Kayak Design

A few wireframe pictures of what I plan to be the first build of a surf kayak. I'm using a freeware design software that is making it easy to make design changes. It doesn't make one any smarter on the aspects of surf craft design though...


Dimensions:
7' 5" LOA
24" Width
10" Rocker up front
4 inches rocker in the back

Westport and Daylight Savings Time

It's been way too long since I've posted here, so here's a quick write-up about my trip last week.

Jeff and I left from my house around 7:00 last Saturday and spent the night at Twin Harbors state park in Jeff's van. We got to Westport around 9:00 and shared some good wine and a campfire on the beach. After a late night BS session, we finally got to sleep. Sunday morning started extra early because in addition to setting my blackberry's clock forward an hour, the damned thing went ahead and adjusted itself as well. So at 6 am we're scouting the groynes and the jetty in the dark. After a little breakfast and some coffee the sun finally came up and we decided on the jetty.

I've been a little psyched out in bigger waves lately (probably because I haven't been out that much) so it was big and scary for me -- overhead and half, 11 second interval and a nice off-shore wind. However, it was a surprisingly easy out and we were the only guys in the water for the first 1 1/2 hours. It was a clamming weekend, so there were lots of people on the beach. It was spooky out past the break and I got the ride of my life dropping into what was probably my biggest wave to date. I had a nice ride down the line and as the wave started to wall up, ready for the closeout, I tried to get up and over the back of the wave. I got up to the top and got sucked over the falls -- a good 8 ft free fall hanging upside down from my kayak. I was maytagged for a while, but finally got let go...then caught again, and finally let go for good. Interestingly enough that seemed to be the cure for my timidness. I caught a couple more screamers and saw Jeff drop into a few as well. In these bigger waves, it's clear to me that I'm ready for a new boat. The plastic tub doesn't give me enough speed to make it to the next section and I'm also suffering from a lack fin. On a big steep wave, the boat just slides sideways down the wave.

We were out of the water by 9:30 so I could get back to Bremerton in time for a social commitment...which was cancelled via cell phone while we were on the way back. Too bad, the groynes were looking clean and chest high and I would have loved another session. I'm glad I didn't read this post until I got home from surfing. My morning session might not have been as enjoyable had I read it beforehand.

Yellow Banks

Last year while Ed and I were on our Lake Ozette canoe trip, we hiked out to the beach just south of Sandpoint where I “discovered” a very surfable beachbreak. My thoughts immediately turned to how I might manage to pack in my boat and have some of those waves all to myself. Visions of carrying my kayak and paddle while wearing my wetsuit seemed daunting at best. The trail out to the beach is 2 miles, and that’s if you take the trail from mid-way down the lake, which would involve a few miles of lake paddling just to get there. It all seemed destined to become one of those things I just talked about forever and never got around to actually doing.

Then, a few months ago, Jeff bungied his board to his backpack, hiked the trail from the ranger station out the Sand Point, and camp/surfed for a couple days. My head was back in the game. So, after some research, I found a kayak harness/backpack device at NRS and planted the seeds for my birthday present. Sure enough, I got my birthday wish and the planning started. Unfortunately, summer activities and trips kept me away from making this happen until just last weekend, when Jeff and I not only hiked the three miles out to the beach, but another 3 miles south of Sand Point to a beach called Yellow Banks.

Challenges associated with this overnight trip included not only carrying a 30 pound, 6’ kayak and a paddle, but also packing in my camping gear, wetsuit, pfd, and helmet. It all looked like so much stuff to fit into my kayak. Some decisions had to be made – decisions that included not taking my camp stove or my tent (just the rain fly and footprint), or even a change of socks. I’d come to regret the change of socks, but more of that later. Jeff offered to carry the food and the mandatory bear canister in his pack.

We left town at 8:00 Friday evening and made the 3 hour drive to the Ozette Ranger Station to spend the night in Jeff’s van. We made the mistake of having a couple beers before bed, which had us getting up a few times to deal with excessive hydration. The alarm went off at 6:30 and we were up and packing our gear. After some discussion about what we could leave behind, we agreed that it was OK to be redundant in our gear when it came to the tarps. Jeff brought his and I brought the one I got for Christmas and hadn’t had a chance to use yet. All my gear went into the kayak, which I put on my back. We started down the mist covered trail and hoped to avoid the crowds.

does this kayak make my butt look big?

