Garrapata Sunday 11/5

Thinking about trying out Garrapata SP on Sunday with a buddy.  I know the forecast is a bit iffy...how protected is this spot?  Still a good choice, considering the potential wind/swell forecast?  Also, having never been there any advice (or detailed directions) on how to get there, where to park, etc., would be greatly appreciated.    Company welcome, BTW.  We'll arrive between 7:30-8:00.  VHF ch 69.

Pete

hi pete,

garrapata should be OK on Sunday as swells are around 6 feet or so. just be out early on the water in case winds pick up. even if they do you can bail out back to the beach. here is a link to the coastal archive pics of the launch:

http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=200508553&mode=big&lastmode=sequential&flags=0&year=2005

head down past monterey and carmel river beach, about 5 minutes past carmel you will be there. if you go past soberanes point curve you have gone too far. look at the white car, that is the parking for this area. bring a friend to help you haul kayak and gear down to the water. you will need rope and you will be sliding your yak over some rocks. not bad though. drop gear and kayak down off the little rocky cliff where the "thicker" trail ends at the rocky beach. you'll lower the yaks about 20 feet or so.

wear paddling boots as the rocks are slippery as you get in. paddle streight out and avoid the little boiler rocks, go out towards the BSR's (bird shit rocks) and fish before and after there. anywhere there is kelp is golden here.

please post a report when you can, that place is great. i will try and post some gps numbers if i have time before sunday. my gps is asomewhere in my gearbox but i shall try. that place is fishier than anywhere i have ever been.

john

Man, I would really like to join you to fish there Sunday but, Sunday fishing trips have tough lately for me in terms of getting everything buttoned up and put away before the week starts.  I was planning to try going out from one of the closer more standard Monterey launches on Saturday (weather and conditions permitting) but if I change my mind, I will try to join you.  I live in Seaside so it is an easy drive for me and 7:30-8 timeframe sounds good.  If I do go, I definately want to join up with you guys so that we can do the gang kayak portage and rope drop as I assume the more the better and easier for such an endevor.

Hey Pete,

I've been there with John a couple of times.  It's a lot of work to hoist the gear down the cliff.  Definitely a 2-person ordeal.  I am trying to hookup with 'GUITARZAN' up north this Sunday, 11/5/06.  If that does not materialize, I will join you in Garrapata.  I'm gonna need your assistance in hoisting the kayak up & down the cliff though but the meet time you stated here is fine.  If I get the itch, I'd like to freedive there and spearfish in addition to just using the pole...  I'll let know as soon as I hear from 'guitarzan'.

-Ron
South San Francisco

uuuuuuhhhh, no offense but isn't that beach kind of exposed? 6 ft out of the northwest on a beachbreak could be kind of nasty?  maybe i'm wrong.

surf forcast from wetsand.com

"Sunday the 5th conditions should improve as the storm passes. SW though is looking to drop off considerably, yet WNW energy should still produce some chest to head high sets for west facing spots."

link

http://www.wetsand.com/swellwatch/report.asp?locationid=2&tabid=1441&subtabid=0&catid=294&subcatid=294&SPLTabID=429

nice weblink.  do you surf?

yeah, the Garrapata is well exposed and there's no protected cove; definitely for 'advanced' kayakers only.  Condition there can change rapidly.  I only freedove there once and the water was pretty cold.

Pete, I can not go with you this time.  I am hooking up with guitarzan up north.   Good luck and careful in the steep cliff.  That place is no joke.

-Ron

Good luck with everyone if you go. One tip - if you have plastic wrap for kayaks, it would be handy. You may wrap around a big section of kayak. For the areas with pointy rocks, tt is easy to slide yak down and pull it up without worry about scratching your yak. In our trip, we used it and proved it useful.

Sunday seems doable, but not ideal. Buddy system is highly recommended. Look forward to your report if you go.

Thanks for all the advice, folks.  We're going to watch the forecast and decide tomorrow whether we try Garrapata or somewhere more protected.  Heck, we may even drive to Garrapata and turn around and hit CRSB or Stillwater if it looks GSP too hairy...better safe than sorry.

Thanks again~!