Taking an open 16’ tandem kayak outside
the surf zone to fish back when I had no clue about waves… went out when the ocean was almost lake calm in the morning, waves built, valiantly tried to surf in on a mushy little 4-footer and was doing well until the wave dumped on the beach, dumping me and a huge cooler full of fish and all my good rod and reels and drybags and seat cushions and snacks and drinks right in the suds. Waves proceeded to dump one after another into the open kayak, pulling it back to the water, filling it with sand. The kayak now weighed approximately 3, 652 pounds, and it was all I could do to keep hold of the bow toggle to prevent davey jones claiming it. The beach was emptying out around dusk, eventually a nice man and son came along and helped me haul it up and dump some of the water out. I spent the next half hour shoveling sand out with a paddle and gathering up all the gear I could find and toting everything 1/2 mile back to the car. Then I got bitched out by the park ranger in the parking lot, because unknown to me, personal boats were not allowed in the state park.
It was still a great day at the beach though! : )
Complacency
I took a friend out to paddle in Monterey. It was his first time in a boat (17’ Sea Lion). I’ve given him sufficient instruction to paddle in calm conditions, but that is about it. I am searching for some waves for him to practice some braces, but the entire bay was calm and placid as a bird bath. In 3 hours of paddling, we’d seen a whale, hundreds of sea lions, tons of kelp, but not a single swell.
It was a winter weekday and even boat wakes were hard to find. I’d done my best to explain high and low braces and when to use them, but without something to practice on, it was clear that Max wouldn’t know what to do should the need arise.
I eventually decided it was time to head back since there were no indications that conditions would change. Since it was so calm, rather than practice due diligence, I am talking to Max and watching the wildlife. Because of this, I carelessly paddled directly past the headland (off Macabee beach, for those who know it) and through a rock garden. The huge rock outcroppings, covered with gorgeous incrustations of invertebrate life were easily visible just a foot or two below the surface. I turn to look at Max and say, “Normally, I wouldn’t paddle here. See those rocks below you, if a wave were to come by now, we might be in trouble.” As I’m saying this, I turn to look behind me and there is a 4’ swell of water running up behind us. I yell, “Paddle quick and see if we can get out of the rock garden.” The current pulls us back a bit and the bow of my boat hits rock as the stern is lifted up. I put out a brace and lean into the swell and surf over the entire rock garden to the small bay beyond it were the wave turns back into a swell as it hits the deeper water.
I saw Max try to brace on the wrong side of the boat and, of course, turn turtle immediately. Because the water was so shallow and I hadn’t brought any skull protection, I was more than a little worried about him getting a severe bang on the head. Fortunately, I guess he was already on the wave when he capsized and the water was probably deep enough for him to avoid the rocks because of that. We didn’t see another wave on the entire paddle back to the put it.
It was funny afterward, and surfing over the rock garden was a blast, but the fear that Max was going to become one with the abalone and anemones dampened my enjoyment of that experience.
Rick
I did not protect Otis
and he was consumed
Not securing canoe right on trailer and
it bounced off top rack at 45 on a dark, rainy night. Luckily no one killed/injured by it. R