Surfski Knowledge Base

Dennis Mowry
May 2 2020 #26627

After paddling down to Whiskey Rock a group of paddlers turned for the return trip. Arriving at Marine Park noticed one was missing and over due, while his vehicle was still there.

Coast Guard was called, directed towards Whisty Rock with paddle and boat description and details of the event.

The Coast Guard has spotted the paddler on shore near the boat launch near Whiskey Rock. They were sending EMS to have him checked out.

This is at 1:30 after launching at 9:00.

Recent update says he paddled to the Coast Guard boat, let them know he was fine, not in distress, just taking a rest, and paddling back to Marine Park on his own.

It's a relief to know we didn't loose another paddler, that there were some watching out for each other. The Coast Guard was great in responding, they said Thank you for calling.

All this took quite a bit of time and confusion. Could of be worse in different situation.
Some lessons to be learned.

:Dennis

Reivers Dustin
May 2 #26628

quite an interesting sequence. The guy was super friendly and well organized with gear. He had a 5mil full wetsuit, PFD, not sure about radio. Conditions were pretty calm when the first wave went out. Probably 7 or 8 mix of OC's and 'skis. The forecast was for big air from the south to come up around mid-day. There was light air from the north at that time. The guy was paddling an Uno Max, a pretty aggressive boat and he admitted to being a little tippy. But with the superweight wetsuit, not really worrisome (I thought). Kirk and Dean noticed that he paced the group really well all the way to Whiskey. They didn't worry until they got back to MP and didn't see him and couldn't find anyone who had.

At the time the second (maybe third) wave headed south, the wind from the north was building. This was not in our crystal ball. Conditions were “chunky” with long wave-length stuff from the South and chop from the north. There was rebound off the wall as well. It would have been ticklish in any skinny boat. Mark W was flying his skinny Elite S and made it a short paddle for this reason.

Michael M, Duncan, Dean, David and some others started working out which car the missing guy had hoping that he may have come in early and drove home. But with some help figured out that his car was still in the parking lot. So, radio call to the coast guard placed. The conditions were chunky for maybe 40 minutes in the middle, but calmed down by 11 or so. The main concern was equipment failure. If perhaps the rudder had come off, then there's a problem. But lots of people were launching and coming back in. Some were touring type “Pudge boats”, some were independent minded paddlers with their own partners. So the thing was kind of a shades of grey thing. Maybe he went long and just didn't want to check in with anyone. The last I heard he refused a ride back in with the coast guard. LG will do a quick check to see if his car is still parked later on. Looking at the timing, this was a loooong time to hang out waiting for the return paddle.

If the guy paced the first wave of Dean, Eric W, Kirk and them, I would not have been able to keep up. So it illustrates a problem with our proposed buddy system. There are such wide range of abilities, it's tough to have a buddy that pairs well. And when I think of all the crazy stuff I did in the early years, kinda hard for me to act righteous about other people's lessons.

rd

Dean Bumstead
May 2 #26629

Got off the phone with him a little bit ago. He said he was overheating in his 5 mill wet suit and a bit uncomfortable in his uno max so pulled into Chuckanut Island to take a breather and let the wind die down. Which it did – so like any young, strong surfski paddler he paddled back down to Whiskey Rock in hopes that the wind would pick back up. Which it didn’t very much. I’m not sure at what point he greeted the Coast Guard. He did express an interest in joining Whatcom Paddlers, and getting a fatter boat. I gave him your email address Reivers and told him you’d take care of him.

Reivers Dustin
May 2 #26630

deano. I'm the one who needs care. Duncan and LB in their new V-9's were ripping it up in that chunky munky. David must be on some high octane stuff and outpaced us all. I was hoping Dmow would show signs of weakness since he hasn't paddled much lately. But nope. oh well.

Dean Bumstead
May 2 #26631

Remember the San Juan Challenge when David was drinking that special juice and left us all in his wake? He must have found some more.

