Yard sale at Baker Beach

I was crabbing off the beach today at Baker in SF. Water was pretty calm, slack tide I believe, sun shining.  when I see this guy drag his kayak over to the water line. No PFD, no wetsuit, by himself. just a T shirt, yak and rods. So I put down my book, lit up my cigar and get comfortable..

Act 1. He drags his kayak into the water nose first, knee deep and attempts to climb in. The kayak is rotating, and is broadside By the time he gets into the thing,. Once he gets his paddle out,  he is completely backwards (facing beach). So he begins paddling backward, stern first into the breakers. Big set rolls in and he gets roasted. Gear everywhere. He Hunts his kayak down, drags it to beach, and spends the next 20 minutes picking gear from the shallows.

Act 2. This guy has heart, and an iron will. He drags the kayak into the breakers, and decides to count the sets this time before launching, but hes counting/waiting for the right opening while INSIDE the break zone. wave after wave blasts him in the face as he clings onto the front handle of his boat, like he has a wild great dane on a leash. This continues for 5 or 6 sets until he hes fully engulfed by a wave, and his kayak is ripped from his clutches and washed ashore.

Act 3. After a short rest period,  he now decides to put all of his gear in the hatch. Poles, tackle, you name it. But he has confidence in his strategy from Act 2, and again marches deep into the break zone, dragging a reluctant and disobedient kayak. He charges head first into 3 or 4 breaking sets until he finds his opening. He heaves one leg over and into the yak. Halfway there. Now hes struggling to get the other half into the boat. Too late. A monster of a wave rips him away, and the kayak does a perfect vertical pencil twist. His spirit crushed, will broken. He drags the yak to the fence line, has a seat and calls it a day.

Hahaha. Awesome, thanks.

Been abused and feel his pain.  Just hate when there are witnesses. 

i would've at least help him collect his gear, and ask him where's his PFD... but that's just me

We know you took pics... now hand em over. 

Ouch. Not the best place to self-teach...

No picture = never happened 

crap now I regret not taking pictures.. But I wanted to save his dignity, just in case he was a member of the NCKA forum , as I had every intention of posting this catastrophe as soon as he began. I did however narrate the whole episode in real time to my girlfriend while she was at work. It makes me glad I learned to kayak in a full 7 mil wetsuit. Like training wheels.

What's he fishing for at Baker this time of year?  Striper? Butts??

I was crabbing off the beach today at Baker in SF. Water was pretty calm, slack tide I believe, sun shining.  when I see this guy drag his kayak over to the water line. No PFD, no wetsuit, by himself. just a T shirt, yak and rods. So I put down my book, lit up my cigar and get comfortable..

Act 1. He drags his kayak into the water nose first, knee deep and attempts to climb in. The kayak is rotating, and is broadside By the time he gets into the thing,. Once he gets his paddle out,  he is completely backwards (facing beach). So he begins paddling backward, stern first into the breakers. Big set rolls in and he gets roasted. Gear everywhere. He Hunts his kayak down, drags it to beach, and spends the next 20 minutes picking gear from the shallows.

Act 2. This guy has heart, and an iron will. He drags the kayak into the breakers, and decides to count the sets this time before launching, but hes counting/waiting for the right opening while INSIDE the break zone. wave after wave blasts him in the face as he clings onto the front handle of his boat, like he has a wild great dane on a leash. This continues for 5 or 6 sets until he hes fully engulfed by a wave, and his kayak is ripped from his clutches and washed ashore.

Act 3. After a short rest period,  he now decides to put all of his gear in the hatch. Poles, tackle, you name it. But he has confidence in his strategy from Act 2, and again marches deep into the break zone, dragging a reluctant and disobedient kayak. He charges head first into 3 or 4 breaking sets until he finds his opening. He heaves one leg over and into the yak. Halfway there. Now hes struggling to get the other half into the boat. Too late. A monster of a wave rips him away, and the kayak does a perfect vertical pencil twist. His spirit crushed, will broken. He drags the yak to the fence line, has a seat and calls it a day.

i would've at least help him collect his gear, and ask him where's his PFD... but that's just me

+1

A good lesson for us all
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=71093.msg806418;topicseen#new

crap now I regret not taking pictures.. But I wanted to save his dignity, just in case he was a member of the NCKA forum , as I had every intention of posting this catastrophe as soon as he began. I did however narrate the whole episode in real time to my girlfriend while she was at work.

I would have at least offered assistance and advice. If he wasn't NCKA I would have steered him to our site.

Then light the cigar and watch the show only after being declined.

Sometimes people don't want advice or help and may react negatively when it's offered unsolicited. I wasn't there, but I believe I would have tried to offer some help.

I doubt this person is a member, I believe he'd have been better prepared and knowledgeable on launch technique if he was.

Well at least the Coast Guard or sheriff department didn't need to respond to a search and recovery.

If you want to watch some fun, come to Anchor Bay and watch guys try to launch their outboards straight off the ramp area of the beach. I usually head out there when I see it coming and set up to sell beer or hot dogs to the watching crowd. It almost never fails to entertain. Next time there will be pictures...

What's he fishing for at Baker this time of year?  Striper? Butts??

Butts are possible. Stripers, ya never know. Or perch - a lot of effort if he was after perch!