Friday at Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium 2014

Thursday of last week I left home at 10 am with my Romany on top my car, sleeping bag,  food, cooler, and the giant mound of kayaking equipment I seem to find myself carting around. I arrived at Kiptopeke State Park, found Rick Wiebush in Cabin 3 as instructed, checked in and received my room assignment.

I headed over to cabin 5. I met some roomies, and Brian Stevens, who had beat me there. We sat and caught up for a bit before heading over to check the beach, etc, out. We met Pete Hohman and his group from BCU 4 Star training at Sting Rays for dinner. Then we headed back to Cabin 3 for a meet and greet. Everyone stayed up late getting settled and visiting. Finally around 11:30 the cabin grew quiet and it was time for a fitful night's sleep.

Day 1 class Intro to Surf with Ed Schiller and Ken Fandetti:

Our coaches, left Ed and right Ken, looking grim here, but actually they were both kind and smiling most of the time.

Another class launching before us. Sonya stands in the frame to the right. She was my surf partner for the day

packing and prepping

Looking across at the launch site.

waiting for the whole class

Making our way out into a channel between islands 

channel crossing

In the left distance one can make out the point we would later paddle around to find some ragged breaks and seriously confused standing chop

We left our boats behind and walked around the point to view the rougher Altanlic side of the island

Lunch!

We proceeded around the point, following Ken and Ed

We actually made a landing, or two on the rougher side. This served us well as learning to land on a beach in even little surf is important and not that easy

I pushed my envelope in class.

I made a beach landing although I did not want to. Ken gently nudged me along. I was so glad I did not botch the landing. It had been a few months since my last surf lesson and I was wondering if I would remember how to land.

Earlier I had gotten stuck on a sand bar after riding a wave in too close to the beach. When my boat was forced on its right side by the incoming surf I realized that a) I am on the correct side of this-the ocean side and not getting crushed by my boat; and b) when my right elbow touched sand I decided to pop my spray deck. I climbed out and emptied the water from my cockpit. I was preparing to launch back into the surf when Ed arrived and urged me out into deeper water. He steadied my boat while I heel-hooked back in. A little water came into my cockpit with me and I pumped it out once I had gotten out past the weird standing chop.

We really did not find many breaking waves but instead practiced paddling parallel to the beach inside the break zone, and rotated through the standing chop in a circular conga-line of boats. I think everyone caught a few little waves and rode them for what they were worth.

Ken and Ed are both great teachers, cheerful and steady. I would definitely take a class from either of them again.

This night after dinner at Kelley's Gingernut Pub in Cape Charles we went back to Cabin 3 to listen to first Rick and then Jen Kleck give presentations on paddling the Baja Peninsula.

This night everyone crashed early and I was myself asleep by 9;30.