Re:[Paddlewise] Surfs Down

Doug wrote (in an Ibuprophen stupor I suspect):
>>Gee Matt, you call that surf? I believe you and Craig were "surfing" into
Raft Cove near Cape Scott for that shot (photographer in-water). I was out
with a buddy a few days different from you, and the MacJack River bar was
closed-out due to high surf. Now THAT was surf (we had to land behind a
"hook" at Commerell Point, storm-bound for 4 days).<<

Right you are Doug, (except that's Les in the picture and Craig was in the
water) the surf was bigger than what appears in the cover picture but was
still of the nice gentle spilling variety. Just big enough for some good
rides but didn't help much with adrenaline production. You could sneak into
the mouth of the Macjack without even getting wet (if you stayed in the
channel at the south end of the cove and timed it anyhow). Going back out a
few days later though I had to punch out through a breaker that broke over
my head (in what had previously been the sneak channel). Over the next few
days some of the ocean swell got really huge as we paddled south of Raft
Cove.  Big boomers were protecting the points a long ways out and the
longish period between big sets meant it was sometimes hard to predict where
they would break. I spent lots of time paddling in or right next to areas of
kelp on the theory that any kelp would have been ripped loose in areas where
the waves regularly break violently. (disclaimer: this is, at best, a rule
of thumb and not to be relied upon). We felt lucky the tide was just right
(flooding) or we might not have been able to enter the channel into Winter
Harbor at all. As it was the harbor mouth north of the island (with the
lighthouse on it) was an area of large rough chop. I assume caused by the
big swell being bounced off all the vertical rock in that area and
(apparently) being focused into the bay and channel. Add an outgoing current
facing the large swell running up the channel and we would have probably
tucked tail and paddled many miles back north to our lunch spot to find a
safe landing and a campsite. Yes, I can imagine Raft Cove had some real surf
those next few days. Did you see any bears near Commerell Pt? I saw some
tracks in the sand near there.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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