Yesterday I was out in Monterey Bay (on further experimenting, that CD Extreme might need more than just a skeg for running downwind in a good swell and following wind*). About 200 yard away I see somebody hand-paddling a sit-atop. Figure no good could come of it; wind's blowing pretty hard and maybe a 5-foot swell, so I head over, though nobody asked. Getting closer, I see another in the water, and closer still I see both paddles about 30 meters up-wind and getting farther fast. I pick up the paddles, and head toward the boat when they call for help. "What do you think I'm doing: stealing your paddles?" I say with a smile in my voice. Two youngsters, wet, cold and sans clue. Underdressed and underskilled, about 500 meters from shore. I asked them how cold they were and could they make it back to shore and guessed that they could; paddled off but hovered in the area to make sure they did. The lesson here? Don't be a teenager! Then again, there were plenty of underdressed adults out yesterday. Monterey Bay Kayaks seems to be pretty diligent about checking folk out, but the hotels seem much less so. *my Caribou doesn't seem nearly as prone to broach while running downwind with the skeg up. p.s. sure was a splendid day out there. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
<Monterey Bay Kayaks seems to be pretty diligent about checking folk out, but the hotels seem much less so.> As lax as the bicycle rental place that also advertised it rented "sea kayaks" --- and did, but only the SOT type. But that was okay, I was told, 'cause they also rented out drysuits with their SOTs. Except that their idea of a "drysuit" was a nylon "splash" paddling jacket and trousers with rubber bands in the hems. They came near to going out of business once when the mayor and his son almost died from hypothermia during a rental session. (They don't have very good bikes, either.) Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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