Sea kayaking skills

Freaking Out in a Sea Kayak

Editor’s note: This article is one Eric had sketched out for 2012.

“Over the years, I have learned that the biggest hidden threat is mental confusion caused by a combination of the ocean’s cosmic chaos and the mind’s inability to process it all. Symptoms include inability to communicate (listening and expressing) and perception distortion, coupled with either a numbing, debilitating fear that results in non-action when action is required and/or a bravado that results in foolhardy actions.” Eric Soares, Confessions of a Wave Warrior

Having lost his boat, the kayaker, now a swimmer, freaks out.

In this post Eric wanted to discuss a couple of stories that exemplify freaking out. Freaking out can really screw you up whether you or someone else with you is freaking. These stories offer concrete examples of freaking out and what can be done about it.

The first incident Eric had slated for this article took place in 2000 when he and Jim were teaching a class on the Sonoma coast (see Confessions of a Wave Warrior, “Worst Class Ever”). A student drifted into the danger zone. Eric yelled at him but he didn’t respond. A big wave came in. Even though Eric, Jim, and all the other students were yelling at this guy to paddle out of the wave’s way he froze. And he got creamed. Amazingly, he ended up unharmed on top of a rock in the middle of the reef without boat or paddle. Shell-shocked, he wouldn’t budge even when Eric tried to coax him off the rock. Eric finally had to threaten to climb up and throw him off before the guy would leave his perch and swim in.

In this example, we see several symptoms of freaking out. First, the student allowed himself to drift into the danger zone. That itself indicates his senses were getting overloaded and consequently he was distracted, couldn’t listen or hold his position. Second, he wouldn’t exit the kill zone while he still had a chance even when everyone was urging him to move, an example of non-action when action is required. Third, having suffered the consequences of his failure to act he still refused to obey instructions designed to help him and actually had to be threatened before he acted. There was a clear inability to communicate. Fortunately he responded to threats, but that’s what it took to get him to move.

Another example is the time when my friend Denise and I were paddling the X-3 and got destroyed in the surf at Miramar. We lost the boat and during the swim to shore Denise kept telling me she didn’t think she could make it. She even did the classic cling-on routine by grabbing my arm with both hands. I came close to threatening her in order to make her let go. I talked her in to shore, but she was so shaken when we tried to go out again she couldn’t stay in the boat. She just kept falling out helplessly and we were done paddling for that day. Incidentally, inability to stay in the boat is a sign of freaking out.

Eric and I discussed this incident a lot. He and I were both surprised that Denise, a strong swimmer familiar with the ocean, freaked out. After the wipeout, Denise was physically fine. But she was shell-shocked and began going into freakout mode. After we lost the boat, she started swimming against the long shore current toward me, a very bad judgment call. It would have made more sense for her to swim straight in to shore – it was closer, and she would have crossed the current instead of having to swim against it. Because of her mental confusion she ended up swimming twice as far. Luckily she’s a strong swimmer.

Then there was Bad Day at Black Rock (see Extreme Sea Kayaking, Chapter 10). Briefly, Eric took Tim, his hotshot rock-climbing friend, out to Black Rock in a double. Tim, a novice paddler, went out with Eric because he wanted to “overcome his fear of the ocean”. Unfortunately Eric didn’t realize that Tim actually had a paralyzing phobia of the ocean. The surf at Black Rock was too much for him. He fell out of the boat repeatedly, quickly exhausted himself, and ended up having to be rescued and assisted back to the beach. Tim was in shock and hypothermic. He vomited, and after going home ended up in the hospital with kidney failure. All this after less than an hour on the water. Phobias should be taken seriously, and Eric said again and again this experience was a huge lesson for him.

So what do you do when someone you’re kayaking with freaks out? The way you handle the situation can make all the difference between a successful outcome and potential death. Here’s what Eric had to say: My way is to calmly take over. Be sure others are safe. If the guy bolts and you can’t follow him, well, he’s gone. C’est la vie.

