Ah, Sant Cruz
I read your SC as South Carolina and said to myself, kelp in South Carolina. The kelp beds in MB are pretty cool. I forget what the name of the park just south of there is but have been diving in the kelp forest there several times. Just like walking through a forest.
Mark
Twice during last 6 months
First swim was in the autumn when I capsized in my then new Nelo FW 2000. It’s a pretty tricky boat to roll and I failed after 3 or 4 attempts. I doubt it would happen today, though I’m still not bombproof in that boat(I doubt anybody is unless the cockpit is modified).
Then 1.5 week ago during a race when the number badge went overboard and I tried to grab it. Result was a capsize 1000m before the finish. I was in a K1-trainer so rolling was not an option.
Both of my swims happened in flat water. I’ve been knocked upside-down in my regular sea kayaks a large number of times in conditions. Always rolled back up again.
Now swimming isn’t something to be proud of but it does teach us that we’re not invincible.
/Peter
I’m not going to jinx myself…
for fear that the river will hear my bragging and feel obligated to change my luck. However, last I swam was last year in elevated water on the Lower Yough. Seconds later, a friend was swimming in the same rapid…just after “poking fun” at the river by saying that it wasn’t a real river, just a glorified creek!!
Remember…the water has ears…mother nature has a way of humbling even the most confident partakers…
Bryan
mystery move
My last swim was in spring '02.
Deception pass, 8.2kn flood. I had, in the past, enjoyed putting my boat intentionally into whirlpools there. They don’t last long, you get a good spin around after you fall in the hole, then it closes and you pop out.
Not this time. As the whirlpool opened up behind me, and I backed into it, I sensed something wrong.
This was big…
Good thing that a friend on shore took a picture. Hard to believe that a full sized sea kayak (NDK Explorer) could be submerged that long. I did “roll”, but was looking up at the surface. Reached up more, got a hand to break the surface, but the boat was still down.
Now, I have done mystery moves in a small playboat before, but a sea kayak? Gotta admit, I panicked and did the wrong thing. Wet exited, held onto my boat, and was still down. I lost bouyancy by doing so, and it took longer to get released by the eddyline and pop back up.
I would do it again.
karl
about 3 weeks ago.
– Last Updated: May-16-06 6:20 PM EST –
After numerous practises and one needed to i again practiced and just couldn't roll. Tried 4 times but brought the head first or something else just as wrong.
This past Sunday…
I was in some nice 16" wind driven chop and the boat and paddle were performing great. Got feelin’ like a REAL kayaker! Thought I’d try a balance brace even though I don’t have one. I mean, how hard can it be?!
Got laid out and things felt pretty good… until I caught a wake from a big cruiser. Got too far outta the boat and blew my skirt. Man, that happens really fast, ya know?
Didn’t actually swim but I was far enough outta the boat I had to exit, re-enter, and come up. Did that kinda sloppy and had more water in the hole than I should have.
To add insult to injury, I lost my both salted nut rolls…
Believe I’ll be learning the balance brace in some calm protected water before I go make a spectacle of myself again!
Damn rookies 
Holmes
last july
ironically on a really warm, nice summer surf day. I was in a pyranha seven-0, having a gas, and I went over, got set up, came 99% of the way up, got knocked over again by another wave, set-up rolled again, not so hot this time, head up first, and then went back in, set up again, rolled again, got knocked over again, (came-up down wave). So I went and set up again thinking I would just scull up and get a breath for a minute and then got tumbled in the washing machine while trying to scull, so I said, ok four attempts is enough, exited got my breath and then got back in the seven o and paddled it in full of water, (sort of fun actually) and then emptied it out.
Squirt boatin an Explorer
You mysteryed an Explorer?!? Whoa! I like goofing off at Deception Pass. Used to go in my Romany, never been in my Explorer HV.
I’ve been submerged up to my chest while paddling around the stern of a 700’ freighter and it started its props which pulled me down with a startle, and I too have played in the whirlpools of Deception Pass. It can be a freaky place. I can’t imagine coming out of my boat there. Yuck. Super fun in the boat, bad out of boat! I’d like to see the photo if it tells the story.
Bottle of Wine
While looking up river to check on a friend I inadvertantly floated sideways into Bottle O Wine at 7’. My buds said I lasted a good 30 seconds in the thrashing before running out of things to try. Its almost a perfect little pour over, couldn’t get out no matter what I tried. Finally thought I should get while the gettin’s still good. Swam down and grabbed the bottom rocks to pull myself along and surfaced 25’ down river while my boat was still scoring points in the pour over.
Climbed up onto the rocks and for the first time in my life, my knees were weak from the thrashin’.
try this
I have no idea if it will work.
Pics of an Explorer HV. Pic of a paddle, and a hand.
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/PDXseakayaker/photos/browse/ecb6
karl
Members only
My story:
Ran a class 2 rapid at 2.5 times its volume netting the class 2. A rock I normally look at I was boofing over. Bad shot, I hit a boil and was worked by the hole. Couldn’t get set up, flailed twice, popped out and swam for quite a while.
Carp-maticus
yeah, Explorer very easy
I haven’t fallen asleep in a balance brace, but have been wondering when I will at least relax enough to forget what I am doing. I think that’s coming this season. While getting and holding the arch etc can be an art form in the Vela, in my Explorer LV all I have to do is flop over onto the water. (finally - that took a while) That slab side really makes it so easy - I’m sure a SOF can really help, but it’d hard to be any easier than in the Expl.
tonight… da=m. Went over a 4-5 foot
drop and the stern got caught in the waves coming down the drop behind me. Stern down and bow up and over my head. Is that a 180 or 360? End result upside down against a headwall and uable to roll on my bad side. 4 attempts and a long swim later my butt is sore and i bought the beer. Got to work on my off side roll.