bounceswoosh
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Why? It's easy to get up on my feet once I'm kneeling on the board (in calm water). Is there benefit to doing it all at once?Then take the leap of faith and stand up all at one time!!
Personally I always dress to be in the water - if the water is cold, I'm in neoprene pants, maybe top too depending on temps. I went this weekend and it was HOT, so I wore long thin pants and a long sleeved top. I find I'm more comfortable skipping the sunscreen except on my face and just getting my clothes wet to stay cool. (Just splashing myself is sufficient - I don't necessarily want to go through the effort of getting back on the board...)
And I always wear my PFD. I honestly haven't given it a ton of thought as to why other than it's comfortable and holds all my stuff in the pockets so why not? It does seem sketchy to think I could get it off the board and put it on after I get myself in trouble, should I ever need it. I have several of those waterproof pouches so I have my keys and phone, and have a holster attached to my PFD for my binoculars (for birdwatching)... so honestly the PFD is just handy and I just stick with the plan of always wearing it. Maybe it's all my downhill mountain biking experience, but typically the times you need your body armor the most are the days it's not on your body... So with a piece of safety gear that's comfortable to wear? I'm just going to stick with always wearing it.
And I have gone out alone before. I wouldn't go particularly far from shore alone, and would prefer to be where others can see me but.... I do go hiking alone too (again, nothing huge, but I guess it does align with my comfort level of doing outdoor things solo.)
I have been wearing quick dry jogging shorts with a barely-there pull on bra and a long sleeve sunblock shirt. I also hate sunscreen, so I've been wearing a safari style hat with a brim all around. And my PFD. Fashionable I am not, but it's more comfortable than a bathing suit. This may be my new normal when I go to the ocean, too! Soak the shirt, and it's ultra comfy. I have no idea what I'll do in colder weather. Probably mountain bike ;-)
I was "far away" from other people on the res, but still in viewing distance of 4 or 5 groups - probably a minute or two of paddling, if that. But far enough that if I lie down for a couple of minutes or mess with balance, I don't need to worry about being in anyone's way.
Close in is very crowded, with many children shouting and splashing. It's fine from a distance ...