When someone freaks out, one person has to take over. If that person isn’t you stand by and wait for instructions. Remain calm. Calm like panic is communicative, and before you deal with the freaker, you need to be sure everyone in the group not involved in the rescue is accounted for. Be sure others are safe and don’t jeopardize your own safety. Especially if you’re the leader you need to be sure everyone gets home in one piece.

Eric told me when I first started kayaking with him: “You’re on your own.” He made it clear that it was my job to look out for myself and self-rescue if necessary. It was a great lesson, and it made me cautious. Ultimately we alone bear the responsibility for our choices and the attendant consequences both on and off the water. C’est la vie.

Hmmm, I think it's time to start that self-rescue... — Hmmm, I think it’s time to start that self-rescue…

It’s important to emphasize that sometimes you have to be forceful with someone who’s freaking out. In movies you sometimes see one character slapping another who is freaking. This does work. In the one example cited above, Eric had to threaten to throw his student off the rock and actually make moves toward that end before the student would finally act. Had he not acted, believe me Eric would have climbed up there and done the deed.

Of course, the best thing to do is to avoid freaking out in the first place. One of the easiest and best ways to practice being calm is to practice pranayama (see “Deep Breathing” on this website). Studies have shown that agitated breathing triggers agitation in the mind; conversely calm breathing calms the mind. I try to be mindful of my breathing on and off the water. Also, exposing yourself to bigger and bigger challenges gradually over time can really help. Familiarity breeds confidence. Just don’t let it breed contempt. We know that on the ocean conditions can change in an instant. Avoid complacency. Keep a weather eye out for danger at all times.

What experiences have you had with freaking out? What other ways are there to avoid freaking out, or to cope with it once it begins?

Please share your knowledge and experience with pranic or panic breathing in kayaking or any aspect of your life. Feel free to ask questions or add your thoughts by pressing the “comments” button below.

Kayak Navigation Part 4: Dealing with Tidal Current by Using Eddies and Other Tactics

Editor’s note: Photography credits for this article go to June Legler. Thanks, June!

by Tsunami Ranger John Lull

Introduction

Scroll back about 25 years: I’d paddled out the Golden Gate several times already, but this was my first voyage out on the day of a 6-knot ebb. I paddled across the Gate from Crissy Field and out in the ocean to Kirby Cove on the Marin Headlands during slack tide. After lunch, the plan was to ferry back across the Gate toward the south tower of the bridge and into the Bay with the aid of a 25-knot wind at my back to help counter the building ebb current. Simple, no problem. Right. Halfway across, I knew I was in trouble. The ebb was already in full swing and I started paddling for all I was worth right toward the bridge, 8-foot choppy seas bouncing all around with spray flying in the wind, when I realized the bridge was getting no closer. A side range using a buoy confirmed I was making no forward progress at all, which was somewhat terrifying. So I resumed my ferry across and was lucky to eventually make it into the heaving, churning waters of a whirlpool-infested eddy just outside the south tower bridge abutment. At least this was a resting spot, turbulent as it was. Along with the wind waves a steep ocean swell was moving into the Bay and that’s what saved the day. After resting in the eddy, I ferried out, caught and surfed a sequence of two-story high wave faces that carried me against the current and eventually to safety inside the Bay near Fort Point, where I could work my way back to Crissy Field in shallow water near shore.

The experience above illustrates some tactics I learned that day, mostly by chance, for dealing with strong tidal current. With that new-found knowledge, over the years I’ve returned many times to the same place to play, instead of being terrorized, in the waves and current, using the eddy as a launching pad.

Before Getting on the Water

Consult a tide current table to determine the general direction (ebb or flood), speed, and timing of the current in the area you’ll be paddling. Pay attention to the times of slack current, maximum flood, and maximum ebb. Once on the water, use ranges to monitor your direction of movement and progress (if you don’t know how to use a range or what it is, see “Navigation Part 1”).

Go with the Flow

Obviously your best strategy is to use the current to your advantage. Plan your trip to go in the same direction as the current as much as possible. When paddling with the current, get out in the main channel where the flow is strongest to take full advantage of the free ride. In some large estuaries, the channel will be narrow and at some distance from shore, so consult a marine chart to locate it. It may also be marked with buoys.

