[Paddlewise] Swimming Under the Golden Gate Bridge

GGSKS, Day 1
1/11/09

Someone once said, the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer I spent in
San Francisco. That was in the back of my mind when I first contemplated
going to Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium scheduled for this weekend. If the
summers are that cold, winter cant be too great! So I took stock of my
paddling accessories: meager wet gear, a rather hard to maneuver boat, I don
t own a paddle jacket. In the end I decided I just couldnt afford to go;
better to save the money to invest in my plan to buy a new boat that can
better handle the condition Id like to play in. But literally at the last
minute something came up to allow me to go for free if I wanted; darn right
I did. Duane was going to be assisting on some of the paddles and we had
been talking about the great weather expected for a winters day: water 52
degree, air temp pushing 60 with sunny skies predicted, minor winds. He
being what Id consider an advanced paddler and familiar with me and how I
handle colder water, I asked him if I was up to it and he said go for it!
(insert Jaws theme song here) Even so, I decided it would be prudent after
nine years of paddling to buy my first paddling jacket.

For the first two days, I signed up for tidal race classes. I really wanted
to do the advanced coastal paddle, but the class description said they might
be paddling twenty miles and I didnt want to push myself that hard. The
night before the paddle, I found out Duane was assisting on the advanced
paddle and 3 of my usual paddling partners were also going. Duane was
talking with Andy, the local water knowledge guy who was planning the trip
and it turns out they were only doing 10 miles and the conditions were
looking great, so I switched over to that trip lusting to see the SF coast.

The call was to be on the beach ready to paddle for the 8:30 safety
briefing. The beach was an organized madhouse of colorful Gortex. After Sean
Morley broke the champagne bottle on the First Annual GGSKS, we got to meet
our Trip Leader(TL) on the day. I think I should say trip leaders have
little means to assess the abilities of people theyre heading out to paddle
with and the same is true of paddlers assessing a trip leader. Having stars
after your name surely suggests abundant knowledge, but my first impression
of our TL was based on him stating he was unfamiliar with the local water,
adding nothing poignant to pre-paddle conversation and while we were ready
to paddle at 8:30, he didnt hit the water till 10.

The OC crew consisted of Duane, Bob, Dave and me and perhaps we were a
motley crew. Bob and Dave were in sandals as Bob cant fit shoes into his
skinny boat too well! I was in my thermal waterproof socks that I bought
when I first started kayaking and never wear, booties, a shorty farmer-john
and although I brought my wetsuit top, decided to just wear my new
blindingly yellow PJ. Finally we were off, greeted by the magnificent sight
of the Golden Gate bridge and the San Francisco cityscape. Thirteen kayaks
headed out, twelve of them sleek British inspired numbers and then SOMEONE
with a Wisconsin lake boat with a wind vane on the stern.

Dave and I buddied up as we headed for the bridge, although we seemed to be
stopping every few hundred yards for calls to group up. At last we cleared
the bridge and TL asked us to do a circular paddle just past the bridge to
warm us up and maybe get a look at the group. The Lollygagger took its
rightful orbit outside the British Stars. We continued on with TL calling
for a few more meet ups before we even hit Point Bonita; we seemed to be
doing more bobbing than paddling. Dave, Bob and I were all getting hot under
the clear sun and I looked forward to a cooling breeze once past the point.
At Point Bonita, it was about eleven and TL started listing the options we
had once we left the harbor. Stinson Beach was our target for the shuttle
ride home, but Rodeo Beach and Muir Beach were possible emergency landing
sites just in case and I think Bolinas was mentioned as an alternative
another mile up if Stinson looked to rough. We had about 7NM to get to
Stinson. From this point, I can only say I was flabbergasted as the TL
started listing all the calamities that could befall us. I listened as he
spoke of the possibility of strong winds, dumping shore breaks and 5 footers
hitting Stinson. He said if we couldnt land at Stinson, we might not make
it to Bolinas till 5!  As he started talking about his gut feeling telling
him the paddle was just too dangerous, my main thought was: how can you call
for an advanced paddle in the middle of winter in SF and not think these are
the absolute perfect conditions?

The group was mostly silenthow do you argue with a 5 Star gut feeling? TL
said the group was a Democracyas long as what he said goes, although he
claims that was a joke, but I didnt buy it. You dont out vote a *****TL,
he lays down the law and you just decide your opinion of his decision and
try to fathom how he ever came up with it! No one was sent outside the point
to actually address the conditions as they existed. When it appeared hed
pretty much made up his mind to cancel, he asked Andy the local waters
expert what he thought and he at least was able to say hed go on with the
trip as long as he felt comfortable with the people he was paddling with. So
the decision was to head back through the Golden Gate Bridge against the
heavy tide, rather then sit on a beach 3 hours waiting for the tide to
slack.

I have to say, I was steaming as we headed back to the bridge. I tried to
imagine how TL could come to this decision. The three miles wed already put
in were uneventful, but perhaps hed seen something I hadnt? Certainly
possible. Perhaps there was a weak paddler in the group I didnt notice, but
we had a safety boat available, why not have them haul away the weaker
paddler and let the group go on? We headed back and I tried not to let too
many expletives get above my breath. I figured if we werent going to paddle
the coast, at least Id get to try to reenter the Gate against the maximum
tide, the one thing Id heard several times earlier as the thing that would
commit the group to making the coastal paddle once theyd cleared the
bridge.

