Tsunami that wasn't
(Patrick)
The two days that we spent paddling at Cayucos and Montana De Oro were undoubtedly the most exciting times that I've ever had in a kayak. Paddling in the rock gardens, surf, and sea caves was a wonderful challenge that allowed me to learn a great deal in a rather short amount of time. It also allowed me to get a better perspective on how much more I need to learn. It seems that every time I begin to think I've made significant progress in developing my paddling skills, the ocean gives me another lesson in humility. Fortunately I had the luxury of some very competent paddling partners for backup. If we had not been paddling as a team, I would not have ventured into many of the more challenging and rewarding places on this trip.
Although most of the time I was just having a lot of fun, there were a couple of occasions where I discovered what adrenalin can do for you. The most frightening incident happened at Cayucos. The surf was averaging around 4 feet, but every now and then a 5 or 6 foot wave would come rolling through. There were a couple of large boulders about 6 feet apart on the ocean side of a large rock garden. Going between the boulders required a little finesse since the swell activity created a rapid between the boulders. With a little timing it was possible to paddle between them during a lull. When the lull that I was waiting for came along, I paddled fast to shoot through the gap. But when I emerged on the other side I found myself looking up into a really large wave that was right there waiting for me. I was trapped; behind me were the two tall boulders, on my right was a large rock sticking out of the water about two feet, and on my left was this breaking wave that was going to eat me for breakfast. About all I had time to do was to lay into the wave with a high brace and tilt my boat so that I would hit the rock with the bottom of the boat rather than some part of my body.
The wave swallowed me for a second and then swept me over the large rock. But as I went over the rock, the bottom of my boat scraped across the top of the rock which caused my boat to roll to my right. The wave ended up dumping me upside down into a kelp bed on the other side of the rock. The good news is that I didn't hit anything hard when I came down. For a moment I paused to collect my wits and to let the air clear from the water. But when I tried to setup for a roll, I discovered that the thick bull kelp wouldn't let me move my paddle.
Ok, I thought, time for Plan-B, time to do a wet exit. That's when I discovered that I couldn't see the grab loop on my spray skirt because I still had on my sunglasses and it was dark under the boat in the kelp bed. I was also having trouble feeling the grab loop because I was wearing rubberized paddling gloves and my hands were cold. I felt my heart start pounding as the thought of being trapped underwater occurred to me. I closed my hand where the grab loop was supposed to be and pulled. Although I couldn't feel the grab loop, I had it in my grasp and the spray skirt came free!
A moment later I was gulping air next to my boat. That's when the next wave came through and my boat bonked me in the head. In my rush to the surface I had come up on the shoreward side of the boat. Fortunately my helmet protected my head and the thump was not significant. I immediately ducked under my boat and came up on the surf side so that my boat wouldn't hit me again.
No sooner had I flipped my boat upright than Anneli came up beside me and
offered to drain my boat and assist my reentry. I gladly accepted. Normally I
have a very fast reentry. But this time I found it difficult to get completely
into my boat. The kelp had wrapped itself around my waist and legs like some
kind of man eating vine. I was actually glad to have a sharp knife so that I
could cut myself free. There was so much kelp on me that I found pieces of it
hiding under my seat two days later when I got home and hosed the cockpit down.
There were a number of lessons that I learned from this little episode:
-
I'm going to attach a small whiffle ball to my grab loop so that it will be easier to find.
-
I'm going to practice releasing my spray skirt with my eyes closed. Until now I've only practiced rolling with my eyes closed. Just because I have a reliable roll does not mean I shouldn't be prepared to release my spray skirt under adverse conditions.
-
I'm glad I had a sharp sheath knife. If the kelp had trapped me underwater, there wouldn't have been time to fool around with a folding knife. Even as it was, I would have had difficulty opening a folding knife with gloves on and cold hands.
-
I was glad that I had bought a good helmet. Thanks to my helmet, the bump from the boat didn't hurt me.
-
When paddling in rock gardens, it is important to paddle as a team and stay close together. Things happen fast when dealing with the surf, and people need to be close by if they are going to be of any assistance to each other.
When I mentioned what happened to my friends at work, more than one of them remarked "And you do this for fun?"
The answer is an enthusiastic yes. Experiences like this are where we learn the most. Jack Brisley was right when he said that the best way to develop your boat handling skills is to paddle in the surf zone for miles along the coast. I can't wait to get out there again with these guys. Not only were they great on the water, they were wonderful company around the campfire at night. Our laughter reminded me when I was a kid on my first camping trip.
When I got home from this trip, the kid inside me was invigorated again.
Patrick Martin