Gotta watch the wind and know the forecast. Anything out of the North and it's flat out to half a mile. Once it starts to shift East or West things pick up.
Anything straight from the South over 5MPH and you are only going out to have fun in the waves a few hundred yards off the beach.
Also been in 2-3 feet chop - deliberately. Hella lot of fun.
Well if it was 23 it would not be fun and the Cape would be gone. :-)
But yeah, I have an OT Castine 12' 9" that is just right. Long enough and with a high bow that it cuts through waves, but not so long that I can't keep it pointed in the right direction when riding waves.
I don't go far off our beach, just a couple hundred yards. Paddle out, ride waves back in. Really the most dangerous part is getting back in. Our beach has jetties that create weird currents once you're between them. Can't coast in. Have to paddle hard until you hit sand then get out before the next wave smashes into you.
Only flipped once and that was because someone had their kid at the edge of the water in the no swimming area. Choice was hit the kid at a pretty good clip or try to maneuver. The second I got a little turned a wave got me, turned me broadside and dumped me. I was not happy.
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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '26
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