Thursday 20 June 2013

June 20 Awesome runs, but had to stop and camp to warm up

The Epic 18 sea kayak Bob and Oscar lent me was a dream. On those big runs, gusting at 40 knots with 2m seas, I’d see a white cap (white horse) building. I couldn’t outrun the big ones and these would rise up above me and break over my head. I'd tuck my thighs under the cockpit, brace my Wing paddle into it, um, my Epic Wing paddle into it, duck my head down and disappear into the foam. Then I’d feel the hull release, slide down the face and the next thing I'd be shooting out of the foam pile like Superman, with the white water streaking off me, as the boat just took off down the face, the understern and featherlight pedals giving me full control. GPS reading over 22kph on some of the bigger ones. Awesome. Thanks for the sponsorship guys – Bob Putnam of Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak and the other guy, Oscar somebody of Epic Kayaks. Greg Barton might know him. 
Unfortunately I had to stop catching those awesome runs because the cold was making it too hard to hold onto the paddle - and I was INSIDE the boat, paddling. A potentially very dangerous situation

Hi All,
Jerome is fine - the SPOT has had problems - he will fiddle with it tonight - he is near Ucluelet. Just got a text update from him:

June 20 - I'm OK - SPOT faulty - I'm 5km NW of Ucluelet at the Wya Pt Indian reservation. Too cold to carry on paddling. To warm up I had to stop, get out, change into dry clothes, put the tent up and get into the sleeping bag. This is crazy - still half a day of runs left. On a warm day I would sit on the beach, eat, drink, dry out, warm up in the sun and in half an hour and be on my way.
I met Liam, a sea kayak guide on the beach. He is getting married here Saturday.

Later
Sam.

1 comment:

  1. Jerome! It was a pleasure to meet you today!

    Happy paddling the rest of the trip!

    Liam 'the Red' McNeil

    ReplyDelete