David Hooper
May 2 #26632

Sorry to miss the pack this morning, but decided to wait for the wind to pickup this afternoon. Which it did. Put in just after 3, with several OC's (Dorothy, Gary, Peter M, and others). Had a couple good laps up to the trestle or so. By the second lap, the waves had started to build some more, especially with the outgoing tide. Good times. By the third lap, things had gotten a bit sportier. Couldn't make it much past Post Point with the easterly gusts pushing towards Portage Is, so I just made that a short one. The web data show gusts to just over 40 around then, which is about what it felt like. Most of us paddled in around then, and appreciated each others' help getting boats out and loaded. A couple of brave OC1's were still out as I pulled away. And Vaughn was just putting in in his V8pro as we all got out. Hope they had fun and not too much hecticness!

Dave H.

Justin <eh.haole@…>

May 2 #26636

Hi guys it's me, that drop-in paddler! I just found out about Whatcom Paddlers and jumped on to thank everyone for this high standard of looking out for people. The community of open paddles are a special thing here. Thanks to all the regulars here who keep the community strong. Bellingham has a fantastic S&R crew and system too. Essential and humbling.

As a drop-in I was an unknown, and once not seen I could have been floundering off the back in all kinds of trouble. That's dangerous in 50°F water, even in a thick suit, if mounting or equipment were an issue.

My apologies to this early group for hanging back without successfully communicating it. I joined the turnaround and the guys checked to see that I was sorta keeping up, despite plenty of small/medium mixed chop making it interesting and extra work.

But after finding myself a bit cooked while surfing a couple of south sets into a north wind, I headed over to Chuckanut Island for a breather and a nature walk while things settled down into a more steady southerly as forecasted. I had been planning to check out the island today, but I wasn't able to communicate this to the lead group. I had a family member to chat/inform the schedule but immediately regretted not having asked for phone numbers at the put-in! 🤦‍♂️

I then headed to the Larabee Cove thinking I might find another team of paddlers en route (I didn't though). No T-Mobile coverage at the cove. I may start carrying a marine radio again. (Anyone care to suggest a nice mini model?) The AIS Nautilus LifeLine that I normally use for diving might be a wise thing to carry too, in case of real problems. Seems overkill for a little day paddle until the day you need it, I guess.

I did manage to get a really safe and pleasant paddle back north by about 1:30pm.

Next time I will invest more attention to ensure good communication and continue the high standard of safety here.

gsouthstone
May 2 #26641

Hey Justin;
The VHF radio of choice this winter was the 5 watt Horizon HX40 from West Marine. Due to the popularity among paddlers in Bellingham, West Marine ordered an extra dozen. It is the size of a cigarette pack and with all the rebates and sales coupons, it was going for $80. The Coast Guard prefers radio contact over cell phone. Hope that helps.

It was a refreshing day on the water,
Gary

Kevin Olney

May 2 #26642

Glad you made it back safely Justin. Days like this can be tricky. Small Craft Advisory in effect but flat on the bay. None of the models agree on when the wind will pick up. I paddled with Amber at 1:30 just ahead of the front and we did Marine Park laps as the wind started to build, 10 knots with some gusts to 15. I went back out at 3:00 and it was steady 20s and by 4:00 into the 30s. My point is that conditions can change from “fun surfing” to “oh s#!t” really quickly. If the forecast predicts any conditions you would consider out of your skill/comfort zone just assume it’s going to happen while you are on the water and take the appropriate precautions. Most of the time the best waves are right in front of Marine Park anyway. It’s great to see new paddlers out on the water. Let’s keep on keeping everyone safe!

KO

David Scherrer

May 2 #26643

No worries Justin. In our group of Barnacles a number of us have had experiences with missing paddlers etc so we get a little anxious at times when someone does not show up at the beach in what we assume is a reasonable amount of time. Mike Medlar did have it right when he speculated that the 5 mm wetsuit may have been a real cooker! Very happy to hear you are OK, thats the bottom line….And yes Chuckanut Island is a great place to explore. One of my favorite places in the San Juans.
Looking forward to making your acquaintance.
David S.

