Holy Crap!

[G-Man]

I gotta tell you guys my adventure on Sunday.

Met Garth (notime) to fish the RI south county beaches. He knows them real well. The south wind was really whipped up. The first 4 spots had no signs of fish, but the 5th one had birds working just out of reach from shore, problem was 3' rollers pounding the beach.

In a crazy moment I decided to launch. It was nasty. Lined up jumped in, Garth pushed me out, made it over the next 2 crests and I was out of the surf zone. Now, get to the birds which have now moved down the beach 300 yrds...dam!

I start moving off shore and notice the waves are actually bigger out here...4-5' swells in a stiff breeze. Here's the thing I learned that day. That 4' wave also has a huge trough. When I'm at the bottom I'm out of sight from the shore and looking at an 8' wall of water coming at me. It's some scary chit.

My line broke on a strap for the front hatch. Restringing my rod in these condition took all the balance and nerve I had. Now the birds are a mile away and I'm realizing this was a dumb move. I could never land a fish in this plus I have to land in that surf. Crap!

Fortunately, we have walkie talkies and Garth pointed out a spot the breakers were rolling rather than crashing. Paddled back to there, waiting for the big rollers to pass then sprinted for the shore. Surfed down one wave to with in 6 ft of shore then then next one flipped me, but I was so glad to be out of the water safely. That was some high adventure. One of the dummest things I have ever done, but it was wild and I'll never forget it. I do wear a wetsuit, but still it was dicey.

The day ended on little more positive note. I Lanched again at Narragansett. The ramp is sheltered there. I was back out in the big waves but not quite as bad before. I was in the middle of blitzing bluefish while 20 guys stood on the rocks waiting for their turn. The fish never came into casting range for them. I think I heard one of them say "Look at that idiot out in that kayak with his rod bent over!"

It was strange day...nobody on any of the beaches was scoring on Sunday that we saw. A wild day for sure.
Went to bed a little early...pooped.
-G

[SamRiley]

Fantastic report G-Man :)
It's always a tough call when the surf is up. Landing is usually the dicey part for me but with some bracing I usually get through unscathed. As it would happen, I had my second roll of the season on Friday at the Nauset Inlet. Although I was pointing into the surf, the part of the cut I was on was at a sharp angle to it. As soon as I committed, a roller came in, scooped up and swung my bow, dumping me in the drink. It took me two days to get all the sand out of my ears and don't even ask me about my reels :rolleyes:

Looking back, what was it that that caused you to roll? I personally find the rough stuff fun and loosing sight of land can be a trip. So can sitting on top of an 8' swell.... top of the world Ma :D

[G-Man]

Thanks Sam.
I think my main problem was the lack of a rudder. When I stop paddling to cast, the wind turns me broadside, which is a scary position in big waves. Waves coming from behind would surf the kayak and try to turn it broadside as well. This is a problem when some of the waves have than small crest at the top which can easily flip you. A rudder would have help immensely. I'm getting one for next year.

I flipped because I paniced. If I braced against the wave I may have stayed up. Bracing is something I really need to practice sometime.

Now about Nauset Inlet. I have only been there on outgoing tides and wondered if a kayak can punch through the waves at the end to the open ocean? Also can you get back in from the open ocean? Also, what does it look like on an incoming tide? Can you paddle out?

I think I could paddle against the current there (maybe not), but the addition of the waves where it meets the open ocean have me wondering.

I imagine you road the outgoing thru the inlet, and when it takes that hard right you bailed out to the surf area to the left. You're then broadside to the surf there and it caught the front to roll. True?
It's a wild area that inlet.
-G

[notime]

Full fishing report in NE forum under South County thread if anyone is interested.

Someone forgot to tell G-man why there were no boats on the water Sunday morning. I'd say the surf was higher than 3'. Also, the surf at that section of Quonnie breaks right on shore so its a tough launch spot. When I pushed him out he made the first wave okay but I had my doubts about the second wave. Fortunately he made it. It reminded me of those pictures you see of Coast Guard boats making a rescue in Alaska. Spray all over the place, big swells, and the boat cutting through the top of the wave as the front points to about 2:00. Is the boat going to make it...some how it does.

By the time Greg made it out, the birds were long gone. They really moved fast. Getting him back it was a bit hairy, but it actually went well. Of course, I was on the beach looking out. Greg did a good job of timing the waves and surfing in. He got dumped as he hit the beach. He got turned at the last moment and the wave rolled him.

While he was out there I took a few pictures for his wife...just in case. I'll try to post one, though the pictures don't capture the power of the waves.

