As is usual on these surveys we used my Innova inflatable kayaks for this trip. I bought them way back in 2013 and they have been used on coastal archaeological surveys ever since. Their color has faded and there are some worn spots, but both kayaks seem to be going strong. I like them because they carry a lot of gear, can handle dragging over rocks and repeated beach landings, and it is easy to get in and out of them. They are perfect for surveys because I go to shore a lot to check for sites. A more traditional hard shell kayak with a sprayskirt - even if you could get it on a plane to take to the field - does not carry as much, nor is it something you'd want to beach all day long repeatedly.
On this trip we did not have much wind - so the water was pretty flat - but there was often a big swell. At one point we both swamped our kayaks getting off of a beach with breaking waves. But no problem, we pumped out the boats and continued on our way.
While paddling along we saw lots of foxes and bears, but, strangely enough, only one deer. We often saw sows with their cubs walking along the beach, and we tried not to alarm them because they would then run up the steep cliffs and hillsides behind the beach. This is a sight to see, but I fear it puts undo stress on the bears.
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