Paddling Otaku

Social Media Kayaking (and gear too)

2012-01-24T13:22:00.000-05:00

As much as I strive to be zen, and detached from the technological world - no TV, I make very few phone calls, my phones ringer is only set to vibrate - I also love social media. I have a personal facebook account - I am toying with one for the paddling otaku world - a twitter account, and I am an active redditor.

And while I hike and travel and cycle, I am truly a kayaker at heart. In fact it is even a little more niche than that. I only paddle long touring kayaks, I don't dabble in whitewater or racing sculls, or surf skis or rec boats.

But I am regularly depressed by how little of the social media world is directed towards true touring kayakers. Is this section of the kayaking conversation so small that we warrant so little attention? Today I read the current copy of Outside magazine because they had an article on social media. There were exactly zero links to any social media that pertained to kayaking. I even went to what outside listed as the number one gear related site - Outdoor Gear Lab - which does look like a great site, but do a search for the word kayak on their site and you get zero items returned. Gear institute, another recommended site has - much to my surprise - a paddling section. But when I clicked on it, it offered a review of one canoe, and one kayak (and whitewater at that). Another article in the same magazine touted '63 perfect things, our favorite trips, gear, booze, events, addictions and more'. You guessed it, zero directly related to kayaking. And just for the record I don't need wine made by Clif - of clif bars - for it to be considered 'portable'. I started drinking whiskey as a young man because it packed in so efficiently. Outside agrees with me, because they also offer a flask as a 'perfect thing'. About a year ago I emailed 'the Gear Junkie' Stephen Regenold - who also writes for outside - and asked him why he didn't do more reviews related to kayaking. His response was honest, I just don't kayak that much. A search of his site does show that he kayaks occasionally, as he has reviewed a fair amount of kayaking equipment. I must also say he does the best reviews following Outdoor Retailer.

Now, when I say kayaking I am referring directly to kayaking. A kayak. A drysuit. A paddle. A type of dry bag. I do appreciate a good tent or sleeping bag review, as those are products I use a lot. But why does kayaking get so little time? I find it very interesting that when we see kayaking in the media it is almost always whitewater - which in terms of participation has had negative growth the last five years, while recreational kayaking has had very good positive growth.

I know that the answer to that question is of course, money. Fewer people buy expensive kayaks than expensive bicycles. And media caters to who spends the money. But I think there are more people that enjoy the outdoors the way I do than the 'media types' think.

Here is what I am thinking. I don't think I have big enough readership to make this happen, but lets give it a shot. Post in the comments - or send me an email, what ever you want - A perfect thing (and how it related to kayaking) OR a kayaking related piece of social media. A link to a website, a twitter feed, a Facebook page or an app for your smart phone. If you want to post a piece of gear that doesn't directly relate to kayaking - like for instance the Gopro Hero HD2 - just tell me why it makes kayaking better.

If you're a long time lurker, I am going to ask you to break your silence, and post something that you like. If I get enough responses I will do something fun with the links.

Declination

2012-01-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

As I was processing the first purchase of the compass rose - available in the store - I was asked to set the declination for the user. I realized I had never talked about declination in any of the plotting posts. So here is a quick description of what declination is, and why it's important.

We are of course all familiar with basic maps, and I am sure we can all agree that the top of the page a map is printed on represents North. Likewise, South is down, East is right, and West is left. A compass has these directions too - of course - but the difference is how a compass actually works. The red end of the needle on the compass points to magnetic north, where as north on a paper map is true north. True North is the geographic top of the earth. However magnetic north - which right now is located in North Western Canada - This difference is called declination.

We need to take declination into account when ever a map and the real world interact. If we are using just a map, we don't have to worry about declination. Likewise, if we are using just a compass, we don't have to worry about declination. It's when we are using both together that we need to be careful. While it isn't difficult, it is where most navigational errors occur.

Declination is recorded as a number of degrees, and either east or west. For instance, where I live the declination is 8º west. What this is saying is that the compass is pointing 8 degrees west of true north. So I have to account for it. If I am going to follow a compass bearing of 210º I want to add 8º to account for declination so I really need to follow a bearing of 218º. Some compasses - like the suunto m3d that I use - can set the declination so you don't have to do math. I know I need to add the declination because it is a WEST declination. If it was an East declination I would subtract it from my original bearing of 210º. This is where the rhyme 'East is least, West is best' comes from.

We can find declination in the margin - or key - of our map. It will generally look like this:

This declination marking is showing 13.5º east declination. As represented by the angle labeled MN. When using a plotter like I created, you simply use the inner ring to give you your actual magnetic bearing. By making the change on the chart (or map as the case may be) you don't have to do any math when you're on the water.

Greetings/Velkommen

2012-01-16T12:26:00.001-05:00

Hilsen mine norske besøkende! Det er en glede å ha dere besøke. Og om dette sier noe ille klandre google translate.

