Re: [Paddlewise] Your rolling stories

   OK, here is my second rolling story - I'll call it, "combat rolling 101."

   Several years ago I did a camping trip with my family to Jalama State 
beach here in sunny Southern California. I had never been there before 
and didn't really know what to expect, but just in case I brought my 
brand new Perception Sabre along (that should be a clue as to just how 
many years ago this took place). When we arrived I was amazed by the 
surf that was going off there. It was ten to twelve foot faces coming in 
at about six second intervals stacked one on top of another without any 
lulls whatsoever - awesome! Unfortunately I could see right off that 
these waves were beyond what me and my new kayak could handle so I was 
forced to remain on the beach watching the handful of board surfers 
attempting to ride them.
   As I sat on the beach watching the surf I would imagine myself on 
each wave and try to figure out just what I might be able to do on it if 
I were actually out there. Before long I managed to convince myself that 
it just might actually be doable. It was a really steep and fast wave 
that would require a quick ride - maybe two quick drops down the face at 
the most before I would need to get off of it. The longer I watched the 
more convinced I became that I could handle it. Finally I decided I was 
going in.
   The huge break was very localized, so by launching a little further 
down the beach I was able to avoid going out through the worst of it. 
Once out I paddled around to where the biggest waves were, and I 
immediately found myself in the perfect takeoff position of a large 
building wave. Almost by instinct rather then rational thought I began 
paddling down it, and in the next instant I was literally flying! I did 
a quick drop down the face with a slow bottom turn, back up the face 
again for another quick drop at speeds I had never imagined possible in 
a kayak. One more bottom turn and then back up to the top of the face 
again - and that's when I made my big mistake. Lured by the sheer 
exhilaration of the ride I got greedy and went for one more drop down 
it's face. No sooner had I began then I realized I had screwed up! I 
attempted to pull in the reins and climb back over the wave, but I could 
see the top of the wave was beginning to curl over. The only other 
option was to try to race out in front of the wave to avoid the "green 
guillotine" that was lingering overhead. But by this time the wave was 
so steep that when I tried to point the boat down wave it threatened to 
bury it's bow! I had no choice but to let the boat climb back up the 
wave until I literally dropped off the lip in a mid air free fall.
   The bone jarring landing was not nearly as bad as the ton of bricks 
that hit me next, and the ensuing magtag. After being seriously thrashed 
I managed to get my bearings and rolled up - right into the face of the 
next breaking wave! I was beaten up a second time, after which I rolled 
back up again into yet another breaking wave. On my third attempt to 
roll I discovered that the end of the paddle I was trying to roll up on 
was gone! So I switched to the other side of the boat and rolled up 
using the half of paddle I had left - into another breaking wave. "Screw 
this," I declared to myself and I dropped my paddle, pulled my skirt and 
did a wet exit.
   Once out of the boat I discovered that I was only in waist deep water 
which allowed me to run up the beach to avoid  getting mugged by any 
more waves. I found my boat waiting for me on the sand, and I never did 
find any of the pieces of my paddle.

Scott
So.Cal.
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