White Point
Vickie, Denny Bean, and I launched at White Point at about 2:45PM last
Sunday. Tide was about 4.5 feet and would peak at over 5 feet by our return.
We all managed to take an unexpected swim before the end of the trip, but all turned out well.
One of the interesting things about this area is how radically it changes
with tide level. The high tide opened up a lot of areas behind the rocks for
play. At that level there are long areas between White Point and Point
Fermin where you can paddle right near the shore behind the reefs. Breaking
water comes in, but most of the energy is dissipated going over the
submerged or partially submerged reef. This allow long periods playing in
the white water without getting trashed. From the outside it look wild, but
its actually very manageable on the inside.
Seas / waves were a bit higher than expected with sets to 4-to-5 feet in
some areas. The swell wasn't too high, but there was about 2 feet of wind
wave adding on to it. The bigger waves made for more fun spots, especially
just NW of pt Fermin. There are a couple of spots there where just hanging
out in the wave & surge is a blast.
I ended up swimming near one of those areas when I flipped in some kelp. I
got my paddle snagged in some kelp and gently capsized to the seaward. I
carefully lifted my paddle above the kelp and out to a right angel, then
tried to flick/hip snap up without sweeping so as to avoid getting tangled.
Some combination of poor technique and entanglement in kelp kept me from
making the first try. Since I had even more kelp on me than before the try,
I decided to bail. I swam the boat out of the kelp, re-entered and rolled,
then paddled to calmer water for assistance in getting the water out. I
guess I need to practice rolling in kelp. Any advice from experienced kelp rollers out there??
Cabrillo beach is very interesting in high tide. On a busy day like Sunday
you have to land just east of the lifeguard tower (big one). The beach is
steep and you have to attack it aggressively to keep from being sucked back out.
My theory is that landings always happen. You will get in, whether in or out
of your boat. Sunday we all made it in without swimming. Launching is a
different story. You don't always make it. There were dumping waves to 4+
feet coming in sets so long that they didn't seem like sets at all. The sea
would look almost flat then rear up into these big dumpers. Vickie went
first and got trashed. She made it out though one, only to have another
appear and break suddenly and do her in. Second try came out ok with some
fancy timing, ducking, back surfing, and sprinting. Denny went out next and
managed to meet the biggest wave of the day head on. That thing was ugly
and the wind surfers standing close by kind of let out one of those "ugh"
sounds when it exploded on Denny. The wave won. After Denny got out it was
my turn. After watching the mayhem inflicted on my two companions I was more
than a little apprehensive. I launched, waiting for the big dumper to rear
up and destroy me, but it never did. I paddled out through 1.5 foot waves. I
think that set of large waves lasted 10-15 minutes. I'd like to say I
planned it that way, but I didn't even realize it was a set until I got out so easy.
The paddle back was uneventful, but a little tiring. As usual wind was about
15 knots rounding point Fermin. After that it was manageable. The tide was
higher on the way back, opening up even more areas behind the rocks - very fun day.
Overall a very fun paddle day with a little excitement to top it off. This
was our first time paddling with Denny and we enjoyed the company.
Steve Brown
Hey Steve,
When rolling in kelp, I always set up in an extended position (i.e. one
hand on the end of the paddle blade, one nearing the middle of the
paddle). This has two benefits. It allows me to spear the paddle up
out of the water, rather than trying to push it up horizontally through
kelp. It is also easier to roll without a sweep with the paddle in
extended position, so you don't need to drag it through the kelp or
worry too much about kelp clinging to you and the boat. Of course,
this has the disadvantage of slower and clumsier set-up (at least,
for me).
Capsizing in kelp with a diving mask is the next best thing to
going diving ;).
Bill Whitson
Submitted on August 28, 2001