Sounds like a great trip. Good photos and those carved sticks for good luck. No surf episodes ?

Yeah a rear rub strip is mandatory and a sea sock in a SOF should be mandatory . You will need to make a good lip at least an inch wide - depending on the bungy cord diam of skirt and sock.

: Oh, and does anyone have advice as to how to get a lot of sand out of a SOF
: kayak? My bow has a serious case of ring around the keel stringer.

Getting sand out is a bitch , hope your seat is removable and you have a tiny spoon , pretty much just a matter of doing the best you can with rinsing drying , inverting and repeating .