[Paddlewise] Solo paddling

James Lofton wrote:
> 
> Quite frankly, I didn't know being alone was so differant or dangerous
> until I got on this site. I always figured that being alone was a frame
> of mind anyway and being with someone was false security more than
> likely.
> 
Thinking back to the original post (glad he got to write it up), I
wonder how much real use a companion would have been in 6' breaking
waves. Good moral support, but how many of us could do a rescue in those
conditions?

This spring we were paddling off Folly Beach SC at the East Coast SK
Symposium. Incoming tide, brisk onshore wind, big surf, 6-7' foot swells
outside the breakers. Our choice was to punch out through and paddle
along shore to the inlet or carry down to the inlet and put in. Five
boats chose to punch. I made it through the surf fine, as did the
paddler in the baidarka ahead of me. Minutes later, I saw him surfing a
wave. Cool, I though, at least until I realized he wasn't surfing, he
was being surfed. He leaned wrong, and you can guess the rest. 

I paddled over and tried to help, but his boat had almost no flotation
and was being washed into the surf zone. I'm not that good, I'm afraid.
Leave me alone, he said, I'm washing in and I'll be on the beach in a
few minutes. I hung around, though, trying to stabilize him a little and
picking up pieces of his gear. It seemed to me that leaving a swimmer
was not an acceptable policy.

Unfortunately, I wasn't paying enough attention at some point, and got
broached by a big wave. I rode it for a while sideways and then got
Maytagged. Roll didn't work, so now there were 2 of us getting washed
into the beach. I had about a 5 minute swim through the surf. His was
about 10.

Not sure if there is a moral to this story, but my being there didn't
help him any.

Steve
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