Steve's Pages
Home    Kayak    For Sale

Tsunami that wasn't (Steve)   

We originally had a training class set with the Tsunami Rangers, but at the last minute they had to cancel due to a family emergency of one of the instructors. Some of the group will do the Rangers regular class June 8th & 9th and you'll be reading about it soon.

Those of us signed up for the class had spent months preparing and particularly the last two months we had spent paddling together in rock gardens and surf as much as possible to prepare for the class. There had been rolling practice and rescue practice in a variety of challenging conditions. Most of the paddlers had not really done any serious (deliberate) rock gardening before signing up for the class, and it was thrilling watching how fast they learned and how bold they had become.

From my point of view, the idea of canceling the trip at that point was inconceivable. All the others agreed so we went ahead.

After a lot of discussion we agreed to paddle at Cayucos on Friday. The San Luis buoy was running over 7 feet, which would make Montana De Oro (MDO) a little too sporty. Anyway, we all wanted a day to get "warmed up" to the central California conditions.

Cayucos:

By this first day of paddling it was apparent just by looking at the way everyone dressed that this group was serious about learning and pushing their personal limits. All with helmets, covered in neoprene, including gloves. I don't think there was a single boat without a spare paddle.

It ended up being perfect because conditions gradually got more severe as we proceeded west away from Cayucos. Much of the "inside passage" was closed off because the tide was so low. Rather than be a hindrance, that just made the outer reefs more interesting.

Conditions ranger from dead calm on the inside passage, to quite sporty on the outside reefs. I've been here twice before, but never beyond Cayucos point before. Just like any other sport, you push harder when you're with others. This day was no exception. Most started out light, but then cranked up the intensity as the day wore on.

This was the first time the entire group had paddled together and it really gave us a chance to gell. Inevitably, there were some combat rolls and some swims. All in all it ended up being a very good prep day for MDO.

Montana De Oro (MDO):

On previous trips to MDO Vickie and I were alone. She is a competent paddler and has gotten me back in my boat on several occasions. Nevertheless, with only two paddlers options are limited in the event of a mishap. On both of my previous trips I ended up wishing I was in a larger group so I could push into more challenging areas.  This was my chance.

Particularly, on rounding the turn out of Spooners cove there are wide expanses of chaotic breaking water. I think the term is a mine field, but I'm not sure. Waves were very large at 5-to-7 feet  with sets to 10 feet. Because of their size, and the submerged rock features there is no defined beak line. They broke anywhere and everywhere. The good news is that they would start breaking pretty far out and reform. By the inner break most of the energy was dissipated so you weren't likely to get hurdled into a rock wall by a 10 foot wave. The scale of these areas is huge, say 1/4+ mile square.

We usually don't talk to much about what we are going to do before we paddle, we just do it. Today was an exception. I would call conditions "Sporty+++". After taking a look at conditions we checked our inventory of flares and agreed to stay in groups of 2 or three at minimum, preferably three. We agreed that no one should be alone because once out of your boat you would become invisible in the chaotic breaking waves.

A few of us were closer on the inside when I headed into the first of these areas. I thought I was being followed, but after a while I looked around and I was alone. I couldn't see anyone. There was breaking water (big ones) in every direction I looked. I'm a confident roller, but I made a mental note not to miss my roll if I capsized. If I had come out of the boat in there it would have been virtually impossible for them to find me. Being alone in there (not being in there) was my biggest scare of the day and I was glad when I eventually made visual contact with some of the group.

After receiving a brief lecture from one of the others about not straying off alone, we went on to new adventures. Some of the caves and arches were closed out due to low tide, but most were open for our return trip.

One of my favorites is one I named the "Goat Cave" (left) because the first time Vickie and I paddled there we saw two goats up on a ledge in the cave. Actually it is not a cave, but a tunnel near the end of a headland. When the tide is moderate or higher, you can paddle through the tunnel and then exit out a slot on the other side of the headland.

Another favorite are the tunnels shown right. Low tide made it a little boney on our trip, but we were still able to get into both tunnels. This structure is in a relatively calm cove in the lee of Point Buchon and there is a good rest spot to the right of this picture.

Heroic feats:

Just north of Point Buchon is where Cate took a couple of swims. I have to say, she did the most awesome reverse ender I have ever seen in any boat. The wave was huge and the fact that it was a 16.5' boat made it even more spectacular. She tried to roll up, but she was still being surfed upside-down toward shore so she missed and bailed. She wasn't phased and got right back into it. After recovering from that, I looked back in she was in the water again. I was a little concerned that she might be deterred in some way, but she never even blinked. I admire paddlers who can take a licking and keep on ticking!

Somewhere in the midst of all that Jonathan did some very entertaining (unintentional) cartwheels in his 16 foot Avocet. It was violent. The kind of thing where you just think "oooh dude". I though for sure we were going to have another swimmer, but he stayed in the boat,  made good on his roll, and paddled away. Well, not exactly. He actually paddled around collecting all  the gear that had been stripped from his boat.

David performed another spectacular feat in the stacks off the 1st headland south of Point Buchon. The water was low and there was really no way through. That didn't stop David. I was following him when he found a little slot just big enough to get through. The problem was that every few seconds curling breakers would explode against the rock (15 feet high) on the left of the slot. Timing would have to be perfect.

Well, it wasn't. He got into the slot and blasted by a wave. He was carried about 6 feet up the side of that rock, then the wave collapsed and he went with it, capsizing in the process.

I was very concerned because I knew he had precious few seconds to roll up and move out of there before the next wave came and caught him in that compromised (upside down) position. There was no time for a second roll attempt. Of course he couldn't hear me, but I said out load "roll up David".

In an instant he rolled back up and paddled out of there like a madman. I lost sight of him, but heard a loud "YeeHa" once he cleared the rocks. I didn't follow.

The people:

Sometime late Saturday night, a combination of fatigue, sleep depravation, beer, darkness, and a blazing campfire resulted in some our group naming us the Rogue Wavers. The name comes complete with a hand sign, a special handshake, and a motto that I'll let someone else explain. I think the whole thing is kind of catchy, but since I was asleep at the time I can neither accept credit or blame, whichever you may think is due.

I had a blast even though the class was canceled, and the weekend far exceeded my expectations for fun both on and off the water.

Those of you who have known me for a while probably know that I am more mission or task oriented, than people oriented. When I started advertising for the class my expectation was for an exciting and challenging class that would build skills in all those who participated. It never occurred to me at the time that the most rewarding aspect of the whole exercise (for me) would be the forming new friendships and building on existing ones.

Even though I have paddled in both those spots before, the paddling both Friday and Saturday was more fun than I can ever remember having on the water. The collective enthusiasm, companionship, and camaraderie of the group, was the ingredient that made it so much more fun this time.

Although I was teasing Cate for saying that the off water fun exceeded her expectations and that she had originally planned on reading a book, the fact is that my clothes bag was stuffed with kayaking books I had planned on reading in the evenings. I never had the slightest urge to break them out, however, as I found myself afraid to step away from the campfire for fear of missing something funny or interesting from one of the group.

This was a great experience for me that I definitely plan on repeating.

Thanks to all for a great weekend!

Steve Brown