Justin <eh.haole@…>
May 2 #26644

Thanks for the welcome and advice and encouragement, yeah I've been in ~20+kts on this ski before, going “20kph” (15 steady), and I've also capsized on it in ~20kts before with some thought provoking work to get on again. My paddling still gets roughed up in weird cross water, which is what was happening around ~10 or 11. Just not that fun, but a required skill. Trying (briefly) to surf waves *into* the wind may be a first too 😅 I tucked my tail into the beach for things to re-tune, while those ahead powered on reliably into micro-gnar.

Wunderground and Ventusky called the ~2pm southerly switch & build pretty well. But I found the early multidirectional chop unexpectedly sporty. A proper hazing!

lori & beau whitehead
May 4 #26655

The little miss-communication this weekend with a “lost paddler/not-lost paddler” has gotten the paddling community under a bit of a microscope at the moment.

When the “rescue” wheels were put in motion on Saturday, a lot happened: The Coast Guard boats were deployed, the Bellingham fire boat was deployed, fire engines were deployed to look from shore & the CG helo was scrambled from Port Angeles.

And that is exactly what is supposed to happen. Normally. But these days, that process puts a ton of added stress on already stressed first responders and 911 system.

So, the battalion chief in charge of our fireboat is grumbling about our activities. And I can tell you, it won't take much of a conversation between himself, the Coast Guard and the mayor to put an end to what we all have been taking for granted.

So what's the answer? I don't know. Don't be f$%king stupid comes to mind, but I'm plenty guilty of that myself.

Yesterday at MP looked like a race was happening. (oh wait….) Parking lot was completely full (once again, one of those cars was mine.)

Just some thoughts to mull over and I'm sure prompt some discussion. But we are under the microscope as of now.

Michael Lee
May 4 #26656

Thanks Beau. The word is out.

While rigging my OC at Wildcat Cove on Saturday afternoon, a park ranger came over and said, “the Coast Guard has already rescued one of you guys today”. A not-so-subtle suggestion that paddling in gusty winds might be a bad decision. I proceeded to launch my OC2 and paddled down the bay with my 12 year-old son.

So, yeah, I’m part of the problem.

Paul Reavley

May 4 #26660

Thanks Beau,

I was also worried about the “optics” as Denise and I headed toward the Bay Sunday morning to make our own contribution to the problem. We ducked into the CBC and launched from there with a few other folks, but it doesn't take too many cars there before it starts to look crowded also. My guess, given the nice weather and wind is that we would have been putting a large group of paddlers on the Bay that morning (and cars in the parking lot) in any event, although the paddlers would not have been as concentrated as they were in the “race”.

I begin to have visions of metered access on the Bay like they have been doing at Costco.

It seems to me like the potential for negative attention from calling out our rescue squads (is it perceived more negatively if someone actually has to be rescued or if it is a dry run?) is a greater risk than our visibility now on the Bay on great days like Sunday. Or am I wrong?

My impression is that there were a lot of folks outdoors on Sunday all over the place around Bellingham. Ultimately it looked to me like laps would have been more fun than racing (for me) anyway. All of the time trial virtual racing has certainly provided some low profile competition. But I suppose some of avid racers don't feel like they have been getting enough of the real deal? I can certainly lay off of races official or otherwise for the time being.

It was kind of novel having a local “downwind” race. There has been discussion over the years on this board about trying to have organized downwind races on the Bay (open scheduling like the Gorge, etc.) and the Bellingham Bay Rough Water race is advertised specifically to not cancel unless conditions are very rough. Maybe this kind of relatively low key impromptu affair (“incidental group time trial”) is the way to go as long as the conditions and numbers involved are manageable. When things return to normal around here, I would hope we can consider having some similar non-races in the future.

