Kayaking To Dive Haystack Rock

It was a three sport weekend! Kayaking, diving and spear fishing. We went to the beach this last weekend for Travis, Justin and some other scuba guys to try out kayaking out to Haystack Rock in Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City to scuba dive Haystack Rock. For early June, when we still get lots of rain here in western Oregon, it was a pretty decent day with the overcast giving us bits of sun, especially later in the day.

The boys get the toys out.


The bigger boys get their toys out.








Hauling the kayaks closer to the water before getting the gear loaded and strapped down.


Gearing up the kayak. Unfortunately for Travis, his new dry suit hadn't arrived yet when his (also new) dry suit had to be returned.


Testing the water


Or more than testing




Hauling out the bouy. And I immediately began to wonder how they were going to manage that sucker out over the surf...


Heading in.




Debbie always has her camera ready to go too...


So of course we both got Justin's spectacular flip as he tried to get past the surf. And then there was a big pause as they had to collect the buoy and anchors and rethink their approach.


Next thing I knew, some nice surfer was letting my boys ride his surf board!


Pause to watch the guys try again.


Kurt and Travis see Justin off.


Back to surfing


SO much fun!


Travis had been told over and over how steady the kayaks were, so he said he went out over confident. He may have been able to balance the giant crew boats that are no wider than your rear when he rowed for OSU, but that doesn't help against the powerful waves that easily topple anyone who doesn't hit them exactly straight on. So over he went.


See the waves? That's why I wouldn't touch this dive with a ten foot pole. Or a mile long one, since that's how far it is to the rock. All the scuba women stayed on shore because we're smart.


That wave is taller than that insane surfer, why would anyone want to go in there?


But out they go.


And this time Travis makes it just fine.


Once they get out to the rock, they were barely visible by eye so I used my camera to see them. They're down to the left of the rock.




When they came back in, Travis hit the wave straight and coasted right in without mishap.




Unfortunately for Justin, he didn't hit it straight. That's why you tie everything down!




The catch!


Travis and Justin both hit the limit for rockfish that day plus Travis got a lingcod!


Travis and Justin came off the dive with "awesome!" on their lips. The other two guys came away with "that was hard" and "I'm tired!" All the more evidence that I will never attempt this dive via kayaks! This is now Travis' favorite local dive.

The big boys learned a lot, the little boys had lots of fun and the girls were entertained by all. So another great day at the coast!

Travels

Travis and I have had four trips that I've completely neglected to blog going all the way back to April of last year! Bad blogger!

Here are links to the trips

April 27th-May 1st, 2011: Baltimore, MD
Day 1: Part 1 National Museum of Dentistry
Day 1: Part 2 National Aquarium
Day 2: Part 1 Architecture and Walters Art Museum
Day 2: Part 2 Churches
Day 3: Inner Harbor, War Museums and Memorials

October 19th-23rd, 2011: 3-Day Liveaboard Scuba trip in the Channel Islands
Part 1: Day 1 Anacapa Island
Part 2: Day 2 Santa Rosa Island
Part 3: Day 3 Santa Cruz Island
Part 4: Above Ground Sites and Goodbye

March 17th-18th, 2012: My Birthday In Seattle

May 26th-27th: Banditos Boat Scuba Trip

And all posts need a picture, so here's one from one of the trips.

Banditos Boat Scuba Trip

At the end of May Travis and I went diving with Banditos Charters in Seattle with our friends Justin and Debbie. We dove Z's reef and Point Defiance North Wall.

We met up the night before the charter with Justin and Debbie for some good dinner and then went to Alki Cove II for a night dive together. Other divers let us know the viability was pretty poor so I didn't bother taking my camera in. The next morning was the charter boat.

Justin was so anxious to get in the water he was suited up long before the boat reached the spot where we needed to start suiting up.


Buffalo Sculpin (Enophrys bison)


Decorator crab of some sort.


Another pinker looking Buffalo Sculpin (Enophrys bison).


Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinis)


Another fuzzy crab




Nudibranch eggs


This sea star, which I don't think I've seen before, has a lot of common names: striped sunstar, Stimpson's sun star, sun star, orange sun star, and sun sea star (Solaster stimpsoni) hanging out with a crab


Itty bitty crab on a pale starfish that I think is a short-spined sea star (Pisaster brevispinus)


These must be eggs, but I've no idea what kind.


A small crab in a hidey hole


At first I thought this was two sunflower stars either getting frisky or trying out cannibalism, but now I think it's just one big one that's a contortionist.




A red sculpin of some sort.




Blackeyed hermit crab (Pagurus armatus)


Another mystery sculpin.


I can't even begin to find what this is.


Janolus fuscus nudibranch


Another buffalo sculpin


Anemone


Anemones


Another Janolus fuscus nudibranch


Flabellina Trophina nudibranchs


What's that bright white translucent thing over there? Oh, it's a bleached out old section of a crab legs. It was weird to see though.


Bering Hermit Crab (Pagurus ochotensis)


Bering Hermit Crab (Pagurus ochotensis) with somebody else taking a ride on its shell


Coonstripe shrimp


Another sculpin


Painted Greenling (Oxylebius pictus)


Don't know what this is either.


Can you see it? This was the most decorated crab Travis or I have ever spotted. You can see a little bit of one of its claws below the center.


Kelp crab


Tiny Widehand Hermit Crab (Elassochirus tenuimanus) with a little barnacle dominating its little shell.


Another sculpin


Leather star (Dermasterias imbricata) 


Another crab with some fancy duds on


Itty bitty baby star


Widehand Hermit Crab (Elassochirus tenuimanus)


Another Janolus fuscus nudibranch


Little jellyfish ran into some kelp on the seafloor.


That was a good boat charter! The water visibility was awesome too with 40-50 feet on the first dive and about 30 feet on the second dive.