User Tools
stories:lawler_loch_ness
Differences
This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
| Both sides previous revision Previous revision Next revision | Previous revision | ||
|
stories:lawler_loch_ness [2024/01/23 17:29] preavley |
stories:lawler_loch_ness [2025/03/23 22:11] (current) |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| <<stories:maui_rescue_plb|Previous Story^stories:bellingham_stories|Story List^ stories:heavy_tuesday|Next Story>> | <<stories:maui_rescue_plb|Previous Story^stories:bellingham_stories|Story List^ stories:heavy_tuesday|Next Story>> | ||
| - | |||
| - | ===== Ivan Lawler Meets Nessy ===== | ||
| Ivan Lawler Sep 29, 2020 published [[https://www.gosurfski.com/post/meeting-the-monster-of-loch-ness|article on Go Surfski]] | Ivan Lawler Sep 29, 2020 published [[https://www.gosurfski.com/post/meeting-the-monster-of-loch-ness|article on Go Surfski]] | ||
| Line 18: | Line 16: | ||
| </WRAP>\\ | </WRAP>\\ | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| So many of us plan for our desired outcome without really considering the consequences of our decisions. | So many of us plan for our desired outcome without really considering the consequences of our decisions. | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| This is a quick recap of a series of events and decisions that very nearly cost me dearly and I hope by writing this short piece that you will make the changes I have now done to my decision making! | This is a quick recap of a series of events and decisions that very nearly cost me dearly and I hope by writing this short piece that you will make the changes I have now done to my decision making! | ||
| I had entered a surfski race in not so sunny Scotland which took me the 60 miles from the west to the east coast, the journey included some of Scotlands finest scenery, some flat calm canals and one of the worlds most famous stretches of water, Loch Ness. | I had entered a surfski race in not so sunny Scotland which took me the 60 miles from the west to the east coast, the journey included some of Scotlands finest scenery, some flat calm canals and one of the worlds most famous stretches of water, Loch Ness. | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| The background issue here was not actually the result I was hoping for, I had long given up the idea that winning was important, the issue, ironically that led to my decision making that day was self preservation! I had done little to no training and my only hope of making the distance with any degree of comfort was to get a ride on the wash of a surfski double also competing from my home club. | The background issue here was not actually the result I was hoping for, I had long given up the idea that winning was important, the issue, ironically that led to my decision making that day was self preservation! I had done little to no training and my only hope of making the distance with any degree of comfort was to get a ride on the wash of a surfski double also competing from my home club. | ||
| Line 35: | Line 30: | ||
| We had done a few warm up paddles back home and I have reached the decision it was easier to keep up in the faster of the surfskis available to me. With theoretical speed, as we all know comes a lack of stability but I have been canoeing for a long time now and stability was not really my prime concern. | We had done a few warm up paddles back home and I have reached the decision it was easier to keep up in the faster of the surfskis available to me. With theoretical speed, as we all know comes a lack of stability but I have been canoeing for a long time now and stability was not really my prime concern. | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**I valued speed over security.**</font> | <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**I valued speed over security.**</font> | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| (I was not so stupid that I didn’t take my back up surfski in case things were excessively rough so I felt I had covered all the options.) | (I was not so stupid that I didn’t take my back up surfski in case things were excessively rough so I felt I had covered all the options.) | ||
| Line 63: | Line 56: | ||
| <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**Suddenly things turned, boom, I was in the water!**</font> | <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**Suddenly things turned, boom, I was in the water!**</font> | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| I don’t even know what happened, I had been rock solid, then I was upside down in the ice cold water of the deepest loch in Scotland, with the snow falling, in race kit not survival clothing and I was on my own. A hopeful glance round looking for a safety boat was fruitless so it was a quick remount and off again…or at least that was the plan. | I don’t even know what happened, I had been rock solid, then I was upside down in the ice cold water of the deepest loch in Scotland, with the snow falling, in race kit not survival clothing and I was on my own. A hopeful glance round looking for a safety boat was fruitless so it was a quick remount and off again…or at least that was the plan. | ||
