RE: [Paddlewise] Lets hear your near death experience.

Tom wrote:

snip
> 
> I now have a large carabiner clipped to the grab loop.
> Lets hear your near death experience.

I agree with Steve - lose the 'biner and put something less lethal on
the grab loop.

No near death experiences to report, but what could have been a very
painful and debilitating injury.

It was a beautiful, warm sunny day on the eastern shore of Lake
Michigan.  The west winds had created nice 4 foot waves and I was keen
to try paddling out through breaking waves for my very first time.  I'd
read the books, visualized how I was going to "punch" through, and now I
had the perfect conditions.  A sloping sandy beach with waves breaking
_right_ on shore.  (I would now term these as Dumping waves)  So I got
setup, started to push the bow out into the water and as soon as the I
started to float - Boom!, I'd get turned sideways and end up back on the
sand.  After numerous and determined attempts (30-45 minutes)managed to
break through the two waves and was actually paddling!  I had about 50
yds of breaking waves to paddle through, but I soon broached, dumped,
and wet exited.  So there I was, hanging onto my paddle and the cockpit
of my kayak washing back towards shore - everything was under
control....until my backside hit the sand in the shallow water - and the
kayak rolled upright and filled with water - and I was struggling to
stay in control of things - and I forgot (fatigue is a BAD thing) that I
should not be _in front_ of the kayak as the waves pushed it up on shore
- and then a very heavy and hard kayak rolled over my
shoulder/back/head/ and finally over an outstretched arm.  I thought
that I was going to have a broken arm in that brief moment of panic as
the yak crushed me into the sand but there was nothing that I could do
at that point.
 It was a stupid mistake - I knew better.  I had been paddling
whitewater for several years and knew much about the force of water
against boats, but I was so TIRED that I wasn't paying attention.  Could
have been a very bad scene, but I was lucky. 

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska
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