Justin <eh.haole@…>
May 4 #26661

As the drop-in bloke who went his own way unannounced, causing doubt and a large muster for a non-rescue, I can say I have learned:

- more plans discussion
- people worry, and they should
- carry a radio all of the time
- get other paddlers' mobile numbers before setting out
- 5mm is too hot now, maybe try a 3
- S&R are the very best
- blame the ski (not)
- try not to bring embarrassment, shame, concern and lockdowns to local paddling
- don't be f$%king stupid

I didn't lead the turnaround, and perhaps it had been my duty to give chase until I could grab someone's ear. But it was not appealing to do that while surfing trash chop back north into a headwind (uphill both ways?) Not with a calm wind switch to a downwind coming.

I figured I would have run into more paddlers who knew how to contact the guys with whom I'd set out. But unfortunately the first other people I saw were S&R. They are very good at their job.

If another kook like me shows up in a techy ski and doesn't arrive back in time, I agree that there is a significant chance they are in trouble. Or any ski.

Maybe newcomers like me are supposed to earn a little experience and then volunteer to be on unofficial kook watch every once in a while. Keep your eye on that new guy… they could be like you were

paul clement

May 4 #26662

Thanks Beau
It’s good to get the inside scoop. These are interesting times and I think we would all do well to park and paddle in ones or twos. I have avoided Marine Park and Galbraith Mountain for some time. Sunday I intentionally paddled out of the harbor and but for a couple minutes near other people at the tunnel it was solo paddle. It helps that I am one of the few folks that can tolerate hanging out with me…
pc

David Scherrer

May 4 #26663

I hear you Beau. Perhaps for the immediate future, we mix it up a bit and relieve the visual pressure off Marine Park. Example, on Tuesday morning we all meet at Blodel for a distance paddle of sorts.
Thursday meet at the Fairhaven Boat Launch, maybe Saturday as well. The Launch does have a large parking lot, not quite so crowded looking.

Sorry to hear about the Battalion Chief and his “grumbling”.
D

Tyler Irwin
May 4 #26664

I spoke with one of the Park Rangers on Sunday when we were launching from Larrabee and they said that the park gate will be open starting tomorrow! Probably subject to change of course now that everything seems to change day-to-day.

BTW, the 9am downwinder was dang fun. Easy 1/2 mile paddle to the SW and the wind machine turned on. Good times.

Kimberly Reeves

May 4 #26666

Thanks for the heads up Beau…
I’ve been trying for weeks to be on the down low with paddling. Trying to find odd times, different launches, different bodies of water, limited surfing and no social media posts.

It’s frustrating that because of impatience and our general need to see each other, that access may be at risk.

I do not want loss of access to the bay…please, no more races, no more paddling outside of your skill set and pack a radio and cell phone to message your buddies that you’re fine so that they are not calling the CG when you are fine and resting on the beach…

David Hooper
May 5 #26672

Hi Justin,
We haven't met yet, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness about last Saturday. From what I've heard, you were NOT being “f*&$ing stupid”. Just a bunch of common issues added up. A few thoughts:

