LOG – June 1, 2001 (Keeping the Edge) Environment Canada had predicted gale force winds for Friday afternoon (since the previous Tuesday). The cold front was to move through in the morning, with a very severe weather warning for the BC interior. I loaded up gear into van Thursday night. Winds were predicted for a SW direction, which meant Victoria waterfront was most likely to receive the strongest impingement, with sunlight attribution for later afternoon. There was no point going out to East Sooke. It was better to get off work, then head directly down to Dallas Rd waterfront after work at 16:30. Manager from work and Team Leader were scheduled to have dinner party atop my work supervisor’s penthouse right above waterfront. Told them I’d be playing in the area and to keep an eye out about 18:00. Evening entertainment. ------------------ 17:00 – sea were wild with whitecaps. Gusty winds were stiff but seemingly negotiable. Had a heavy carry-down the stairs to Fonyo Beach. Not much pep left by Friday evenings. Trial Island was reporting 29 knots with gusts to 39 knots with 4-foot moderate seas. Race rocks was reporting in at 22 knots with gusts to 29. Looked like I picked the correct spot for maximum fetch, wind-wave height and wind velocity. Ocean insertion completed by 17:30. Tested waters out to 1000 meters. Biggest hazard was kelp entanglement possibility. Removed flick-knife from tether and PFD pocket, and clipped it to PFD zipper. I had dressed to max with polypro, fleece sweater, Farmer John, dry-top, neo skullcap and new helmet. Water and air temp. were around 14 C respectively. Rotary cooling was maintained every 10 minutes. Spent half hour playing waves that were breaking over submerged reefs/rock piles. Nothing done too extreme, as too many spectators along walkway. Headed out to deep water for 10 minutes. Waves were much more intense. A rigid hull Zodiac bounced by, its whale watcher occupants watching the waves instead. Conditions were at about the limit for tourist touring. Saw a few boats heading back in to harbor. Sooke Rescue Society CG Aux. boat was heading due west, just a slamming over the waves. Lots of white spray thrown into air. Harbour pilot also seen headed out to big deep-sea freighter. Again, huge amounts of foam and spray off the boat’s bow. It started gusting very severely. Full forward lean needed to maintain any momentum or even hold position. Run back in very unstable with wind on back. Unlike waves further west up Juan de Fuca Strait, not enough shadowing. Paddling wasn’t needed. Body was sufficient as sail. Lots of slap supports were utilized. 18:00 came up fast. It was time to entertain the evening entourage ensconced up high in the warmth of their tabernacle to debauchery. Pulled into 500-meter zone. Performed innumerable rolls, sculling head-to-water both to windward and to lee. Big gusts came through a few times, so had to hold position off cliffs. Guests in penthouse just visible. Back paddled 300 meters at full tilt. Interesting feeling jumping waves in reverse. Slam-dunk braced like a drunk. Rudder was then set-down, and then I surfed in at lighting speed on the wind waves, hanging on to my paddleshaft. I did a few rolls on the forward fly. Paddled out to deep water/current interaction zone, the repeated rudder-down run-ins again. There were about ten spectators assembled at the railings above. So it was then time to move out of view. I don’t normally like playing out in the public eye anymore, let alone in full view of my superiors. Played under cliffs without scrutiny for awhile. Did a few more deep-sea runs, cresting over some nice steep waves, crashing blithely into the crest of the next wave where the distance between crests was just right. Roll confidence levels did drop to about 98% with time, so decided to play closer in for a while, near reefs. Wash zone over rocks was growing, with less and less green face evident. What remained was a 100-meter zone of dancing white foam and disturbed snow-white crests spindrifting ethereally skyward. The sun, which had lowered on the horizon, cast the entire rocky realm in a dramatic light. I just could not go in and play the reef zones anymore. To do so would have cheapened and sullied the scene. I leaned into the wind, held position, and thought deep thoughts while listening to the tremendous symphonic variation that the eternal surging sea sounds-out on its splendid surroundings. Life is so short, but oh, how it can be so sweet. I moved away into nearshore waters, upwind of the launch site. It was time to get wet. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. I then attached my lifeline to a forward deck line via the tether carabiner. I performed a wet-exit, purposely coming up on the wrong side of the line attachment point. I easily reached the carabiner, undid the hook-up, and then reattached it to the front toggle -- whereupon I did some serious swimming into the waves/wind. After heading for shore, I let the kayak go through the surfy break, then pulled the belt-tow quick release. It came off without a hint of resistance. Equipment perfection. Thanks be to the R&D department. Next, I headed out to deeper water again, upwind, and then deploy my SeaSeat. It was, as usual, difficult to inflate with cold lips. I tried six times to scissors kick up onto the rescue device, but first blew-out my right calf muscle, then my left. I slip off and hang out in the waves, my calf muscle trembling in pain from the spasms. I try again and again, and finally manage to alight onto the mini-raft. By that time, I am well down-wind from my boat and up against the cliffs. I walked back along the boulder strew shoreline, falling every few second. I could barely walk. When I finally got back to the kayak, the full weight of the situation hit me. I had to get my hundred pound Nordkapp back up the long flight of stairs and ramps. It can be hard enough to do with working calf muscles. Near the top, a pretty female jogger takes pity: “Excuse me sir, do you need some help?” Yes Doug, you da man alright! -------------------- doug v *************************************************************************** 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. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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