On holiday in Pembrokeshire this August
On arrival there was a terrific swell, lovely sets of waves rolling in and a perfect offshore wind - got to go kayak surfing!
I got my kit together, got changed and took my Inazone 230 to the beach (see pic).
When I got to the waters edge I realised that this wasn't going to be an easy ride. Just getting out was going to be fun/difficult/immpossible (delete as you think).
After not having been in the boat for a year it seemed to be too short, after cramming myself in and sealing on the spray deck I set off. I could see there were almost relentless sets of breakers coming at me, perfect..... or so i thought - BANG the first wave broke on the bow of the boat followed by another, the YAK Coast bouyancy aid I wear has a shaped waistline that sends breaking water around my sides instead of into my face, it worked perfectly! I managed to get out to some distance for a warm up, looking back at the beach was an awesome sight! the rollers were hiding the veiw as they broke and the the wind blew the spray up high into the air! Got to surf NOW!
So, with a little nervous anticipation i set off, i looked back, waited for the wave to start to roll, paddled forwards lightly, tipped my weight fowards as the wave caught me and........slipped straight over the back! Missed it, not enough forwards motion, try again.
This time I put more effort in, more forwa
rds strokes, lean forwards, paddle......... Yes!!!! It picked me up and fired me towards the shore at lightening speed, a new problem now though, the wind was blowing so hard that the spray was like someone was firing a saltwater jet-wash in my eyes! Reaching back behind the wave I quickly turned around to go back out and try again. This time making an adjustment to the new visor on my helmet. See pic
The new helmet visor is from a mountainbike, when i fitted it i did consider drilling some holes in it to allow water to run through it, I didn't though, which would now lead to my demise!!.......
I pulled the visor down over my eyes and set off, this time a perfect ride in, almost 50m of flat out surf straight up to the shore. I should have got out and left it at this point...I didn't.
Instead I set off out again, a smallish wave broke on my bow, and just behind it, crashing and foaming its way straight at me.... an enormouse roller what must have been 3 feet high, just starting to break, the white foaming water now only a metre or so in front I took a big breath of spray filled air and braced for impact...
The front of the boat sliced into the front of the wave, then wack! The force of the water hit me in the stomach, forcing the air from my lungs and catching the peak of the helmet visor. The power of the water should not be underestimated! I tensed all my muscles as I felt the impact wrenching back my head then..over I went, back looped! Now upside down, doing what felt like 100mph under the water, I waited before I went for the roll up, (no use trying when your being pushed along in a foaming, bubbling torrent). Here we go, paddle on the surface sweep out and up we go.... only I didn't. Thats got to be the 1st time my roll hasn't work in years! Trouble was I had no air in me either, so; I immediatly went up for another roll, I just got upright and ....Bang another big wave hit me! ( I don't know how big, I didnt see it coming). I had one more attempt at a roll but with no air or energy left I decided to get out. I unclipped my deck no problem, and with no air and a bit of panick setting in I kicked and squirmed my way backwards (not the way to get out of an up-turned kayak).I eventually surfaced and obviously took the biggest breath I could, just as another wave broke! Mouthfull again! Where's my boat?? Crash! Ah, thats where it is, its sea-side of me, another wave had picked up the boat and rammed it into the back of my head, pushing me under and sending me face first towards the shore. I managed to get behind the boat and ride it into the beach, picked up my paddle and managed to get out, I collapsed onto the sand wreching and panting, I felt like bursting into tears!
I got my self together and dragged the kayak out of the water, it was half full of gritty sand, so i decided to fill it with fresh water from the cliff waterfall that runs over onto the beach to rinse it through. When it was up on end and half filled I picked it up on my back, turned around and... stood on a green and slipperry rock, I started to fall forwards with the now very heavy boat on my back bearing down like some sort of heavy wet monster, it caught me! Bang down on my left knee right on the edge of a rock, oh dear, ouch! (or some words like that) I rolled around in pain for a few seconds, then laying on my back I opened my eyes to see.... A big group of coastal path walkers looking over! Are you OK mate etc etc......
Lessons to be learned? Its always the 'one last try' when things go wrong.
Drill some holes in that visor, or take the thing off.
Maybe when you havn't been in the water for a year you perhaps should practice on a smaller wave.
Look at the video to see me on a smaller wave later in the week (after I had forgot about my demise)
