That sounds like a good test of tripod robustness (and perhaps waterproofing of the user too).
Kevin,
The user got wet, but not too wet. I should have put on my waterproof pants. The wellies and raincoat worked fine but the bits in between got wet. No King Eider...way too windy off of Cape May east shore near the inlet where it had been seen earlier in the week.
But I did set up the scope (Vortex Skyline 80), the Manfrotto 128RC and the Feisol CT3301 out by Sunset Beach to look for seabirds (9 Common Loons and 1 Horned Grebe were present). Actaully, a very nice combination in my opinion. Very stable & strong even with the heavier head. Tall enough for me even without a center column; I actually had to shorten the legs a few inches to get the scope to eye-level (it's has an angled eyepiece). So, overall, the Feisol works very well.
But I do have a couple of small issues with it:
First, it does not have the anti-twist legs so set up is a bit more complicated that lever-lock (Manfrotto & others) or anti-twist leg (Gitzo G-lock & others) tripods. Not a deal-breaker, you just need to get used to it. You must unlock, extend/retract, relock each joint one-by-one. Easier with 3 leg segments vs. 4 due to fewer joints. Once locked tight the legs are very stable.
Second, the top of the tripod does not have anything to lock the tripod head in place. Manfrotto uses set-screws and their heads are designed to accept these screws so as to prevent the head from loosening from the tripod base. Gitzo uses their Power Disk with the Safe Lock material and two locking screws. I'm not sure what other manufacturers use. My Induro monopod has one set-screw plus a slip-resistant material. The Slik tripod I had did not have anything except friction of aluminum against aluminum like the Feisol. Anyway. I was not able to tighten the head on the tripod enough to prevent it from loosening while I was panning to the left. Kind of a hassle. I don't think the Feisol center column has any type of head locking feature either. Again, not a deal breaker since Locktite Blue can be used to secure the head. But an engineered approach by Feisol would be a better solution. I would assume this would be a concern if you were often switching heads.
Overall, the Feisol CT-3301 is definitely a keeper. And now Feisol will be offering their tripods with anti-twist legs (at a premium cost).
http://reallybigcameras.com/Feisol/Feisol Rapid Tripods.htm
Maybe I ordered mine just a little too soon. :-C
I hope this helps.