A thousand pardons to the list if this is a redundant post! http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/301059986/rescued-kayaker-writes-what-he-did-wrong-in-brush-with-death Jim Tynan Pike Road, AL *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Excellent Accident report by Dale (kayaker in incident) in an associated article: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/110109990/0/NEWS/in-d ale-moses-own-words-i-was-rescued-and-can-tell-the-tale > Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 07:35:09 -0800 > From: kayakbound_at_yahoo.com > > A thousand pardons to the list if this is a redundant post! > > http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/301059986/rescued-kay aker-writes-what-he-did-wrong-in-brush-with-death *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
The narrative certainly conveys a sense of developing urgency as circumstances compound the paddlers many mistakes. I suppose its easy to sit back on a warm couch and toss out what we generally call constructive criticism, though most of that has already been made evidentiary in the account. In the case of a paddler who had bared all in the media in an attempt to educate others, it might better serve safety and general discussion purposes by pointing out some of the objective truths (at least the ones I see) rather than detailing the obvious points through the story: 1. Paddlers too easily dismiss real dangers with the notion that staying close to shore provides a significant safety margin. This is not always true. 2. The process of gaining proficiency to successfully deal with an incident on the water begins with understanding that your boat, body, and everything on it or in it is part of a system that must all function together with a degree of harmony and aquatinted familiarity/accessibility. 3. Every paddler, man or women, when faced with imminent demise - especially in the context of accelerating coldness - must make a few moments available to mentally wrestle with all their options. Many give up too easily. 4. One kayakers hell is another kayakers heaven. How many paddlers go out and seek standing waves for an afternoon of fun and frolic? Make the ocean your playground. Or at least gain some proficiency in negotiating marine hazards and hydraulics. 5. Talk is cheap, yeah. Gear plentiful. And paddling into danger well, so easy even in local waters. Upgrade your skills. Take a course. Maintain your gear. Take waterproof communication. Always. 6. A water-savvy mariner still needs to individuate their sea kayaking pursuit to the scale of an especially susceptible small vessel and continually fight against an easy casualness that contrives to forget those inherent dangers. Doug > Excellent Accident report by Dale (kayaker in incident) in an > associatedarticle: > http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/110109990/0/NEWS/in-d > ale-moses-own-words-i-was-rescued-and-can-tell-the-tale > > > Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 07:35:09 -0800 > > From: kayakbound_at_yahoo.com > > > > A thousand pardons to the list if this is a redundant post! *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
As Doug Lloyd indicates, it's probably impolite of me to sit here snug and warm on my sofa in my Spongebob jammies and second-guess another paddler's close call. Like Doug, however, that's not going to stop me. <grin> I found this an interesting story partly because it takes place off the very beaches where the old West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium was held every September until 2010 (when it was canceled). The Marine Science Resource Pier that he mentions in his report is where the rolling contests/exhibitions were held. The geographical layout of the Fort Warden beach that gave the Seminar a long sandy beach and waters relatively safe for beginners to test kayaks was a major factor that led Mr. Moses into harm's way. The currents, both ebb and flood, tend to be very weak along the center section of this beach; however, the closer one gets to Point Wilson (which lays at the northern end of the beach) the more the ebb (especially the ebb) will be noticed. This corresponds well to his narrative where he says that he did not notice the ebb carrying him faster towards the point until he was well down the beach past the Resource pier. He was pretty well equipped as far as gear goes; not that he used any of it. He was so focused on solving the immediate problem that he never even gave using the cell phone to call for help a thought. This is the sort of thing I can see me doing, too. Probably lots of us. Luckily enough there was a birdwatcher ashore who had enough paddling experience to realize when someone was in trouble. Many paddlers tend to be, like me, results oriented and it's easy to forget to look for other problems while trying to solve one that you have beamed in on. Airliners have been lost when an entire cockpit crew has turned its focus on what turned out to be just a symptom of the real problem. It seems to me an early clue to his growing problem might have been when he noticed that his kayak was weather cocking in less than 10 kts of wind as he paddled east in the lee of the city beaches of Port Townsend soon after launching ("I had minimal wind and waves although I did a have bit of wind-cocking to the north as I paddled along) . That should have been a clue that his kayak was not loaded very well and