[G-Man]

:D
From this point on...
I will always question Garth's friendship for letting me go out in that crazy ****e. :D

[SamRiley]

I've found a rudder to be a big time no no in following seas, especially when doing a surf landing. The rudder will actually give the wave some purchase on your stern, allowing it to more easily swing and roll you. As for how we put in at Nauset, Shaun and I paddled from my new favorite put-in inside the harbor and hiked over the barrier beach with the yaks. We were going to sit up high on the dune, grilling up some Plovers and scope out the horizon until we saw targetable action. When we did, Shaun and I punched through the beach break which was running 2-4'. As only a true friend would do, Shaun shot out first then turned around with his camera ready to catch my anticipated soaking. Had to disappoint him. After the dunk the day before there was no way I was going in again.

In general, I would say the best way to go through the inlet is with the tide. Fighting the current can be next to impossible and if you throw in some surf, downright dangerous. The cut and the outside are not spots for newbies. Please, if you are thinking of giving it a try, beach your yak on the inside and scope out the conditions first. Same thing goes for the South end of South Beach in Chatham.

[G-Man]

Really?
Rudder does not help in following seas?
I would think that's when it shines, but I have no experience to base this on. Hmm.

Back to Nauset...
Got it ... so you punch thru the waves at the end with the flow. How about the return trip? How did you get back in? I assume tide was still going out.

I gather you're saying go thru the beach surf to the side of the inlet then carry the kayaks over the sand back to the harbor.

[Wes]

Gman
Sounds like you got broached Think you have an SOT so you might look into thigh straps. They help a lot to control the yak in big surf/swells.

[ruge13]

Time the tides, this will save you endless paddling against high currents. We usually just paddle out the cut, waves are fun, not an obstacle usually. Stay out of the boat lanes. The channells there are very narrow and boats cannot pass you to go around. You have to get out of their way. We hopped the dues (after the roped off area for plovers and over sand trucks) because we got lazy and did't feel like fighting an incoming tide current. As for the inlet, higher tides obviously easier, the West side is easier because of the bar structure and uaul current directions. The East side has a shallow bar that piles up the waves. Lower tides there is a bar in the center and you are forced to the right. Waves will be high all the way accross, but its always more fun to punch the waves. The bveaches are steep so once you start sliding to the surf you are committed so I think its easier to paddle through and time the waves then launch from the beach side. Once through the cut, or off the beach there is a second bar about 200-300 yds out. The water comes up to about 6ft at high tide. Waves here will be huge if you happen to get a good set with standing curls the norm. It is possible to paddle around them though, just don't be sitting on top of it when a good set comes through. We were in S county around 6-8am Weekapaug to watch hill, what time were you there sunday we must have just missed you...
As far as the rudder goes, larger following seas and surf will catch the keel on most boats as Sam said. You are going to be bracing here and there to balance that motion with or without the rudder, no need to add to it. This sounds like a stupid thing to do but I suggest you try it. Paddl some rough stuff at night with someone. Reason I say this is during the day you can see waves coming, you learn to anticipate. THis is good, but when fishnig, sometimes you are busy doing other things to anticipate every wave, so you need to teach your body to work without your head (for lack of a better way to describe it). Paddle at night and you can't see everything, you tend to react more than anticipate. This will teach your legs and hips to act separately from your body and you will find that you will stop using the paddle to balance in choppy water, and start using your hips and legs. This helps TREMENDOUSLY when taking shop broadside in wind like you described and trying to cast or fight a fish when you can't use the paddle. But again, don't do it alone.

[Bob Parsons]

You guys using the Hemingway launch? I used to use that with my canoe and duck boat. The mrs. would sit in a beach chair in the front of the boat as we putted out to the beach. I could not take the boat through the channel but at the time there was some great fishing snorking in that stretch behind the barrier beach.. Used to spear flounder, once even found a couple of lobsters.

[SamRiley]

Have been using Hemingway but found one much closer to the cut. Parking is very limited so I can't broadcast it here. Shaun and I were talking to a guy who fishes his pots inside Nauset and said that it had been a bad year.

[G-Man]

Interesting....Thanks guys.

Wes...I did get some thigh straps last year, but I never really took to them. They get in my way fishing and I don't ussually keep my knees up high enough for them. I will dig them out again and try them again. I think I'll go "play" at the beach some time so I'm a little better prepared at game time.

Shaun..thx for info....I think of Nauset Inlet in terms of the north side of inlet...It's all I know. I launch at Hemingway and go to north side landing yaks on inside and walking to outside. That's intereting to hear about the south side. I'll have to check it out next time.

I like the north side in that even the 4x4's can't get there. You own it once you're there.

I would like to learn other launch sites for the south side approach since the Hemingway "shortcut" is dry at low tide. I'll have to tag along with you guys at Nauset next spring.

Practice at night...interesting idea..I get your point.

Thx
-G

[BluesCruiser]

I am a nut for those big waves too hell there's fish out there~
and the return trip to the beach well get's interesting some times. But hook into a fish and the fun starts.
(fish save life fish save life) paddle paddle reel reel where's the boga wow very busy ooops...Hold on:-%


:D