brambor Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I love reading the trip rreports and there are a few video clips on youtube...but can we please talk more about spending time in the rockgarden? What elements or tricks are you trying to do and what (not where) type of rock structure do you consider an ideal location? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spuglisi Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I love reading the trip rreports and there are a few video clips on youtube...but can we please talk more about spending time in the rockgarden? What elements or tricks are you trying to do and what (not where) type of rock structure do you consider an ideal location? Hi Renee, The challenge and fun of paddling near and between rocks is in timing and positioning..being able to get your boat through tight and/or shallow areas while there's enough water to do it...ie when a swell rolls through. Not only is it fun but it's a great exercise in boat control. Just try and avoid those scraping crunching sounds...and don't forget to wear a helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rylevine Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I love reading the trip rreports and there are a few video clips on youtube...but can we please talk more about spending time in the rockgarden? What elements or tricks are you trying to do and what (not where) type of rock structure do you consider an ideal location? Hi Renee, I agree with Sal's points. Early in the season when I first saw rock play, I thought is rather absurd to take these large awkward (not to mention, expensive) boats through tiny rock passages in surging water. I had a notion of towing surf kayaks or even well-floated recreation kayaks out to nearby islands and leaving the sea kayaks behind.....which by the way still seems like a good idea to me. However, after going out with very skilled rock garden players and trying it myself during the summer......there is a method to the madness. Fine boat control is really sharpened by navigating in these areas, and it makes you highly attentive to the immediate wave environment, two important skills in general sea kayaking. Although I have less experience in surf, similar statements are made about surf kayaking as a training tool. This is really emphasized in John Lull's book Sea Kayaking Safety and Rescue; which has excellent chapters on handling both surf and rock gardens. I don't think that rock gardens are necessarily that dangerous, but obviously they do require a higher level of caution. What I have found out is that rescues in them are really problematical. Sweep rolls are sometimes impossible with close-in rocks; and there often is not enough maneuver room for the standard rescue techniques such as T-rescue....not to mention the fact that with people in the water the wave-propelled kayaks themselves become dangerous. Lull seems to suggest swimming out as often the best option in these situations, but as I found out this summer that can be difficult with a kayak. Abandoning the kayak to swim out increases the chances of losing it in the washout, which can be very dangerous in the open ocean. Of course it is a good place to tow, as long as your kayak partners are careful and practiced to avoid entangling. Next summer I would like to practice staged rescues in rock gardens. My favorite paddling area, Salem Sound, has an extraordinary variety of rock gardens of varying difficulties both near the shore and on far islands. There are many other places as well. NSPN regularly posts trips in which rock play is mentioned. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Though I'm not much of one for rock gardens I'm more apt to play around in areas that have high arch ways or caves to explore. So I tend to favor areas with sandstone cliffs etc. Often there are unique formations and the rocks themselves seem a bit more user friendly than say granite or slate etc. Monoliths are also fun to play around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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