Going Against the Flow

No matter how well you plan, there are times when you end up having to paddle in the opposite direction to the current. Either the route you want varies to the point you have to move counter to the current at least part of the way, or you mistimed the change in current direction, got delayed, or encountered a situation you weren’t expecting. What you want to avoid at all cost is paddling on a treadmill directly into the current, making no headway.

In most cases when needing to move opposite to the current direction, the best approach is to hug the shore. Unless the channel abuts right up to a steep shoreline, the current will be much slower in shallow water near shore. In some cases you’ll need to be within inches of the shore, paddling over a narrow shelf of shallow water, so paddle as close in as possible, taking advantage of embayments and eddies along the way.

If you encounter a point of land jutting out into the current, sprint hard and fast around the point, using a very quick stroke cadence and powerful forward stokes. You’ll probably make it around and into the next cove or eddy!

Using Eddies

Eddies form on the downstream side of any obstacle that rises above the water’s surface, impeding the current. Such obstacles include islands, rocks, points of land, bridge abutments, etc. Even a buoy will create a small eddy with room for one or two kayaks. The water in an eddy is ‘filling in’ behind the obstacle and running counter to the main current. So eddies can be used to work upstream or as resting places.

To catch an eddy when moving downstream, it’s necessary to break through the eddyline; a shear zone between the eddy and the main current. It’s best to punch through near the top of the eddy where the eddyline is sharpest and well-defined. As you move downstream toward the eddy, set an angle of 45-60⁰ to the eddyline. Maintain forward speed and paddle hard as you cross the eddyline in order to punch through into the eddy. Lean the kayak slightly into this turn for stability as you encounter the reverse current in the eddy.

B) Entering the eddy with boat lean into the turn

Reverse the process when peeling out of the eddy, punching through the eddyline at 45-60⁰ up into the main current, tilting the boat dowstream as you cross. Keep paddling until well clear of the eddy. The kayak will tend to turn downstream and you can sharpen the turn with a strong sweep stroke on the upstream side. If you want to exit the eddy and maintain a ferry across the current, use a bit less angle and after crossing the eddyline, perform a strong sweep stroke on the downstream side to hold the kayak on an upstream ferry angle.

Using Waves

Wind waves or ocean swell that is moving against the current can be used to ferry-glide across the current or to make progress upstream. Keep in mind these types of waves are actually moving through the water, as opposed to a standing wave which forms over a shallow rock or ledge and is stationary. On that day over 25 years ago (see intro, above), the only way I was able to get through the Gate and back into the Bay was to surf the ocean swell. The swell was slowed and steepened as it ran against the strong current, allowing me to catch and ride the waves forward, making progress against a 5-6 knot ebb.

You can surf waves (wind chop, boat wakes, swell) in this fashion to help fight the current when necessary, or just for fun. This is a good way to make some progress against the current, but it can get tiring and works best when you don’t need to cover a great deal of distance.

Surfing upstream on steepened ocean swell

With a good understanding of the dynamics of tidal current, you can use these currents to your advantage and also have fun playing in tide rips, surfing and ferrying across the current, and getting a free ride on the “tidal express.” Practice using tide charts to predict the current, then gain experience on the water testing those predictions. Also practice using ranges to check your sense of movement out in open water. You’ll soon gain a real appreciation for paddling in the bays, estuaries, and inland waterways that are subject to tidal current.

Using waves to make progress against the current

This is only a basic sketch. Followup comments and questions are welcome and encouraged.

Fitness for Sea Kayakers Part 2: Shoulders

Editor’s note: Thanks once again to Barbara Kossy for her patience and helpfulness as a model!

Here’s another post on kayak fitness, this time for shoulders. Shoulders take a beating when we kayak. These simple exercises will help warm up your shoulders prior to paddling and release tension when you’re done.

Interlace fingers, turn palms out, and press hands away from you, expanding the space between your chest and your hands

This stretch stretches the posterior, (or rear) deltoids, upper back generally, and the triceps, forearms, and inner wrists. First, interlace your fingers. Turn your palms so they face away from your chest. Expand the space between your arms by pressing your palms away from you while slightly rounding your back and hollowing your chest. Repeat this stretch after interlacing your fingers in the non-habitual pattern.

