Nahant surfing

[rylevine]

Blaine and I decided to go forward with the (cancelled) trip, figuring that if the surf was too rough we could go find a less bumpy area. Started at around 12 at Kings(?) beach between little Nahant and Nahant. Greater than seven foot swells, but the Nahant side of the beach looked more reasonable so we decided to leave the Little Nahant side to the boarders. It was a little breezy but with air temp in the 40s and water temp a balmy 50 it was really not that cold. The winds were onshore, so a lost kayak would blow into the shore. We began with some quick rolls, then headed to Egg Island. The swells were a little bigger around Egg, but also there was a lot of >2ft chop on the swells that I think was refracted energy from island rocks (even though we did not go closer than 50ft to the boomers). The big swells pushed us back to the beach were we started surfing on the Nahant side. We decided to try some surf rescues....and Blaine went in on a big wave....and then nothing. Apparently he had trouble finding the spray skirt loop among all the deck paraphernalia that may have shifted back toward the cockpit in the turbulence. Luckily, he had practiced for such a circumstance, and worked the spray skirt loose from the sides. It is the second time this year that a person I've been paddling with had real trouble with those loops. Everyone should practice releasing the skirt from the side - especially in surf-like confusion. Both Blaine and I decided to try to clear up our decks, at least for surfing (eg. do I really need a paddle float a hundred feet off the beach with other skilled paddlers?). We followed that event with a series of messed up surf rescues, including attempting contact tows and long rope tows. Both Blaine and I tried being the swimmer at different times, but none of the surf rescues worked in the heavy waves and the swimmer ended up on the beach emptying the boat. After a frustrating half hour culminating with breaking the carabiner from the long tow rope, we went back to surfing. I was windowshaded three times, but in only one case was I muscled over by a large wave. The other two were just mistakes of concentration. We broke up the surfing by bongo sliding in the soup zone, and more rolling practice. Finally around 5 we noticed that the sun was going down (daylight savings!), and that the swells were getting bigger. I was able to surf into the soup between these big sets, and then decided foolishly to try surfing backwards - well, that ended badly, and probably was a message from somewhere to go home. All-in-all, a very satisfying day off Nahant. Thanks to Blaine for calling it.

Bob

[EEL]

s worked in the heav

culminating with breaking the carabiner from the long tow rope,

Dude, you broke a carabiner? What type and what type of failure? I would expect RDFs to be ripped out before a carabiner would fail. At least with some version of a climbing carabiner. I guess some of the small stainless marine ones are not that strong. I've heard of people ripping out many RDFs towing in ugly water, but breaking a carabiner is something else.

Ed Lawson

[Pintail]

<...Both Blaine and I decided to try to clear up our decks...>

Oh, good idea, Bob. I hate <anything> on mine, frankly -- well, except my spare paddle. I am certain you have learned a good lesson there.

Mr. Lawson, Sir: what (for pity's sake -- please!) is an RDF?

[jason]

<...Both Blaine and I decided to try to clear up our decks...>

Oh, good idea, Bob. I hate <anything> on mine, frankly -- well, except my spare paddle. I am certain you have learned a good lesson there.

Mr. Lawson, Sir: what (for pity's sake -- please!) is an RDF?

RDF == Recessed Deck Fitting.

[jdkilroy]

Good on you guys for practicing in conditions. Makes you more valuable to all you paddle with.

Bob, how's the Margarita holding up?

Jon

[rylevine]

Good on you guys for practicing in conditions. Makes you more valuable to all you paddle with.

Bob, how's the Margarita holding up?

Jon

Hey Jon,

The Margarita is doing great, if a little battered. Had to patch a smashed stern after a Casco trip last July. The boat was actually taking water into the back hatch during the final leg back to Portland. The bow got dinged on rocks during the Solstice, but that and some other scrapings have only been cosmetic. Now that I know what they are, I'm going to check the RDFs when I get home tonight - although I'm pretty sure I would have noticed a missing one yesterday.