Now the night before, rightly or wrongly, I had deemed myself up for a SF
coastal paddle, but had someone asked me if Id like to join a class trying
to enter the Golden Gate at maximum ebb, I would have said Im not up for
that. I have never been in a real tidal race and our condition here in my
local waters are quite benign, hence the drive to SF. But I was excited to
try. TL went through first to scope it out and then came back on out and
Kim, a strong paddler, was the first of the mortals to go in. He seemed to
pick a good line, disappeared for a moment, but then popped out in the race.
We watched for a minute or two impressed with his ability to hold his
ground, but it was clear hed missed his chance. I dont know if anyone made
it through on their first try, but I know Duane and Bob took at least two
tries and Bob got to roll under the bridge for his efforts!

Dave got sent back on his first effort and I was ready to try my third.
Although I had no experience, I was able to make the first eddy each time
and at least try to figure out the next move. For my third time, I decide to
try to follow Duane as closely as I could to see how he handled it. It
probably wasnt the best thing to do for Duane, because as I made the first
eddy, he got sent back from the next race and we got a bit crowded in the
small eddy. Duane got the Point Bennett turned around easy enough, but now I
was turned around and wondering how to get back facing upstream without
getting sucked back out. TL yelled at me to stick my stern into the current
and his good advice had me ready for the next challenge.

Id garnered a bit of wisdom on my previous tries, so I waited for a bit of
swell to come into the harbor to help me past the water swirling over the
submerged rock in front of me. I timed it well and made it past the standing
wave and tried to hold my ground for one more swell to push me to safety. I
was so sure Id made it till that sucking rock sucked me back and I ended up
upside with the current pressing me between the rock and the cliff. Pushed
against the cliff, I really didnt know how to roll up, so I bailed and
found myself back in the eddy. I tried pushing my boat forward wondering if
I could pull it past the next snag, what else did I have to lose, but after
a little progress, me and my boat got to swima euphemism holding on to your
boat as the current floats you under the Golden Gate Bridge. I was POed to
be the only person to mess up, but not at all concerned with my swim. TL and
a couple others were still on the other side and had me back in the boat
toot sweet.

After my three tries and a swim, TL called for the skiff to come get me and
I wasnt going to argue. Dave decided to keep me company and ride back in
too and we both landed from cold water into hot water. We both got ourselves
and the boats in the skiff where we found Sean and another safety officer.
We headed back and Sean asked me why wed cancelled the trip and I told him
TL had been worried about wind and waves at Stinson. I asked him if he knew
what the conditions were like and he said absolutely perfect. What wasnt
so perfect in Seans mind was the way Dave and I were dressed! We were both
in shorties, but at least I had shoes on!!! He said we were totally
inappropriately dressed for a coastal paddle and shouldnt have been allowed
on the trip. I tried to explain that Dave and I both have problems with
overheating and handle cold water well. That didnt impress him, so I told
him Duane said I could!! That just afforded Duane a talking to later in the
day. So to add insult to injury, we rode back thinking we wouldnt be
allowed back on the water the rest of the weekend.

On the beach we had a debriefing with Sean present. TL talked about his
worry that the conditions were bad, but some said there should have been a
way to find out. The decision to head in against the max ebb was talked
about a bit and then TL brought up the question of who exactly is an
advanced paddler. Perhaps, he said, some people who convince themselves
theyre ready for and advanced paddle really arent! Gee, hard to argue
against that! My question would be how did you determine who wasnt capable
on a three mile paddle through benign conditions at a pace that barely out
paced the tide? Would a good way of determining the ability of a paddler to
handle coastal conditions on a perfect day be the ability to make it through
the Golden Gate Bridge at maximum ebb?? In that case there was only one
failure, but that was after the decision was made. I can only wonder if the
bias for all boats British might taint some peoples views of a paddlers
qualifications to paddle the coast, but I fully admit, Im thin skinned. I
hope John Winters isnt. In a smaller group later, I got into more of a
conversation with TL and asked him if he felt someone was not up to the
paddle, would he let the person know now so he wouldnt make that mistake
again? I got no answer.

There are a bunch of answers Im never going to get. I dont have any reason
to think I was the cause of canceling the trip other than the concerns I had
myself before I left and my own anxieties. I know my boat wouldnt be the
choice for most people to play with in a tidal race, but I certainly think
its capable of a coastal paddle. I know a lot of people are going to agree
I was underdressed, but thats my personal risk assessment and if you as TL
dont like it leave me on the beach. Why this paddle was cancelled is
unfathomable by me and I dont know if Ill ever have such an opportunity to
paddle the SF coast again, but at least no one can take away my Golden Gate
swim! Dave and I were left to wonder whether we should bother to show up the
next day, seeing as we were wearing everything we had and both of us had
checked with people connected with the symposium to see if we were OK. I was
left with my confidence shot and only the generosity of the person who gave
me the trip kept me from going home. I agree, when a TL decides a paddle is
a no go, you have no choice but to pi$$ and moan and here you have mine. And
I have no problem with Sean Morely demanding the type of attire he feels
appropriate for his symposium. If I disagree, I can find somewhere else to
paddle. Perhaps we mere mortals shouldnt question the opinions of kayaking
legends, but if thats the case, we should all be paddling Toksooks.

Mark Sanders (Paddle jacket heading to the closet till my arctic excursion)

www.sandmarks.net <http://www.sandmarks.net/>

#
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