June 18, 2002

Sea Fog

17 June 2002

Fog. It had been foggy all week. Thick sea fog in the morning, with rain and thick gray clouds in the afternoon. I had read in the paper that June through July historically saw Misawa 50% of the time being socked in by sea fog. A cold sea current sweeps down from the north and mixes with the warm air over the mainland of Japan to create a fog that lasts 5 days at a time.

When I arrived at the launch, the fog was fairly thick. My goal this weekend is to stay between shore and the outer breakers. First paddling north in the `soup', practicing bracing on my right side. Then turning south I would paddle back practicing on my left. The trick is, I'm switching to paddling feathered, and I figure this will accelerate the learning process.

The wind is out of the southeast. An easy paddle north I think. But before unloading the boat from my car, I go for a walk. North along the beach to survey the large amount of erosion that has taken place from the tropical depression that blew up the coast during the week. What started as a typhoon, quickly died out as it met with the cooler ocean currents coming down from the north.

After walking for about a quarter of a mile, I turn to head back to the car. I won't paddle today. The wind is too great.

As I walk along I ponder what I've read about waves, rips, and undertow. At sea a swell moves through the water with ease, but along with this massive amount of energy, the water moves hardly forward at all. Surface water moves up and down with the crests and the trough, but after the swell has passed the water is essentially in the same place it started.

So what causes the great rips from the beach back to sea? Where does this excess water come from?

To answer, we must first know water must move towards shore, before it is required to escape back to sea. This comes in the way of a broken wave.

Once broken, all that white `soup' is being pushed towards shore. Water. A beach which has dumpers right on the beach may burst in a powerful crash, but moves little water. But waves which begin breaking far offshore and continue to tumble as soup all the way to shore moves massive amounts. It's ironic that the more gentle sloping beaches, which cause waves to break early and continue as foam towards shore, will have the strongest rips, the strongest undertow. While beaches with waves breaking right on shore will seem violent on the beach, just outside the breakers will be calm.

Today there is little curl to the waves. The wind is blowing them over before they can rise up too high. White foam everywhere and the rips are strong and furious.

18 June 2002

The fog is even thicker this morning. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile visibility at times. But there is no wind.

The waves grab my immediate attention. I'm always nervous when I first see them. Always intimidated. Even the smallest of waves initially seems too much for my skill level. I drive far down the beach, parking about 200 feet from a fence that runs into the water. There were no signs on the fence the last time I was here - I have no idea the purpose.

Out of the car I walk down to the water to watch the waves. It's during this period my mind begins to balance my skill level against the sea. The waves have a defined curl to them today, but they are not tall. The first set of breakers is in closer to shore. This I can do.

When I launch I keep myself from drifting out too far. Timing the waves and a sudden burst of speed to get me around the fence posts in the water. I don't want to side surf into those things. Once past the fence the water characteristics change. Breaking more towards shore, side surfing me more violently in. This feathered paddle is awkward in my hands, but I remain upright. I soon find myself pointed out from the beach at 45 degrees. Enough to keep the waves from broaching me most of the time. Paddling slowly I move in and out from shore, ever so slowly inching down the beach.

I hoped today I would make it to the mouth of Lake Ogawara. But fatigue begins to settle in as I fight my way along the shore. This is no easy task. Many times I find myself stranded up the beach with no water under my kayak. It is during one of these times, while fighting to turn my kayak back towards the sea while sitting on the sand, that I remember another trick I had read. I lean my kayak over 90 degrees so as to create maximum rocker, and easily spin the boat to where I wanted it.

A few more times getting side surfed up to the shore and I know it is time to turn back. But a quick stop on the beach. Walking north I hope to see the mouth of the lake, but this fog prevents it. I have no idea how far I've come. The fence has long been hidden deep in the fog. I also notice this beach is much more cluttered. No one has picked over this debris. I become nervous about what the fence means.

Before getting back in the boat I decide to test another idea. Grabbing my painter I begin walking south pulling my kayak in the shallows. If I ever find myself ashore away from my launch, with breakers too large to go through, I wanted to know if it was possible to get my kayak back by walking along shore in the shallows. At least in an area such as this, the answer is yes, but it is a long and slow walk. My kayak was turned upside down several times, but it would work in a pinch.

Back in the kayak I head south. My offside seems a little better because it got a little practice while heading north. I seem to find myself on the beach more often so I head a little further out. Curling waves catch me more often, but they aren't big and most of them I can power my way over them after only a short side surf.

Before long I see the fence and someone in the surf fishing. As I get close he wisely backs towards shore and pulls in his line. But I beach before I get to him - I don't want to risk side surfing into him.

I pack my gear and load the boat on the car. Before leaving I notice there is a new sign on the fence. "U.S. Air Force Installation"

Oh boy. How close I must have been to getting in real hot water. To top things off I realize I had left my ID in my car.

Driving out I decide to find the mouth of Ogawara by car. Along the coast road I find myself in front of a sign which clearly shows the mouth dead center inside a restricted area. There is no way to get there. I know that somewhere north of the base is a bombing range. Is this it? It is pretty small, but the red lines extend far into the sea. I turn and head home.

Woody