clothing: since you're new, you haven't seen the volumes written on this listserve about this topic. I'm relatively new too, and there have been volumes written since I joined in a few years ago. It's very individual, but a few key points
The tricky part is balancing preparedness for cold water but not overheating in warmer air while exercising hard. This time of year is particularly tricky - water's still cold, air is getting much warmer.
Midwinter, windy days - neoprene is good, but I think most folks go with a 3/2 or farmer john. 5 mm is pretty warm even for then, unless it's really cold (some folks paddle when temps are less than 40, but not me much).
in transition seasons like now, or calm days in winter, a lot depends on your body type and comfort level. I seem to run a little colder than others and so end up wearing a little more. And all of us have made miss-calls and worn too much or too little.
communication and radios: since you're new, you haven't seen the volumes written on this listserve about these topics. A few thoughts:
Just having a radio doesn't guarantee communication, if everyone else has theirs turned off. Some people do this, thinking they want to save batteries for when they need it to call the CG. But we're all each other's first line of defense. And your episode is a good indicator that radios can and should be for more than just calling the CG.
It's worth a few minutes before a group paddle to check to see who else has a radio and whether they plan to have it on or not. And doing a quick radio check once on the water while getting going is a good idea too. That's tricky, if you're new, and don't know anyone.
Getting a few phone #s is a good idea too, but similarly tricky in a new situation.
if it's possible to buddy up, and have at least one person looking out for you and you for them, that's a good thing. Because, as you point out, if you happen to get behind a group and can't catch up for whatever reason - gear issues, clothing issues, health issues - and no one waits, there's not much you can do. But, again, that would've been pretty impossible in your new situation. In fact, buddying up seems pretty difficult in any big amorphous group, especially with different levels of skill, amp, etc. Not that we should stop trying…
embarrassment, etc. - yeah, stakes are a little higher now with the pandemic scrutiny, but all of us have had similar stuff happen at some point or another (goes along with dropping boats, leaving gear, etc.); maybe some have just been luckier with timing.

Keep paddling and many things will get dialed in with time.

Dave H.

Reivers Dustin

May 5 #26673

man, what to wear… I'm going to start another topic thread on this one.

Radio: I've struggled for years with this. I tried so hard to find PLB, Epirb or other satellite based. There might be something new since I've looked, but satellite latency is bad news for paddler overboard. The other choice would be cell phone. Doing a 911 call is horrible. But I hear that if you have coast guard dispatch number programmed in, AND if you have solid cell coverage, this is fastest, best emergency response. For myself, that is not good enough. I don't trust the coverage. My view is that radio is not for talking to anyone but the coast guard. This is the last line of defense. It's fine if other boat traffic hears and responds. I've seen this work: Deb B got a civilian boater who was really, really good at managing her situation. But, generally I have concerns about most civilian help.

I was kind of a zealot about the “Rescue 21” program which the new generation of DSC (Digital Select Calling) VHF radios have. This is on line at Bellingham Coast Guard and if you push the panic button, they will get Lat/Long plus vessel ID via encoded digital transmission. You still use the hand-held normally, but it is also auto-generating digitally to equipped stations until THEY turn it off or the battery dies. Nowadays I'm not so sure DSC is worth the extra weight and cost to a paddler. It turns out coasties are not that smooth with this tech. Instead you can just “Mayday” from anywhere in Puget Sound and you'll be heard. The real thing here is about the last mile. All the stuff in the books about mirrors, flares, smoke, water dye, … even reflective clothing, etc. This stuff is not what you bet your life on. You want your voice in the ear of the guy driving the ambulance (C.G. rescue vessel). Nothing else comes close. The Saffa guys (Surfski.info) did some drills on visibility and it was disturbing, but in fact you guys already know this. Just recall all those conversations with the guy next to you when you see something a mile away: “Is that a duck?”, “I can't tell … maybe it's a crab pot.” “holy crap, it's a boat!, lets surf the wake!” Just realize this: the radio is the last rope you have. You basically buy the best dang one you can, then work hard to never need it.

Oh yeah. I have never been able to talk to another paddler using my radio. I can't hear them, they don't seem to hear me, I usually need both hands to keep my ass out of the soup, AND a surfski is about the worst rescue vessel I can think of. But, OC boats have proven themselves awesome rescue platform. If I had a personal handler like some rich guy, I would make them paddle an OC boat next to me wherever I go. That would be a nice layer of safety. Oh well.

Oh yeah again> Michael M mentioned this morning. On this particular call we maybe should have done a “Pan, Pan, Pan” to CG, then ask for a welfare check on paddler X. This might have de-escalated the response to something more appropriate. I really hope we keep good rapport with the CG.
rd

Justin <eh.haole@…>
May 5 #26675

I got a Nautilus LifeLine GPS/AIS/DSC for drift & tidal diving a while back. I haven't used it in any emergencies, but as far as I understand it will broadcast your position over VHF distress channels. In “test mode” it will put your position onto the screen of a live boat's receiver that is pre-programmed into the beacon. I can confirm that it fits into my PFD pocket along with a strobe & whistle. I'll be carrying that for open water paddles.

