Re: [Paddlewise] Into the Mukluks

>I browsed a couple of other digests. Most paddlers report no problems 
>swimming in bloated mukluks. So not sure if there is a final consensus on 
>this. Maybe Gordin could do an investigative expose'. :-)

I think I was just set up to relate another embarashing moment kayaking. 
This one happens to involve Mukluks and large surf.  About five years ago I 
was out to Port Renfrew on a surfing trip with a bunch of locals.  We'd been 
out playing in some good size surf.  At the time I was paddling a Pygmy 
Artic Tern. As time went on the surf began to really build until it's safe 
to say the height of the waves truly exceeded our level of expertise.

I'd just completed a great ride, made my turn and saw what looked like a 
wall of water coming at me.  I paddled as hard as I could and climbed that 
wall almost to the top.  Unfortunately as I climbed, the wall kept getting 
steeper, and my speed was bleeding off fast. I was one paddle stroke short 
of making it over the top.  My kayak started to surf - backwards.  I 
gingerly stuck one blade in for support and as reported by several eye 
witnesses surfed the wave for over 40 feet.

I cannot confirm the validity of their reports as I had my eyes shut for 
most of the ride which ended in a broach.  I instinctively threw in a high 
brace, just as the curl slammed into me.  The weight of the water imploded 
my spray deck and started to drag the kayak away from me.  That was one of 
the weaknesses of the Tern the cock pit was big enough to accommodate the 
very largest paddler.  Consequently the thigh support for bracing was not 
the best.

With the cockpit flooded and me being half out of the boat I decided to 
forego the skulling for support, rolled under pushed my but back into the 
cockpit and snap rolled back up.

Timing is everything.  Mine was bad.  I came right up into the next curl and 
was immediately slammed back over.  Again the boat started to get away.  I 
repeated the above exercise too many times to count.  It was taking me too 
long to re enter and roll up.  My friend Bill told me the sets were coming 
in about every seven seconds and if anything were getting bigger.  Finially 
I gave up trying to roll.  My vision had tunnelled down to about four feet. 
My awareness was so narrowly focused that the obvious was anything but.

So instead of swimming into shore I started to swim through the rip coming 
out of the San Juan river.  I was going no were and getting very tired. 
Those Mukluks weighed about 20 pound each and were cmpletely full of water. 
Finally Bill, reallizing I was no longer rational raced in snapped a tow 
line on and pulled me out.

Everyone wanted to know why I didn't just swim in after being knocked over. 
About a week later I was sane enough to understand, "oh yea, I could have 
let the boat go and swam in behind it."

However, and here's the point to this long winded account.  I never wear 
Mukluks in conditions or weather that is threatening, which is to say I no 
longer own a pair.  I've convinced myself it was the bad karma coming from 
those Chinese political prisoner made Mukluks that caused my distress.

Gordin
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