Side view of upper back, shoulder stretch

The next stretch is for the medial deltoid and tricep.

This stretch is for the medial, or side, deltoid

For this stretch, take one arm across your chest. Hook your other arm as deeply as you can under your crossed-over arm. Try to get above the elbow of the crossed arm if you can. This will depend on your level of flexibility. In the above photo, Barbara has her lower arm hooked just on top of her crossed over elbow.

Bend the elbow of the lower arm. Gently but firmly draw your arm across and in toward your body using the lower arm. Be sure to keep your shoulders square! One shoulder will tend to rise and the waist will bend – this will undermine the usefulness of this stretch.

Interlace your fingers behind your back and stretch your chest

The third stretch in this series stretches the anterior (front) deltoid and the pectorals. First interlace your fingers behind your back. It sometimes helps to do this with bent elbows and then extend them. With your palms facing upwards, press your knuckles down and away from you, expanding the space between your arms and your back. Lift your chest and inhale deeply, then exhale. This will facilitate the stretch. Always repeat after interlacing your fingers in the non-habitual pattern.

Hold your paddle with a wide grip, then reach it above your head as high as you can

This fourth stretch opens up the chest, shoulders, and ribs. Take your paddle in a wide grip. You can play with the width of your grip to see which hand position works best for you. Raise your paddle up high over your head. Keeping your feet flat on the ground, stretch from your feet to your fingers with a slight backbend. You can also do sidebends or twist from side to side in this position. Keep your ribcage lifted regardless of your position.

Lower the paddle as far as it will go behind your shoulders while draping your arms over the shaft or holding on to it with your hands

The last stretch in the shoulder series is pretty intense, so go carefully and respect your individual needs. Holding your paddle in a wide grip, lower it behind your shoulders. Let your arms slide along the shaft until you can grip the shaft with your hands or drape your arms over it. Again, you can try various hand positions to achieve different results.

All of these stretches should be done at least once and for at least 10 seconds each time. It’s very helpful to notice your breathing and breathe deeply in and out a few times while holding a position. This will help your muscles relax and the stretch can go deeper.

Please go through these stretches carefully! Always respect your limitations and remember that you may be more or less flexible on any given day. If it hurts, don’t do it. However, it’s often interesting and useful to play around with the stretch to see what you CAN do without pain. Discomfort is okay, but not pain. Know the difference.

We hope these stretches are useful and will contribute to your paddling health and pleasure!

Do you find these shoulder stretches useful? Please comment below!

Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule #4: Swim-Test Your Gear Every Time You Go Out

by Moulton Avery

On January 15th, 2011, a very experienced and skilled whitewater paddler by the name of Ian Walsh drowned while paddling the Ogwen River in Wales, UK. The UK Rivers Guidebook describes the Ogwen as a “true classic Grade 4 trip”, one best undertaken at high water after a heavy rain.

Ogwen Bank Falls - photo by Tim Campbell — Ogwen Bank Falls – photo by Tim Campbell

Ogwen Bank Falls - photo by Robin Jones — Ogwen Bank Falls – photo by Robin Jones

Walsh was paddling with his long-time kayaking friend Phil Davidson and both men were familiar with the river and looking forward to making the 5 mile run. For protection, they were equipped with helmets, drysuits and PFDs.

Davidson reported capsizing and rolling up several times during the descent. Walsh doubtless would have done the same – except for a small but ultimately critical oversight: the zipper on his drysuit wasn’t properly closed. That’s precisely the kind of problem that swim-testing is designed to reveal.

What is Swim-Testing?

Swim-testing is like a pilot’s preflight inspection – a last minute safety-check to make sure that your thermal protection is working properly and that you’re wearing enough to keep you warm. Swim-testing is also is a great way to develop an expert “feel” for exactly how much gear you need to wear at different water temperatures.

How to Swim-Test:

Put on your thermal protection, get in the water, and splash around.
Sit, float, tread water, or swim – whatever works best for you.
Try holding your nose to see how it feels to get your head dunked.
How long you stay in the water is up to you – it’s your gear that you’re testing.