The trail out to Sand Point primarily consists of a 3 foot wide boardwalk made of cedar planks. It was a bit slick in the early morning dew as we silently made our way out to the beach. The kayak harness seemed to be doing the trick nicely, although there was no way to ignore the weight and bulkiness of the boat. After a while, it started to slip and slide a little and I had to make a few adjustments. This was Jeff’s third surf/camp trip, so he’s got his system dialed in. I’m sure I slowed him down a bit, but nevertheless, we made the trip out to the beach just fine with only a couple little breaks. As we made our way down the beach, the mist turned into rain – and the rain turned into a downpour. Within a minute, it seemed we were soaked to the core. I had made a conscious effort to avoid wearing cotton (with the exception of my socks and underwear), but Jeff had a cotton T-shirt that really set a chill into his bones. After some discussion, we stopped for a short break while Jeff traded the t-shirt for his rash guard. His mood instantly improved. Hiking the beach was relatively easy compared to the boardwalk, but our greatest challenged came in the form of a rocky headland through which we had to navigate slippery rocks, kelp and tide pools. This is treacherous hiking when one has a bunch of bulky gear on his back. I nearly lost it a few times, but was redeemed when we came to a break in the action and saw a nice clean swell breaking on some rocks. A few steps further and Yellow Banks revealed all of her beauty in a sweeping panoramic view of pristine Washington Coast beach.

Although the downpour slowed a bit, we still had some rain to deal with as we set up camp, hanging our tarps from ropes and trees and making sure everything would survive another big rain. Jeff had his hammock and I had my rain fly/footprint all in the upper level of the two-level campsite we found in the trees. We’d be using the lower level of the site for our campfire. After making some solid investment in our comfort, we put on the surf gear and headed toward the north end of the beach where the waves were breaking. On our way, the rain slacked off quite a bit and Jeff said, “OK. That’s it for the rest of the weekend.” I agreed and suggested we shake hands on it. We must have been blessed, because the clouds started to part and we didn’t see another drop of rain until the drive back on Sunday.

The waves for our first session were a on the smallish side, about waist high, but clean and peeling. It was also all ours, which made it that much better. We caught wave after wave for an hour or so and just enjoyed the fact that were finally doing what we’d come here to do. A few hikers came by while we were out and another couple watched us from their campsite up above the beach. We wondered out loud if we were entertainment or an eyesore. After some time the sky turned blue and the sun came out, so we thought it best to get back to camp and dry out some of our gear and our cotton clothing. As we were getting out of the water, two black-tailed deer were grazing on the hillside. They didn’t seem to mind our presence and quickly went back to their work.

Back at the campsite, we started a driftwood fire using some toilet paper smeared in Vaseline to keep the flame while the wet wood dried out. It was a team effort and in silence, we finally got a nice hot fire going. We roasted a couple of sausages and put the socks and other gear near the fire to dry.

After a walk to the other end of the beach and a couple sips of blackberry brandy, we got back into our surf clothes and made our way back to the waves. Along the way, we talked to the couple in the campsite above the surf spot and they verified that we were indeed entertainment, which made us feel good about our spot in the wilderness. The waves for our second session were quite a bit higher, closer to chest high, and still nice and clean. We surfed to near exhaustion and started the, “one more wave” talk that lasted about another hour. We finally dragged ourselves out of the water and headed back to the campsite. After another dinner of sausages, we got into our now dry clothes and settled in for a long night of conversation and brandy. Late in the evening, we took a hike down to the beach and saw one of the coolest sights of my life – bioluminescence in breaking waves. We watched forever at the long, glow-in-the-dark waves crashing on the beach.

The next day dawned bright and sunny. The waves were quite a bit smaller than the day before, so we broke camp and started the long, sweaty hike back to the ranger station. Before leaving the beach, we stopped for a snack and enjoyed the sunshine, then slowly made our way back via the boardwalk. Once at the lake, we took a quick and refreshing swim in the chilly water and tipped a couple beers to celebrate our adventure.

Needless to say, I think 6 miles with a 66 pound pack (good thing I weighed it after the trip) is pretty much as far as I’d want to take the current set up, but I’m thinking of ways to improve the situation and lighten the load a bit. Who knows where this will take me.

Monday Evening at Wesport

It's been a month since I've last surfed and I'm on travel next week, so Laurie talked me into a Monday evening surf trip to Westport. We left the house around 2:30, Laurie doing the driving while I did some work on the trip down. We were in the water by 5:00.

