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Paddling the Open Coast at Makah Bay

By Debbie Pierce

On July 4 of this year 23 land-locked sea kayakers and their 37 boats --yes, I said 37 boats!--descended on the beach at Makah Bay near the northwest tip of our state. Some of the group were experienced sea kayakers, acquainted with the surf and open coast conditions. Others were accomplished white water paddlers, anxious to catch a few waves in the ocean. And some were flat water kayakers, completely unfamiliar with any sort of rough water, river or ocean.

Our first morning we played in the 3-31/2 foot surf on the sandy beach at Makah Bay, a beach ideal for learning. And learn everyone did. Those who arrived not knowing how to brace quickly learned to do so! Later that afternoon, we did a short exploratory into the rock gardens north of Makah Bay. Here we introduced the group to the energy and interaction of the sea and the land. It was a "short-course" in rock gardening, but everyone was game.

The next day we did a12 mile tour to Shi Shi Beach and the Point of Arches, a magical place south of Makah Bay. We divided into two small, mixing up the experienced with the not so experienced paddlers, and off we went. By the end of this day the group had learned about surf landings in long sea kayaks, about klapotis (the chaotic water that occurs when refractory waves from headlands collide with the oncoming surf), and about paddling into a 15 mile per hour head wind.

Back at Makah Bay that evening the surf was up again, and the people with any energy left went surfing. Brian could be seen doing flat spins and vertical moves in his Ultrafuge--and he fine-tuned his roll in his new boat before it was all over! Surfing with us tonight was a Tsunami Ranger named Deb Volturno--she recently moved to Port Angeles. We were thrilled to surf with a "ranger"--these guys are the extreme sea kayakers who live and kayak along the coast of Northern California.

Having done so well on the first two days, the group was ready to go the 12 mile tour around Cape Flattery and Tatoosh Island on Saturday. The weather cooperated and that mroning we launched into the gentle surf on Makah Bay. Initially, there was a 1-3 foot swell, just enough for some of us to play in the rock gardens, yet calm enough for us to go into the caves at Cape Flattery! At one point 10 of us were in one cave system!! We then paddled to Tatoosh Island, crossing a significant tidal current ( another first experience for many). There we had a great lunch before we headed on into Neah Bay where our cars were parked.

Paddling was not the only excitement for us this weekend--on the 4th of July we went to town of Neah Bay where we watched fireworks, first the unlimited fireworks which the locals shot off on the three miles of beach all evening, and then the city's big display after dark. Walking the streets of Neah Bay that night was as "dangerous" as any of the open coast paddling that we did on the trip!

So, by the end of our four days at Makah Bay, the group was hooked on the open ocean paddling! Everyone had had many nice rides on the surf--and those who could not brace when they arrived knew exactly what to do now. Brian had learned to do moves in his Ultrafuge on the surf waves. Randy, Brian, Mike and Lisa grew to love what their new sea kayaks could do in rough water-- and Pierre looked on with "sea kayak lust"(we are all still wondering what boat Pierre will buy!). Then there were Bob and Kenny's beautiful wooden boats. We joked about sending them in as "probes" but, in reality, we were worried about these two gorgoeous hand-made boats. In the end, the two boats "survived" all of the adventures. Finally, the sea kayakers discovered how fast a whitewater boat will turn, and the white water boaters came to realize that the open ocean has it's own Class 3 and 4 challenges.

Here's who came: Bill and Deb Pierce, Randy Labeff and Lisa Helmbrecht, Brian Durheim and Patti and the girls, Susan Luchesi, Pierre Finch, Kenny McKenney, Dave and Linda White and Dustin, Angela Marczynski, Julie Swenson, Bob McLellan, Jane Schelly, Dick Rivers, Mike and Peggy Clough, and finally two friends from Seattle, Don Keisling and Stina Larson.