that he might be in trouble if he were presented with higher winds and seas and a requirement to turn away from the wind. He doesn't appear to have noticed this. Certainly his intended course would have been in an area of more wind and waves as he left the lee of the land. In his list of things he did wrong he does mention that he should have been more aware of the ebb current. Indeed, since the tidal range that day was almost 10 feet and he was starting his trip well into the ebb and planning to navigate a point that jutted out to the east into the tidal stream evacuating water from almost all of Puget Sound to the south meets the tidal stream evacuating all of Puget Sound to the north. There are no safe eddies along an upstream beach jutting into a current. The eddies would all be on the *other* (lee) side of the point. This is something every white water kayaker learns the first day on a river and it's worth remembering. As Doug Lloyd points out, being close to shore is no guarantee of safety; it all depends on how that shore lays to the current. I'm not sure why he didn't simply paddle 45-degrees towards shore when he noticed he was in trouble... or backpaddled to shore if the weather-cocking tendency of his kayak precluded a quick turn. He does mention something about passing rocks on the shoreline and a quick look at Google Earth makes me think that by then he was well out of the Fort Worden "bay" and almost completely around Point Wilson. All of the shoreline inside the bay is sand and sand berms covered with grass. This story convinces me even more that the layers of complexity in sea kayaking are often underrated by paddlers. We have a tendency to look at the immediate conditions and think that they'll remain that way for the duration of our paddle. Unlike so many other sports, in kayaking things can get out of hand very quickly. Mr. Moses is certainly to be commended for his forthrightness in talking about the incident. A lot of us would be too embarrassed to admit all the mistakes. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net On Wed, Jan 5, 2011 at 10:13 AM, Michael Stoccardo <mstoccardo_at_hotmail.com>wrote: > Excellent Accident report by Dale (kayaker in incident) in an associated > article: > > http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/110109990/0/NEWS/in-d > ale-moses-own-words-i-was-rescued-and-can-tell-the-tale<http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/110109990/0/NEWS/in-d%0Aale-moses-own-words-i-was-rescued-and-can-tell-the-tale> > > > Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 07:35:09 -0800 > > From: kayakbound_at_yahoo.com > > > > A thousand pardons to the list if this is a redundant post! *************************************************************************** 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. 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On 1/8/2011 11:37 AM, Craig Jungers wrote: > Mr. Moses is certainly to be commended for his forthrightness in talking > about the incident. A lot of us would be too embarrassed to admit all the > mistakes. My reaction, precisely. The farther I got into his account, the more I wondered how much he had actually been _watching_ and _thinking_ about his paddling environment those many trips he had done before. Never should have been there ... words I have found myself echoing _every_ time I have gotten into trouble. One hopes humility arrives before hubris takes one down the last path. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Usually that sort of honesty is left to guys like Matt Broze and George Gronseth when they write it up in an article for Sea Kayaker Magazine. He's eliminating the middleman. :) Craig On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 3:09 PM, Dave Kruger <kdruger_at_pacifier.com> wrote: > On 1/8/2011 11:37 AM, Craig Jungers wrote: > >> Mr. Moses is certainly to be commended for his forthrightness in talking >> about the incident. A lot of us would be too embarrassed to admit all the >> mistakes. >> > My reaction, precisely. The farther I got into his account, the more I > wondered how much he had actually been _watching_ and _thinking_ about his > paddling environment those many trips he had done before. Never should have > been there ... words I have found myself echoing _every_ time I have gotten > into trouble. > > One hopes humility arrives before hubris takes one down the last path. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I find it interesting that the principal actor in this scene was paddling alone. While there may not necessarily be safety in numbers, it probably doesn't hurt. How many of us have paddled solo in places where we did not belong? Probably almost all of us. B.R.Crain Quoting Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>: > As Doug Lloyd indicates, it's probably impolite of me to sit here snug and > warm on my sofa in my Spongebob jammies and second-guess another paddler's > close call. Like Doug, however, that's not going to stop me. <grin> > > I found this an interesting story partly because it takes place off the very > beaches where the old West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium was held every > September until 2010 (when it was canceled). The Marine Science Resource > Pier that he mentions in his report is where the rolling > contests/exhibitions were held. The geographical layout of the Fort Warden > beach that gave the Seminar a long sandy beach and waters relatively safe > for beginners to test kayaks was a major factor that led Mr. Moses into > harm's way. The currents, both ebb and flood, tend to be very weak along the > center section of this beach; however, the closer one gets to Point Wilson > (which lays at the northern end of the beach) the more the ebb (especially > the ebb) will be noticed. This corresponds well to his narrative where he > says that he did not notice the ebb carrying him faster towards the point > until he was well down the beach past the Resource pier. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 8:42 PM, Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu> wrote: > > > I find it interesting that the principal actor in this scene was > paddling alone. While there may not necessarily be safety in numbers, > it probably doesn't hurt. How many of us have paddled solo in places > where we did not belong? Probably almost all of us. > > An exchange of emails with Chris Cunningham of Sea Kayaker Magazine has made me mindful of the dangers of kayaking solo this evening. Since I have a tendency towards curmudgeonry I often paddle solo and I have to be careful not to fall into the trap of complacency: "I paddled here last week and it was fine... so it will be fine this week too." I live in a town that is isolated from clubs and groups by a couple of hundred miles and have the sort of job that doesn't let me plan ahead much. But it seems to me that people with good sized groups to paddle with are both safer and more skilled than those of us who paddle mostly alone. Heck... I don't even have access to a heated pool for winter practice. But paddlers in Vancouver, BC, Victoria, BC, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco's Bay Area, and Southern California (just to name a few that I'm familiar with) have a great advantage in being able to join friends for a paddle and have friendly competitions for skills. Impromptu rolling sessions, sudden friendly races to the next buoy, someone to check your equipment (is my PFD strap twisted?) or to offer you a new or different piece of equipment to try just to see how you like it. All these are invaluable and largely absent for the solo paddler. The camaraderie is important all by itself but more than that the mixed skill-sets of a group of paddlers is a wonderful way to ensure that complacency is less likely to occur. Had Mr. Moses been paddling with someone of more experience it's likely that they would have noticed the tidal rips ahead long before they ran into the sort of trouble that ensued for Mr. Moses. So it seems to me - a person who is pretty much a non-joiner - that the advantages of a group are not to be underestimated. If you can join CSK or BASK or CASKA or any of the other wonderful groups of paddlers offering safety and skill programs, by all means do so. It doesn't mean you can't solo but it can mean that your ability to judge conditions and your skills will be greatly enhanced. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On 1/11/2011 9:07 PM, Craig Jungers wrote: > I live in a town that is isolated from clubs and groups by a couple > ofhundred miles and have the sort of job that doesn't let me plan ahead > much.But it seems to me that people with good sized groups to paddle with > are both safer and more skilled than those of us who paddle mostly alone. > Heck... I don't even have access to a heated pool for winter practice. But > paddlers in Vancouver, BC, [etc.] have a great advantage in being able to join friends for a paddle and have friendly competitions for skills. Impromptu rolling sessions, sudden friendly races to the next buoy, someone to check your equipment (is my PFD strap twisted?) or to offer you a new or different piece of equipment to try just to see how you like it. All these are invaluable and largely absent for the solo paddler. > > The camaraderie is important all by itself but more than that the mixed > skill-sets of a group of paddlers is a wonderful way to ensure that > complacency is less likely to occur. Had Mr. Moses been paddling with > someone of more experience it's likely that they would have noticed the > tidal rips ahead long before they ran into the sort of trouble that ensued > for Mr. Moses. There is much of this I agree with, Craig. And, no question that companions are good to have for safety concerns, as well as filching their cookies and stealing their women. [G] Yet, as another often-solo paddler, I know that I am more mindful of my surroundings, more alert, more attuned to my own limits, when I can only depend on myself. I think I am a bit more reckless when someone else is along of similar (or better) skills and experience. Not to say I have completely avoided trouble when alone, but my focus is so much more intense I think I'm a better paddler and more cautious alone. Reflecting on times when I was in over my head, and could have lost my life, every incident was with one other paddler ... in fact close counterparts of similar curmudgeonliness. Reminds me, when are you coming back to my part of the world? When it warms up to Moses Lake spring temps here (about June, I think) I'll show you where the swans winter on Karlson Island, or maybe the secret lagoon over near Miller Sands which shelters acres of goslings. They would be good for a flatlander from the channeled scablands to know. Click on the chart image here, Craig: http://www.pbase.com/bartenderdave/mlrsnds There be mysteries outside, Jack. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 12:58 AM, Dave Kruger <kdruger_at_pacifier.com> wrote: > There is much of this I agree with, Craig. And, no question that > companions are good to have for safety concerns, as well as filching their > cookies and stealing their women. [G] > > Yet, as another often-solo paddler, I know that I am more mindful of my > surroundings, more alert, more attuned to my own limits, when I can only > depend on myself. I think I am a bit more reckless when someone else is > along of similar (or better) skills and experience. Not to say I have > completely avoided trouble when alone, but my focus is so much more intense > I think I'm a better paddler and more cautious alone. Reflecting on times > when I was in over my head, and could have lost my life, every incident was > with one other paddler ... in fact close counterparts of similar > curmudgeonliness. > The luxury of having a good club doesn't preclude solo paddling. I was thinking more specifically of Mark Sanders who was a complete newbie just a few years ago but who advanced rapidly in the company of other paddlers. He writes often about how they stop for impromptu rolling sessions and they always have company for seminars (and the incentive to travel to them). Plus the apre-paddle sessions around a convivial table. You can't buy this sort of training! > > Reminds me, when are you coming back to my part of the world? When it > warms up to Moses Lake spring temps here (about June, I think) I'll show you > where the swans winter on Karlson Island, or maybe the secret lagoon over > near Miller Sands which shelters acres of goslings. They would be good for > a flatlander from the channeled scablands to know. Click on the chart image > here, Craig: http://www.pbase.com/bartenderdave/mlrsnds There be > mysteries outside, Jack. > I will be back there for sure this summer for the Kite Festival which involves much shopping by all the female family members and either bicycling or kayaking for the guys. Last year we biked the beaches because Great Grandpa (it turns out that there *is* someone older than me, after all) needed encouragement to get out on his bike more often than once or twice a year. Next year will be a paddling year for sure as I'm interested in getting out and exploring some more over there. I'll take a mtb along too, of course. I am now a multi-sport activist. :P You might consider coming this way, too. Bring a bike. I know lots of great trails which do not involve much climbing. It's good cross-training. You have, by the way, a pretty decent bike shop there in Astoria. Sue and Kristy bought their mtn bikes there in the last century. Craig *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Well, I've been paddling for 11 years, but Craig is right and I thank him for his kind words. Although I certainly enjoyed paddling the coast solo for about the first 5 years, it wasn't till I joined CKF that I really learned what could be done in a kayak and was pushed to greater things! I'm really amazed at the quality of instruction and inspiration I've been exposed to over the last 6 years or so! I've taken classes from the giants of the sport and have begun to feel they're not all that far out of my league, but have had the great luck to have spent most of their life in the sport! Certainly, the mild sea conditions of my home waters make them a lot less challenging than what the elite paddlers experience, but at least we try to push them as far as we can. I've taken classes with Jen Kleck, Nigel Foster, Sean Morley; I've landed on a beach just ahead of the Tsunami Rangers; I've wandered on a beach chatting and shooting photos with Micheal Powers, I've been washed under the Golden Gate Bridge; I've had photos and videos enjoyed by thousands across the world; I've housed two Paddlewisers, Craig and Jacqui Stone and paddled with two more from distant places, Jim T. and Richard C.; I've paddled alongside the largest animals to ever inhabit the earth and I'm not sure any of it compares with the good times I've spent with friends I would never have had had I not joined a club to expose me to something beyond my own world. It seems these last 5 or so years have been a lifetime until I look back and see what a short time it has been. I think of regrets as the wake behind my kayak, but when I'm feeling selfish, I only wish I could have started in my twenties and been a part of the sport as it really blossomed. I consider myself blessed for my time on the water. With the addition of so many new kayak acquaintances, it is inevitable that with all the joy must come some sorrow. Our club, California Kayak Friends just lost our President, Steve Holtzman to cancer. Steve had posted here to Paddlewise over the years and all that know him feel his loss. He brought to every paddle a boundless sense of energy and enthusiasm. He touched so many people that he paddled with and gave often of himself to the sport and will be truly missed. Mark Sanders On 1/12/2011 8:51 AM, Craig Jungers wrote: > The luxury of having a good club doesn't preclude solo paddling. I was > thinking more specifically of Mark Sanders who was a complete newbie just a > few years ago but who advanced rapidly in the company of other paddlers. He > writes often about how they stop for impromptu rolling sessions and they > always have company for seminars (and the incentive to travel to them). Plus > the apre-paddle sessions around a convivial table. You can't buy this sort > of training! *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 9:35 PM, Mark Sanders <marksanders_at_sandmarks.net>wrote: > > > With the addition of so many new kayak acquaintances, it is inevitable that > with all the joy must come some sorrow. Our club, California Kayak Friends > just lost our President, Steve Holtzman to cancer. Steve had posted here to > Paddlewise over the years and all that know him feel his loss. He brought to > every paddle a boundless sense of energy and enthusiasm. He touched so many > people that he paddled with and gave often of himself to the sport and will > be truly missed. > > > This news saddened me greatly. We're going to miss his posts here on Paddlewise and I feel the loss personally that I won't be able to paddle with him when I visit the CKF gang again. We're all mortal and no one gets out of this alive but it's sad to lose someone too soon. My condolences to his family and friends. I know you will miss him. Craig *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Our tenure here is short. Steve made the most of it. His passing is both sad and a celebration of a life now gone but a life more lived than some. Kayaking unites us all, a shared dreamtime close to the surface of the water, the song of the surf, the melodies of the sea, the splash and mist of rainbow-blows from whales in the evening sun, the dip of the paddle measuring the cadence of that tenure. Goodbye to our friend. Doug Snip "With the addition of so many new kayak acquaintances, it is inevitable that with all the joy must come some sorrow. Our club, California Kayak Friends just lost our President, Steve Holtzman to cancer. Steve had posted here to Paddlewise over the years and all that know him feel his loss. He brought to every paddle a boundless sense of energy and enthusiasm. He touched so many people that he paddled with and gave often of himself to the sport and will be truly missed." Mark Sanders *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Craig, I don't know the area that well but enough to know any point of land jutting into current means trouble, often more so on the ebb on these inland waterway locations and shorelines. I didn't rightly understand the difficulty manoeuvring away from trouble for someone claiming experience on that particular stretch of coastline and general good paddling skills. I didn't understand how anyone could classify a rocky coast section of that location as too rocky for a landing. Not there. There was a lot I did not understand in the narrative. I didn't understand your point about the weathercocking. Maybe I'm slow. I do understand that there are a lot of paddlers out there who, like this gentleman, need to up their game. There's nothing wrong with solo paddling but the activity of paddling without the benefit of companions or a committed partner preclude inattention to gear maintenance and demand more attention be paid at all levels. At the end of the day, paddlers do end up in the water every once and awhile. An experienced paddler and a savvy solo paddler, in both cases, should be at home both in the water and getting back in. A good roll is fine too, how often we hear that - especially from the whitewater crowd; but in my opinion, there should be a level of comfort and functional re-entry adroitness in cold water. Easy to say in my warm living room, I know. Doug . As Doug Lloyd indicates, it's probably impolite of me to sit here snug and warm on my sofa in my Spongebob jammies and second-guess another paddler's close call. Like Doug, however, that's not going to stop me. <grin> I found this an interesting story partly because it takes place off the very beaches where the old West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium was held every September until 2010 (when it was canceled). The Marine Science Resource Pier that he mentions in his report is where the rolling contests/exhibitions were held. The geographical layout of the Fort Warden beach that gave the Seminar a long sandy beach and waters relatively safe for beginners to test kayaks was a major factor that led Mr. Moses into harm's way. The currents, both ebb and flood, tend to be very weak along the center section of this beach; however, the closer one gets to Point Wilson (which lays at the northern end of the beach) the more the ebb (especially the ebb) will be noticed. This corresponds well to his narrative where he says that he did not notice the ebb carrying him faster towards the point until he was well down the beach past the Resource pier. He was pretty well equipped as far as gear goes; not that he used any of it. He was so focused on solving the immediate problem that he never even gave using the cell phone to call for help a thought. This is the sort of thing I can see me doing, too. Probably lots of us. Luckily enough there was a birdwatcher ashore who had enough paddling experience to realize when someone was in trouble. Many paddlers tend to be, like me, results oriented and it's easy to forget to look for other problems while trying to solve one that you have beamed in on. Airliners have been lost when an entire cockpit crew has turned its focus on what turned out to be just a symptom of the real problem. It seems to me an early clue to his growing problem might have been when he noticed that his kayak was weather cocking in less than 10 kts of wind as he