Valuable Things That You Can Discover via Swim-Testing

The mistakes listed below really do happen. Sometimes they’re amusing, sometimes they’re merely unpleasant, but every once in a while, as in the case above, they can be fatal.

Your drysuit has a torn gasket.
You forgot to close the “relief zipper” on your drysuit.
You forgot to properly close the main zipper on your drysuit.
You should have paid more attention to the instructions on how to seal your two-piece drysuit.
All by itself, your drysuit provides about as much insulation as a shower curtain, and you need to find some nice warm stuff to wear underneath it.
The gear you’re wearing on this particular outing is totally inadequate to keep you warm in the water.
You didn’t burp your drysuit enough, so you feel like a blimp in the water.

Rita Scherping demonstrating El Blimpo in very cold water

You burped your drysuit way too much and squashed all that fluffy pile insulation down to the thickness of a penny and now it doesn’t feel warm any more.

Overburped: Rita demonstrates the Freezing Otter - Yikes, now, it's cold!!! — Overburped: Rita demonstrates the Freezing Otter – Yikes, now, it’s cold!!!

More Valuable Things You Can Learn

You were sadly mistaken when you thought that a “paddling jacket” was the same thing as a “drytop”.
Your neoprene gloves or the wrist seals on your drysuit are a wee bit too snug. They reduce the flow of warm blood to your hands – which are quickly becoming very cold.
You need to get a neo hood, a neo hat – or both – to protect your head and neck from that chilly water.
The 3mil Farmer John & drytop combo that was just fine and dandy at 65F, is not nearly enough to keep you warm at 48F.
The wetsuit you got on sale is too large. You’re trying to compensate by wearing a thick polypro top and bottom underneath it, but whenever you move, very cold water flushes in and out, causing you to squeal like a little piggy.

What if I don’t want to swim-test?

Perhaps you should consider reading the above section a second time…

Swim-testing is fast and easy, and it’s no big deal when you’re dressed for the water temperature. If you’re unwilling to swim-test, it’s usually because you’re worried that your gear won’t keep you warm and/or dry when you’re in the water.

Why some paddlers blow off swim-tests:

They never heard of swim-testing.
They spaced out and simply forgot to do it.
They don’t happen to have any cold water gear with them at the moment.
Their gear is brand new and they’re too nervous to try it out.
Their nasty, old, worn-out gear is shot-to-hell, and they have a strong gut-feeling that it won’t keep them warm – even during the swim-test.
Their gear is just perfect for the air temperature, but way too skimpy for the water temperature.
It’s cold and windy at the launch site, and they don’t want to get in the water because they’re worried about getting cold and wet.
The water is so skanky with scum, oil slicks and dead fish that it’s a major commitment to just put their pretty little boat in the water.

On very rare occasions, such as when faced with ultra-skanky water or a perhaps a seal launch, you may find it difficult or impossible to swim-test. That’s understandable. If you’re already very familiar with your gear because you’ve thoroughly field-tested it, just double-check the zippers, seals etc. as best you can. If you can roll, do so as soon as you’re on the water, and next time, try to pick a better launch site.

The real issue for most paddlers is not whether they swim-test every single time they paddle. It’s that they never swim-test their gear and consequently have no idea whether it’s working properly and will protect them if they wind up in the water.

For more information, please visit www.coldwatersafety.org.

Please share your thoughts by clicking the comment button below.

Who’s Your Sea Kayaking Mentor?

men’tor, n. (from Mentor, the friend and counselor of Odysseus
and Telmachus) a wise and faithful counselor
(Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary)

Everyone needs a mentor, especially when undertaking a new and challenging endeavor. The Tsunami Rangers have mentored many sea kayakers. Tsunami Ranger Eric Soares introduced me to extreme sea kayaking in 1996. The first thing he did was make me paddle a Tsunami X-0, a small washdeck kayak without a rudder. This boat simply turns around in circles if you don’t paddle correctly. First I learned how to make it go straight. Then I learned how to surf and how to paddle in rock gardens and sea caves.

