My La Jolla nightmare

[kevbeer]

(edit) I should mention this is maybe my 6th time out at La Jolla, otherwise only been in bays, which I don't really enjoy.

Launched La Jolla 8:30 am. Almost made it out but wasn't getting through the waves so tried to throw my mirage drive in. Big mistake, cost me maybe 5 seconds, enough for wave to be upon me, but maybe I was screwed anyway. Anyhow, went over hard. Snapped a rod, my newest one. Lost my mirage drive (md180), new style outback seat, and a tackle box. How I didn't think to lanyard my drive and seat is beyond me. Anyhow, stayed around for hours trying to search but came up with nothing. Left info with Kayak rental stores and SD lifeguard so hopefully turns up. Waiting to be accepted to the La Jolla lost and found facebook page to make a post.

Please let me know if you come any of this stuff or hear anything...thanks.

Pretty sure I am quitting the hobby...I like it, especially the thrill and beauty, but I was already on the fence about staying in long term given the mild pain on my shoulder from getting yak (outback) on and off the car roof, plus I am not made for a lot of sun exposure, and plus want to spend time in hobbies my wife/son will join me for. Now after this expensive and traumatic day, I honestly don't think I can come back...maybe if my drive and seat magically turn up. Oh yeah and I think I pulled in muscle in my calf some how.

thanks!

[matthew7!]

Sorry to hear this!!


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[Warmshort]

Originally Posted by matthew7!

Sorry to hear this!!


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Shitty man! I had a similar incident was probably my 3 or 4th time out from La Jolla no experience what so ever. I thought since I got there before my buddies I’d launch and catch us bait about an hour before sunrise. I thought it would be a good idea to launch closer to the pier in the surfer area not realizing what doom was ahead of me. Life jacket on all poles in my bait tank pole holders headlight etc. So here I am launching in probably 3’ wave, I get completely upended if it wasn’t for my sabiki pole breaking and digging into the ground and slowed the yak down helped save me got smacked pretty good. So finally I get ashore to asses the situation my bait tank stayed on by a strap. I didn’t have my mirage drive tethered at the time but it luckily stayed latched in, gps hanging from only it’s power chord, all tackle lost and a pole beside the snapped sabiki rod. As I’m getting to shore a metal detector guy notices my head lamp blinking in the surf and he says,” go get it I’ll watch your stuff. So hear I am with my adrenaline pumping bobbing up in down trying to dive to the bottom and get my light after a few mouthfuls I finally got it. Then I said screw this Im out and loaded it on top of my tracker with a homemade wrack lol. That day I thought this isn’t for me. But I gave it one more try and somehow caught the YT you see on my icon went on my first slay ride and have been hooked. I didn’t loose as much as you that’s gotta be tough if I see anything I’ll for sure let ya know.

[ProfessorLongArms]

Originally Posted by kevbeer

(edit) I should mention this is maybe my 6th time out at La Jolla, otherwise only been in bays, which I don't really enjoy.

Launched La Jolla 8:30 am. Almost made it out but wasn't getting through the waves so tried to throw my mirage drive in. Big mistake, cost me maybe 5 seconds, enough for wave to be upon me, but maybe I was screwed anyway. Anyhow, went over hard. Snapped a rod, my newest one. Lost my mirage drive (md180), new style outback seat, and a tackle box. How I didn't think to lanyard my drive and seat is beyond me. Anyhow, stayed around for hours trying to search but came up with nothing. Left info with Kayak rental stores and SD lifeguard so hopefully turns up. Waiting to be accepted to the La Jolla lost and found facebook page to make a post.

Please let me know if you come any of this stuff or hear anything...thanks.

Pretty sure I am quitting the hobby...I like it, especially the thrill and beauty, but I was already on the fence about staying in long term given the mild pain on my shoulder from getting yak (outback) on and off the car roof, plus I am not made for a lot of sun exposure, and plus want to spend time in hobbies my wife/son will join me for. Now after this expensive and traumatic day, I honestly don't think I can come back...maybe if my drive and seat magically turn up. Oh yeah and I think I pulled in muscle in my calf some how.

thanks!

UGH. I'm so sorry to hear this.

FWIW, I ate it pretty bad my first few times out. I nailed my first launch by myself and crashed super hard coming in. Some asshole stood there on the stairs at Leo Carrillo and laughed at me while I dragged my kayak up by myself. I was borrowing my Dad's kayak which had been in storage for a while and impulsively drove it back up to him before cooling down 2 days later and getting it back.

My first botched launch was especially brutal, and on a pitch and dump shorebreak in 3-4 footers (I didn't even know what surfline was at the time). Half my body was bloody rash. I'll never forget the retiree who was setup watching the beach for the season in his RV with his wife who somehow just knew I was going to get demolished, and was standing next to me by the time I got up out of the wave that took me out. He was nice enough to watch the beach for my lost rod and got it back to me. I brought him a bottle of Patron the next week

I think I quit this sport twice before really getting into it.
I've broken 3 rods and lost count of the number of lost sunglasses and hats.

It's a lot of work and can be brutal. I feel you on the sun exposure thing. I pretty much cover every inch of my body in UPF fabric, and even still I have chills the night after.