paddled east in the lee of the city beaches of Port Townsend soon after launching ("I had minimal wind and waves although I did a have bit of wind-cocking to the north as I paddled along) . That should have been a clue that his kayak was not loaded very well and that he might be in trouble if he were presented with higher winds and seas and a requirement to turn away from the wind. He doesn't appear to have noticed this. Certainly his intended course would have been in an area of more wind and waves as he left the lee of the land. In his list of things he did wrong he does mention that he should have been more aware of the ebb current. Indeed, since the tidal range that day was almost 10 feet and he was starting his trip well into the ebb and planning to navigate a point that jutted out to the east into the tidal stream evacuating water from almost all of Puget Sound to the south meets the tidal stream evacuating all of Puget Sound to the north. There are no safe eddies along an upstream beach jutting into a current. The eddies would all be on the *other* (lee) side of the point. This is something every white water kayaker learns the first day on a river and it's worth remembering. As Doug Lloyd points out, being close to shore is no guarantee of safety; it all depends on how that shore lays to the current. I'm not sure why he didn't simply paddle 45-degrees towards shore when he noticed he was in trouble... or backpaddled to shore if the weather-cocking tendency of his kayak precluded a quick turn. He does mention something about passing rocks on the shoreline and a quick look at Google Earth makes me think that by then he was well out of the Fort Worden "bay" and almost completely around Point Wilson. All of the shoreline inside the bay is sand and sand berms covered with grass. This story convinces me even more that the layers of complexity in sea kayaking are often underrated by paddlers. We have a tendency to look at the immediate conditions and think that they'll remain that way for the duration of our paddle. Unlike so many other sports, in kayaking things can get out of hand very quickly. Mr. Moses is certainly to be commended for his forthrightness in talking about the incident. A lot of us would be too embarrassed to admit all the mistakes. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net . *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 11:07 PM, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote: > > I don't know the area that well but enough to know any point of land > jutting > into current means trouble, often more so on the ebb on these inland > waterway locations and shorelines. Bingo! Starting out on a paddle when the water is high indicates high tide which is, inevitably, followed by the water going out somewhere. Find a piece of land that juts out into this and you have found a place that is almost guaranteed to present you with challenges. Especially when the high tide is over 9 feet and the low tide is a minus. > I didn't rightly understand the > difficulty manoeuvring away from trouble for someone claiming experience on > that particular stretch of coastline and general good paddling skills. I > didn't understand how anyone could classify a rocky coast section of that > location as too rocky for a landing. Not there. There was a lot I did not > understand in the narrative. I've paddled around that point a few times and I remember it being virtually all sandy beach with grassy dunes. A glance at Google Earth confirms that the only rocks I could find were in the vicinity of the lighthouse which look like rip-rap placed to make sure the sand the lighthouse sits upon might last more than a few months. There might be no landing there but there should have been lots of places to land earlier. I did get the impression that turning around was difficult. Matt says that he was not using his rudder but I am still confused about why he didn't reverse course when he noticed that he was headed towards a nasty rip. Or just paddle backwards to the beach. (I had to do that once when I got into a kayak for a test ride and discovered that it would not turn around... talk about directional stability). > I didn't understand your point about the > weathercocking. Maybe I'm slow. > My remarks about weather-cocking came from an impression that he took a long time turning around and were directed at the possibility that all the gear was in the forward hatch. He mentions that he noticed that the boat is weather cocking in an area where he'd be protected from the northerly. If his boat is weather cocking in almost zero wind and he's planning to paddle to a place where there is almost certainly going to be a lot more wind (wind contrary to the current) then that might be a clue to future problems. However, as Matt indicated, I haven't paddled in a boat that weather cocked (without being able to slide the seat forward or backwards to correct it) in a long, long time. At any rate, I was wondering why a reversing of course wasn't apparently possible before he got into the tidal rips. > > I do understand that there are a lot of paddlers out there who, like this > gentleman, need to up their game. There's nothing wrong with solo paddling > but the activity of paddling without the benefit of companions or a > committed partner preclude inattention to gear maintenance and demand more > attention be paid at all levels. > Airplane accident statistics suggest that there is