The south swell was small, but created some 2-3 ft faces. The wind was non-existant, so even though they were small and close together, they were glassy and clean -- perfect for Ryleigh to get outside the break and try to catch a few green waves. She's coming along nicely, I just wish we could get out more so she could progress a little faster.

My kayak session was enjoyable, I had a few nice rides and just enjoyed being in the water for the first time in a month. I also tried to catch some waves on Ryleigh's 6' 2", but didn't have much luck.

We finally got out of the water and were on the road back to Bremerton by 8:30. We got home around 11:00, but it was lots of fun for a workday.

One Day in Santa Cruz

I had to travel to the SF bay area for work last week, so I thought I might try to fit in a quick surf session. Initially, I thought I'd rent a board, but I decided to inquire on BoaterTalk to see about renting a kayak. I had a few recommendations for rentals, but I also received a post from Dave Johnston, who offered to rent me one of his boats -- and he'd go out paddling with me to boot. Dave is a world class surf kayaker and a Santa Cruz local, so I gave him a call and we made plans to meet on Tuesday morning.

Dave Johnston


Tuesday started early for me. I left the house at 4:00 AM and drove to the airport. My plane landed in San Jose a little after 9:00 where I picked up my rental car and made my way over the hills to Santa Cruz. I got to Dave's house a little after 10:00 and we headed North to find a place to surf. We scouted a few places along the way, but ended up getting into the water at Scott's Creek. The conditions weren't great -- a healthy chop on the water and on-shore winds -- but the swell was OK for me providing some nice 5-7 footers peeling to the right at a cool little reef break.

Dave paddled out and caught a few waves as I got used to his Mega Neutron. It was so cool to watch him surf, that I just hung out and watched for a while. After I got used to the boat a little bit, I caught a couple waves and learned the real difference between a full-up surk kayak and the Squashtail. This thing was fast. After dropping down the face, the fins would start to hum and I'd suddenly find myself out on the face of the wave with nowhere to go. It takes a pretty agressive bump to get the kayak to turn back to the pocket and I ended up leaning to my left while the boat was still headed to the right. After a few tips from Dave, I started to get the feel for it a little bit more and I had a few great rides.

Dave has a great eye for catching wildlife and he pointed out a few grey whales, and elephant seals that were hanging out. I also say a harbour seal, California sea lion, and a sea otter. After a few hours, I was wiped out and Dave had to get back, so we called it a day. So, if you're a kayak surfer and looking to rent a boat in Santa Cruz, give Dave a call or check out his website @ http://www.kayaksantacruz.com/index.html

After heading back into town, I gave my Uncle Terry a call and met him for a couple hours at the Seabright Brewery, where I had fish & chips and a great IPA.

Uncle Terry

Not a bad day in Santa Cruz.

Birthday at the Beach

The girls asked me where I wanted to go on my 39th Birthday. To that I said, "somewhere surfy, of course." So we made plans for Crescent Beach. For a week, the forecast was so-so, a 10 ft NW swell, and the weather was looking like a cold one. Nevertheless, we left the house this morning (a half-hour late, because I had to open my birthday presents -- a new kayak helmet and the Wolf Mother CD) and headed to the North Coast. Our van has been in the shop for some repairs after it was backed into by a big pick-up with a trailer hitch, so we didn't have the roof rack for my boat. We have a Dodge Caravan for a rental, and we managed to fit my kayak, Ryleigh's surfboard, and Zoe's boogie board in the back.

Our arrival at Crescent was pretty disappointing, the wind was up and created a chop that sometimes seemed bigger than the little wavelets hitting the beach. So further west to Twin River. Twin wasn't any better, so we headed back to Crescent and suited up for what we thought would be a quick session. A couple people were there as we pulled up and I made a connection with someone I've been communicating with via Boater Talk for a few months. Hamp had his daughter with him, so we both went out for surf lesson before we got out past the break. Ryleigh caught some great little waves and had a great time while Laurie and Zoe set up camp on the rocks and took pictures from shore. Although it was windy, the sun kept everyone fairly warm.

