I like that picture
How big would say those waves in the picture were. 4’? 5’?
The peak that is throwing
in the left looks about like a 5’ face but it’s hard to tell in a photo because of perspective issues. Sitting in front of that in a seakayak it would probably look about 12’ But this is not really “dumping” surf. I’m trying to see if I can find a shot from the 2002 Jalama expression session to show real dumping surf.
Is it just me or did this guy pick a real bad spot for his paddle out, looks alot better just down the beach (photos are deceptive though.)
What’s a Flojo?
I thought it was a brand of sandals. So should we call an unexpected calm water capsize “Pulling a Jim”?
jim, the gulfstream is 18 miles out
in the ocean on the atlantic side,where you fish for dolphin and offshore fish.where you can’t see land , understand now?
bullsh###???
I’m really suprised at that response,if it was to my post,what part is b#, I felt the statement was accurate and true. ask any surfer who has been out of south fla or google it, and they will tell you counting waves for selection and lulls works; they even make specialized watches to “count sets” with…I am a commercial diver/fisherman; got my first surf dory and commercial gillnet which I rowed out through the surf when I was 12 and only Popeye has more time on the water.I’ve surfed from Montuak to Costa Rica, with years spent in Cape Haterras, so I do feel qualified to call the surf below Jupiter “Mush”
Spanish???
I think its a derogatory term in spanish but I’m not sure I want to give the exact definition … maybe “Weakling” would be politically correct.
Maybe dialect slang is different in different regions.
I’m curious too
I too would like to know what in your post was BS. It read pretty accurate to me.
flojo
Is a term used mostly by women (or men who want to be women) when their man is not “up to par” so to speak.
Tipping in calm water is a greyak specialty. In fact, he does it on purpose for fun and practice. Personally, when I go swimming, I like to leave the boat in the garage.
Anyway, calm water is probably a relative term. Any paddler who chooses a name like Tsunami is probably making a statement that he is fearless in any water. You’ll note that I have chosen a more modest name, which suits my perspective. White caps is NOT calm water for me.
My name was given to me by friends
because I lived in Okinawa and I had a terrible stroke that caused anyone behind me to be soaked.
NIce!
What a great way to get a nickname.
Practice
You got dumped in some mild surf. Keep paddling in it and it won’t dump you any more. As someone said to me on another thread, this stuff isn’t rocket science. 
exactly
Not rocket science. I returned to the same spot with my Tarpon and had a blast.Possibly the best time I have had yet on a kayak. There were life guards out there on jet skis warding swimmers and sail boards off because of the rip currents and waves but they let me play. The bottom is hard packed sand under only about a foot of water between waves in some places. Hitting it at a bad angle could be a serious injury if you didn’t come out of your boat quickly.
I don’t think an 18 foot SINK is as perfectly matched for playing in the waves for me as my Tarpon is.
LOL
A great nickname!
normal learning curve
Jim, you’re just experiencing the usual learning curve in your sink. Paddling along the shore in moderate waves will teach you to brace, as was said above; more time in the boat will get you as relaxed and confident as you are in your sot. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve seen seasoned kayakers get trashed by waves in S Florida on both coasts. Saw one guy get his head very bloodied going over in the shallows after surfing in. I’m the same age as you and agree that we have to be more conservative with our risks. Have fun out there.
Q700 for distance/Tarpon for surf
I think practice in surf will improve the odds of avoiding an injury, but as you said, even experienced paddlers get hurt. I don’t think I will get too much more proficient at bracing since I am not willing to risk a broken arm or neck in pursuit of fun IN SURF. The wave that took me saturday was one which I cannot imagine myself ever able to deal with in a 21" yak apart from taking my licks and bailing. I saw the thing coming and it was like watching a car accident in slow motion. I knew this one would take me.
But I am going back in my Q700 on a less windy day for fun and on ANY day with my Tarpon. (I got the Q700 for long distances, not for surf)I will leave the gymnastics to younger bones.
It Happens…
I agree with Lees, the surf in that area is mild to very moderate at most. Certainly not “dumping” surf.
Jim may be paying some dues here for past internet manners offenses…
But I have capsized the 9’long 32" wide Frenzy in very, very mild surf. I have fallen on my butt just walking out in mild surf. It happens. Especially if you start goofing off and not taking it seriously.
And you can here hurt in surf that mild, especially in a SINK if it is to shallow to roll.
If I imagine it correctly, you should have tried coming in on the back of a wave. The 700 should certainly be fast enough to do that.
I see SINK drivers get twisted up coming in in mild surf all the time. That is a major SOT advantage. Just bail out into waist high water, walk up onto the beach and let the surf wash the boat up behind you.
Jim’s internet manners aside, not the best sea story I have heard lately, but I would not say it could never happen to me…
Location?
Like I said - I wasn’t there.
Can you describe the location better? I rarely do the bay - except out from Oleta, or down by Rickenbacker a couple times.
As for the tumble being instructive - your 100% right on that. Good or bad - they all help the learning curve along.
I find the busier narrow sections of ICW and New River here are useful for learning too as they are more confined, with sea wall sides, and you often have to take the wakes and reflections as they come - and hold course like any other boater (or be run over). Rarely any big stuff - but lots of weird twisty wakes/chop/haystacks of the more annoying variety. Places where you have to relax and trust the boat. Lots of ICW spots around bends where the wakes converge and it gets shallow so they pile and make good practice areas.
Try crossing Port Everglades mid-day on a weekend - or at least paddle in and out to the beach through it when traffics high - then we’ll talk. After the port - the Atlantic’s a nice break most days (but conditions vary widely depending on wind/sea/traffic - early on a weekday’s a breeze).
I’d suggest walking out and sitting on the rocks at the mouth some afternoon and watching the water and boat action a while before you paddle there.
It’s a spot most good paddlers would probably call easy - and many cross all the time - but gets my attention every time. Even more since security requires 400 yard clearance from the ships moored on the sides which puts you out in the channel when crossing. Not so bad just going in/out as you have room to the sides - but the high speed wakes from bigger deep hull stuff mixing with the swell and wind waves coming straight in is fun!
I was a bit less concerned through there on the SOT - but I was more foolish then too. SINK handles the wake/wave/chop mix better, but until I have a roll (and even after) that spot will concern me - not because I might dump - but because if I did it’s about the worst place I can think to be. Maybe I should stop going to the East side and taking the short line…
You can do it
The path from “I’ll never be able to handle this” to “what the heck was I so worried about” is often surprisingly short. But only about so much of your Tarpon experience is going to help with the QCC because you so rarely need a brace in the SOT (I’m assuming here that your Tarpon is comparable to my Scupper, which seems like a safe assumption for present purposes). If you don’t want to use your QCC in the surf, try paddling it beam-on to a nice sharp whitecapping chop and get used to how the boat reacts.
Actually
I don’t practice rescues anywhere near enough!!! So far my roll practice has been done watching videos!
Paddle alone - but not so up for doing long roll sessions alone - but do have a couple good spots for it and just need to talk myself out of a good long paddle to do it.
Many definitions
I think the floppy/wobbly/tipsy definition/interpretation the best here. Looked online and only one dictionary that had those - the rest just the more generic soft/weak defnitions.
Spanish - one word can have many (shades of) meanings.
English - twenty words that mean one thing!