I know this looks benign, but the waves today were unbelievable at least one of them. Tony and I were at it again paddling from Middle Cove to Outer Cove and back in the middle of a storm lull that boosted winds in excess of 100km/hr. I hadn't been on the water in a while and was glad to get out there. Like Bob said in an email the waters were like a boiling cauldron. Exciting. To top it off on the north side of Middle Cove on the way back I paddled around a bit and neared the north headland and was elevated on a wave that I can only describe as colossal because when I was looking down its face it was the furthest down a wave I had ever seen. Pheeew! Immediately I thought there was another behind it and surely I was heading for a farmers field. When I watched the wave pass under me and head for shore it eclipsed the cliffs on the north shore for its' size. It was spectacular to watch the back of this monstrosity plunder to shore and crash violently. I did have my video camera rolling but when I came down off the wave I darted Left so as to avoid what I thought might be another one behind it so I hi tailed it out of there and missed its' progress. Tony is not in any of these shots because I took video and have to process. I will post some drama when I get a chance under Paddlehand's Adventures In Kayaking.LOL Hee Haw!
3 comments:
It was chaotic and wild. We were off the water just in time I think. Fifteen minutes later when I got sight of Conception Bay on the way home the wind had whipped up the sea to a state of frenzy.
Tony :-)
Stan, from the pix on this post it's hard to see what you describe however the pix of the post above seem to show the scenario better. Looking forward to the processed footage.
Ah,... and respect for paddling in such conditions.
While some might call you a fool, I am with you, if I only had the skills.
Hey Gnarlydog,
It's funny really, I've been called foolish for just being in a kayak let alone on the open ocean in one, all really relative I guess. The two shots of the storm waters above were taken in a cove just around from one of the coves we were in. It looks gnarly, sorrow bout that, because it was getting the full brunt of the easterly storm...nasty really. We were in coves a bit more protected and during a two hour lull in successive storms. The waters I suspect were much worse beforehand and no doubt much worse after we got outrselves off the water. The lull we were in in terms of sea state was very chaotic, intense and varied.
As you know,Gnarly a picture does absolutely very little justice in recording the actual seastate one experiences while out there. When you get home and want to look at that huge "dumper" you survived and managed to get a picture of, you are or I am often, disheartened at how the waves and sea state is diminished. There are indications, such as a wave passing under you and rising above your horizon and whatever land features were distant including homes, buildings on top of steep cliffs. When all that disappears you can assume that something monstrous has just passed under you cause you remember exactly what it was like when you were looking down in the the "blackhole" of the trough. As I was that day. You will see if you look carefully when I make the post the previous, exact scenerio, happen. Eventually the crash it makes in the distance when it hits shore.
Good to hear from ya!
Stan
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