She’s Got Your Back

San Francisco Bay and the Gulf of the Farallones offer spectacular and exciting sailing. But occasionally things get too exciting. All boaters venturing out into these waters should take every precaution to be well informed about conditions, well prepared in their vessel and gear, and well skilled in seamanship. But bad things can happen to even the best-prepared crew. When you find yourself in a ‘mayday’ situation, it’s good to know the Coast Guard is close by to help.

Petty Officer 1st Class Krystyna Duffy is scheduled to become the fourth active female surfman in the service during a ceremony at Station Golden Gate this morning. (Station Golden Gate is the one at the base of the North Tower of said bridge, in Sausalito’s Horseshoe Cove.)

Duffy, 31, will receive the surfman designation, the highest rank in Coast Guard small-boat operation, which allows rescue boat coxswains to operate in extreme weather and sea conditions. As a surfman, Duffy will be qualified to take a 47-ft Motor Lifeboat out in 20-ft breaking surf with 30-ft seas and 50-knot winds, reaching the boat’s operational limits.

"This has been a goal for me for more than a decade, and I’m excited to have made it," said Duffy. "Dreams don’t care about gender. If you want something badly enough, and you’re willing to fight for it, you can do it."

Station Golden Gate is one of 21 surf stations, where surf conditions greater than 8 feet occur 36 days or more each year. Heavy surf contributes to search-and-rescue emergencies in the Bay Area and along the Northern California coastline.

Chief Warrant Officer Beth Slade, commanding officer of Station Golden Gate, will present Duffy’s award. In 2002, Slade became the first woman ever to earn the surfman qualification for the 47-ft Motor Lifeboat. The ‘surfman’ title dates back more than 200 years to the US Life-Saving Service.