[Paddlewise] Again: Launching in dumping surf

Remember the discussion a month ago, about launching in dumping surf? On
Corsica I've been using a way that was not mentioned in that discussion,
as far as I remember.

During one of my daytrips I landed on a protected beach for a
lunchbreak. The waves on open water were about one meter high: The kind
of waves where you can still lay down on the rear deck to soak up the
sun and smoke a cigarette. On the rocks however, the waves were smashing
and thundering, sending spray meters high in the air. On the "protected"
beach where I landed, the surf was about a meter high, and dumping right
on the beach. Surfing in, avoiding some rocks and getting out as fast as
possible, was not really a problem, but during my lunch, watching the
waves, I got more and more worried about getting out. The normal way:
Getting in the boat on dry land, moving like a turtle into the waves and
getting smashed to pieces on the rocks did not seem like a good option.

In the end I waited for a lull in the waves, standing with my feet in
the surf, with the front toggle of my boat in one hand and the paddle in
the other. Just when the last wave of a set broke at my feet, I charged
forward for about 5 meters, where the water reached my thighs. I jumped
into the cockpit, with my feet still outside the boat and my sprayskirt
loose, and paddled the next 5 meters that got my out of the surf zone.
After that it was easy to get my feet in the cockpit and attach the
sprayskirt.

I realize this method will only work in relatively small surf, and only
when there is just one line of breakers right on the beach, but then it
really works excellent.

Niels.


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