| Line 73: | Line 65: | ||
| The problem was that with hands that cold and a body that was 7 hrs into an event, combined with an over ambitious ski choice, meant that my first few remounts were unsuccessful, energy was running low and I made a decision to swim (with the ski) the 300m or so to the edge of the loch and get in again there. It was a long swim! By the time I reached safety I was cold, properly cold! I needed to get moving again but even holding the paddle was a challenge, I was in a sheltered bay but knew I had to get out to the rough stuff again to get back to where anyone would be able to pick me up. I took my time getting settled in the surfski and tried to convince myself I was ready to go, I certainly could not just sit and wait! | The problem was that with hands that cold and a body that was 7 hrs into an event, combined with an over ambitious ski choice, meant that my first few remounts were unsuccessful, energy was running low and I made a decision to swim (with the ski) the 300m or so to the edge of the loch and get in again there. It was a long swim! By the time I reached safety I was cold, properly cold! I needed to get moving again but even holding the paddle was a challenge, I was in a sheltered bay but knew I had to get out to the rough stuff again to get back to where anyone would be able to pick me up. I took my time getting settled in the surfski and tried to convince myself I was ready to go, I certainly could not just sit and wait! | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| Setting off with no feeling in my hands or feet was a little unnerving but set off I did, back out into the rough stuff, it was the only way home. I could see the end of the Loch about 1000m away, how hard could it be? I was to find out… | Setting off with no feeling in my hands or feet was a little unnerving but set off I did, back out into the rough stuff, it was the only way home. I could see the end of the Loch about 1000m away, how hard could it be? I was to find out… | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**2 minutes later I was back in the water, it was no warmer this time!**</font> | <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**2 minutes later I was back in the water, it was no warmer this time!**</font> | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| My swim was shorter, maybe only 100m but felt longer, holding onto the boat with numb hands had its own challenges, as did trying to stand on the rocks with waves crashing in and no feeling in my feet. This time getting into the surfski was a real challenge, I just couldn’t seem to coordinate the simple movements I needed to make. I had just 500m to the safety of the canal exiting from the Loch but it was side on to the waves that were already winning the fight. I had no choice but to take them on, I knew I was too cold to sit and wait. Back in the surfski finally, I set off. | My swim was shorter, maybe only 100m but felt longer, holding onto the boat with numb hands had its own challenges, as did trying to stand on the rocks with waves crashing in and no feeling in my feet. This time getting into the surfski was a real challenge, I just couldn’t seem to coordinate the simple movements I needed to make. I had just 500m to the safety of the canal exiting from the Loch but it was side on to the waves that were already winning the fight. I had no choice but to take them on, I knew I was too cold to sit and wait. Back in the surfski finally, I set off. | ||
| Line 109: | Line 98: | ||
| <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**Were I to approach the same set of circumstances again I would choose a more stable ski, everything else would then have been ok.**</font> | <font 18px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>**Were I to approach the same set of circumstances again I would choose a more stable ski, everything else would then have been ok.**</font> | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| However facing the circumstances I faced the fact that I had a fall back method of getting to safety was the best bit of instruction I could possibly have had, and the time we spent going through it in Tarifa was time well spent. Things don't always pan out how you would like them to and having a back up strategy to deal with the unexpected is priceless when the time comes!! | However facing the circumstances I faced the fact that I had a fall back method of getting to safety was the best bit of instruction I could possibly have had, and the time we spent going through it in Tarifa was time well spent. Things don't always pan out how you would like them to and having a back up strategy to deal with the unexpected is priceless when the time comes!! | ||
| - | \\ | ||
| Thanks to Boyan the story will be told many times, without his instruction it may never have been told at all. | Thanks to Boyan the story will be told many times, without his instruction it may never have been told at all. | ||
Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license: CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
