In so many ways, LI's waters are a part of me

It’s that time of year when Long Islanders take to the nearby North and South shore beaches to enjoy the many water-related activities that make our island such a special place.

Since my early childhood, water has been a major theme and a big part of my life on Long Island.

I grew up on the South Shore, in Bellmore. Jones Beach and the pool at the West Bathhouse seemed to be in our backyard, at least not far away. As a boy, I remember taking swimming lessons in that pool and going there with family to have fun or just to cool off on a hot summer day or evening.

Later on, in high school, the Field 4 beach was a place to go and hang out with friends to enjoy the sun, sand and ocean waves.

Jones Beach was a kind of physical backdrop of my youth. But other water locations played roles in shaping my relationship to Long Island’s water environment. My father had a small mahogany-color boat with a collapsible canopy and a small outboard motor. When I was about 10 years old, we’d launch off Freeport to go fishing and clamming, mostly.

Camp Wauwepex in Wading River was where my Boy Scout troop attended summer camp, and the lake, Deep Pond, was the setting for more swimming lessons, rowing, canoeing and just good fun. The lake at Belmont Lake State Park in North Babylon was where my father taught me how to row so I could qualify for rowing privileges at Camp Wauwepex.

For a couple of summers in the late ’50s, my family had a cottage at Woodcliff Park in Baiting Hollow. We’d spend endless hours on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, and canoeing in the Long Island Sound. On one occasion, my only real summer friend, Jimmy Cassidy, and I sat in breathless astonishment as dolphins frolicked around our old wooden canoe, a sight still etched in my memory.

There were more swimming lessons, this time, a Red Cross lifesaving course there in the Sound. I learned that enjoying the water came with responsibility. We learned to have respect for the water and its potential dangers in order to enjoy its many benefits. That sense of responsibility led me to pursue the aquatic merit badges on my way to becoming an Eagle Scout.

As a Boy Scout, I had worked a summer job upstate as a waterfront counselor at Onteora Scout Reservation, a companion camp to Camp Wauwepex for the Nassau County Council of the Boy Scouts. It was located in Livingston Manor.

Living in proximity to the water on Long Island continued into married life, raising a family in Huntington with access to its eight town beaches and, of course, swimming and water safety instruction for our three sons.

Currently, my wife, Dianne, and I reside in Kings Park, where we enjoy the nearby water venues, including Sunken Meadow State Park, the Kings Park Bluff, Nissequogue State Park and the Town of Smithtown beaches.

Our Long Island water-related enjoyment includes fewer in-water activities now. Instead, a brisk walk in the fresh salt air while taking in the scenery or relaxing with a good book on the beach are always welcome respites from the daily routine.

Recently, Dianne and I visited the Huntington YMCA to watch our 4-year-old granddaughter take part in swimming classes. And so it continues.

Reader Victor Caliman lives in Kings Park.