Paddleboards on Mud Bay

For several weeks now I have been trying to take a picture of paddleboard man. Although he’s out exploring on his paddleboard often despite the cold, wet December weather, I haven’t had any luck until this morning (see photo). We had a brief chat, and it turns out there are two hardy guys doing this. But they aren’t related and apparently don’t know each other.

G.M., the man I talked to, works at Boeing and takes his paddleboard out on weekends. He referred to it as a SUP (for stand up paddleboard). About the length of a longboard, his SUP is a bit wider than a traditional surfboard. It has a nonskid area near the back and a 10-inch skeg. So it will go just about anywhere in Dyes Inlet no matter what the tide. On a typical outing G.M. starts out from his home on Marine Drive, paddles around the point and into Ostrich Bay, and then all the way back. Even in a full wetsuit, that has to be a cold trip. Brrr.

Since G.M. was at work, it must have been the other guy (paddleboard man 2?) who was out one windy (and very cold) morning last week. If he was bothered by what had to be small-craft-advisory conditions, he didn’t show it. I grabbed the camera as he paddled into the wind toward the southern end of Mud Bay. But he didn’t come back, so, like G.M., he must live on or near Mud Bay. With several good daytime high tides coming up next week, maybe I will get another chance to take his picture. If I get a good one, I will post it.