Ric, all the best with ya first sea voyage. Since I am a woosy sort of nervous dude, I always take it careful when going into unknown conditions. With most sea trips, I pick a quiet place to launch. It is normally quite calm and as I paddle out, I can make sure my gear is secured and leashed. Then as I head out further, the waves get bigger and I try and get an idea of how my yak is doing. Especially when I was really new with my yak on waves, I practiced in the half bigger waves, just to get an idea of how my yak was handling. I practiced going out a bit then turning and coming in. If I felt the waves were too big for me to turn around comfortably, or too big that if I got a fish on I would be in danger when I let the paddle go to reel it in, then I just stuck to the quiet water. It is easy enough just to go out over waves, but be sure you are comfortable doing some manouvers. I am amazed at just how stable my yak is and how much my skills have grown. It is ripper good fun.
I have babbled on here, but what I am saying is that it is normal to have some anxiety and it is fine to build your skills at your own pace. No sense being a dead hero. But ya do have ta get out there and experience it to build up ya skills, so have an awesome time. I think you will be surprised at what you and ya yak can do.