After a while, Ryleigh decided to get out and grab a snack while I fought my way into the on-shore wind and the chop. There was a nice little rip along side the island which brought me out past the break. Hamp was already out there and we took turns catching sloppy waves. Except for a couple of board surfers, we had the place to ourselves. Hamp's Cyclone was a great boat for the conditions and he caught wave after wave. After a nice session, I headed back in to drain the boat and let Ryleigh paddle up Salt Creek a few hundred yards. Hamp headed in for the day, but we made plans to connect at the Hobuck Hoedown Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Soon after, Gary and Rob showed up in their hand-made Freerider kayaks. So it was back out for another session. The ebb-tide seemed to hold the waves up a bit and they gained some size. I managed to catch a few more before I got tired out. I chatted with Rob and Gary a little bit, then headed in. We loaded up and hit the road, stopping for coffee in Port Angeles and tried to make it to the Sequim Game Farm. By the time we got there it was closed, so we made the trip home, stopping by to pick up some Thai Food on the way.

Not a bad day for my (first) 39th birthday.

Easter on the Oregon Coast

The girls had spring break that ended on Easter Sunday, so we took a four day weekend and headed to Seaside, Oregon. Seaside is a nice touristy beach town about 4 hours south of Bremerton. We left home on Thursday morning and made it to the beach around noon. After a stop at Cleanline Surfshop to rent Zoe a wetsuit, we hit the beach at Avenue U (The Cove). The waves were about 4 feet, but pushing pretty heavy. After spending some time with Ryleigh, pushing her into waves, I went out in the kayak. My first wave was a rough one and I got tossed a bit, but I rode it out only to find that I had cracked the shaft of my favorite hand-made (home-made) paddle that I've had for a few years. So, it was back to shore and up to the van to get the spare paddle. As I got back to my boat, Laurie noticed that I was also missing a fin. It had broken on that first wave, so back to the van to get another fin. After some repairs, it was back into the water for some great surf. I was one of only a few people in the water on a Thursday afternoon and the weather was as warm and sunny as a summer day. After some time, we were visited by our friends, the Westlakes, who have a vacation home in Seaside. Their two girls are the same age as ours, and they had a blast playing in the waves. After the beach, we enjoyed dinner at the Westlakes'.

The next day started with a rollerblade/longboard adventure on the promenade, a few miles of concrete boardwalk that runs along the beach the entire length of the town. The weather was great and after a quick breakfast, we headed out of town to check out Ecola state park. Just a few miles out of town, the fog got thick and the temperature cooled a bit more than we had hoped for, so we kept going south to scout Short Sands another great surfing beach. Unfortunately, the warm sunshine of Seaside was to alluring, so we made our way back to the cove for another couple hours of surf. In her nice warm wetsuit, Zoe couldn't stay out of the water. She and her friend Natalia made for a kids photo-shoot in their matching wetsuits.

My first wave was another mishap. I had forgot to put in my drainplug and by the time I was in position for my first wave, I was sinking fast. I managed to catch a wave and ride it in, so I could drain the boat and put in the plug. Of course, as I carried the boat out of the water, Laurie cringed as she mentioned that I had indeed lost another fin. At this point, I was frustrated enough with my gear that I took the other fin off and headed back out into the water. What a difference those fins make. I had beautiful peeling lefts all to myself, but without the fins, I was sliding sideways down the waves and missing sections I could have made but for the fins. In any case the weather was warm again, it was Friday and I wasn't working. I still had a blast. After a few hours, it was back to the hotel for a swim and a dinner of Mexican food with the Westlakes.

Saturday was rainy and miserable, so we spent the day doing the touristy thing at Seaside. bumper cars and shopping, pronto pups and the carousel made for a long and expensive day. We made it back to the surfshop though and made the investment in a used wetsuit for Zoe and some new fins for me. After a day in town, we spend some time in the pool and had a late dinner of pizza.

Easter Sunday started with Easter Baskets left by the bunny and a swim while mom hid eggs in the hotel room for a little hunt. Then it was the Easter Sunday brunch over which we debated the merits of surfing in the sloppy mess that was the Oregon Coast. We finally decided on a hike on the beach at Ecola, so we checked out of the hotel and made our way south again. It was rainy but warm and as we suited up for our hike, I changed my mind and instead got suited up for surf. The waves were total chaos and I was the only kayaker in the water again, with just a couple of surfers. I caught a few waves, but mostly had fun trying to manuever through the slop. After about an hour, I left the water and met up with the girls. We loaded up the van and headed north, stopping for coffee and fastfood on the way home. We got home late in the evening on Sunday and just had time to unpack and rinse the gear before bedtime and work on Monday.