Setev kayaking
Day 21 Report

Day 21 - 2/5/08 - Double Island Point to Noosa North Shore

Conditions rounding Double Island Point were glassy and perfect. When the bigger waves came through the backwave off the rocks made it bumpy so taking photos was a bit tricky. After rounding the point there was a swell of about 1.2m which gave some really good surf on the north end of the beach with no-one riding the waves.

The sandhills have changed a lot since the 1970ís. We used to drive our panel vans up the beach looking for surf then, and there were tours to see the coloured sands. Although still there, the coloured sand is now covered with trees. I am not sure what brought about these changes but three decades has certainly changed things; probably for the better.

Conditions stayed calm until about 2.00pm when the North Easter started but it did not get over 10 knots until about 3.30pm. About that time I had covered well over 40km. Maybe I was tired or maybe I was just unlucky but I got caught inside a break. There were a number of sand bars off shore and I had been careful to stay outside them but a really big wave came in outside me and broke on a bar that had not been visible. I headed into the wave, but 50m before it got to me the top third broke. It swept me backwards for about 100m before tipping me over sideways. Some minor items were lost, like the baling sponge but I still had a water bottle that I could bale with.

Interestingly, the kayak is easier to turn back over with the back wheels down. After 25minutes I had enough water out to set off. The pace was as fast as I could go to get to the beach exit point before dark. With the sun going down I hit the sand nicely only to have a wave come in behind me and wash the kayak back out before I could get out. We let it roll around until it washed onto the beach far enough to turn it over and empty it before calling it quits for the day.

The distance was 53km with an easy 45km or so and a tough finish with a boat full of water. I was asleep by 7.00pm.

Good surf over there
Setting out from Double Island Point
From the cockpit
Double Island
Coloured sands
John with mates
Not so perfect finish



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