[Paddlewise] My LaPush Pummel Report (Long)

I haven't heard anyone mention the Pummel so here's my account that I 
originally posted for a surfing oriented Usenet group.  Here it is again 
for those more mentally evolved paddlers who wisely live vicariously 
through the exploits of a few nutcases.  The report deals as much with my 
wife's photography skills (and my frustration with such) as it does with 
the Pummel.  For those not acquainted with the  surfer's measuring system, 
OH refers to 'overhead' and is a measurement of the breaking wave face.  So 
OH = 5 to 6 feet, 2XOH = 10 to 12, etc.  Believe me when I tell you 12 feet 
looks awfully big when you're sliding along on your butt...  So here goes:

  This month's "Climbing" magazine has a satirical article dealing with 
'How to get a Belay Slave'.  For those that don't climb, the belayer is the 
person at the bottom who tends the rope so you don't croak if you fall = 
boooring.  Whitewater kayaking has an equivalent known as the 'Shuttle 
Bunny'.  For surfing, I what I want to know is how a mediocre surfer can 
get a 'Camera Thrall' to document (personal use only) their mediocre 
efforts.  I find this documentation very helpful acting the part of a 
daring surfer with non-surfing acquaintances who will ooh and ahh over 
shin-high mush...

I've tried my S/O but it ain't workin'.  We've got decent equipment and I'm 
certainly willing to do my part as the poseur.  She just
_cannot_ take a decent photograph. Last weekend is a perfect example...

For the annual, semi-organized LaPush Pummel, I rented a cabin for Fri/Sat 
at a resort (term used loosely) owned a local Tribe.  I planned to surf at 
First Beach, a fairly popular spot in the Summer, it can get pretty heavy 
on a decent swell in Winter.  Last Friday, a 12' swell and 25kn SE winds 
were forecast, pretty strong for this spot.  Upon arrival around noon, the 
waves were sizable, especially in the 'Pocket' but the wind was staying 
offshore.  Early, I was the only one in the water which was a bit unnerving 
but fun.  The S/O was stationed with the camera on one of the 10,000 huge 
logs at the high tide line.

Here's the first of the nutcases (me) deciding how badly I want to take 
this beating:

http://www.hekizan.com/Pummel/waiting.jpg

Here's what the flotsom and jetsam at the high tide line looks 
like.  Munchkins thrown in to give a sense of scale:

http://www.hekizan.com/Pummel/flotsam.jpg
http://www.hekizan.com/Pummel/jetsam.jpg

As the sun went down and the tide went up, the swell dropped, the waves 
cleaned up and started breaking more predictably.  The best were in the 2X 
OH range with the occasional outside set coming in much bigger.   At one 
point I saw a blue green wall approach and I sprinted to make it over 
before it broke on my head.  I got over just as the lip crested.  The 
combination of my momentum and the wave moving the opposite direction sent 
me flying through about 8 feet of air.  I spun my paddle overhead but the 
helicopter effect didn't lessen the blow when the flat planing hull of my 
surfkayak went splat.

Here's me passing on a 'little one', about 1.5X OH:

http://www.hekizan.com/Pummel/closeout.jpg

After being a chickenshit and false paddling/looking over the edge of quite 
a few, I started taking the biggest ones as they were breaking the furthest 
out and this is not a place to get caught inside the breakers.  I got a 
couple very good rides and was getting a bit full of myself (see above 
poseur reference).  About that time I took steeeeep drop on a set wave.  As 
I was flying down and getting set up for a strong bottom turn, I caught 
some chop at the base.  I must have gotten about a foot of air, pearled and 
pitchpoled heels over ass over head.  My back got tweaked pretty good and I 
should have gone in but there was a lull and I sure as shit was going to 
take advantage of an easy paddle back outside.

Here what you get to paddle through to get outside the breakers (yes, those 
are rocks, not sand):

http://www.hekizan.com/Pummel/beachbreak1.jpg

Here one with another Munchkin for scale:

http://www.hekizan.com/Pummel/beachbreak.jpg

About this time I was joined by George Gronseth, my sometimes surfing 
partner and alltimes mentor.  He was enthused about the improving 
conditions and immediately caught some good rides.  One on a wave the _I_ 
had priority on but that I graciously passed to George.  Cough, 
cough.  After a couple more crappy, stiff back, gun-shy shoulder hops, I 
rode one in.

The guys who braved the high tide logs later got the cleanest waves but I 
was very eager to get my gear stowed and to download the digitals my 
dutiful S/O had taken.  I had my laptop primed for Photoshop manipulation 
to further amplify my tales of daring do.  What do I get when I suck the 
files from the camera?  A bunch of photo's of me sitting between 
sets...  The explanation - "I could only see you really good when the waves 
went away."  and "I like the wide angle setting because you can see the 
pretty rocks... but you sure are small"

Alas,

Thomas


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