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RayG
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« on: June 21, 2008, 10:32:20 PM » |
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Arrived to the worst weather possible. had to fly around to wait for the T'storms to calm down. Arrived at hotel to find 3-5ft glass on the reef. Unfortunately the rain and lightning made a test run a bad idea.
Next day- still a bit overcast and a shift in winds-offshore. Check the spot I watched the previous day.
<jaw-drop>.. Reeling 6-8 ft face lefts racing along the reef for about 40 yds into a channel. Larger ones closeout as they connect with the right across the way. Okay- now to find a way out. walk down the beach and find what "looks" like a path out through the reef into the channel... kinda. Had to cross about 20 yds of rough, but fairly level, coral in about 24 inches of water while avoiding the whitewater pushing in from the larger ones. Finally made it outside (or so I thought) and looked for a lineup spot for awhile before taking anything. Also tried to figure the wave itself at different sizes and directions. So I'm getting my takeoff spot lined up, watching where to pull out, etc... then... uh, oh... at LEAST 10 foot face building on the outside and those wash through over the reef, not a pleasant prospect. Fortunately it seems it can't hold that size and topcrumbles instead of hitting hard so I could get under it pretty easy. note to self- watch out for those. From then on for the next 3 hours- easy takeoff, bottom turn, pull in, cover-up, then whatever to avoid the coral heads popping up once in awhile, then pull out and hope one of the big ones wasn't coming. Rights were a bit sluffy but a tad longer. All the while cursing that I didn't bring out the waterproof camera...
Did I mention the shallow reef? Which by now has parts of it exposed because the tide was falling for the last 3 hours... It was time to head in- actually burned through the rashie a bit once the sun came out.
Now getting back in was a bit of an issue, the slots I used before were now ridiculously shallow. I could have drifted down the beach about a mile to where I know there is another hotel with a pass that the fishing boats and catamarans use to get out.
OR- paddle against the wind and current almost the same distance the other way to another opening that the boats at our hotel use. I figured I could use the larger ones to give me some whitewater cushion over the shallowest sections til the reef dropped off and split into little islands of coral easy to paddle around.
That didn't work out like I planned. It got me a little bit over but then drained dry as the wave pushed in. Had to get to my feet to avoid losing my shins. So standing there in 8 inches of water after the wave goes by, I could see I had another 20 yds or so across this mess, but I could see the direction I needed to find those openings. So I used the bodyboard as a balance point to make my way, all the while keeping an eye on the whitewater behind me. That's when I made the mistake. I kept walking while looking behind me. Stepped dead on into a hole the exact size of my right foot and flipper up to my thigh. That wasn't too bad- it startled me more than anything, except I was watching the whitewater of a larger wave coming at me while I was stuck. this won't be good- I tried to pull out of the hole but I must have turned so that the fin wouldn't come out as cleanly as it dropped in. The water hit me and pushed me forward and bashed my right leg into the leading edges of the hole. That one hurt. I was able to adjust and pull my leg out and make my way to the edge and start to paddle in through the coral field. Except I mistimed a fin kick and sliced my LEFT leg just above the ankle. I looked a bit of a wreck when I walked back to the hotel- the pushy vendors even wouldn't come near me with all the blood running down my legs. Straight to the bathroom and LOTS of bacterial soap and BOTTLED water. So THAT was day one.
Day 2.. garbage wind slop, maybe 3 ft. Checked out the little sandy deposit outside the reef the other direction.
Day 3-7: flat... 1ft trade wind slop. But during that time the cut on the left leg started to feel really sore, and the bruising on the right leg made it hard to walk until Thursday anyway. Since I may have been the first to ride these particular spots I decided on giving them names for my sake. "Mermaids", and "Mermaids Tail" for the little sand spit wave. The logo for the resort is a mermaid, so I thought it made sense.
So- 7 days, almost exactly 3 hours of perfection... Plus all we could eat or drink 24 hours a day. I'd say that was a good trip- oh, and you know what? Not one mention of a board fee from any agent.
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