If you paddle long enough or far enough or often enough, some day the wind
is going to catch up with you. Suddenly you'll find yourself trapped on the
biggest, nastiest roller coaster you've ever seen, climbing and plunging in
steep seas, getting cold and tired and taking green water over the bow a
long way from anyplace dry with no one to count on but yourself. Now you're
going to find out what you're really made of. But isn't that why you got
into sea kayaking in the first place?
You've done everything right, so far--you've done all the training, you've
shelled out for the right gear, you took time to make a plan. Now is the
time to have the courage and presence of mind to follow it. You don't just
know your route, you know your options. You spent lots of time with your
chart, current table and weather radio before you got anywhere near the
water. You already know where you can land in an emergency, or where you
can hide from rough seas, or how you can use the land masses around you to
dodge the wind until you can position yourself to use it to your advantage.
Even a rocky islet half awash in a squall is starting to look pretty good.
Now all you have to do is get there.
Wind on the Beam
We'll start with the worst scenario: strong wind from the side pushing you
some place you don't want to go. There are few things more damaging to the
soul than clawing one's way hard against a rockbound lee shore, trying to
will the coastline into forming a bay or point or shoal or anything to
provide shelter enough to land. Believe me, I have paddled that shoreline,
and visit it still in my nightmares.
"Paddling downwind in big seas
is a great opportunity to capsize and drown..."
Work your way offshore. The swells there will be kinder than those waves
trying to crush you on the rocks of a lee shore. They will also break less
frequently and then only as white caps--swells losing their tops--not
full-fledged breakers. Resist the urge to try to muscle your way out with
an aggressive, high-angled stroke. Keep the paddle low and concentrate on
rotating from the waist to take advantage of the trunk muscles while sparing
your arms. This also keeps the blades out of the wind; whatever its
velocity, it will be less closer to the water.
Tacking Upwind
Chances are your kayak will want to keep pointed straight into the wind
regardless of what direction you want to go. This presents a minimum
profile and minimum resistance, but will make for a rough ride every time a
wave lifts your bow out of the water only to let it slam down into the
trough behind it. At some point that's just not going to work anymore,
since every time it happens your kayak is slowed or stopped. Try angling
off the waves for a less violent ride, turning only when you're on the
crest. (Of course your rudder, if you have one, will be dangling in
midair.) This may take you slightly off course, like a sailboat tacking to
make upwind progress, but it will be worth it. Paddle far enough, if you
can, so that when you finally need to turn to get to your destination the
wind and waves are pushing you along instead of pushing against you.
Nantucket Sleigh Ride
Also known as paddling downwind. (Actually the phrase comes from early
Yankee open boat whalers, who often got dragged for miles by angry prey
they'd harpooned.) This may be the most demanding condition skillwise, but
certainly the least as far as endurance goes. Paddling downwind in big seas
is a great opportunity to capsize and drown however, so stay alert.
If you're lucky enough to be trapped on a beach for a while to watch the
elements, so much the better. You want to somehow time your paddling for
the moment when the wind that's been howling for hours or days is dying off,
but the big rolling swells it's created are still chugging along. That way
all you have to do is get out there, get pointed in the right direction, and
keep your kayak headed downhill with a nice, crisp rudder stroke. This has
nothing to do with your rudder, by the way, it's all about the paddle.
Rotate your torso far enough so that you can hold your paddle parallel to
the boat. That's parallel--not sort of parallel. While looking forward
(mostly to keep your balance), dip the rear blade into the water and push or
pull it only slightly to get the boat to turn. Snap it out of the water the
moment the boat is headed in the right direction, and be ready to brace in
case you over-steered and this friendly swell tries to broach and capsize
you. Lean back as you surf down to pull that plunging bow up out of the
trough.
What's really unpleasant is when the wind shifts or starts blowing from a
direction other than that from which the swells are coming. Oh yes, this
happens. Now you have one considerable force pushing you along in one
direction, and another trying to turn you in another. When it comes from
behind on one side or the other it is called a quartering wind.
A quartering wind will continually try to turn you around, while the waves
want to push you forward. You must mediate with your rudder stroke. Just
don't let the wind get you sideways to the waves, which is an invitation to
swim.
On the Beach
If you can see large swells steaming by offshore like angry freight trains,
remind yourself that there is probably nothing on the other side worth
drowning yourself or your companions for. If you are part of a group that
decides to launch in such conditions while you don't want to go, don't go.
If everyone wants to launch, take the time to discuss rescue scenarios, to
buddy up, even to switch boats and paddlers (wouldn't it be nice to have
some doubles along now for the weaker paddlers?). Stay together on the
water, though not close enough to get slammed into each other, and avoid
starting and stopping over and over. Be prepared to take care of yourself,
but if you have freely chosen to join a group of paddlers in dangerous
conditions, remember that on the water it is never "every man for himself."
Or at least it shouldn't be. Be the paddler who is useful in a crisis (or
in preventing one), rather than the paddler who's just best at taking care
of himself.
Editor's Note: Ted is an ACA-certified sea kayaking instructor at the Northwest Outdoor Center in Seattle.
