The reef sort of protects the landing at Treasure Island. The beach is steep and the waves wall up, but rather than dumping, they wash up the beach just before you think they are going to dump. I rode the top of a wave in, letting it collapse under me, and was washed up the beach pretty far. But it wasn't far enough. As I was trying to get out of the small Arctic Hawk cockpit, I was sucked back down into the waves and ended up getting wet while crawling out of the cockpit in a couple feet of water. I couldn't help but laugh at myself.

John came in for a landing, and he was sucked back down too. Then about 5 waves, some of them overhead as he sat in the kayak, washed him back and forth before he was able to crawl out of his kayak. I would've helped him, but I was busy making sure the water in my cockpit didn't get my biscuits wet.

There's more! We pulled our kayaks up the steep beach to the point that the sterns were just above the wet sand mark, which was about 5 feet above sea level. As I was eating my dry biscuits, I walked about 50 yards to the other side of a point to see how the waves were breaking over there. I watched in awe as a huge set of waves came in, and during this set, I thought to myself, I wonder how my kayak is doing on the beach.

Just as I turned around to look, I saw a kayak sliding fast down the steep beach. Not only was it going fast, but it was going far, sliding about 25 yards due to the large set drawing water out as another wave came in. For a moment I was in denial and thought it had to be John's kayak, but no, it was mine.

John was running down after the kayak, until a 5 foot wall of water was towering over it, and then he ran for safety back up the beach, leaving my kayak at the mercy of the wave. As I watched the wave about to break on my kayak, I imagined it flooding my kayak, and then slamming and shattering it on the beach. I know I didn't bring that much duct tape.

Amazingly, the wave picked up my kayak, which was now sideways, and shot it right back up to the top of the beach, where John grabbed it before it could get sucked back down. The paddle was still in the cockpit, which had a couple of gallons of water added to it by the wave. I was able to grab John's kayak as a wave was starting to suck it down too. During that set, there was only a few feet of dry sand left before the cliff.

I was glad to have a kayak and paddle for the trip back, and the trip back was uneventful. I am still laughing when I think about my kayak being washed down and back up the beach unharmed.

    Duane Strosaker Pirate Sea Kayaker