a level of experience where pilots are more at risk than even when they are complete novices. Somewhere around 100 hours of flying time there seems to be a period where they become more complacent with their skills. It would not surprise me at all to learn that there is a similar problem with kayak paddlers. A point at which the paddler believes he/she has encountered enough problems to be comfortable surmounting almost anything.. This is where I think having a good kayak club or group can be valuable. Guys like Mark and Duane and their CKF pals always seem to be challenging each other in playful ways which are entertaining but which also strengthen their skills. And of course Pam's cogent remarks about going out while dressed in a drysuit that you know leaks stand on their own merit. Craig *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Craig, As we all know, there's a lot that comes into play for the active sea kayaker. I know a few beginners who I feel are at risk given their lack of knowledge regarding tides, currents, etc. They don't have great equipment either (like proper flotation, etc.). That's a concern. At least if they have one of those aspects dialled in, I'd be less worried. Then there's the intermediate paddlers I know. The ones who combine good judgement with good equipment and have taken the time to educate themselves and seek knowledgeable companions - they are pretty safe off, even safer than more experienced paddlers perhaps if the type less prone to seeking solo "adventures". SK Mag has had a number of stories recently, including the last issue, detailing highly experienced paddlers getting into deep trouble. Yeah, some of your comments are cogent Craig on this aspect as I've read what you write closely over the years, here and elsewhere - including your analogies with professional mariners and flying. It does seem there's a familiarity that negates safety. It can be on a number of fronts, including nav, equipment, conditions, self-evaluation, etc. Given my own mature experienced-criteria, I know I have to pay more vigilance (pay more attention to paying more attention), not less these last few years. Yes, I have more functional backups, better gear, well-honed proficiencies, have had plenty of "won't do that again" experiences that should lend caution) and know exactly what me, my kayak and gear can and cannot handle - yet when I ignore red flags, things happen, usually bad things. This can and is true for many I'm sure. Fortunately, we are part of a maritime community with a presence on the water as well as watchful eyes sometimes on the shoreline, not to mention resources available depending on location and communication apparatus whereby rescue is close at hand. Andrew, one of the rescue participants in the Storm Island rescue, knew he should not have done the crossing, knew we should have turned back when we did proceed despite the hesitancy once there was subsequent equipment breakage. One's gut can tell all. I'd like to know if Mr. Moses ignored guttural emanations prior to getting in over his head. I took one of the young employees home last night after Rona. He lives on a mountain and the snow was deep. I have an all wheel drive Safari van, new M&S BFG all-terrains, so up we flew on virgin snow roads. I'm an experienced snow driver with good equipment. Many out last night were having issues, bad drivers and summer tires and various combinations of the same, yet I was overly optimistic about my skills and equipment, so drove fast around everyone feeling superior. If I had a close call, I didn't know it, but maybe a few moments after I cleared a curve on a hill someone else crossed the center line. I'll never know. At my speed in the snow, it could have been tragic (my co-worker was whimpering a few times). The more experienced drivers out there, one's with good equipment, driving in a cautious manner, were the ones perhaps the safest. Why? They allowed healthy margins. Anyway, for me and kayaking, it's all about the flags. I fell off a ladder today in my shop. My head bounced off the concrete floor. I have multiple injuries. I also fractured my left wrist. Yvonne's in remission at the moment so I can steal her Morphine tonight and still type here with my right wrist. But I ignored red flags in the shop this week doing renos; I'd slipped a few times off the ladder already, been asked by my father in law a few times (who owns the shop) to lean the ladder on the attic opening rather than stand on the lightweight top rung, etc., etc., all week. Okay, I went home, got my daughter to help, then did one more unsafe ladder climb just before I was going to set it up safer - and bang. Now I'm in a world of hurt, hopefully will not suffer subsequent arthritis, and have gotten myself behind schedule more than imaginable and adding to family complexities. I'm lucky to get off so lightly though. Red flags, eh? When I was an intermediate paddler, I took more notice of red flags. Actually I notice them more acutely now, but correspondingly, complacently, ignore remedial action until I'm hit in the head - or my head hits a hard place... So what makes a safe paddler? A lot comes into play. Doug (who's groaning, moaning, bemoaning, AND (?) atoning) One of your quotes: "Airplane accident statistics suggest that there is a level of experience where pilots are more at risk than even when they are complete novices. Somewhere around 100 hours of flying time there seems