RE: [Paddlewise] waves in california

Melissa,

Pulled this post out of my deletes just to mention I did a little research on the web regarding the Wedge. The spot wasn't on my radar; I'd also glossed over a few other posts. Now I get it. What a wave! Wow. Even the experts have difficulty with the unpredictable nature of the break. 

Doug 


Hi Doug,

On Tuesday, September 06, 2011, at 12:38:22 PM PST, you wrote:

> My first thought when I saw the vid was this surf skier guy looked
> like he was trying to clear the area and knew what he was doing.

If clearing the area was all he wanted to do, he could have launched
from the bay, and paddled out the other side of the jetty. Obviously,
the fun of paddling out through the Wedge was his preferred method.
Lots of people who "know what they're doing" can get into trouble.
Taking on such risks solo is one thing. It's another thing entirely to
needlessly involve others in your risk taking; even if it remains more
fun than available alternatives.

Of course, Nick and others have made the point that all the board and
body surfers who choose to play at the Wedge have already accepted
considerable risk to themselves and others. True enough, but
personally, I feel there's more to *this particular place* that
perhaps shouldn't be entirely overlooked...

No doubt it began long before I discovered my own love of body surfing
at the Wedge (late '70s), and has continued to this day; the Wedge is
*known* as a very special board/body surfing spot, and despite the
obvious risks--and injuries/tragedies--the board and body surfers have
sorted out a "system" of sharing that particular/peculiar wave that,
for the most part, works for these two groups as they share the wave.

Fair or not with regards to "rights of access", some things are simply
"understood", and though I'm not one to simply accept every bit of
status quo I might bump up against (far from it, indeed), this is one
instance that despite my passionate, even obsessive love of paddling,
I'd accept the "sacrifice" of not paddling out through the Wedge (even
if I would just like to "clear the area"). The board and body surfers
*are going to be there*, along with all the risks already involved.
Even if one accepts risks to themselves, why create additional risk
*to others*?  I still posit that a 20' long hard shell projectile, no
matter how skilled it's paddler, *needlessly* enhances the danger for
several people; for the "benefit" of one.

There are plenty of places for highly skilled, thrill appreciating
paddlers to enjoy, and no surfer -- board or body -- will ever get in
*their* way (just ask the Tsunami Rangers, I'm sure they could
recommend a nice spot or two). In this sense, paddlers up and down
this beautiful west coast already have more "particularly special"
options than board and body surfers.

The Wedge is what it is, and I'm happy enough to let it be. I can
paddle elsewhere.

-- 
Melissa
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