How NOT to beach launch

Can you imagine what would happen if this guy had tried beach launching almost anywhere in the Pacific Northwest?



-Mark-

I hope he sold it the next day

I will admit I'm by far no champ at surf launches but that guy needed to go back and sit on the tailgate and watch his buddys go fishing.I was saying wtf as he just watched his kayak leave without him.

Wow.  He needs to try another hobby.

Wow, that was painful to watch. 

Yikes. I felt pretty bad for the guy. I got my ass handed to me this past spring on a surf landing at Pacific City when my rudder got locked in the down and port position through a fault of my own (be cautious storing trebles in the hatch it can snag your rudder control and lift lines). So I can't say I've always done well in the surf. However, I think we should take this as a teaching opportunity rather than simply taking a "mightier than thou" approach.

I've met a lot of guys new to the sport this past year and all of them are eager to hit the salt this coming year. This video offer some great teaching points. Those with additional input feel free to chime in.

1.) Launch location - I think if he would of moved even just 20 yards down the beach he wouldn't of needed to deal with the multidirectional waves bouncing off the rocks. Keeping the bow straight into the waves is a lot easier when waves are coming from one direction.

2.) Launch depth - Never, never, never  launch by sitting in your kayak on sand waiting for a waves to bring water under the boat. Too many turbulent forces at play. You will get turned sideways and then it is all over. Wade out into knee deep water and time your launch with a lull in the swell.

3) Always keep the bow straight into the waves.

4.) Paddle leashes are a good thing. The more gear you can safely tie down the better.

5.) Kayaks are more important than hats. 

6.) If you get tossed in a launch and knocked around like this guy. Get everything up on the beach and take a breather. Even small surf has tremendous amount of energy. Its exhausting fighting it. Trying to quickly relaunch while tired will lead to more mistakes.

7.) The one thing the guy never did is give up so I got to respect him for that. Most of us have eaten shit in the surf at some point and if you haven't, you will. Its sucks. Its embarrassing and can be costly in gear as well.  Keep your cool and regroup. Its okay to call it and come back another day too. I always have a backup plan to chase surf perch from the beach or jig off the rocks somewhere in case the surf is up or I have a bad launch. Know your limits.

He really did need to take the day off, regroup, and learn the lessons posted by uplandsandpiper.  I wonder if the guy with the camera would have helped to fish the body out if the poor guy had drowned.  At some point helping the guy out might be more valuable than having the footage.

A little teamwork could have been helpful in this case.  The two guys on the water seemed to be experienced and the last guy I'm guessing had little or none.  First guy should have helped the last guy launch, then gone out. 

But that brings up the larger question, if you could get him successfully launched does he really belong on the ocean at this point in his yakking career?  The guy seemed very unaware of his surroundings and the physics of moving water in general.

I think stowing or lashing everything down is important but I'd never use a paddle leash in the surf.

I've had my ass handed to me landing in the surf.  In one case I should've stayed on the beach that day, but was halfway through the surf zone on launch when I realized that it was that bad.  Launch was fine, just realized landing would really suck.  So I was committed, and figured by that point that if I was going to get slammed on the landing it might as well be with some ling cod to show for it (got 2 decent lings and a cabezon - then gave the carcs to a Taiwanese lady who repayed the favor with hot miso soup (it was cold and rainy) and fried rice and beef).  On that landing I had a sneaker wave come in what was supposed to be a lull in the set and it broke right over the back of my kayak, and that was all she wrote.   

I've not really had any formal training in surf launch and landing.  The landings could really use some work.  But launching is so easy, that unless the surf is really big it's never been a particular challange.  And if the surf is big enough to be a challange in launching then it's WAAYYY over my capabilities for landing in, so I best stay on shore in that case.

I guess that's why I figured he should consider another hobby.  Maybe he just needs some formal instruction though.  But yes, kudos for not giving up.  That said, winners never quit, quitters never win, but those that never quit and never win are idiots.

winners never quit, quitters never win, but those that never quit and never win are idiots

If this were true about 90% of steelhead fisherman should stay home.

Looks like Dirk's surf launch. Primo

 I about dumped it just trying to sit in the kayak in the lake my first time.  I wouldn't even consider trying salt till I had many hours on the kayak.

Good points made above about what can be learned from watching this.  As silly as this guy looks trying to "herd cats"... the speed at which he becomes totally disoriented shows that he has very little experience with his kayak and the ocean.  The experienced paddlers in that group are putting this guy AND themselves at risk by even trying to bring this guy out into open water.  Once you're out there and God forbid something goes wrong, it falls on the experienced guys to coordinate and implement the rescue.  (and look how disoriented he was with his feet on the ground... imagine trying to help this guy re-mount his yak in cold water... after taking a swig or two).  You're only as strong as the weakest guy in your group.  Unless you think its every man for himself, in which case please say so, so everyone on here can avoid fishing/paddling with you:)

The single most important lesson to learn from this video is:

DON'T GET CAUGHT BETWEEN YOUR KAYAK AND SHORE!

Everything else that happens is just funny. 

-Mark-

He probably would have been fine 50 feet up the beach.