West Side Story

I met up with Bill and Brian for a training swim in the North this morning, We went from Waimea Bay to Lani's in about an hour or so; I forgot to check the time.

I got back South before lunch and Sue and I decided to take the whole family for a trip to our favorite uncrowded West Side beach, "Tracks".

From Tracks, Sue snorkeled out to the hot water snorkel site off shore from Electric Beach. It's about a half mile out, usually easy to find because the vent is surrounded by Japanese tourists' snorkeling boats, and the churning in the surface of the water caused by the heat below. A snorkeler's booty is what's on the roll. Sue brought back a pretty good batch this time including an interesting one of a broom tailed file fish laying flat. It was blending into the bottom like a flounder might. She's never seen anything like that before. After reading this article you should head over to Sue's blog and post a message. Encourage her to get her new pics up online. Tell her Quinn sent you ;)

(Picture was a 'happy accident'. Water on the lens enhances the happy glow of the afternoon)

Tracks has a pretty steep break. It's sandy and the waves snap up suddenly at the water's edge. It makes for some large, loud, but pretty harmless kid's sized shore break. It also gives the beach a pronounced sandy ledge at the high water mark. The kids helped us carve out some pukas that made for excellent beach chairs. We sat straight upright in okole molded holes, compete with sand made arm-rests and a cocktail table.

Cocktail table? Yes. Any afternoon long trip to the beach is best enhanced with a "Sport Quart" of your favorite rum cocktail, and a big sack of dollar menu food melange. After Sue's snorkel we enjoyed some gritty burgers and the world's most appropriate Mai Tai right in our luxury sand traps. Toes in water, kids laughing. Good Times!