The beach we'd normally launch from is under several feet of water so we're starting from a steep shoreline with good size waves coming directly onshore.
The procedure (so I'm told) is wait for a relative lull, go out a few steps, jump in the boat with one foot (the other hanging), paddle like mad to get past the clapotis, then put other foot in, skirt up, and pump out whatever waves washed in during the process. Pump goes in the cockpit because the waves could tear it out of the bungies.
Real world:
1) Figure out that for me there's no "quick jump" into the borrowed CD Rumor as it's more of a "gradually wriggle in" fit. Go back and get a wider boat.
2) Do the jump in and paddle thing. The put-other-foot-in step is interrupted by not being able to get said foot past the pump in the cockpit. Big wave comes during this and everything goes over.
3) Put pump in the bungies, get back in the capsized kayak and roll up, attach skirt, and pump.
Phelps, who had no pump, managed to get his 2nd foot in first try.
At least now I can say I've done self rescue "in conditions" (wind, waves, near freezing water.) Though I've been knocked down before while entering/exiting, it's always been where I could stand, and in deeper water I've always been in the kayak so it was just a matter of rolling up.
After that things went pretty smoothly. Paddled out along the Colchester causeway which gave us shelter from wind and waves. At the cut we went to the other side and confirmed that it was rougher over there, then back to the lee. For the return, we peeled away from the causeway and rode the wind back to the start.
I heard the other trip launched in a sheltered bay, so didn't hit the waves right away.
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