide to head back.

When I get back to the reef with the surf break, I run into a current that I fight and it feels like I swim a mile in the expanse of 50 feet. I’m pretty exhausted but eventually I enter the break area and the waves help me reach the shore more quickly.

That was a pretty great workout!