Big Water
Each of the Pummels that I’ve been to over the years has had its own unique flavor. None of them are the same, which is part of why I keep going. Last year there were no waves at all, which was downright unbelievable. First Beach looked like anywhere in Puget Sound, with little ripples bumping into the beach and standup paddlers crisscrossing the bay, looking for something to ride.
The year before that was big and disorganized. The wind was strong, blowing one wave into another and taking the tops off of all of them. Still, there was time to get out there and I seem to remember some good rides, as well as one long tour out to Crying Lady Rock and around James Island.
2009 was the year of warm. I honestly don’t remember what the waves were like; I just remember how the temperatures were in the 60’s and the twilight seemed more like July than February. We rigged up a drying line in the yard that was draped with drysuits and long johns and I remember dining on the deck as the sun went down.
This year will remain in my mind as the year that no one went paddling. (Actually, there was one guy I saw who went out there for about a half-hour, got his hat handed to him, and then came back in.) The waves were huge, the 60mph gusts turned the beach into a “boiling cauldron of certain death,” according to one of our housemates, and the surf zone lasted as far as the eye could see. The boats and boards didn’t come off the car.
It looked like some of the other boaters who had come out went elsewhere to get in the water on Saturday, but we ended up going for a few hikes (Third Beach was especially beautiful), ate well and played some spirited card games. Power was knocked out for part of the time, but everyone seemed to take it in stride. Since I never went out on the water, I didn’t risk re-injuring my wrist, and it is feeling a bit better.
About Ken Campbell
New Release
A story of sea kayaking and science on the rugged coast of Alaska. Coming – Spring 2014.
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