Health & Fitness
Kayaking to Catalina Island - the countdown
You've trained all summer for this weekend but the forecast is questionable. What do you do?
Thursday night: the ten kayakers from the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center who intend to make this journey put their kayaks on a trailer at the MAC.
Friday: check the forecasts; deal with last minute problems at work, home, school; get to bed early.
Saturday: meet at 3:00am at Dock 52 to car-pool to Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (it's important to get an early start for Avalon -- 5:00am preferably, definitely no later than 6:00am)
Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"We want to avoid the winds that usually come up in the afternoon," says Brendan Nelson, the lead instructor. He's had a bad cold all week. "They can make that last five to ten miles 'challenging.'"
On Friday, storm cells cruise across L.A.'s Westside, complete with lightning and thunder. Gusty winds, too. Very little rain. Not a good sign. Long Beach and Orange County saw similar conditions.
Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
That night, they all check and re-check the "go / no-go" forecasts -- NOAA, Surfline, National Weather Service, the MAC's weather station, that knee or hip or elbow that stiffens up when the weather is about to change.
Friday: 8:45PM - NOAA forecast for October 1:
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind becoming west southwest between 5 and 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Not the best conditions for a twenty-six mile kayak trip to Catalina. The other forecast sources aren't encouraging either. Plus Brendan is dealing with that cold and bad cough that's been going around. Another instructor is just getting over it.
Phone calls are made, emails and text messages sent and received. Brendan makes the call. Postponement. We go on the 8th.
Saturday, October 1st dawns bright and sunny. Very little wind. Some of the kayakers in the expedition gather at the MAC. So much for forecasts. But the wind does build in the afternoon -- sailors' delight. Tough on open ocean kayaking.
While the San Pedro Channel is rarely perfect for such a long paddling day, Saturday's "scrub" still makes sense. Besides, next week they should all be healthy. They'll start over again next Thursday. And watch the forecasts.
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