Turn On It, Tune Out, Drop In

SE WIND 20 TO 25 KT. GUSTS TO 30 KT OVER THE OUTER WATERS.
COMBINED SEAS 14 FT DOMINANT PERIOD 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT.
WIND WAVES 2 FT.
SW SWELL 11 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

Rivermouth...undisturbed salmon run...sea lions...long paddle...hmmmm

Local report...uhhhh...rescue attempt:

...went out solo...started at the point and caught a few mushy rights...current was gushing out and making it hard to stay in place and catch anything. At one point I noticed I was almost out to the tip of the cape after sitting and resting for a bit. I then paddled straight S and tried to find something...but I had to keep fighting the current. I finally dropped into a big left, made the drop & bottom turn, but it folded over the top of me and I got crushed.

I called it a day and I was starting to get out of my suit when I noticed someone way outside trying to move S to get out of the rip. I watched for about 30 minutes and chatted with his wife as he made slow progress to the S. He started to rest a lot and began to lose ground against the current, so I decided to go back out and attempt a rescue.

I ran back down to the water while keeping an eye on him and jumped into the rip. It just took a couple of minutes to get out since it was flowing like a river. I took a set on the head after I cleared the point and sat up to locate the guy outside. To my disbelief, he had somehow managed to get in while I was going out. I was fully committed in the rip and approaching the tip of the cape so I started the several hundred yard paddle S to the breaking waves.

So here I am, all the way outside, solo, in a rip, and a CG "Dolphin" chopper approaches and starts hovering over my head. I held up an "OK" gesture, then continued paddling. He stayed above me, so I sat up and held the "OK" gesture for about 15 seconds before he broke away and flew off to the N.

I continued moving S and started looking for a wave to ride in. I paddled for another left, but didn't quite catch it. The wave behind it was bigger and it was the first of about six that eventually washed me all the way in. The guy that was out for so long thanked me for going out and I finally was able to get out of the suit.