Re: [Paddlewise] I need some encouragement

> I am supposed to attend a sea kayak clinic this weekend on the Oregon coast
> and the weather is just horrible.  > ... I am still
> trying to psych myself up.  

   A couple of years ago the annual instructor training weekend which is 
hosted by the company I work for was held during a storm on Santa Cruz 
Island. It was basically three days of torrential downpour! This may be just 
hunky dory for you Pacific Nor' westerners, but it was a little rough for us 
Southern California beach kid types. Luckily everybody was pretty well 
prepared with the proper raingear.
   We were only able to get out on the water once during a brief break in the 
wind and the rain. The rest of the time we we're forced to huddle up in camp 
under a tarp. We were working on the scenario of what would we do if a 
paddler were seriously injured in the rocks and caves of one of our channel 
islands. Something that has yet to happen, and hopefully never will. But we 
try to be prepared just in case. The island rangers were recruited into our 
program and showed us where they keep their emergency equipment and worked 
with us on how to use it. At one point we donned our wet suits and took a 
couple of cervical collars and an evacuation sled down to the beach to 
practice using this equipment in the water.
   On the last morning I awoke early (as usual) and walked in the 
relentlessly pouring rain the quarter mile from the campground to the beach 
to check on the boats. While I was down there a flash flood washed through 
the normally dry creek bed that crosses the road, cutting me off from the 
campground, and cutting the rest of the campers off from the beach we were 
supposed to be picked up on a little later in the morning! As the rest of the 
campers awoke to their dilemma we formulated a plan. We tied a rope to each 
end of a kayak and pulled it back and forth across the river and in this 
fashion were able to eventually get everybody's equipment across to the 
beach, where I was. 
   We then tried the same technique to bring a person across, only to find it 
was too difficult for a person to stay in the boat with the force of the 
water hitting them broadside (several of the people we were trying to 
evacuate were not part of our group and had no paddling experience). So we 
opted to tie the rope off so the people would have something to hang onto 
while they waded across the four foot deep raging river. It was a bit of a 
fiasco, but everybody eventually made it across safe and sound, if just a 
little bit water logged.
   If I had realized ahead of time just how severe the storm was going to be 
that weekend I probably would have stayed home. That would have been my loss. 
The weekend was very educational and enlightening, and once we had all dried 
out, a whole lot of fun! You just can't buy that kind of experience. Go to 
your clinic and enjoy. It just may be one of those once in a life time 
experiences. What's the worst thing that can happen? You'll come away with a 
really great story to tell! 

Scott
So.Cal. 
   

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