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BajaNews
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Kayaker Ends 1,000-mile Paddle to Baja Attempt
http://www.thelog.com/news/logNewsArticle.aspx?x=11250
By: Jack Innis
August 26, 2010
The military has a saying that all plans go out the window once you step into the field of combat.
While long-distance solo kayaker David Kalwick never engaged in combat during his July attempt to paddle from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mother
Nature gave him such a tough fight that he was forced to abandon his planned quest.
Kalwick left Shelter Island July 17 in hopes of paddling and fishing his way along the Pacific Ocean side of the 1,000-mile Baja California coast.
Even though the added weight of gear for the extended expedition was within the small craft’s capabilities, he soon realized he was not making
adequate headway.
“My average speed was 2.2 mph,” the 48-year-old San Diego-based 3-D animator wrote in his online blog. “Typically, it’s 3.5 mph with all my fishing
gear. I wasn’t moving as fast as I had hoped.”
Loaded down with 300 pounds of high-definition video equipment, marine electronics, food, water, fishing gear and a hand-operated water maker, the
kayak proved extremely cumbersome on land. When Kalwick reached La Bufadora Beach just south of Ensenada, he found he could barely tug the craft up
the beach to secure it for the night.
“Each heave-ho would only move the kayak a few inches,” Kalwick said. “Unfortunately, being so heavy, it was extremely difficult for me to move on
land.”
That’s when Mother Nature decided to add to his woes. An Ensenada-based kayak guide told Kalwick big waves were forecast for the next five days, and
warned that his planned route included beach landings that would be dangerous in high surf. He advised Kalwick to either wait it out or reroute to the
Sea of Cortez side. With Baja California Sur’s hurricane season looming, the idea of waiting five days to resume a slow pace seemed foolhardy.
Kalwick decided to end his paddling quest and move to the Sea of Cortez, to concentrate on fishing. It took him more than 15 hours to paddle north to
Rosarito Beach, where he arranged for transportation.
Little did he know he’d be stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“Unfortunately, though I knew it would be warmer, I never anticipated the heat that I experienced there,” he wrote of the 100-degree-plus temperatures
on the water. “The surf won’t kill me, but the heat certainly will.”
The intrepid kayak angler caught sea bass and grouper and spent one night camped in an ancient volcanic cone on a remote desert island, watching Baja
California’s incredible night sky. He returned to the United States Aug. 18.
“I had made a commitment to myself about what I would do if things went wrong or if I found that I was on a path to destruction,” he wrote in his
blog. “Being a pilot, I’ve been taught that it’s not one thing that goes wrong, but a culmination of many mistakes that leads to most tragic
accidents. Ninety nine percent of the time, its pilot error and can be avoided. I did not want this trip to be a Darwinian experiment.”
The kayaker originally hatched his plan to paddle the Baja coast in 2009 and preparing several months before the journey began. Kalwick hoped he could
organize a ground support crew to give him a better chance to succeed. Unfortunately, such support was not in the cards.
“I spoke to several people who have done similar-type trips, and they all advised against going without ground support,” he said. “The reasons are
obvious: such as less gear to carry, more supplies available and help with potential medical emergencies.
“I put the word out, but I couldn’t find any friends who were able to commit to the support required for a trip like this,” Kalwick said. “I’m not one
to rely on others, so I tried to figure out what I could do without a support team. I knew that certain conditions would have to prevail if I was
going to succeed.”
Kalwick was on extended vacation following his adventure and was not available for comment.
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BajaBlanca
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I bet he takes an extended vacation   .... it is neat that he tried and sad that he couldn't get enough people to help along the way ....
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tattuna
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I admire his ambition and the fact that he was smart enough to know when to quit. Many of us were living vicariously through his blog and routing him
on. Even though you didn't make it, saludos to you Wavester, it was a valiant effort!
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woody with a view
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is that our guy from a month ago, or so?
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Udo
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That's him, Woody.
He was doomed from the start. He was to start in June, and instead started in mid July.
If he would have had a Hobie Adventure Island, he would have gotten all the way to Cabo.
Also, knowing he'd have to carry 300 lbs of gear, I think I would have made some king of beach wheels that one can attach to the bottom of the yak for
schlepping up the sand.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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oxxo
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I have done the route from Long Beach to Cabo in a big boat. This guy was the victim of his own poor planning. The best month for attempting this
trip, for following wind and current, is November. If he could average 2.5 to 3 knots, 12 hours a day, it would take him 4 to 6 weeks to complete the
journey. July is not a good month because of prevailing sea conditions in the Pacific. Second, with 300 pounds of gear, he should have planned for
removeable wheels for his kayak. Third, he should have made provisions for sleeping aboard his kayak at night in open water while dragging a drouge
to control his drift. Beaches and surf suitable for landing a kayak are few and far between on the Pacific side. Fourth, July is never a good month
to plan strenuous outdoor activites on the SOC side.
