[Paddlewise] Workout in the Waves

Workout on the Waves  -  May 2002       Doug Lloyd

Yvonne called just before the end of the work day. My cardiologist had
left a message at home: he wasn't happy with my treadmill test and will
be scheduling a nuclear scan looking for a possible blockage forming.
Well, this really hasn't been a good year physically. I had brought the
van, kayak and gear to work, with a view to catching the wind and waves
after work -- off the breakwater. Winds were expected to 30 knots.
Sounded like a good stress-buster.

I put in at the south beach at 4:30, launching easily through the
two-foot break. Gale force winds usually require 20 minutes of trial and
error to break out, but it was only blowing 25 knots. As I poked the
nose around the corner to run the length of the breakwater on the outer
side, three-foot waves created a nice choppy, confused sea with lots of
clapotis. It was my first real rough water of the year. Near the tip at
the north end, things were a bit hairy, requiring lots of bracing. Off
the tip, the wind was picking up. High cirrus clouds lined the canopy
above in magnificent long streaks, from one end to the other of the
visible skyline. The wind picked up to a steady 28 knots, with higher
gusts grabbing at the paddle blade.

I pulled in to the calmer water behind the breakwater, but even there,
the huge catspaws took a fair bit of work to negotiate the kayak around
back into the wind. The run downwind along the outside reminded me how
easily it is to broach without constant vigilance. I maneuvered back
into the bay and practiced rolling for 10 minutes, sculling, spinning
360's, and then went on to do some runs out to sea - jumping the waves
and trying not to think about health issues. I could feel my soar
muscles acting up from the kayak-dropping incident last weekend.

I got close in to shore, where the seawall extends for some distance
toward the headlands and cliffs along the Victoria waterfront. The area
is shallow and full of reefs. Waves were breaking in key locations, with
reflected waves backbreaking off the shallow submerged zones. I thread
my way through the maze, enjoying the game of Russian Roulette -- where
the odd wave would rear up and break over me, unannounced. Easy to take
with my strong onside high-brace.

After returning from a sortie along the cliffs, I came in close again,
to work on my off-side high brace. This is always a little more
challenging, made more interesting with the very gusty wind. I placed
the kayak over one of the reefs where reflecto waves formed
clapotis-breaks over the top of the reef. They broke straight up in the
air, where the wind picked up the spray -- backlit by the descending
sun. After two hours of this, my arms were getting really soar.

I usually take a run out to intercept the Coho at 6:30 and entertain
them Americans, but there was not the usual incentive to take further
chances. I needed to get home, hang gear, take the family for a long
walk, and then get my power-walk done. Mind as well predispose my ticker
to as successful an outcome as possible with good excercize. With my
blood pressure down from 151/101 to 115/80 in just four weeks, I was
starting to feel much better.

I performed a few more rolls, surfed the growing waves, did some
aggressive back-paddling exercises, then tried some different techniques
in the dumping surf. One last run out off-shore with a couple of really
fun jumps, and it was time to pack up. I "sailed" back to shore, simply
using one blade of my feathered paddle to guide me in, in the viscous
little gusts. That was cool. The 30 minutes of harsh stretching everyday
seemed to be paying dividends with the cramping issues, and I was well
pleased with the outing as I alighted readily from the confines of the
kayak. I had spent two grand upgrading to new gear recently, and really
want to be be able to utilize some of it over the next few years.
Hopefully they can keep my old heart going for a while longer if the
results are not good, and I'll keep working out in the waves.

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