A couple of folks wanted to know where I went for my nighttime rough-water paddle. I though it might be worth mentioning that the area was Esquimalt Lagoon -- on the outside. The native translation is "Place of Shoaling Waters" and definitely kicks up waves under the right conditions (tons on Sunday). A lot of log debris is sucked out during winter storms, and the area is generally avoided because of this; yet for me, it is a relatively safe area I know well, with enough of a catch basin to make swimming a survivable circumstance. The logs must be dealt with through knowledge of surge dynamics and experience with same, plus a tough boat helps. I certainly wouldn't put myself at too great a risk without having the required comfort level and confidence with the conditions anticipated. I carried my VHF in a pouch well secured to my inflatable vest, with the rubber ducky antenna poking out the zipper, on a long enough lanyard for it to be brought to voice distance. I hardly want to think about the consequences of having had to call the Coast Guard: "Come in CG, Mayday. PIW, lost my kayak northwest off Esquimalt Lagoon, 1/4 nautical mile offshore, over." "This is Canadian Coast Guard, please repeat; you lost your kayak while PADDLING it, tonight, in the windstorm -- please verify authenticity of the mayday request." As you can fairly surmise, sea kayakers rarely die - we just get rescued a lot. Something I don't want to experience again. So, I don't fear death out on the edge -- just the embarrassment that would entail if circumstances forced me to call in a rescue. I had wanted to paddle elsewhere that night, but opted for the safer venue -- which turned out to be more challenging than ever anticipated, anyway. Now I just have to decide if I want to call my kayak "Blustery Night" instead of "Blustery Day." And, it has taken me a couple of days to get over an awful intestinal episode, no doubt induced off Victoria's waterfront where sewage is discharged raw -- a Victoria storm-paddler's worst nightmare. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** 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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