Dean Bumstead
02/23/12 #12088

For those paddlers that can paddle upwind – or heaven forbid – even enjoy paddling upwind, come to Hawaii and you'll be ruined forever.

The day after arriving in Kauai, my nose still running from a newly acquired cold, I was at the race start talking to an OC1 paddler that was telling me it was going to be nuclear - he didn't have to. He also told me there was another group of paddlers leaving from where I just drove from doing a truer downwind in just nuclear minus conditions. Sounded like a saner choice so back I went and hurriedly set up my Fenn XT that Dylan had left, not wanting to hold up the other paddlers, while my wife hovered around trying to talk me out of going – she almost did. But I put it in automatic and before I could figure out whether I was paddling with a 206cm paddle or 211cm, and if my feather was 60 or 65 degrees, I was following the OC paddlers closely (as advised) through the break. I made it. The thing about paddling in Hawaii when it's big, is that things are spread apart, giving you a bit more time to react. Not like the claustrophobic waves of Bellingham Bay. I soon learned what everyone talks about, catching the wind waves and once in awhile it puts you on the face of a monster swell and you're off. I never hit the triple story that Kirk did, but did hit several double story rides – I'm hooked. At the end of the paddle an OC guy asked me how many times I fell off. He didn't know who he was talking to – the big chicken, never falls off. I didn't paddle as aggressively as I could and swamped the cockpit many times.

Two days later I did an abbreviated version of the same course by myself. I paddled out a mile plus to clear the point, contemplating on the order of my natural enemies. Whales, sharks, rogue waves, equipment failure. The whale won, breaching about 50 yards in front of me. The downwind began there, and this time – for whatever reason – I paddled aggressively and was able to link the runs together. It seems, the faster you paddle, the smaller the waves get, or they become more manageable somehow.

So if you want to change your concept of what paddling is all about, give Dylan Thomas a shout and come to Kauai.

Downwinder from Samish Island anyone?

Dean
Oh yeah, that first paddle scared the cold right out of me.