Sobering Experience
I don't usually write up reports of my paddles unless there was something really
out of the ordinary. My opinion has been that I don't need to tell the entire
world every time I put my paddle in the water.
My experiences today should be shared. I consider myself a fairly strong intermediate
paddler and I've been paddling for about 4 years now. In the past I have done
20 mile coastal paddles and one crossing of the channel to Anacapa. I usually
paddle every week and our normal paddles are 10 - 15 mile coastal trips. Although
I laugh about my surf landings, they are not that bad. I do make many more of
them than I miss.
I have practiced self rescues and have never had a problem getting myself back
into my boat without help. Every time my wife has questioned me about going
paddling alone, I've reminded her about how I have never failed at a practiced
self rescue, I carry a VHF, flares, and I'm a pretty good swimmer.
All of that went out the window today. Four of us (first names only for the
others) went to Channel Islands Harbor to launch and paddle in an area called
"The Pond" right outside of the harbor to practice our surf landing and
launching skills.
We all wore wetsuits, paddling jackets, helmets, and PFD's
Dianne, Mike, John, and I paddled over to the pond. We hit 4-6 ft swells with
an occasional 8-10 footer thrown in.
Dianne requested that I go first and I started to head in. About 100 yards from
the surf zone, I realized the waves were breaking a little too violently here
so I turned right and started paddling parallel to the shore towards an easier
area. I didn't think there would be any problems because I was about 100 yards
before the surf zone. All of a sudden a larger than normal swell came and I
braced into it and floated over the breaking top.
At this point I was thinking, "whoa that was hairy but I'm good!!" The next wave
was even larger and started to break on top of me. I braced into it, remembered
Wayne's H's advice and was going to wait to lean into it until I felt the boat
being moved by the wave. I never felt it. The next thing I knew, I was tumbling.
The water was very cold and I was wearing a paddling jacket over my farmer john.
I waited for a few more swells to pass and started to get back in the boat,
and I couldn't bring myself up over the boat. Each time I tried, I was getting
less of my body on the boat. I realized that I was quickly losing my strength
and decided to swim to the beach about 150 yards away. I didn't call for help
because I thought I could make it in without any problems. The other 3 paddlers,
all thought I was playing around. This was the first time that I have ever capsized
in deep water that was not intentional.
My first thought was to leave the boat and use the paddle to get ashore.
Fortunately common sense overtook me and I hung on to both the boat and the
paddle. I was making progress but very slowly.
Soon, Mike was about 50 yards behind me and asking if I needed help. I thought
I could make it in without putting anyone else at risk and signaled that I was
OK. It was a long long swim and no matter how close I got, the bottom still
eluded me. Finally Mike came next to me and said to grab his boat and he would
tow me in. I did this and it was still very slow going.
There was an offshore wind and it was really steepening the waves and impeding
our progress. Finally we made it in.
Dianne then came in and John started to follow. He got flipped rather close to
shore, rolled up and immediately went over again. By the time I got to him, he
was up but had hit his head on the bottom. The crunch sound from his neck really
scared him.
Fortunately, all of us were wearing helmets. After resting a little, we all
launched without effort and Dianne and Mike wanted to paddle for several miles.
John and I agreed and we started out. I realized that I was still very weak
from the swim and John was not moving his neck at all. We opted to head back to
the harbor and Dianne and Mike continued.
John felt his neck was loosening up and suggested that we paddle the harbor
before quitting. Shortly after John and I landed Mike and Dianne arrived and
landed on the beach.
The lesson that I learned today is:
I need to practice self rescues again. It's one thing to do
it in calmer water and another when it is cold, the waves are breaking on
your head and boat, etc.
All in all it was a good day. It definitely brings back all of the respect for
the ocean.
We did run into Bill Becher and Taylor. Bill mentioned how they had had a couple
of really long swims when they were pulled completely out of their whitewater
boats by waves.
Steve Holtzman
Submitted on January 21, 2001