General Description: We will do a surf launch, paddle out beyond the outer most break, then paddle parallel to the beach using the tailwind and swell surfing to get the best possible pace. You should really get the feel of paddling open water in favorable conditions. We will land through the surf and lunch on the beach at Beach Access 4 where we will have our emergency take out vehicle positioned, then repeat the cycle to paddle to the take out point. This is a one-way trip attempting to have a tail wind all the way. Total distance will be 8.6 miles; the goal is skills/pleasure paddling, not mileage. We will stop and let rollers roll, let everyone that wants, practice assisted and self rescues in swell. We will practice towing only at the end of the trip, to conserve resouces that may be needed for real.
Surf/Swell/Wind Sensitive Trip: See "Hazards" below. If the Surf/Swell/Wind are outside allowed parameters the trip will be postponed.
Ready to Launch Time: 0930
Expected Take Out Time: 1400
Target paddler: An open water/swell paddler or an active bay paddler, in both cases capable of:
(1) confidently launching and landing in the surf up to waist height, which is genrally described as "3-foot surf conditions;
(2) confidently low bracing if side-surfed in 3-foot breaking waves;
(3) rarely have to wet exit when launching; and
(4) may have to wet exit one out of 4 times landing in surf.
(5) a roll is not required, but a confident wet exit and confident assisted re-entry skills are required.
Must have the endurance to do a 12 mile bay paddle without excess fatigue, which is roughly equivalent to this 8.6 mile open swell paddle. If you have any questions about the suitability of your skills for this paddle, please call the trip leader in advance. Any paddler at the launch who does not demonstrate adequate skills will not be allowed to join the paddle.
Don't get scared off by the requirements. If you have trained in the surf zone with HASK or Steve Walls, you are likely the target paddler for this trip which is meant to be an introduction to Open Water/Swell paddling. Please call the trip leader to discuss the combination of your skills and surf/swell/wind conditons because this can be a very easy trip if the surf is knee high or less, but can get quickly challenging if the surf is waist high or above.
Necessary Equipment to Participate: A sea kayak with either (1) bow and stern water-tight compartments; or (2) high volume flotation bags like those used in a skin-on-frame kayak.
A spray skirt that fits you well and fits your cockpit combing well.
A kayaking-specific helmet (must be worn when launching and landing). It is optional to wear it while we are offshore paddling in the swell.
The equivalent of at least 2 16 oz bottles of water must be accessible afloat for both the pre-lunch and post-lunch sections of the paddle. See Hazards below concerning safeguarding your water bottles during surf launches and landings.
PFD Pump
Optional Equipment:
VHF "marine" radio. We will communicate on Ch 69. You should have access to Ch 16, the universal marine emergency/distress/rescue channel.
Towing gear Spare paddle
Directions/Launch Location:
Look at your email Friday night or give me a call Saturday morning while you are driving down, because the wind/swell direction will set our launch point. If the wind is out of the N or NE we will launch from Beach Access 6 which is at the Peregrine Timeshare Condo complex close to San Luis Pass. If the wind is out of the S or SE we will launch from Yucca Avenue Beach Access. Keep a careful eye on the street signs and you should see the blue beach access sign on the bay-side of the road a couple of miles NE of the intersection of HWY 332 and the Bluewater Hwy (FM 257) at Surfside Beach.
I go down HWY 288 to Clute, take the Hwy 332 cutoff to Surfside which deadends at a stoplight at the intersection of 332 and the Bluewater Hwy. I turn left here to get to both Yucca Ave Beach Access and to Beach Access 6. If you prefer to drive through Galveston, just head for San Luis Pass, and keep going until you reach the correct beach access point.
At either location, just pull onto the beach and look for our group. The beach should be nice and hard, and you should have no difficulty driving on the sand.
Vehicle Ferry Scheme:
Prior to launch we will position one vehicle at Beach Access 4 just in case we have paddlers that need a mid-point retreat. All other vehicles will be moved to the take out point, except the ferry vehicle which will return all drivers to the launch point. This is why we need folks ready to launch at 0930, but will not launch until 1000; the time required to position vehicles and return paddlers to the launch point.
Immediately upon landing, the driver of the Beach Access 4 retreat vehicle and the driver of the ferry vehicle at the launch point will be returned to their vehicles so they can return to the take out and load their gear and kayaks.
