Three capable paddlers, Duane Strosaker, Dublin Dave O'Conner and I, showed for the 9/8/04 Wednesday night paddle. (I like to think I am capable, the other two definitely are.) There was a brisk wind so we decided to go outside the harbor to enjoy the water action. The pace immediately started out aggressively as we exited through the jetty.

The resident seal near the bait barge was looking for free sardines but I didn't seem to have any in my emergency gear. The small swells coming straight in the jetty were steep and frequently covered my bow. We turned the corner at the end of the jetty and headed to Crystal Cove. The wind was in our faces quartering from the right not quite hard enough to create white caps. The water was more cop than swell. The sky was at least 50 percent covered by a continuous cloud all the way to horizon on the ocean side, accelerating the fading of the remaining daylight.

Rocketman Duane led the way paddling as if to out race the demons from Hades. As we passed Arch Rock only a little sliver of the sun showed as it sank below the horizon behind us. The clouds were thickening and covering more of the sky and seemed to suck up what light there was left in the sky. With the pace and the darkness we became solo paddles on individual training missions.

At the turn around, Crystal Cove, it was just plain dark. No time to rest, just a swig of water and more paddling. The city and jetty lights showed unobstructed making it easy to make a straight course back. The pace slowed and, of course, the paddling rhythm changed with the now left quartering following sea.

The jetty lights seemed to just sit on the horizon and the blackened shoreline had no passing features. Arch Rock was the only recognizable landmark and it was just a black bump ahead. The return trip was total solitude in our individual little black realms. The water and the sky was all the same shade of dark. Only the top of the sea cliffs was discernable along the shoreline and the Newport city lights ahead were our only real reference. The kayak just slopped around trying to keep up with the following chop. There just didn't seem to be any progress with the ocean out running us in the dark. Arch Rock eventually started growing in size and soon we detoured around its adjacent almost-submerged rocks. The jetty opening became obvious with just a little more progress.

The swells were still rolling straight in the jetty and there was even a small sluffing break at the end of the right (east) jetty. The push of the swells carried us all the way to the take out at Coast Guard Beach. Back in the light of civilization we finally got to chat as we loaded the saltwater, sand and gear into our cars. It was definately a good workout paddle. With each of us being self suffecient, this one took on an every man for himself theme.

    Dave Houser