This is why I never paddle without my iPhone: Lost in the Fog

[Bulky]

I'm amazed from your GPS tracks just how much you yaw, bulky. Navigation in fog is always completely disorienting, I'm not belittling that, but its a lot easier if you learn to go in a straight line with full viz.

Yeah.  Definitely a skill I need to work on.  Very interested in seeing that video if you can pass it along.

[Bulky]

Bulky, I think you became a victim of being a creature of habit. Given the conditions the better course would have been to hug the coast to the point of seeing land (yards not miles). Since it's flat you would not have to worry about getting caught by a set. You would also not have to worry about getting run over by a boat heading to the Ranch. Also the kelp bed is your outside boundary and the closer to shore the more defined the swell direction as it will be hitting the bottom and pointed to shore (more or less).
Of course you could have also hopped the road for some hot laps inside the lagoon to avoid all the drama.
Having a phone is good but what's the backup if it decided to go dead on you halfway through? I would have found you but the beer would have been warm by then.

I guess I could have done that, but I could also have done laps in my pool.  Where's the adventure in that?

[Bulky]

Bulky, I got a stern warning from the wife this morning about paddling in fog thanks to you so I went to the harbor and West beach. Basically paddled from one moored boat to the next. It's easy to see how that could get really scary, but it's also a beautiful thing to see. I don't usually envy flat water paddlers but sliding along glassy water in near silence watching things appear and disappear in the fog is a great change of pace.

Glad you were prepared, and thanks for sharing the experience!

Probably indicative of our station in life.  You're newly married with a new baby.  The Mrs. probably enjoys having you around. Pretty sure my wife would miss me but she wouldn't be all that bugged to have an extended break from me. 

I agree with you on the fog thing.  It used to creep me out, but now I find it really beautiful and peaceful just to be gliding along unseen.  On days were I hold my course coming back from campus point, it's really cool to be paddling into the unknown for about 10min (although it can seem like forever) and then feel that little rush when the pier comes back into view.