Monday, March 16, 2009
Kayak Rescue Training in Deception Pass
Last week a bunch of us got together for a day of practicing different rescue techniques in the flooding current of Deception Pass. The group consisted of Pat Peacock and Dan Moos, The Body Boat Blade team (Shawna, Leon, Djuna, and Matt), award winning filmmaker from Reel Water Productions Bryan Smith (Pacific Horizons, EasternHorizons), and me (from AKT).
The plan was to wait until the current approached its maximum velocity-a respectable 6.6 knots- and then use that turbulent water to test the different methods of self- and assisted-rescues that are commonly seen in kayaking magazines, in books about sea kayaking, in kayak films, and in many kayaking classes.
It was a very illuminating day for me as I watched some of the most talented paddlers that I know struggle with many rescues that are taught as "entry level" techniques. The paddle-float rescue in particular was laughable in anything but calm conditions. If you think that you are safe after trying this rescue technique a couple of times in a warm lake, then think again. In dynamic conditions (read: rough water, or any condition that would actually cause you to capsize) the paddle-float rescue is pretty crappy. The really ironic part is that many kayakers out there feel "prepared" after learning how to scramble back into their kayak this way.
Over all the day was a success in many ways. We all learned a lot about what works, and what does not work, in moderate current velocities. Next we'll try to do these same rescues in windy and rough conditions to see what the results might be.
Over all the day was a success in many ways. We all learned a lot about what works, and what does not work, in moderate current velocities. Next we'll try to do these same rescues in windy and rough conditions to see what the results might be.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Our Lingering Winter Weather in the San Juans
Sometimes it feels like this season will never end. It's Monday morning and I'm looking outside at snow falling on the ground! This may be normal in places like Montana, but here in the little seaside community of Anacortes it just feels strange. This weekend was the same as a cold front moved in and clobbered the San Juan Islands with heavy winds and then snow.
We had to cancel all of our trips on Saturday as NOAA put out a Small Craft Advisory for the San Juan Islands, and a Gale Warning for the East Entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A Small Craft Advisory is when the predicted wind speed is 21-33 knots (24-37 mph), and Gale warnings are defined as sustained winds of 34-47 knots (39-54 mph). The cause for the wind warnings was a strong Cold Front approaching the region. It proved to be a prudent choice and when we woke up on Saturday morning the winds were already approaching gale force.
Without a trip to lead our guide James White and I were left without much to do, so we decided to use the day to practice our rough water paddling skills and have some fun playing in the surf. We first drove down to Deception Pass, but with the ebbing current the sea state was just too dangerous (we later heard that there were some folks on surf boards in the Pass!) so we went back to Skyline Marina to paddle out to Burrows Island which was a little more protected. As it turned out "protected" was a relative term, the winds there were blowing at about 35 knots, the waves were in the 4-6 foot range, and they were very steep and messy. It was quite the workout just to get out into the big stuff, but boy was it worth it! We managed to have a blast surfing out there for about an hour before it became obvious that the strengthening current was creating rougher conditions than we wanted to deal with. We started riding the waves back in just as the cold front was passing over us, some of the gusts, we later found out, were in excess of 40 knots. It was pretty exciting just staying upright in our kayaks as the gusts pummeled our bodies and turned the surface of the water into a frothy soup. I was totally impressed with how much skill James has gained over the last year that he has been working with us. He seemed to manage the rough conditions with relative ease, and the smile never left his face. By the time we reached the entrance to the marina we were both knackered but we couldn't stop chuckling about how much fun we just had.
On Sunday everything was different. The wind had died out, the water was calm, and it was lightly snowing. The folks whose trip was cancelled on Saturday still wanted to paddle and so James took one group and I took the other. It was a cold, but beautiful morning to be out there and we were both impressed by these hardy souls who braved the elements to experience kayaking in the San Juan Islands from a unique perspective. We saw seals, eagles, and lots of different sea birds that winter over in the protected waters around Burrows Island. By the end of the tour it was snowing pretty hard and I heard jokes about "arctic explorations" coming from our guests. Back in the marina everyone agreed that enduring the conditions made the trip even more rewarding than if it had simply been sunny and warm, somehow there was a sense of accomplishment that comes with being outside on a day like that.
I wish that we could "bottle" that sentiment to give to folks during the few wet days of summer, because it is definitely true.
We had to cancel all of our trips on Saturday as NOAA put out a Small Craft Advisory for the San Juan Islands, and a Gale Warning for the East Entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A Small Craft Advisory is when the predicted wind speed is 21-33 knots (24-37 mph), and Gale warnings are defined as sustained winds of 34-47 knots (39-54 mph). The cause for the wind warnings was a strong Cold Front approaching the region. It proved to be a prudent choice and when we woke up on Saturday morning the winds were already approaching gale force.
Without a trip to lead our guide James White and I were left without much to do, so we decided to use the day to practice our rough water paddling skills and have some fun playing in the surf. We first drove down to Deception Pass, but with the ebbing current the sea state was just too dangerous (we later heard that there were some folks on surf boards in the Pass!) so we went back to Skyline Marina to paddle out to Burrows Island which was a little more protected. As it turned out "protected" was a relative term, the winds there were blowing at about 35 knots, the waves were in the 4-6 foot range, and they were very steep and messy. It was quite the workout just to get out into the big stuff, but boy was it worth it! We managed to have a blast surfing out there for about an hour before it became obvious that the strengthening current was creating rougher conditions than we wanted to deal with. We started riding the waves back in just as the cold front was passing over us, some of the gusts, we later found out, were in excess of 40 knots. It was pretty exciting just staying upright in our kayaks as the gusts pummeled our bodies and turned the surface of the water into a frothy soup. I was totally impressed with how much skill James has gained over the last year that he has been working with us. He seemed to manage the rough conditions with relative ease, and the smile never left his face. By the time we reached the entrance to the marina we were both knackered but we couldn't stop chuckling about how much fun we just had.
On Sunday everything was different. The wind had died out, the water was calm, and it was lightly snowing. The folks whose trip was cancelled on Saturday still wanted to paddle and so James took one group and I took the other. It was a cold, but beautiful morning to be out there and we were both impressed by these hardy souls who braved the elements to experience kayaking in the San Juan Islands from a unique perspective. We saw seals, eagles, and lots of different sea birds that winter over in the protected waters around Burrows Island. By the end of the tour it was snowing pretty hard and I heard jokes about "arctic explorations" coming from our guests. Back in the marina everyone agreed that enduring the conditions made the trip even more rewarding than if it had simply been sunny and warm, somehow there was a sense of accomplishment that comes with being outside on a day like that.
I wish that we could "bottle" that sentiment to give to folks during the few wet days of summer, because it is definitely true.