The guy just didn't have enough experience to make this trip. I'm surprised he didn't make some test runs with his kayak fully loaded, to determine
potential speed and maneuverability, before setting off. I think this voyage is possible with the right contingencies. Maybe he'll know better next
time and plan accordingly.
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Udo
If he would have had a Hobie Adventure Island, he would have gotten all the way to Cabo. |
Udo, you and I posted at exactly the same time and came to the same conclusion. But I would not pick the Adventure Island to do this trip, not enough
carrying capacity. I would have picked the inflatable Mirage i14T, slower than the AI but more seaworthy and lighter in weight. I think the AI is a
great flat water kayak but has limited utility on the open ocean.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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David arrived here by truck one evening....super nice guy. I admired his abandon the plan attitude...smart...do what's safe is the best plan.
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elgatoloco
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Nice try. Maybe he will give it another go. I could see doing the SOC with support. We kayak fish on the Pacific side and have had a few 'wet'
landings. How far did he make it? Where is his blog?
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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BajaNomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by elgatoloco
Where is his blog? |
http://wavster.blogspot.com/
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
https://www.regionalinternet.com
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting - since 1999 |
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Pompano
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The pages of Baja history are filled with kayakers making this trip. He'll try again and get it done the next time.
[Edited on 8-28-2010 by Pompano]
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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desertcpl
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fishabductor
It's probably safer than riding a bicycle down baja. Those people are retards. |
ditto fish
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elgatoloco
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Gracias!
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaNews
Loaded down with 300 pounds of high-definition video equipment, marine electronics, food, water, fishing gear and a hand-operated water maker, the
kayak proved extremely cumbersome on land. When Kalwick reached La Bufadora Beach just south of Ensenada, he found he could barely tug the craft up
the beach to secure it for the night.
“Each heave-ho would only move the kayak a few inches,” Kalwick said. “Unfortunately, being so heavy, it was extremely difficult for me to move on
land.”
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what fool take 300 lbs of baggage in a seakayak?
he only needed to cary food/water supplies for 5 days maximum -- he would never be further than a day or 2 from a town or fish camp.
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Bajahowodd
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He got his 15 minutes of fame.
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BajaDanD
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Come on this guy had no idea what he was getting into from the vary start. If he did he would have planned it better. The only smart thing he did was
quit while he was still alive. He's lucky he didnt loose all his gear on one of his beach landings, while trying to drag 300lbs of gear out of the
water and find himself stranded somewhere with no food or water. I know plenty of people have kayaked form SD to Cabo but this guy was more concerned
about camera stuff so he could film it. give me a break.
My opinion the guy was just one bad decision short of being an Idiot.
Fail to plan Plan to fail.
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gnukid
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Something to learn from...
Many successful sailing round the world trips now bring very little in the way of electronics and use a home base navigator with a sat phone
connection so as to avoid the weight, time and chance of failure.
Less is more for sure in long distance
For this guy definitely a Oct-Nov run would be good, and he would have had better chance of shore crew meet-ups with so many travelers then.
Also the suggestion for sleeping on board seems like a good solution to the occassional lack of safe landing problem, I have done some trips and the
landings/launchings are the hardest part for many.
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Barry A.
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Many years ago I provided land support to 3 kayakers that paddled from Rio Hardy to Los Cabos, but they did it in several stints of one month each,
and over several years, and always in winter---usually Oct. or Nov. The fresh water was the main thing they needed support with-----most other stuff
they just carried along, but certainly not 300 lbs worth. They went like back packers---very light, but they did have video-cams and a sat-phone, as
well as handi-talkies. They all used fold-boats/kayaks, very expensive (vinyl over frame type). It can be done, but it is tricky and you have to
know what you are doing. One of these friends was the president of the kayak club of the Northwest and definitely knew what he was doing---one other
guy was not so experienced, and one very intrepid experienced and beautiful girl (who I was secretly in love with by the time the trip ended). 
For the Gulf, summer is a killer!! And any time of the year when the winds are blowing hard you have to have the patience and time to just hunker
down on land and wait it out.
I resupplied them about every 200 miles, or so. The stretch from near Los Corrales (below El Barril) to Santa Rosalia was a long one, as is the
stretch from Gonzaga to BOLA.., and from Rio Hardy to San Felipe.
Barry
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maspacifico
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I might be hallucinating but when I move to Maui, in 1987, seem to remember a story about a guy that kayaked from San Francisco to Hawaii. The reason
it sticks in my mind is that he was aiming for Oahu but ended up in Kahului harbor on Maui. Sitting on a bench with his kayak and some guy starts
talking him and pretty much doesn't believe where he came from....which is what I would have thought! Solo unaided trip...now I'll have to google it.
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wilderone
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"... a guy that kayaked from San Francisco to Hawaii."
Yes - Ed Gillette. I took my first kayak lesson from him and was hooked. Been on several Baja trips with him as well. Super great guy, absolute
skillful, smart sea kayaker and leader. I learned so much from him.
A solo, unaided trip is certainly within the realm of reality - you just need to know what you're doing - mapping, weather, gear, self-rescue, boat
skill, strength.
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