The following is Part Two of my surf workshop report. It is my rough draft for our local newsletter. I figured the list might find a bit of it useful. if not, just delete as per. DL -------------- As the day wore on, the surf continued to grow, allowing paddlesurfers the time to adjust with the building conditions. It was still a strange surf, with long spells between sets. But again, this allowed for rest between each set and was advantageous for deep water rescue drills. I was able to work with some of the students on a more individual basis, indicating where certain maneuvers were required, and answering particular concerns about exiting over breaking swells, diagonal runs back in, and techniques for catching waves and conversely slowing down to avoid pitch polling. Whether the swell had come all the way across the Pacific from Japan or had simply been generated by more localized weather systems, I wasn't sure. The NOAA/NCEP web site had indicated a low at 40N and 175W, with 30-foot plus swell. La Parouse buoy had registering a peak of 2.6 meters (7- 8 feet). There was a report of good surf at Sombrio, but we got just the right amount in the end. While I kept myself busy with some informal instruction and assisting with rescues, I was able to get a fair bit of personal surf time in, in my wife's McNulty Huntsman. Being a bit shorter with a flat planning bottom and chined sides, I was eager to test it out before heading into bigger surf on another weekend. I covered a lot of ground, with my dual agenda, and started to get very worn out. Without proper thigh or knee support, my legs were burning with the tension. I tried back surfing for a while. I took a big tumble backwards in shallow water, cartwheeling the green boat in the green room. I continued to stay out during for most of the day, but there were a few times I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish off a few of the rolls. I headed back to unleash my Nordkapp. The Huntsman was difficult to pull up the beach. I soon realized the stern compartment was full of water. I figured the old screw-on hatches would leak a bit, but the volume of water was more than than I would have anticipated. Ensconced in my reliable, if heavy Nordkapp, I soon had a smile on my face -- and the characteristic soul-surfing grin. Fast and sleek, I was able to catch any wave I wanted, exit out to the largest breaks, and generally cover more acreage while maintaining tabs on the students. Even at that, I tired quickly. That, combined with the poor ability to run diagonally without immediate broaching and resultant roll-overs, I again went to back-surfing for a while. It was difficult to avoid narrowly missing boarders while in the reverse direction, but arresting momentum was easy enough with a quick capsize and inverted paddle break -- sans ice cream headache.. One must be careful not to dominate the surf, catching waves every few minutes and preventing the locals from riding waves they may have waited 15 minutes for. There must have been a few impressive runs according to one of the students feasting on hot fries who had feedback from the workers across the bridge at Shakie's Drive-In. I'm sure the couple of back endo's in the shallow shore break raised a few eyebrows, what with 17 plus-feet of yellow kayak standing straight up in the air. Considering I drove the rudder and mount heavily into the boulder'd bottom with nary a hint of damage, attests to the fact that you can still have your cake and eat it too. Well, the stern keel was missing a few chunks near the brass inlay. After lunch, we found a nice wash zone, and proceeded to practice landings and cockpit exits. More carnage, with paddlers trying to exit before their bows touched gravel bottom, and some paddlers washing up against the breakwater due to poor choice of landing spots. One paddler's boat was pulled back out into the surf, as it caught another kayak's deck mounted paddlefloat -- pulling both out to sea. I was busy shouting orders to prevent individuals from locking arms straight out as they fell out sideways from their cockpits. All in all, it was a very educational time, and one gung-ho paddler admitted it was a great reality-check prior to his anticipated heavier paddling trips. One of the difficulties is mastering a straight-in run with a sea kayak. I tried unsuccessfully most of the day. Magic happened in the late afternoon. I saw a big swell coming in, and raced ahead to the anticipated break area. I caught the crest just as it broke underneath, such that the kayak was perfectly balanced on the crest. I leaned back to prevent pearling, then road the crest directly perpendicular to the beach for a mind-numbing run of on top of the soup. I was silent with elation. Out in the last of the big breaks, one cautious but real keener, paddled up to me and said that the day had been the most fun kayaking at sea, that he had ever had. You just can't buy that kind of happiness. I had noticed a real hesitancy to head into the zone heavily frequented by the board surfers. This was simply his manners-conscious sensibility and concern to share the waves in a safe and prudent way. I was learning as he spoke. As one board surfer once said, the best surfer is the one having the most fun without being a kook. As the class packed it in, I got as much crash and burn time as I could, rolling with every wave I could. It is the best way to produce stamina and test the weakness of your roll and test the ability of your muscle memory and mind-over-lungs -- when you are most tired and worn out at the end of a full day. It can also be a dangerous time, and you must know your limits. I also practiced some re-entry and rolls, until my ears hurt too much. I was still able to clean-and-jerk the 90# Nordkapp off the parking lot and onto the roof racks in one fluid motion. Not bad for an old man. I would have been late without hastening on, as I had been due back in town for my 43rd Birthday party -- and leg of lamb with mint sauce...mmmmm! The last chore was loading up the Huntsman. I thought it wierd that the water was gone from the rear compartment. Upon closer inspection, the stern wasn't a pretty sight. The last 8-inches was almost completely broken off. I was able to make it wiggle with one hand. Well, there's nothing in life like surfing on a good day and "breaking-in" a sea kayak. I wasn't so sure Yvonne would agree. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. 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