[Paddlewise] Calm and Carnage at Refugio-Trip Report

Paddlerwisers,

Below is the trip report text.  If you would like to see photos with the 
text, then go to:  http://hometown.aol.com/pirateseakayaker/refugio.html

Calm and Carnage at Refugio

by Duane Strosaker

Refugio State Beach is located between Santa Barbara and Point Conception in 
Southern California. This area is known for frequent high winds, and planning 
a trip there is always risky because of it.  However, my co-host, Joe Kramp, 
and I were lucky when we planned our campout there for Friday-Sunday, May 
12-14, 2000.  We had perfect weather, and all 13 in our group took advantage 
of it to maximize our fun by touring, fishing or surfing in our kayaks.

Some of us arrived early Friday afternoon and quickly went into the water.  
Margo Roark and Marie Humphrey paddled straight out a ways in the calm 
conditions toward an off-shore oil rig.  Joe and I went kayak surfing in our 
white water kayaks.  Later, Rick and Jim went kayak fishing and caught their 
dinner.

Just before sunset a group of us launched for a two hour night paddle along 
the coast.  The group consisted of Chip Hoffman, Debbie Machain, Paula 
Chavez, Roger Halter, Marie, Margo, and I. With the moon overhead, calm 
conditions and warm breezes, our paddle in the dark was soothing.  Landing 
through the surf in the dark was fun, and Margo had the honor of being the 
only one to get wet.

On Saturday morning we all paddled 7 NM down to Naples Point.  When we took a 
break on the water there, Debbie capsized while trying to take care of 
business and experienced the 52 degree F. water in a polypro shirt.  Yes, she 
said it was cold!  I was impressed that she didn't ask for any help and was 
able to climb back into the sea kayak by herself without using a paddle 
float. 

Not far from Naples, we stopped for lunch on a secluded beach.  There was 
some gentle surf there, and this time Paula took the honor of being the only 
one to get wet.  Quite a few surfed their sea kayaks right onto the beach.  
We ate and relaxed in the warm sunshine on the beach for about an hour.  When 
we were getting ready to launch, I was startled by a large, ugly creature in 
my cockpit.  I was able to tell who put the dead crab in there by seeing who 
was laughing after I jumped.  Thanks, Debbie and Chip!

A 15 knot headwind was forecasted for the afternoon but never came.  We had a 
perfectly calm paddle back, and the flowers, cliffs, green hills, and 
mountains along the coast were beautiful.  A few in the group spotted a sea 
otter, which is rare this far south.  Jim and Rick caught some more fish, and 
while they were at it, a whale surfaced near them in the kelp.

There was some carnage in the surf when we landed that afternoon.  The surf 
wasn't really large, only about 3-4 feet, but it was a fast dumping beach 
break.  I wasn't there to see it, but I was told that after Debbie capsized 
and wet exited, Catherine Ridder ended up doing the same right behind her.  
Catherine's fiberglass kayak clashed against Debbie's carbon fiber kayak, and 
their bodies floundered in the white wash, but neither kayaks or bones were 
broken.  Someone described their kayaks, paddles, and gear washed up on shore 
as looking like a yard sale.

A bunch of others, too many to name, also ended up getting wet in the surf 
zone.  Joe was the last one to come in, and he did it with a bang.  He waited 
patiently for a large wave and surfed it in.  For a moment he looked darn 
good coming down that wave, but there wasn't anyway out of the dumping wave 
in a sea kayak, so he was thrashed and ended up blowing the hatch.  All the 
carnage made for good entertainment, and we joked about passing around a hat 
to collect money from people watching on the beach.

Our potluck dinner was a delicious feast.  There were some great cooks in the 
group, and there was so much good food that we couldn't help but bloat 
ourselves, rest, and come back for more.  Of special note were Joe's chicken 
quesadillas, which were his own recipe and by far the best I have ever tasted 
anywhere, much less at a campground.

After dinner, Debbie gave a class on reducing a dislocated shoulder.  With 
the carnage in the surf that afternoon, it was surprising that she didn't 
have real patient to demonstrate on.  It was nice of her to share her 
knowledge and experience with us.

Of course, more drinking, story telling and joking was done around the 
campfire that night.  Everything was going fine until someone started that 
darn feathered versus unfeathered paddle debate, which was taken too 
seriously.  It was better when we were talking about G-strings.  I think that 
discussion ended with everyone, men and women, agreeing to wear them to next 
year's campout.

On Sunday morning, Chip, Debbie, Marie and I went surfing in our white water 
kayaks.  Rick and Jim went kayak fishing, and later Jim joined us in the surf 
with his sea kayak.  The surf was larger this morning, and once again it was 
a dumping beach break.  There must have been only a foot of water below the 
waves before they broke.  I was doing the quick short ride and pull out 
before it breaks thing. Occasionally, I didn't pull out soon enough and had 
to dive into the wave and brace for dear life, all the time wondering if my 
helmeted head was going get slammed into the sand or if I'd need Debbie to 
reduce a dislocated shoulder.

Marie was eating up this beach break!  She wasn't going for that wimpy pull 
out the wave before it breaks thing.  She was going right down the wave and 
letting it give her everything it had.  Yes, she was getting thrashed almost 
every time, but she seemed to like it.  Did I mention she is a grandmother 
and this was Mother's Day?

At one point a huge set was coming in, and I was glad to be on the beach.  
Then to my amazement, I saw Marie paddling to catch the largest wave in the 
set.  She went right down that dumping wave, cut to the right and got tubed!  
A second later the wave made her pay.  She was thrashed, bad!  She ended up 
doing a wet exit, but it really didn't matter because taking that wave was so 
gutsy and the ride was so awesome.  I thought that after the thrashing she 
was done, but she wasn't.  She dumped the sand and water out of her kayak and 
paddled right back out for more.

In closing, I'd like to thank my co-host, Joe, for all the work he did, not 
to mention his chicken quesadillas.  I'd also like to say we had an 
absolutely wonderful group of people on this trip.  I wish every weekend 
could be as fun!


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