Dave's video
Wind: NE 10-15knots
Swell: 1.1m E
Launch point: Noosa Main Beach access track 11
Participants: (1) paddlers: jimbo, emil, soren, cybertech, beejay, carlo, redwood, tunny, willo, weeksie
(2) trainers and others: lisbeth, owie, stormin, daveyg, imax, isobar, turtleboy, sunshiner
Noosa turned on ideal conditions today for Noosa Yakkers second annual surf skills training day, with the stiff northeasterly pushing up a wave which built on the small swell. These are often conditions we have to deal with at Main Beach when returning from summertime fishing trips so getting some practice today was well timed and will likely stand all in good stead.
Conditions were certainly better than last year's event which is recorded for posterity here.
Anyway, yaks started appearing from behind the dunes and being dragged along from the Middle Groyne area. By 2:00 pm, the appointed start time, virtually all expected were present.
The beach scene
Dave started by taking a buoy out on a paddle board almost to Jew Shoal and anchoring it out there, behind the break zone but it was still visible so couldn't have been quite that far out. Nevertheless, the hushed gathering watching this on the beach, wondering what this bright orange float was for.
This was soon made clear, paddle through the break out to and around the buoy and return to the beach. But not before Dave went through the important stuff such as how to avoid a wet arse, etc.
Classroom in the shade, hanging on his every word
So, with no more than three paddlers in the water at a time, the procession started. For the next 60 minutes or so there was a more or less continuous procession of craft heading out and coming back in. Here's the story in pictorial form.
Soren on first of many circuits
Redwood cutting through
Isobar in his amazing SIK, beach launching from the sitting position
Soren gets the Prowler up on the plane
Jimbo in his Espri
Tunny in his Eric's Canoes Tunny
Willo, over 60, experienced seaman but first kayak launch in the surf. Well done mate!
Not yet 16, but a veteran of quite a few launches, Emil heads out…
…and returns safely from his circuit
There's the instructor, helping out beejay
Weeksie takes his turn (Perception Swing)
Carlo bided his time but eventually the peer pressure got to him
Weeksie, again
Jimbo near the end of the longest surf he's ever had on the Espri
It's so easy to miscalculate boarding
Tunny heads out to do battle with the kite surfer
Cybertech lines up for a second or third run
Today was a great opportunity to pick up some valuable skills and it's all down to DaveyG's generosity and skills. Thanks Dave. We appreciate it.
Contributed pics by redwood
Kev Long
Sunshiner
Author Kayak Fishing Manual for iPad (click linked text to view)
Stealth Supalite X, yellow/orange
No comments:
Post a Comment