Bingo!  Water volume may have been a touch higher; we had 4 inches of rain a couple days earlier.

Yes, the "swim" was actually quite refreshing. 

Fortunately my paddling partner -whom I had not met before - turned out to be a fabulous guy with a super sense of humor about this mishap (and others).  Hauling water-laden food packs over the long portage into Fern required a REAL sense of humor!  Later, we had 30 mph tail winds hustling us out of big Pickerel Lake on our last day (we covered 14 miles in no time).  All that "surfing" was a bit unnerving even for our experienced members. 

This fellow took it all in stride.  I hope I can hold a similar temperament when I turn 70!

Jimbo   8-)