to be a period where they become more complacent with their skills. It would not surprise me at all to learn that there is a similar problem with kayak paddlers. A point at which the paddler believes he/she has encountered enough problems to be comfortable surmounting almost anything.. This is where I think having a good kayak club or group can be valuable. Guys like Mark and Duane and their CKF pals always seem to be challenging each other in playful ways which are entertaining but which also strengthen their skills." *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I've been extremely lucky over the years in not having a major kayak disaster. I say lucky because it wasn't skill set that kept me out of harm's way, but rather things just worked out fortunately. My two biggest bone-head moves involved fishing trips, not kayaking. Twice I have almost lost a car to the water because I didn't park wisely and was not sufficiently attentive. Once on a surf-fishing excursion in Florida, I didn't notice the incoming tide slowly ensnaring my mother's car, which was not parked high enough up the beach. The car would have been lost to the sea had not a stranger suddenly come by with vehicle and tow rope. On another occasion I parked my VW bug on the bank of a tributary of the Alsea River and proceeded to fish for trout or salmon. I didn't notice the bank was crumbling beneath my car until too late. I couldn't drive the car out. At that moment, a carload of young men came by, and we literally picked up the VW and put it back on roadway. Both incidents occurred miles from anywhere, and both times I was spared by strangers appearing by magic. It seems that "accidents" can occur on the water, or on dry land. You can't be too vigilant. Brad Quoting Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca>: > Craig, > > As we all know, there's a lot that comes into play for the active sea > kayaker. I know a few beginners who I feel are at risk given their lack of > knowledge regarding tides, currents, etc. They don't have great equipment > either (like proper flotation, etc.). That's a concern. At least if they > have one of those aspects dialled in, I'd be less worried. > > Then there's the intermediate paddlers I know. The ones who combine good > judgement with good equipment and have taken the time to educate themselves > and seek knowledgeable companions - they are pretty safe off, even safer > than more experienced paddlers perhaps if the type less prone to seeking > solo "adventures". SK Mag has had a number of stories recently, including > the last issue, detailing highly experienced paddlers getting into deep > trouble. Yeah, some of your comments are cogent Craig on this aspect as I've > read what you write closely over the years, here and elsewhere - including > your analogies with professional mariners and flying. It does seem there's a > familiarity that negates safety. It can be on a number of fronts, including > nav, equipment, conditions, self-evaluation, etc. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks for posting this account! An excellent narrative by the person involved. The most egregious item I see is the failure to repair bad seals on the drysuit. Without these, it's like a zip-lock baggy with holes in it, not a drysuit. Personal account-After a recent long day in Deception Pass, I realized that I was exhausted. I had rolled up after every other capsize that day, but at the end of the day, last capsize, into a whirlpool no way could I roll. I was disoriented once underwater and had no reserves. I wet exited, held onto the kayak, but had my head (well, my entire body) pulled underwater due to the force of the whirlpool. Luckily (no, it was planning on the instructors part) we had gone over this before the session started, and were told that whirlpools in Deception Pass move dynamically. If you are in trouble, wait and the whirlpool will move (let's say this is generally true but perhaps not always, especially in the Room of Doom). 5 or 10 seconds later, I could surface. I was given an assisted rescue and was able to continue. However, I recognized that I had really overdone it, and had no reserves at that point. Perhaps a similar situation occurred with Dale, especially after not kayaking for 2 1/2 weeks. Congratulations to him for surviving, not panicking, and even recovering his kayak! One question- did he have a knife handy for removing all the lines he and his kayak were tangled in? It's fine to take time to disengage, but in another scenario, he may have needed to cut the lines. Best wishes for future kayaking! Pam in Washington state In a message dated 1/8/2011 8:11:47 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, mstoccardo_at_hotmail.com writes: Excellent Accident report by Dale (kayaker in incident) in an associated article: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/110109990/0/NEWS/in- d ale-moses-own-words-i-was-rescued-and-can-tell-the-tale > Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 07:35:09 -0800 > From: kayakbound_at_yahoo.com > > A thousand pardons to the list if this is a redundant post! > > http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110105/NEWS/301059986/rescued-ka y aker-writes-what-he-did-wrong-in-brush-with-death *************************************************************************** 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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