We took two dogs, my son’s  Dobbie and Max, our Shepherd/hound, yesterday – Memorial Day to the Santa Margarita River trailhead in Fallbrook, CA. Along with son’s family and hubby.
Parking was at a premium with lots of families in the river and on the sandbars, but still not crowded or rowdy.
I wore my river rock sandals, some went barefoot. It was a little difficult to see some underwater rocks as the sand gets stirred up. Plus there was slippery growth on some of the rocks. We waded through the shallows, got about thigh high and avoided some of the very deep holes. None of us had on swim suits, this was a new adventure and will wear shorts, not capris next time. Unless you have a waterproof camera, or someone on the trail above to take pictures, don’t take an expensive camera or cell phone with you.
The Santa Margarita River is truly a diverse and beautiful natural feature. The River stretches from inland valleys all the way to a robust estuary at the Pacific shoreline. Unlike every other coastal river in Southern California, the Santa Margarita River is free-flowing, giving a home to Southern Californian residents, the native wildlife, who were here long before any human visited the area. The river is 30 miles long.
With a rainy winter, the river can be a roaring torrent, flooding the roadways and unsafe to hike.
I am posting this video I found since I didn’t take any shots.
Here’s a video of the river I found on Youtube.
Trailblazer1 - going beyond . . . 
What a wonderful day. I hope the dogs had a good time. I now have several solutions for water sport photography. The simplest is to get a plastic pouch which seals around a point and shoot and will let you get some shots without danger to the camera. Camera stores carry these and they are not too expensive and presumably reliable. Me, I’ve got a shallow underwater point and shoot Panasonic camera, a housing for the Canon G11, that I’m waiting to try, and a small plastic case for an old Nikon point and shoot. They all work in different circumstances. I’m hoping to start scuba diving this summer and will need a deeper water housing, hence the Canon.
Hi Victor, I think the Dobbie may have had a better time than Max who doesn’t like to be in water where he has to swim. Several times he tried to get to shore and climbed up on some of the rocks to avoid. The Dobbie is very tall and had little trouble in the river. I can’t wait to go back.
Your summer underwater adventure sounds great, can’t wait to see what you capture. I’m not that surefooted and think I’ll take shots from the sandbar. Thanks for commenting.
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I just bought a ‘raincoat’ for my Nikon. Mainly because I have had two cameras sent in for service after being exposed to moisture. Live and learn I guess. Good advice to have someone else, at a safe distance, take the shots.