In Australia for ocean races they were having everyone register onto a phone app (SafeTrx) for live tracking.

Technology is no substitute for plain old good sense, of course.

Reivers Dustin

May 5 #26676

That SafeTrx looks fantastic. They were going to use it at a race I heard about off the coast of Cornwall (U.K). But people didn't turn it on, didn't download it, there were probs with coverage, etc. Was this the app they were trying to us at Hong Kong race?

rd

Jonas Ecker
May 5 #26677

Both Ana and I use SafeTRX for bay paddles. It’s super easy to set up, once you have your info in you can start an activity, set how often you want your location to be reported and then share your tracking info via text link.

Obviously it should not be the only means of locating you, a radio is always good, and just tell you a family member or trusted contacted where you are going.

SafeTRX add another layer of security and safety if something does happen, and it keeps my mom happy!

Justin <eh.haole@…>

May 5 #26679

The SafeTrx function and participation level was pretty good for the 20 Beaches event. Seems like a great idea for open water events with large attendance, as it shows the safety crew where to run their sweep without missing stragglers.

https://flotilla.safetrxapp.com/events/op/20beaches

I'm not sure if it was the app or my non-race fitness, but a chase boat was never far away. Intense heat and large quartering seas refracting off of the cliffs for 20km. The pros and regular racers smashed it anyway, of course.

Eric Grossman
May 5 #26680

When I work on the water I have to file a Float Plan. Of course the govt makes it onerous but details lead to safety.

What if we had a techy colleague build a brief web-based form as likely as part of Whatcom Paddlers that folks could access your quickly file a float plan (esp on iffy days) AND we all come up with a rotation schedule to volunteer to be on call in case something goes south. We might even have capacity among our collective group to have a boat ready, maybe invest in a slip at the harbor to respond.

In the least we could help intercept cases when S&R or CG would not need to be mobilized if a change in plan or less threatening assistance could be communicated to the volunteer watching over the float plan. I could volunteer a day a month to monitor/closeout floatplans- likely only need this on windy days or by new folks learning about environmental conditions (winds, currents). Signage at key beaches could direct folks to the float plan.

A tool like this might improve our reputation with safety and communications, comfort the authorities and protect our privilege to paddle.

is it margarita time yet? Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
EG2

David Hooper

May 5 #26682

Sorry, I should clarify about my radio rationale, in response to Reivers:

Situation 1: Poop is hitting the fan (in the water, getting cold, can't get out, pack of marauding Bonoparte gulls have punctured your hull with their beaks, whatever). Action: use radio to call the Coast Guard. Hopefully, the people you're with, if any, will also hear and at least know what's going on. They may be able to help, or may not, depending on conditions. But at least they'll know. And the Coast Guard will be coming.

Situation 2: Out with a group and someone's not back. No one knows what happened to them. No attempts to reach them by phone or radio have been successful. Don't know if they have phone or radio with them. Additional considerations lead to concern for safety. Action: use radio to call Coast Guard. Way better safe than sorry.

Situation 3: Will hopefully help avoid Situation 2. Fell behind for whatever reason (had to pee, cool off, watch some eagles, dolphins, whales, catch a wake, avoid said Bonoparte gulls, whatever). Action: Put both feet in the water to stabilize, call buddies on radio to tell them all is ok, no need to wait or worry. Have them call spouse or others who might also worry to file revised float plan. Situation 3 only works if people turn on their radios and keep the volume up while paddling. No need to chatter into those radios during the paddle. If you do want to chatter, go to Ch. 72 so others don't have to listen.

My main point about radios is that more of Situation 3 will hopefully avoid too many Situation 2's.

Cheers,
Dave H.