Let this be a humble reminder to us mortals, Sean Morely’s excellent post from California Kayak on being “between swims” provides some valuable lessons. He categorized the main points well himself.
- Never paddle into a break you haven’t observed for a healthy length of time.
- Only paddle with equipment you have 100% confidence.
Having been on the receiving end of an embarrassing swim in front of Mr. Morley, this humble post leaves me terrified at what the conditions might have been like! The day we surfed at Davenport was the biggest meanest surf I’ve ever been in and he looked completely relaxed. While I was at the limits of my ability. Being in a new kayak with a new paddle in big conditions can really up the ante for what could be a fun paddle.
Time segment 2:40 is when all the excitement starts.
The cool part is that based on experience, nobody freaked out, tried to tow him as a swimmer, or made a huge point about the boat. Having paddled that area it is rock as all get out, and I wouldn’t want to wind up along the rocks. From what I could tell in the video, despite the fail on the boat outfitting, everything went to plan even after the unplanned swim.
Thanks to Sean for his article.