Ed, the carabiner was simply gone after the tow attempt....neither on the boat nor on the line. It is easy to replace. Good time to check the equipment!

Bob

[tyson]

Sounds like you had some fun!

....and Blaine went in on a big wave....and then nothing. Apparently he had trouble finding the spray skirt loop among all the deck paraphernalia that may have shifted back toward the cockpit in the turbulence. Luckily, he had practiced for such a circumstance, and worked the spray skirt loose from the sides. It is the second time this year that a person I've been paddling with had real trouble with those loops. Everyone should practice releasing the skirt from the side - especially in surf-like confusion. Both Blaine and I decided to try to clear up our decks, at least for surfing (eg. do I really need a paddle float a hundred feet off the beach with other skilled paddlers?).

I can't claim that I keep my deck empty, but I sure am a fan of trying. Surf seems to be able to cause a whole lot of mischief. It will claim what it can from your deck. ...and that which it can't claim, it will do its damnedest to re-arrange in rather inconvenient ways.

Cheers!

Ty

[jdkilroy]

Bob,

bring the Margarita by the shop if she's in need of any glass work and we'll square her away. I've got boards in early Dec so anytime after that.

Jon

[bbjorn]

Good on you guys for practicing in conditions. Makes you more valuable to all you paddle with.

I'm a true believer in practicing everything in real conditions, in a safe location near shore. Sort of an extension of the RWS concept. T-rescues in 30-35 knot winds and white caps with terra firma DOWNwind just in case you blow it and let go of a boat or paddle, or rolling practice in breakers with a sandy beach right there. You can spend a lot of years doing L2/L3 trips and gaining experience incrementally in settings where mistakes might be costly. Or you can seek out wild conditions, find a SAFE place to play, and experiment to see what works and what doesn't and then figure out what you have to do differently. Paddling just off Dane St. Beach in Beverly in near gale force winds and whitecaps during an offshore hurricane last Aug. (with Lynch Park as backstop), I found it nearly impossible to get my Nordlow out of irons and turn my bow downwind. My seat may be too far forward and I'm planning to get back out and test that theory. In our surf rescue practice last weekend we learned to approach only from the side so you don't get one boat being slammed into the other, or worse - the swimmer, by the breakers. Seems ridiculously obvious now, but wasn't at the time. It's good to know these things before having to do this for real.

[Dude, you broke a carabiner? What type and what type of failure? I would expect RDFs to be ripped out before a carabiner would fail. At least with some version of a climbing carabiner. I guess some of the small stainless marine ones are not that strong. I've heard of people ripping out many RDFs towing in ugly water, but breaking a carabiner is something else.]

The carabiner gate hinge was badly corroded making it hard to close. Most likely when I clipped the deck line the biner was left open enough to later slip off. It's also pretty sure that the little pin at the upper end of the gate was not lined up with the notch, reducing the strength to a small fraction of its rating, which is why climbers throw away any biner with a sticky gate. But it's hard to believe I could have generated enough force towing to break even one that's open.

Blaine

[rylevine]

I'm a true believer in practicing everything in real conditions, in a safe location near shore.

Want to second everything Blaine has said. It is amazing how really trivial clitches arise in emergencies to thwart rescue efforts. In another practice off of Lynch Park I foolishly lost my main paddle, and then discovered how long it took to release my spare while gripping another kayak (as part of a messed T-rescue)and being gusted away from the swimmer in chop. I was halfway to Misery Island by the time I got the held kayak tethered via the contact tow rope, which itself was surprisingly hard to release because of being at the edge of my reach on the deck, and then my spare off my deck and put together.....and my swimmer was left in the (luckily not yet very cold) water back at Lynch. We looked so ridiculous that a boater came up and asked if we were OK. I said it was just very complicated rescue practice - and was then complicated on our skill! I think only practice in conditions reveals these types of problems, all of which are so obvious in retrospect as to be overlooked.

Bob

[B]

Yay, for practice in conditions!!!