[kayachapi]

My son and I wanted to try a surf launch and landing. We decided on Torrance Beach. There was no one there when we launched in the morning, but when we decide to come in, the beach was crowded. People and surfers everywhere. Lesson learned. We tied everything down including the drive. When I dug in to line up on my target, the blade snapped. My son came in first, so he could help me gather whatever we could find after the inevitable crash. Then I had to paddle in canoe style. I paddled my butt off trying to stay ahead of the wave, and managed to stay in the pocket. When the wave crashed I turned sideways, braced against the wave and slide into home. Thank you Jim Sammons for the tecnique. Lucky, lucky, lucky. I replaced the Hobie paddle with a Bending Branches paddle from Sports Chalet. Not the best paddle, but it feels much more solid and will be there for me when I really need it. Still have to replace the other one.