Rock Garden ReportBelow are photos I took of the rock garden dry run race organized by Steve Brown and his friends on February 21, 2004 at the Palos Verde Peninsula, California. His full trip report can be read at http://www.brown-web.net/kayak/trip-report/last-trip.htm. After the photos are my own comments, as well as Dublin Dave's.
Duane's Comments:I just wanted to say I was having a great time on the rock garden race dry run, of course, until Dave's injury. Steve Brown and his buddies did a great job planning and mapping out the race. The rock garden obstacles were a lot of fun and totally reasonable. With the conditions we had yesterday, some bracing and timing was all that was necessary to negotiate the obstacles. Nothing seemed unreasonably dangerous. The danger level was well low enough that I was having fun. I did see the immediate aftermath of Dublin Dave's accident. I was in the big pool and trying to work my way out, when a big wave washed me back in. As I was getting washed back in, I heard a loud noise over to my left and looked in that direction. I saw Dublin Dave hung up on the rock at entrance #2, which I had came in through with some scraps on the hull. Dublin Dave's boat was dry (hung up on the rock) by about 3 feet. He was still in the boat, and I was surprised when I noticed that his helmet was gone and his paddle was broken. That was the first time I even saw a heavy duty Nigel Foster paddle broken. Dublin Dave then tipped over away from rock and exited the kayak as the next wave washed up. As he swam in the water towards shore, I saw the cut on his head. Floating in the water were his swamped boat, one of his shoes, and 2 broken pieces of a carbon fiber paddle. A couple of other people, I think maybe George and Steve B., helped or made sure Dublin Dave got to shore safely, and Jack, Steve W., and I got his kayak up on shore, which wasn't easy in the turbulence of the Big Pool. Dublin Dave kept up a good attitude, and Steve Brown did a great job of getting him the first aid he needed and organizing his return to the cars so we could get him to a clinic. Because Dublin Dave and I carpooled, as well as him being my best paddle buddy, I took him to a clinic and waited as he got the stitches. I think Dublin Dave's accident was just one of those things that occasionally happens. He was very well skilled and experienced enough for the conditions and rock gardens that we had. He just got caught in the wrong place and position at the wrong moment. It could've happened to any of us. I look forward to more rock gardening in the future. Dublin Dave's Comments:First of all I want to thank everyone who called or emailed me with their concerns and wishes for a speedy recovery. I'm fine and should be able to do next weeks Queen Mary Paddle. Most of all I want to thank everyone on the paddle for effecting a speedy and efficient rescue. You guys are the best, and should be in the University of Sea Kayaking video. I also agree with Duane, that Steve did a good job of organizing and conducted this paddle in a safe fashion. Stuff happens out there and in the end its just a weird situation. Thankfully it wasn't that serious. Below is my version, a view from inside the carnage. King Neptune vented his wrath upon me yesterday. It all happened so fast that I really don't know what happened. I was paddling through some rocks when a powerful wave caught me at an angle I wasn't expecting, with my paddle on the opposite side of the boat from the wave I simply couldn't brace. The result was that my face came to blows one of Neptune's well placed rocks. The rock won. I ended upside down on the rock with my boat about 5 feet above the water. I had several concerns at this moment, but my primary fear was that my helmet had became dislodged and it was no longer protecting my head. I needed to get out of there fast so I managed to scurry out of the boat quickly and into the water where the next wave flushed me into the clear. I can't say enough about the quick and calm action of everyone. They got me to shore quickly and Steve B did a good job of patching me up. I don't think I realized the true extent of the carnage until everyone started telling me how sorry they were about my face, and asking me if they could take a picture for their scrap book. Duane came up and told me how bad he felt about my paddle, and sure enough I now noticed that my carbon fiber Nigel Foster paddle had snapped. I looked down to see what time it was and noticed that my watch was gone and there were some good gashes in my wet suit. I was feeling pretty bummed because I really loved that paddle, but hey $300 and a trip to Aqua Adventures and I should be set. Luckily a friend of Jack B's had volunteered to take pictures of the paddle and he was on the bluffs above with his truck so I got to ride home instead of paddle. Duane drove me to the emergency room where the I found out the gritty
details
of my encounter with Neptune's dark side. A two inch gash above my eye
needed twenty stitches to close and maybe some plastic surgery in the
future. So no real lasting damage just a small mark above the eye that
might relatively
disappear with plastic surgery. Neptune won today's battle but my sprit
is
|
