Five of us were out today for a 10 km paddle. It was only short but what it lacked in quantity, it made up for it in quality. We had 1 to 1.5 meters of swell on the open ocean that kicked up a bit more in shallow water near the land.
Where the swell met the rocks it rose up and crashed over offshore rocks. We stayed clear of narrow openings today but there were three spots where there was enough room between the swell crashing over the rocks and the immoveable cliffs.
This spot just before Portugal Cove was the best. Its about 50 meters long from entry point to exit point. Timing the entry right to catch the swell as it curls around the end of the rock carries the paddler ...
... safely into the soup behind the rock. Its agitated water but a safe zone to sit and watch for the chance to escape out the other end. It was a red letter day as we're incrementally building the skills necessary to paddle in these places. That includes both reading and assessing and the paddling to stay upright. It was a satisfying day.
Sweet!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun for sure.
ReplyDeleteTony -)