Surfing a Double

A couple of years ago, while owning a sea-kayak guide/instruction company, I had a friend approach me with a novel idea; create tours specifically designed to place and support photographers in the field giving them access to unique photo opportunities. My friend, Brad Miller of finephotographics.com, while a professional photographer, had the barest of paddling experience and so was a great candidate to use in a shakedown cruise to see just what a photographer’s unique needs might be. Although it took us some time to coordinate schedules, we finally had the opportunity to field test our ideas this past weekend.

Considering the price tag of Brad’s photo gear, we decided the best platform was a double sea-kayak. It is inherently more stable and we could place Brad in the forward cockpit, with me in rear, freeing him to concentrate on composing his photos. I decided on Salt Creek County Park as our base camp. This would give Brad plenty of photo opportunities, and as it’s locate 15 miles west of Port Angeles, some small surf to test whether a double kayak would be stable enough to entrust expensive camera gear in some of the exposed coastal areas of the Northwest we are hoping to eventually venture out to.

I arrived to pick up Brad Friday morning and the first thing I noticed that photographers, serious one anyway, have as much gear as any paddler! I was relieved that I had picked the biggest double I could get my hands on; a Necky Nootka Plus. It was a beautiful drive out to the campsite with the vivid fall colors contrasting with the evergreens and I could tell that Brad’s creative juices where in high gear. We enjoyed sunshine and slightly unseasonably warm weather until our last half mile when a thick, cold fog blanketed us. I was disappointed that Brad wouldn’t be able to see the beautiful scenery, but I barely had the car stopped before Brad was bolting to the beach with camera and tripod in hand. Apparently, fog is a good thing for photos.

Brad was up well before sunrise the next day and had already put in a couple of hours of photography when I woke up to start an early breakfast. Apparently another annoying habit of photographers! We finally made our way to Crescent Bay to launch and start the ‘shakedown’ cruise. I had read a bit of history on the area, and as I scanned the barren beach and surrounding woods, it was hard to believe that in 1888 Crescent Bay was know as Port Crescent, had a township of 600 individuals, luxury hotel facing the beach, sawmill, homes and shops. The only remaining evidence is the Joyce General Store which was disassembled and moved to its present location from Port Crescent and the historical cemetery just opposite the beach.

As we secured our gear in the compartments, I took a last look at the conditions waiting for us in the bay. We had BFT 4 winds out of the west and 2-4’ surf. Perfect for testing, although I’m not sure Brad shared my sentiments. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to some adrenaline in my system as taking a double into the surf zone was a first, much less with a inexperienced paddler. But then, that was why we were there.

However, we punched through the surf with no issues. As matter of fact, the length and momentum of the double carried us relatively effortlessly through the waves. The last two waves were closer to the 4’ range and it was a thrill to see Brad above me just as the bow pierced the green water of the top of the wave and we actually got some air. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I was dry despite having multiple waves breaking on us. Brad on the other hand, must have been screwing off as his drysuit was soaked. At the end of the day, coming in through the surf was just as easy. With two of us paddling it was simple to stay on the back of a wave, and we made it to the beach without having a single wave break on us.

Once we were beyond the surf zone we headed west to take in the cliffs of Agate Bay. These cliffs reach as high as 400’ and one has an obvious man made tunnel at it’s base. You can see the rusted ring of a dogged hatch cover over the opening and although the tide was too high to allow walking out to it this time, a couple of years ago I made my way along the shelf and walked inside. The floor was level but the ceiling slanted at an angle that increase the further one went towards the rear. The bright light through the opening hindered my eyes from adjusting to the gloom, but I could make out coils of line and aluminum ladder stacked to the side. I’ve never been able to ascertain the history of the cave and would love for someone to write in if they have a clue or even a theory.

Along with getting Brad in position to take his photos, we spent the day trying different configurations with the boat and gear. By the end of the day we had a long list of ideas to improve the experience for any perspective photographers. Our next step is to take our notes and implement them on a slightly more challenging paddle with the aim of finding that level of exposure where photography isn’t possible. Despite his ride through the surf, Brad has volunteered his expertise in this endeavor and I’d like to take a moment to thank him for his help, humor, and great camaraderie. He’s also very graciously consented to allow me to post some of his photos in a gallery. I hope to have that online shortly.

You might also check his upcoming website for some of his other work; Brad Miller’s finephotographics.com.