Kayakers, I just wanted to say I was having a great time on the rock garden race dry run, of course, until Dave's injury. Steve Brown and his buddies did a great job planning and mapping out the race on his website: http://www.brown-web.net/kayak/Future-Trips/RockRace/RockRace.htm. The rock garden obstacles were a lot of fun and totally reasonable. With the conditions we had yesterday, some bracing and timing was all that was necessary to negotiate the obstacles. Nothing seemed unreasonably dangerous. The danger level was well low enough that I was having fun. I did see the immediate aftermath of Dublin Dave's accident. I was in the big pool and trying to work my way out, when a big wave washed me back in. As I was getting washed back in, I heard a loud noise over to my left and looked in that direction. I saw Dublin Dave hung up on the rock at entrance #2, which I had came in through with some scrapes on the hull. Dublin Dave's boat was dry (hung up on the rock) by about 3 feet. He was still in the boat, and I was surprised when I noticed that his helmet was gone and his paddle was broken. That was the first time I even saw a heavy duty Nigel Foster paddle broken. Dublin Dave then tipped over away from rock and exited the kayak as the next wave washed up. As he swam in the water towards shore, I saw the cut on his head. Floating in the water were his swamped boat, one of his shoes, and 2 broken pieces of a carbon fiber paddle. A couple of other people, I think maybe George and Steve B., helped or made sure Dublin Dave got to shore safely, and Jack, Steve W., and I got his kayak up on shore, which wasn't easy in the turbulence of the Big Pool. Dublin Dave kept up a good attitude, and Steve Brown did a great job of getting him the first aid he needed and organizing his return to the cars so we could get him to a clinic. Because Dublin Dave and I carpooled, as well as him being my best paddle buddy, I took him to a clinic and waited as he got the stitches. I think Dublin Dave's accident was just one of those things that occasionally happens. He was very well skilled and experienced enough for the conditions and rock gardens that we had. He just got caught in the wrong place and position at the wrong moment. It could've happened to any of us. I look forward to more rock gardening in the future. Duane Strosaker www.rollordrown.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Brown" <steve_at_brown-web.net> To:"SoCalKayaking" <SoCalKayaking_at_yahoogroups.com>; Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 6:58 AM Subject: [SoCalKayaking] Trip report 02/21/04 - 20 Stiches, but all is well > Follow the link: > http://www.brown-web.net/kayak/trip-report/last-trip.htm > > Steve Brown > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoCalKayaking/ *************************************************************************** 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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