Konstantin, Roger and I went to Bodega for a weekend exercise paddle. As usual Konstantin and I launched from Campbell Cove where the parking is free and Roger used his yearly park pass to launch from Doran Beach and paddle across to meet us. The swell was unusually low and we had high hopes of doing some rock gardening around the normally rough Bodega Head.
The swell was in fact as low as we had seen on the reports! I have paddled around Bodega Head many times but never, until now, have I been able to paddle close to the cliffs behind the offshore rocks. We were able to get right up against the cliffs and explore every nook and cranny. We found a few caves and arches that we had never been through before! We stayed close to shore all they way past Horseshoe Cove, the Bodega Marine Laboratory, and around Mussel Point. Here the waves allowed us to land at the south end of Salmon Creek Beach. The waves were mild, but there was a shallow spot in the sand shelf that rose waves up high enough to get a few fun surfing rides before we landed to eat a snack on the beach.
We went surfing again after our snack and then turned back for home, going behind the forbidden rocks one more time on our way home.