Thought I'd write to brag about my first kayak rescue. A friend and I launched from Balboa Island, Newport, in my Old Town Loon 160T. Thought we'd go check out the swells that came in with the storm a couple days ago. Swells were in the 7 to 8 foot range so we didn't plan to make much of trip. While we were bobbing away around the mouth of the harbor, two college girls came out on a Cobra double SOT and said hi and wasn't it a nice day to kayak. We said hi back, but with the wind at 15 to 20mph, I'm not sure I agreed. They turned back into the harbor and we continued to float around in the swells. Soon we headed back into the harbor and as we were coming by Pirates Cove we saw the couple paddling away in the middle of the harbor. I dropped my friend off on the beach and we watched them to try to determine if they were just playing around or if they were in trouble. It quickly became clear they were in trouble; they looked like they were on a tread mill and starting to go backwards. They were right in the middle of the channel where the wind and the outgoing tide was the strongest. I decided to paddle out alone to ask if they needed help and they were glad to see me. I told them they'd be in better shape if they moved over next to the jetty where the wind would be blocked and the current wouldn't be so strong, so I paddled beside them trying to block some of the wind that was making it almost impossible for them to turn their boat. We got next to the jetty and the wind was a lot calmer, but I could tell they still really weren't up to the challenge of paddling all the way back to the rental place. I suggested that the best thing for them would be to come over to the cove and I'd call the harbor patrol on my cell phone. I didn't have a tow rope to help them, so it was the same thing of just trying to block the wind, give them some moral support and give their bow a push occassionally to keep it in the right direction. I got them to the cove and called for help and we found out they were both students from the Univ. of Kentucky and were out here for a visit. They had definately reached their kayaking limit. The HP came out to do what I'm sure they love to do best, return rental kayakers to their starting point. Yes, I realize this probably isn't the most exciting rescue you've read about here, but it was my first, so that makes it special. I did learn a couple things. I've been puting together a towing system for my new boat, but didn't think I'd ever be using it in this boat, as it much more likely to be needing rescue than providing it. Now I know to take it with me all the time. And next, these poor girls never signaled to us or any of the other passing boats that they were in trouble. I wasn't sure they were, but thought I'd go check to make sure. And then they still were reluctant to ask for help. I think some times people should use their better judgement to try to convince people when they're over their heads. I like to think if I hadn't gone out to help, they'd probably be to Catalina by now *************************************************************************** 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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