I go through phases where I can't think about anything but getting on the water and after a few trips I'll end up feeling like I've eaten my fill and can't imagine getting back out on the horizon.

If you don't mind me asking, how long are you spending watching the surf, and are you going out alone? The two biggest things that shortened my learning curve on the launch was 1) spending about 10-20 mins waiting through various sets to get a *feel* for the lull and 2) just having someone who knew better than me to chase into the surf.

I also feel you on the solo car-topping. Outback can be quite unwieldy and there are a lot of wrong ways to do it.

All of this is to say, I've been where you are and I know the feeling.
I'm sorry you had a shit day.
I hope your gear turns up whatever you decide to do.

[ctfphoto]

Three things....

We have all had yard sales. Some of us have had very scary experiences.

I was watching the launch today at that time on the webcam and may have seen you. The waves were huge!!!

I ALWAYS look at the swell chart and wind report before launching in La Jolla. Pick your day. The last time I launched the Swell was .8 feet and super easy.

[kevbeer]

Yeah you know I got the day all wrong from the start. First day out since last august. Thoroughly investigated WIND for friday but didn't really pay much attention to surf, then switched to saturday (today) based on wind and never even rechecked surf. Now here is the real answer to your question...totally failed to prep or study the surf much before going in. I Was supposed to meet at 6 am this neighborhood friend who was once a kayak tour guide in Alaska...but I overslept. So rookie, never have done this before. So I was in a rush to get down there and join him. Totally frantic as he wasnt answering calls/text. So that guy went in alone on like literally a 7 foot sit on top at about 6:15...and he dunked too, but no fishing stuff or whatever, but still I feel so bad. A guy at beach later told me it was worse surf at 6 am... Anyhow, when I get to the launch at ~8, hes back in and has had enough. He is actually having a rough patch in his personal life, marital/family stuff, so we get to chatting about that. Then he's like hey I will watch you launch then I'll take off. So of course I rushed it. Previous entries were a breeze and waves didn't look THAT big.

Dude I was trying to put the drive in right before the wave hit...mustve not go it in. Or maybe I did and it didnt snap or something.

thanks for support guys.

really I think I got too comfortable with La Jolla...stay or go, this will not happen again.

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by ctfphoto

Three things....

We have all had yard sales. Some of us have had very scary experiences.

I was watching the launch today at that time on the webcam and may have seen you. The waves were huge!!!

I ALWAYS look at the swell chart and wind report before launching in La Jolla. Pick your day. The last time I launched the Swell was .8 feet and super easy.

think I saw the wreck this morning also, I was watching someone really struggle and it didn't look like he made it out

[DanaPT]

Dont quit, but crap you lost the most expensive parts of your hobie gear!

Good luck and a reminder the ocean doesn't care.

[YakDout]

Take your kayak down for a morning of 3-4 ft surf with no gear and practice launching and landing over and over and get the feel for the outback without all the expensive stuff on it.

I have an outback now but I used to have a PA 14 and been very close to capsizing due to taking waves over the bow and water not draining out of the scuppers fast enough. Water would pool in the hull and the kayak got extremely slow, heavy, and tippy. Know when to bail off the side and grab ahold of the yak and start over.

As others have said, watch the surf for a few minutes before you launch to see what’s going on so you can time the sets. Sometimes there’s a sneaker set that will get you, it’s gonna happen. Have to know when to charge through it, with everything you have, or pull the plug.

I’ve never flipped on a surf launch yet and been out in 5’ surf. But I have flipped in open water and it’s not fun. Keep at it though. When you get good and start catching good fish it’s a great feeling.


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[stevie951]

Sorry to hear this.. On top of my sober nightmare launches (6 footers at Deer Creek in Malibu - Ended up with me driving to Urgent Care in Riverside cause I jacked my Knee) I have lost plenty of stuff out there while drinking also Shimano Torium paired with a brand new saguaro lined with 50 lb braid

It hurts a lot to thank about but like all the others here are saying.. Let it be a lesson and not deter you.. Get back up on that high horse buddy and catch a big fish off that kayak!

(P.S. swell interval was 3-4 feet at & seconds the past couple days, that's far too short for my liking as you experienced, 3-4 is not bad but at every 5-7 seconds..) Just make sure to do due diligence researching conditions beforehand

[kevbeer]

My son and I went out today and snorkeled the area for a few hours. Son mostly goofed off and played games on my phone. I even paid some guy who specializes in finding stuff in La Jolla $100 to search, additional commission if he found items. He did most of the combing. We found nothing. Visibility was not terrible but not great. The guy is going to keep searching when visibility improves and ask around at lost and founds. At least I gave it a shot.

(edit) I should mention we saw at least 7 fishing kiyaks flip going out, 1 flip coming in...only difference was they were educated enough to tether drive and seat. I have come to realize I hadn't engaged seat clip at seat rear prior to launch. This whole thing just stinks of rookie...live and learn!

I still give it 10% chance some good person finds it and gets it back to me...I am kind of on pause for a couple weeks before I take any further action such as replace or ditch the hull on CL...

[cris]

Just saw on the La Jolla lost and found page that somebody found parts to a pedal powered kayak. May be worth contacting him

[kevbeer]

I have tried to join that but they wont accept my request!

I tried to message the guy. tried to call the place. no response. flipping out ! hopefully no one snagged it