Shore is Complicated

As long as there are beaches, there will be people who long to make enjoying a day at them way more difficult than necessary.

Case in point, this trio and its paddle surfboard, which I was fortunate to behold today on the beach near my abode.

No, true reader, that's not some trick of the cellphone camera. The sea is indeed as calm as a box turtle on vicodin. Just a few foamy, three- or four-inch breakers gently lapping the sand, yet there they are, having a go of this, one in the water, one wielding an oar on the board, and one keeping an eye on things from the safety of dry land. It looked as if it combined all the fun parts of brooming the stoop with all the fun parts of standing up for a long time.

Comparatively speaking, though, these folks had a pretty relaxing day, next to the gals who made the mistake of renting this ... water tricycle ... thing:

I watched the spectacle for quite some time from my spread-out towel nearby, as I tried without success to finish Thoreau's Walden ... again.

No, I doubt Henry David would have much approved of the water tricycle, either.

They entered the water, the two girls and a fellow I'm guessing is their father, about a hundred yards south of me, pedal-paddling with gusto while the older gentleman bobbled along beside, not unlike the guy steadying the paddle surfboard mentioned above.

But wind and water currents prevailed this time, and the intrepid trike was carried far, far up the coast in the opposite direction, the girls pedaling frantically all the while. Soon they were just a cluster of red beads on the ocean, heading to Portugal.

At last, the older man appeared again on the beach, followed by the two girls, all on foot. They looked exhausted as they passed me on my towel, on their way to see the lifeguard. They must have told him that he could go and fetch his water tricycle, if he wanted it back, because, you know, to hell with it.

Sure enough, he abandoned his vigil -- and the forty or fifty people splashing in the water under his watch -- and hoofed it down the sand after the infernal vehicle.

And then there were these two, with their skimboards. Apologies for the shaky video. I didn't want to be caught.

None of these things -- the paddle surfboard, the water tricycle, or the skimboard -- looked even remotely fun to me today.

Thoreau wasn't that much fun, either. But sitting on the beach, feeling the wind and sand and sun, and hearing the low hiss of the water ... that kind of was.