How often do you have a 'yard sale'?

[taggermike]

I got cavalier in small surf in LJ last year, got spun, then flipped, and lost a rod. I didn't stow or leash any thing and I paid for it. I have wiped out before but I had things secured and didn't lose anything. I've surfed launched at places that aren't popular with yakkers, like south Imperial Beach, Salt Creek, Baja beach breaks, South Oceanside and in wierd 2 way shore pound along the Outer Banks of NC. I'm not saying this to brag, only to say that I have tried about every way there is to land a kayak in a wide variety of conditions. Surfing in, riding the back of a wave in, sprint paddling to the sand, and getting out and wading in. Like jorliuvil sayed, backing the kayak in can work pretty well. Once in Oside the conditions changed so radically that I thought about paddling all the way to the harbor. Instead I stowed every thing as best I could and just let the kayak wash in to the beach and swam in after it. Desperate messures. The point of this post is to say that if you admit to being "bad at surf landings" the way to get better is to practice. Leave all your gear on the beach and just get out there. Crashing isn't too intimadating when your kayak is empty. That way you'll know what your kayak will do in situations where you'd never want to be while fishing. OK, I rambled. Mike