[CKF Info] 5/4/2008 Lessons Learned In The Pond Practice Today

[P Martin]

Today we had a well attended practice session in the Pond at Channel Islands Harbor.  And I expect that everyone who got involved learned a lesson or two.  Fortunately, since conditions were benign, the price tags for our lessons did not include too much of a risk factor.

My lessons involved a bit of complacency.  Most of the Old Farts that I paddle with are frequently flopping about in the water, practicing a variety of braces and rolls.  So today when I saw one of them on his side, I thought he was practicing.  I even commented that he was taking his bracing practice to a bit of an extreme because he was doing it in the area of the Pond we call the Crazy Water where tricky wave activity converges from multiple directions.

The two of us spectators actually expected our friend to roll up at any second.  What we didn't realize is that his roll had failed and he was actually using his paddle to hold himself up by poling off the bottom.  When the next wave hit he went under.

Still we expected him to roll up.  We were surprised when he did a wet exit.  We had become so accustomed to his rolling ability that it had not occurred to us he was having a problem.

After he popped his spray skirt, I figured he would walk his boat to shore since he was in shallow water.  But he didn't, instead he held onto his boat and paddle and stayed in the crazy water with waves converging at random intervals.

It was then that it finally occurred to me that he might need an assist.  It also occurred to me that the crazy water could complicate things.  I padded over to join my friend and found that he did want help.  The current was so strong that he couldn't make his way to shore, and he was already starting to feel cold. 

For a moment I considered towing him out of the crazy water.  But the way the waves were breaking worried me.  Trying to tow someone through surf can be difficult.  With the added drag of a swimmer there is a good chance of getting stalled in the surf zone and then getting surfed backwards onto the victim and his boat.  The tow rope can even create an entanglement risk.

The solution we chose was to raft up to assist him back into his boat as quickly as possible.  This was another occasion where all our practice sessions paid off.  My friend handed me his paddle and then launched himself out of the water and into his cockpit very quickly.  A moment later he had secured his spray skirt and the two of us were paddling to calmer water. 

My lessons learned:

1)     Even advanced paddlers sometimes get into trouble in the surf zone.  If someone appears to be stretching his limits, don't assume that it's intentional.  Be ready to help if you can.

2)     There is no such thing as too much practice.  I've learned something every time I've practiced with my friends.

I really want to thank everyone who participated in today's practice session.  Not only were there several valuable learning experiences, you guys made it lots of fun.

Patrick Martin
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