Maytag Beach
It’s 9:37 am as I begin to write this. I got up early, around 5:30 am ready to take advantage of the warmer waters of the last few days. Got to the launch at 6am. I checked the surf reports before I left home. It said 3-5 feet at Esco on Pacific Wave Rider. Not especially bad, Ive done worse. I think it will be manageable. The wind was looking good too at only 5-10 mph. This is going to be a good day.
The beach slope was a little steep when I got there. When a wave of good size crashed the shoreline, it would flood where I stood, fully floating the kayak off the sand. This made keeping the kayak pointed into the ocean a bear. The kayak swayed back and forth, left and right. Waiting for that lull, my wrist muscles started to wear out. As I was standing there on the sand, I see some good 4 and 5 foot surf coming in. Nothing bad really, they were not really breaking far out. The waves just rolled in and broke about 10 yards from the shoreline. Nice lulls were there in between sets. It looked doable. I waited about 20 minutes for my chance, and when it came, I took it. The last wave flooded my launch site, and I immediately jumped onboard. Paddle, paddle, paddle! The wash didn’t seem to go back out, it just stayed there. This prevented me from gaining much ground and I probably only moved forward about 10 yards. The next set starts to come in and I see a threat beginning to form a few yards offshore. And its growing, 2-3-4, this thing is going over my head! I lift up my arms to get my paddle out of its way and the thing slams me on the chest, face and up to my elbows. The force of the wave shifts me on my seat and I am now sitting on the kayak with only my right butt cheek. My torso is tilting at a 45 degree angle in relation to the kayak and I am having trouble keeping balance. I think to myself “I need to get myself outta here”. Paddle, paddle, paddle!
It was difficult paddling with my right shoulder half a foot closer to the water than the left. I'm not really getting anywhere. Again, another wave forms, and this one is bigger. I’m still pointed straight into the ocean so I think I’ll be able to punch thru it. Paddle, paddle, paddle! I was not able to create enough forward momentum to bunny hop the wave and it lifts my kayak up full vertical. For a split second, I am looking at the floor of my kayak. "Mommy..." I try to assume the fetal position, bracing for a crash. Not enough time. The kayak falls over backward and I am lying missionary style and the Hobie begins to hump me. Immediately, I take a RAM ball to my right chest. “Thats gonna leave a mark”, I thought. The wave washes the kayak over me. Imagine cheese grater. My noggin bumps a couple of kayak contours and the paddle rips from my hand. Then the Hobie mirage drive catches my shin and a shooting pain rushes from my leg into my brain. Phook, phook, phook! Before I completely disengaged from the cheese grater, my foot gets caught and I feel this great big tug on my leg. Phook, phook, WTF was that? And then, the washer automatically turns on to “spin cycle”. I tumble in the surf a couple times, sand, foam, kayak and human all turning in a ball. It takes me a while to stand up as in the first couple of attempts, my feet didnt meet up with land. By the time I drift back to shore and my feet touch sand, I shoot up and look for the kayak. You see, I didn’t want another round with Bubba there. I see my paddle in between me and the kayak now sitting on shore. I make a mad dash for shore, grab the paddle and dragged the kayak a few feet more up the sand. Whew! Safe.
AS I sit down on the yak, contemplating my situation and the strong taste of salt in my mouth I figure, I lost my hat, I’ve only got one shoe on, gotta bruised chest and I have a lump on my shin the size of a golf ball. My heart is racing and I am chit out of breath. That’s enough exercise for me today. I start packing my gear and head on home. I wonder where the nearest Riteaid is? I'm gonna need some Advil.
Till next time. /bing
The beach slope was a little steep when I got there. When a wave of good size crashed the shoreline, it would flood where I stood, fully floating the kayak off the sand. This made keeping the kayak pointed into the ocean a bear. The kayak swayed back and forth, left and right. Waiting for that lull, my wrist muscles started to wear out. As I was standing there on the sand, I see some good 4 and 5 foot surf coming in. Nothing bad really, they were not really breaking far out. The waves just rolled in and broke about 10 yards from the shoreline. Nice lulls were there in between sets. It looked doable. I waited about 20 minutes for my chance, and when it came, I took it. The last wave flooded my launch site, and I immediately jumped onboard. Paddle, paddle, paddle! The wash didn’t seem to go back out, it just stayed there. This prevented me from gaining much ground and I probably only moved forward about 10 yards. The next set starts to come in and I see a threat beginning to form a few yards offshore. And its growing, 2-3-4, this thing is going over my head! I lift up my arms to get my paddle out of its way and the thing slams me on the chest, face and up to my elbows. The force of the wave shifts me on my seat and I am now sitting on the kayak with only my right butt cheek. My torso is tilting at a 45 degree angle in relation to the kayak and I am having trouble keeping balance. I think to myself “I need to get myself outta here”. Paddle, paddle, paddle!
It was difficult paddling with my right shoulder half a foot closer to the water than the left. I'm not really getting anywhere. Again, another wave forms, and this one is bigger. I’m still pointed straight into the ocean so I think I’ll be able to punch thru it. Paddle, paddle, paddle! I was not able to create enough forward momentum to bunny hop the wave and it lifts my kayak up full vertical. For a split second, I am looking at the floor of my kayak. "Mommy..." I try to assume the fetal position, bracing for a crash. Not enough time. The kayak falls over backward and I am lying missionary style and the Hobie begins to hump me. Immediately, I take a RAM ball to my right chest. “Thats gonna leave a mark”, I thought. The wave washes the kayak over me. Imagine cheese grater. My noggin bumps a couple of kayak contours and the paddle rips from my hand. Then the Hobie mirage drive catches my shin and a shooting pain rushes from my leg into my brain. Phook, phook, phook! Before I completely disengaged from the cheese grater, my foot gets caught and I feel this great big tug on my leg. Phook, phook, WTF was that? And then, the washer automatically turns on to “spin cycle”. I tumble in the surf a couple times, sand, foam, kayak and human all turning in a ball. It takes me a while to stand up as in the first couple of attempts, my feet didnt meet up with land. By the time I drift back to shore and my feet touch sand, I shoot up and look for the kayak. You see, I didn’t want another round with Bubba there. I see my paddle in between me and the kayak now sitting on shore. I make a mad dash for shore, grab the paddle and dragged the kayak a few feet more up the sand. Whew! Safe.
AS I sit down on the yak, contemplating my situation and the strong taste of salt in my mouth I figure, I lost my hat, I’ve only got one shoe on, gotta bruised chest and I have a lump on my shin the size of a golf ball. My heart is racing and I am chit out of breath. That’s enough exercise for me today. I start packing my gear and head on home. I wonder where the nearest Riteaid is? I'm gonna need some Advil.
Till next time. /bing
posted by Bing at 10:35 AM
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