Everything was flooded as expected and we spent a good deal of time riding into the pools on top of the points and back out again. After a while we moved around the east side of PP and found a nice surge channel with a long ride.
Don found the CAVE WAVE. The east cave of PP goes all the way through and exits out the east side. Water was way too high to attempt going though, but waves were getting through fine. About every five-to-seven waves a few well shaped 2-to-3 foot waves would fire out the east opening of the cave. You could hear the cave "breathing" heavier and heavier until it would "cough" out a few of these waves. You couldn't see them coming because water was almost to the ceiling most the way cross, but when the sound was right and if you had your boat in position and pointing roughly the right direction - it was a fun ride. Somehow it was much more fun than the size of the wave or the length of the ride could justify.
We moved on to the pools at IP and a really nice and long surge channel on the east side of it. We played there for a while, and then went in to the beach for a short break. Greg of Xtreamline saw us from up on the archery range and came down to the beach for a few minutes. He had just returned from 2 weeks of paddling in Baja. He said the old store is closed and as soon as they find a suitable location they'll open a new one.
On the way back we decided to check out the waves on the east side of smugglers cove. There were some board surfers there on the way over, but I figured they were probably done by then. When we arrive they were de-suiting and had left a lot of nice waves behind. Lee and I went in to try and catch some. I missed a couple of 3 footers and ended up inside when a set of 4-to-5 footers came in. We were both too far in to catch them and without discussion we moved out to try and get the next set of those. It turns out those were only a warning about 6+ footers that followed. We were still too far inside and had to paddle madly to get over them lest we be pummeled.
Well the cycle started again and twin 8+ footers came barreling though. They were very green, very steep, very pretty, and totally ride-able, had we been in position. We weren't. Lucky for me I was way inside, but Lee wasn't. I saw Lee clear the first one, disappearing over the lip in the nick of time before the wave dissipated its mega-tonnage. As I was dealing with the whitewater I saw the second wave, but could not see Lee. I figured he must have cleared the wave, or, be INSIDE the wave.
As I watched intently, I eventually saw glints of helmet, paddle blade, and eventually a boat and paddler came to the surface. I could see him trying too roll (which he had done quite nicely during earlier upsets), but then eventually he and the boat parted. When I arrived he held up half a paddle and said something about loosing the other half. On later questioning, Lee wasn't sure when the paddle broke; he only knew that it kept him from rolling. I'm guessing that the same hydraulic force that submerged him and boat also snapped his paddle like a twig long before he attempted to roll. He said he would start practicing his roll with paddle halves.
I gave him a toggle tow outside the surf zone. Then while Vickie finished towing him to deep water, Don I and looked for and found the other half of the paddle. Hopefully Southwind will replace it because water should not break a paddle.
Anyway, Don gave him a TX and hooked him up for a tow. I hooked Don up and we tandem towed him the 1.5 NM back to Marine Land. It was good practice. When we got there Vickie landed and threw out her paddle for Lee to use for the boulder beach landing. All went smoothly.
Great day paddling with the exception of the broken paddle. Winter is coming and is shaping up to be loads of fun.
Steve Brown