Re: [Paddlewise] kayaker presumed dead at MALIBU, Calif.

Jackie,





I only heard a brief announcement on the news today concerning this. Twelve of
us went to put on a practice session on bracing and rescues today out of
Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, CA.  This about 20 miles north of Dan
Blocker Beach (another location that our group frequently paddles out of). 





When we arrived at the harbor to launch and paddle to a semi protected area
behind a breakwater, where we do most of our paddling, we found winds of 20-25
knots and large waves breaking over the breakwater at the harbor entrance. As
we paddled out, we found it was a real struggle. Another Paddlewiser and I
were the two hosts for this club sponsored trip. When we reached the end of
the harbor, 3 people said they wanted to turn around and do a harbor paddle
because it was too rough. I called the other leader on the radio and told him
that I would stay with them and that he should have 8 paddlers with him.





We headed back and I had to call back and say we now had 8 paddlers turning
back, then it was 10 paddlers turning back and finally it was all 12. We then
did a paddle through the harbor that was anything but easy. I estimated the
winds at 30-35 knots inside the harbor and someone in the group had an
electronic wind gauge and he measured 32 knots. The wind waves in the harbor
made for some interesting paddling. 





I can't believe anybody would jump on a SOT and paddle in this without a PFD
on and be wearing shorts and a T shirt. The water temps were about 58 deg
today and the air temp was in the 60's. We are a group of paddlers who do open
ocean crossings--yet we all opted to not go out of the harbor because this was
the roughest conditions any of us have seen. When we finished the harbor
paddle, the best paddler in the group said, "we should have gone to a
restaurant instead.





The only disconcerting thing was that while we were in the harbor, one of the
group tried a roll---and missed (very unusual for him), He then did a wet exit
and a re-enter and roll--but while he was in the water someone called the
Harbor Patrol about a kayaker in the water. Their response over the radio was
that they knew these guys and they were probably practicing. I'm glad they are
confident in our abilities and skills, but it would have been nice if they had
at least called us to check. We did call them though and confirm that we were
not in any trouble.





Steve Holtzman


  ----- Original Message ----- 


  From: Jackie Fenton 


  To: paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net 


  Sent: December 09, 2001 4:17 PM


  Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] kayaker presumed dead at MALIBU, Calif.








  > From: Frank Lucian <murpho_at_mediaone.net>





  > 


  > Anyone know any more about this? 


  > Some details are at


  > http://fresnobee.com/state_wire/story/1287616p-1356134c.html





  I tried to find info on this yesterday searching southern California


  newspapers and newstations.   I didn't think to check a paper inland


  and way north of here (LA area) 8-\  I never found anything locally.





  We had very strong Santa Ana winds blowing Friday and Saturday.  


  I heard a brief newsreport on the local news Friday night that one


  kayaker had be rescued and another was missing.  This is the first


  I've heard the search was called off.  The conditions were serious


  enough even for an expert kayaker to be paddling away from shore 


  much less *anyone* paddling without wetsuit or drysuit (Santa Ana 


  winds gusting up to 70 - strong enough to topple an 18 wheeler 


  and other vehicles, plenty of warnings and advisories).  Not the 


  first paddler to go missing during strong offshore winds like that 


  in the five years I've lived out here.  Another incident four years 


  ago where neither paddler nor kayak was ever found when a relative 


  beginner struck out alone during very strong Santa Ana winds (again,


  gusts up to 70 mph).  Claudia Mathieu, Dec 10, 1997.





  I would also be interested in more details about this latest 


  incident if anyone has info.





  Jackie





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