Just Crazy Enough

Home life has been stressful the past few weeks, so a sunny long weekend was a gift from heaven. There was going to be kayaking. Oh there was going to be kayaking...
The only scheduled paddle was in upper Narragansett Bay which didn't really interest me, but it would have done in a pinch. Fortunately, BH was also looking for a little more action than the upper Bay would offer. His idea was to take advantage of the big tides and the constriction at the Quonny Pond breech way.
BH tried to enlist TM, PB, and myself. TM needed to get day care support. I was hoping to get H on the water and wasn't sure which day she would be up for it. PB wanted to do some cycling on the best cycle-day of the weekend. TM was able to secure a few hours of grandparent support. H planned to visit with a friend on Saturday. PB decided the day was perfect for cycling.
Saturday morning the three of us showed up to test our mettle. I was forgoing the mighty stick for my scoopy Kinetic Touring blades to battle the big water.
Things looked pretty calm in the pond, but we knew the real action was at the mouth of the breech way. The water rushing out of the breech into the incoming waves would make for action...
When we rounded the corner we met some flat water. There were a few bumps and some little swirlies. It was enough to make the hull bounce and rock. It made turning a little difficult. It was enough.
We decided to move down the shore and see what other trouble we could find. There were rocks to dodge a and small waves to ride.
Along one beach we found some very nice surf waves. The wave were just a few feet tall, had long breaks, and collapsed well before the beach. Perfect for a few early season, cold water rides.
So we could tell stories of mayhem later, I "volunteered" to be a train wreck. After surfing into the beach, I made a graceful turn into an oncoming wave. The wave was no problem, but it left me sitting parallel to the beach and the surf... The second wave hit me an as I braced, my paddle snapped. I was upside down with a paddle in each hand. Fortunately, the water was shallow and I managed to get myself upright and side surf into the beach.
I spent the rest of the day using H's Kinetic S. It is a nice paddle. It doesn't have the same power as the full size Kinetic Touring, but more than enough to handle most conditions. Compared to the mighty stick it is a club.
The rest of the day was pleasant. We bopped around the coast playing when the opportunity arose and otherwise just enjoying the feeling of being on the ocean. We quickly realized (or was it rationalized) that the mild conditions were perfect for an early season outing. There will be plenty of time later in the season for mayhem in big water.
Back at the put-in, we did (mostly) successful rolls. I blew one, but completed several others including a picture perfect off-side roll. Not bad for being out of practice and using a new paddle....