Since today is my birthday, I figured I'd treat myself and paddle someplace that I've always wanted to check out... Mecox Bay in Southampton. So, with my boat on the roof, gear in the trunk, and coffee in the travel mug, I headed out east.
The wind had picked up a bit by the time I launched on the northern end of the bay, but it was not too gusty to make the paddle uncomfortable. In fact, despite wearing a long-sleeved shirt, I was dressed as if it was still summer and the water was warm. I didn't even put on my spray skirt. The bay was beautiful, the waterfront homes were amazing to look at, and the water was quiet and enjoyable.
Before long, I reached the "cut", where a break to the ocean had been created (by the town?) to allow the salt and fresh water to mix. A quick glance down the channel showed nothing but calm water and a glassy ocean, so off I went. Very quickly the water picked up speed, though, hurtling me towards the Atlantic. I was still under control, that is until I hit the first of the many standing waves at the interface of the bay's and ocean's waters. The first wave hit me in the chest and pushed me backwards. The second swamped my boat and washed my dry bag (contents: digital camera, cell phone, wallet, and car keys) out of my boat and whisked it away. I survived the third, fourth, and fifth waves, but finally succumbed to the sea on the sixth. Amazingly, I rolled the boat and performed a wet exit in heavy surf, all without losing the sunglasses hat were sitting on top of my head!
Long story made short, I retrieved my dry bag (thankfully still dry), pumped out my boat and climbed back in, and paddled back to shore to take stock of my situation. Items lost: my faithful Nalgene bottle, a pencil for note-taking, and my GPS. Things could have been a lot worse... which got me thinking about my safety and what had gone wrong. As the adrenaline and fear left, and I could regain composure, I thought about what lessons I had learned form this boneheaded move.
Obviously, scouting the inlet before plunging down it would have been the smart thing to do.
Donning my spray skirt would have helped as well.
Double dry bags to protect my electronics will also become a fixture on my future paddles.
I always bring a spare paddle with me. Today, this one almost washed off my boat... Checking and tightening all deck lines and bungees will be done tomorrow!
I was wearing my PFD (as always) but had forgotten to buckle the waist strap. This allowed the vest to rise up over my head while in the water... Checking all buckles and straps will become part of my pre-paddle ritual.
My trusty SPOT Messenger was in the pocket of my PFD, powered up and ready to go. But, I had not sent any "OK" messages to anyone. Nor had I let anyone know where I was. Had I really needed help from a friend, how would they know where to find me? And, if they did receive my SPOT's "Help" message, would they know what to do?... After I finish typing this I am going to update my SPOT's contacts and write up an "action plan" for everyone on it, so they will all know what to do in any circumstance.
Scary mishap? Absolutely! Fun trip otherwise? Definitely! Good birthday despite the adventure? You bet!
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