I woke before my alarm clock went off and had arrived at St. Philips almost a half hour before our meeting time. So I got ready and paddled into the cove. The waves were crashing at Wester Point and North West Point. I decided I would have time to paddle over to, and back from, North West Point before Tony arrived.
While there I sat and waited for the chance to paddle between the shoreline and the rock that is there. Once through I turned around and could see Tony pulling into the parking lot. I turned to face the rock again and took a picture...
Just as I took the picture a wave tried to knock me over and I had to drop my camera and grab up my paddle to brace. I pulled on the tether and my camera came out of the water. Then I tried to get another picture of the waves spraying up as they hit the rocky shoreline and had to drop my camera and grab my paddle for another brace...
I figured I better stop fooling with my camera before I finally did get knocked over and head back to the slipway. Tony was nearly ready when I got there.
I told him it was gonna be a bumpy paddle up to Topsail Beach. So off we went. I wasn't wrong. In fact it was so bumpy I didn't take any more pictures until we reached Topsail Beach, although I did see Tony take a few... I think he is more comfortable than I am sitting in gnarly waters taking pictures.
At one point I took my camera out and was attempting to turn it on, but the clapitus was bouncing me around and I remembered almost being knocked over back at North West Point... so I pushed my camera back into my PDF and put both hands on the paddle. Today was not the day or place to get knocked over and blow a roll. With just the two of us on this paddle, a swimmer meant there was only one person left to do a rescue.
It was so bouncy in the waves, swell, and clapitus that at about halfway we questioned whether to continue or pull the plug on going all the way to Topsail Beach. We had been paddling mostly one in front of each other and it was difficult for the guy in front to have to turn his head around to make sure the one following was upright.
Tony suggested we paddle more side-by-side so we could keep an eye on each other. We also moved further away from shore to get out of the rebounding waves. We decided we would paddle in this way until one of us decided we had gone far enough. But when we got a little further, and were out of the worst of the clapitus, things settled down more and we were able to find a better rhythm to the paddling. It also seemed that the wind had dropped a little as well. And so we were able to go all the way to our desired destination.
Tony got ready to go into the beach while I waited with my camera. He sat for while, letting a few waves pass...
... then he saw his chance and paddled on the back face of a wave....
... then hoped out and walked his kayak in...
My landing wasn't quite as neat as Tony's. I ended up getting broached and landed parallel to the shoreline, with Tony grabbing my stern to steady my kayak as I got out.
Since we had been here last the beach had taken a pounding, widening the river where it dumps into the ocean, leaving a little bit of an island...
We each had a granola bar and had a chat before getting back on the water for the return trip.
But this time we paddled farther away form the shoreline to avoid most of the clapitus, mostly paddling across from one another so we could monitor each other's progress...
When we got back to the cove Tony checked his watch and it only took us about three-quarter's of an hour to get back...
The trip back was a little easier, since we stayed away from the shore and we were getting a push, and there was less wind. But we still had to throw in a cautionary brace now and then whenever a bigger wave came along...
Once back at St. Philips, we both agreed we were glad to be back in the cove, but were both happy we had decided to continue all the way to Topsail Beach... Sometimes you just gotta push things a little bit... you know, paddle a little above the comfort zone.
The coffee afterwards was greatly appreciated.