Hazards (import to read, consider and abide as appropriate):
(1) Big dumping surf -- The Galveston-Surfside coast typically has a sea swell from two directions, east and southeast. The swell is additive and when the two match a 2 foot swell from both direction will give you an occassional 4-foot swell, which is nice, and an occassional 4-foot breaking wave if you are launching or landing. We will
postpone the paddle if the surf is much above "waist height" and the swell from any direction is much above 3 feet. See the
http://www/swelinfo.com/surf-forecast/surfside-texas website and move your cursor over the surf height chart in the top 3rd of the screen and you will see swell height/direction and wind speed/dirction hour-by-hour.
(2) Strong offshore winds -- Winds from the W, WNW, and NW blow offshore and present a real hazard. This trip will be postponed if the winds are from these directions unless the winds are forecast to be below 10 mph from launch until late takeout.
(3) Launching and landing in the surf -- practice safe surf zone paddling and launch and land under control. No surfing to the beach (which by definition is paddling out of control) unless/until the trip leader institutes a surf session. See #5 below.
(4) Your kayak -- Your kayak empty is potentially a 60 pound missile. Flooded it is potentially a 250 pound missle; flooded with you in it a >350 pound missile. Your helmet is a necessary part of your defense from you kayak and all the other paddlers' kayaks, but its only covering your head. If you are in the water, stay in contact with your kayak and pay attention to where the other kayaks are that might be swept your way by either swell or breaking waves.
(5) More about this kayak-missile thing -- When launching and landing, if there are any waders, swimmers, fishermen, or other water babies in the water or on the waters edge you MUST LAND UNDER CONTROL -- NO SURFING, which is by definition kayaking out of control.
(6) When paddling in swell and breaking waves, always offset the position of your kayak from other kayaks so that if the swell or a breaking wave pushes your kayak you won't crash into a fellow paddler.
(7) Shoulder injuries – Improper technique can expose shoulders to injury. ONLY low bracing in the surf zone; NO high braces. When in the surf zone when performing a stern rudder, always maintain the paddlers-box position. If you don't know what the paddler-box position is, ask the trip leader or an assistant trip leader.
(8) NO paddle tethers or tow ropes in the surf zone – HASK rules do not allow the use of either paddle tethers or tow ropes when we are paddling in the surf zone. They present a serious risk to everyone on and in the water. When launching and landing stow your paddle tether securely under bungies on your kayak deck. Never deploy a tow rope in the surf zone and ABSOLUTELY NEVER release/drop a tow rope or tow rope belt/bag in the surf zone, as it presents a very serious risk to all other paddlers. If you have a tow rope deployed and find yourself in the surf zone, immediately signal the trip leader or an assistant trip leader and they will direct you about safely towing offshore and out of the surf zone where youncan safely release your tow and retrieve your tow gear.
(9) The hard sand bottom – Our beaches have a very gently sloping bottom, which means they are shallow quit a ways out. Your helmet is your necessary protection against a severe and all natural exfoliation of your scalp; I have had it done and strongly recommend against it.
(10) Surf fishermen and their fishing lines – Always avoid their fishing lines which are hard to see. Stay well away. If you must paddle past a fisherman, paddle well out from them behind them.
(11) Water babies of any age – Your heavy kayak being paddled to the beach, or worse your empty flooded kayak being swept to the beach is a real hazard for anyone in the water, especially children. If there are water babies and you have to wet exit your first duty is to get a grip on that kayak, preferably by the bow toggle. Don't chase paddles or other gear, don't worry about water up your nose, get a good grip anywhere on that projectile kayak, then and only then can you consider anything else you need to be doing.
(12) Dehydration – Take water and drink it. This trip requires a minimum three 16 oz water bottles. Your water must be secured under a hatch or in a pfd pouch when you launch and land, otherwise you are likely to lose it.
(13) Jellyfish of all sorts – I haven’t seen jelly fish in the surf in years, but you do occasionally see them on the beach, so guess where they are. Pay attention walking on the beach and don’t step on them. Basic protection is to wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants. This is not a recommendation, but my summer preference is shorts and sometimes a short sleeved shirt; if I wear long sleeves it is for sun protection.
(14) Pooped paddlers – Swell paddling takes more energy than flat water paddling until you develop some confidence and learn swell-specific paddling techniques. That is why we have limited this paddle to 8.6 miles, which would be a fairly short bay paddle. Every 20 minutes or so drink some liquids as dehydration is the shortest route to a pooped paddler.
(13) Water temperature -- See swellinfo.com for the water temperature which is currently in the mid-80F range, so should not be a problem.
(14) Dehydration -- the most likely cause for pooped paddlers and loss of balance. Have access to plenty of water, and consume it. See the recommendation in Required Equipment.
(15) Watercraft -- usually none this close to the beach
Restrooms: We will try to start where portcans are available. I will have my pottie-in-a-tent at the take out point if there are none at that location.