Eric’s rationale for making me paddle that boat was that I would quickly learn all the paddle strokes a sea kayaker needs to know by doing, without having to take a class. Either that or I would turn around in circles for the rest of my life. I went out when he went out, found a safe place and messed around in that little X-0 until I knew what to do. I received very little instruction and pretty much taught myself. It was an unconventional way to learn, but it was fun and it worked.

Me and my son Nick, age 9, with my first boat Stella Blue in 1996

After about six years paddling the X-0, I went with the Tsunami Rangers on retreat to the Channel Islands. I was allowed to borrow Michael Powers’ beautiful yellow and blue Tsunami X-15 for this greater endeavor. The X-15 is the go-to boat for the Rangers. I fell in love. Oh my God, a rudder! I had no idea! I came back determined to get an X-15. Jim Kakuk, Tsunami boat builder extraordinaire, fabricated one for me, a beautiful sparkly blue boat with a silver trident on the front deck. I was thrilled. With the X-15 I could do everything I needed to do to paddle with Eric. Because I had spent so much time paddling the X-0, the X-15 with its greater power and the rudder factor was pretty easy for me to handle. Now I could take on bigger challenges.

Heading into a cave at Russian Gulch in my X-15

In 2004, my friend Denise Vidosh and I decided to paddle the 2005 Tsunami Ranger Extreme Sea Kayak Race. It was time to graduate again, this time to the Tsunami X-3 Trident. Denise and I dubbed this boat “The Big Pig”. It’s 24 feet long and weighs 150 pounds. At first we could barely lift it. Eric couldn’t help us because he was recovering from his first bout of open heart surgeries and his upper body was still weak. He told us we would have to buck up and get stronger so we could schlepp the big boat around. He agreed to be our trainer, though, and as he mentored us he used the opportunity to coach himself back into good sea kayaking shape. He wanted to paddle in the next race too.

Beginning August 2004 Eric, Denise and I went out nearly once a week regardless of conditions. The first thing Eric told us was not to wear our seat belts. For us, rolling that big boat in tandem was not an option. Eric showed us how to synchronize tipping the boat over, falling out, flipping it upright, jumping back in, and paddling like hell. We got faster and faster at this maneuver. We practiced in the harbor at Pillar Point, and once we had it down Eric took us out to sea. We would launch from the harbor and paddle out the harbor mouth along the jetty to Sail Rock where the Maverick’s Big Wave surf contest is held. We did this in all weather. We would paddle along the jetty hugging the rocks, keeping as close as we could. This allowed us to keep out of the wind and experience the waves and surge along the jetty.

The lagoon and rock gardens at Pillar Point

Once out at the reef, we’d look at conditions. Then we’d make our plan. We practiced falling out and getting back in over and over in all situations. Some days we spent more time in the water than out of it. We practiced landings and take-offs on the beach. If possible, we’d surf. Sometimes we’d paddle around the point through Maverick’s and surf or land at Ross’s Cove. We also practiced paddling through the slot at the point. These features are all part of the race course, so practicing here was warranted.

Me, Denise, and "The Big Pig" finish the race at Miramar — Me, Denise, and “The Big Pig” finish the race at Miramar

Eric was really good at coaching. He’d tell us what to do, watch, give simple, concise feedback, and send us out again. He was calm and supportive. We improved greatly over the eight months he worked with us. When race day came, Denise and I did well. We weren’t trying to go fast; we just wanted to paddle the course without screwing up. It was actually one of our easiest days, and we managed to get through all four surf zones without crashing. We came in 23rd out of 32 boats and were pretty darned proud of ourselves. Eric raced successfully too.

Denise, Eric, and I after the race, Miramar 2005

Because of Eric’s mentoring I learned how to kayak in sea caves, rock gardens, and surf. Because of Eric I was able to successfully paddle the 20^th annual (and last) Tsunami Sea Gypsy race. Because of him I have had many amazing, magical sea kayaking experiences. He opened a whole world of people and places to me that has enriched my life immeasureably. I will always be grateful to my wonderful sea kayaking mentor, Eric Soares.

Who’s your sea kayaking mentor? Give that person props by clicking below!