Compass Rose

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last year while I was prepping for Alaska I wanted to create a plotter that I could use for planning the navigation for the trip. I was amazed that I couldn't find what I needed online so I created a file myself, styled on a US Navy compass ring. What I created in Adobe Photoshop was a compass rose with both an inner and an outer ring. The outer ring was fixed and was numbered in 360 one degree increments. The inner ring also had 360 one degree increments but since it was on its own photoshop layer it could be rotated and set to any declination.

You could then take the file to a copy shop - like Kinkos - and they can print it on clear acetate. Some printers and copy machines will also print on acetate. Put a string through the center of the compass ring and you can use it to plot courses on a map. As seen here.

I have decided to offer this compass rose photoshop file for sale for $1.00 US. On the right side of the screen you will see a new page listed - Paddling Otaku Store - The link to pay for the compass rose is on that page. I will then email you the compass rose photoshop file. Time to start navigating.

In the store you will also find a free link to download a float plan. This summer I used a free float plan from Sea Kayaker magazine, and it worked fine, but I thought it could be better. So I created my own, and I am making it available to everyone for free. Just head to the store page and there is a link to down load the two page PDF. Print it as two sided and leave it with someone reliable on your next trip.

WHY?

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Am awesome short film by Corey Rich. Shot with the new Nikon D4. Though I think a more accurate description would be, shot with the new Nikon D4, a big crane, and a small helicopter.

Enlightened Kayaking

2012-01-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

As you can imagine I talk with people about kayaking frequently. A co-worker recently told me that the two most common words to leave my mouth are 'kayaking' and 'think'. Not necessarily in that order. I have mentioned before that there are really two types of kayakers in the world. The kind that know there is a correct way to paddle a kayak, and everyone else.

Most of everyone else will never know that they are in the wrong group. That there is a world of beautiful effortless kayaking out there. I thought of this as I came across one of my favorite Buddha quotes recently:

A Brahman saw the Buddha resting under a tree in meditation.

The Brahman was impressed with the Buddha's way.

He asked, "Are you a god?"

"No, Brahman, I'm not a god."

"Are you an angel?"

"No", replied the Buddha.

"You must be a spirit then?"

"No, I'm not a spirit," said the Buddha.

"Then what are you?"

"I'm awake."

This is how I view most kayakers. The Buddha was able to see the world the way that it truly was. The Enlightened kayaker can see that as well - at least as it relates to kayaking. This is the reason that you study something, kayaking or anything else, to learn it, to know it inside and out. To be comfortable in a new environment. When you learn something new, you see how it's done, it can be like a light bulb being turned on in a dark room. The Brahman - which in Hindu is the highest caste - couldn't see the world the way the Buddha did.

But don't take my word for it. Get in a kayak, and seek out instruction. From myself or anyone with skill. If you are here reading this then you already have a kernel of belief that there is a better way, and there is.

"Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts. Don't rely on logic alone, nor speculation. Don't infer or be deceived by appearances."

"Do not give up your authority and follow blindly the will of others. This way will lead to only delusion."

"Find out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are virtuous things and there are non-virtuous things. Once you have discovered for yourself give up the bad and embrace the good."

- The Buddha

Shosin

2011-12-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

Shoshin (初心) is a concept in Zen Buddhism meaning "beginner's mind". It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.

I don't remember where I grabbed that bit of text from, but when I read it, it struck me as a powerful concept. It sat on my desktop for several weeks and I just realized yesterday that I wanted it to be a theme for this new year.

A friend at work made a comment the other day that his goal for 2012 was to learn something new every day. This has actually been a mantra of mine for years. They can be simple things, or complex things. The beauty of it is that when you get in the habit of seeking out new knowledge, it becomes a habit. You can stop seeking it from the expected places - teachers, instructors, bosses - and realize that you can learn things from anyone. Everyone has something to add. Something to give.

I love teaching the forward stroke, because every time I learn something new about it. Consistently, beginners will have an insight into what it feels like to perform the stroke that I will not have heard before. And because I am open to the concept of learning from the very people I am teaching - I hope - I am a better instructor for it. I don't have much patience for people who teach something who have no interest in other points of view. As a species we tend to get locked into 'our perspectives' on topics. We tend to defend our position - or stance - on something without actually being open to the ideas of the people we are talking with.

I commend my friend for his goal for 2012, though I would encourage it to be a goal for life. Perhaps if more of us acted with more of a 'beginners mind' then there would be less trouble on the planet.

Stocking Stuffers For the Paddler in your life.

2011-12-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted Christmas gift ideas for the paddler in your life, as the Holiday season is less than a week away I thought maybe you would need some ideas to fill out the stocking - that is hung by the chimney with care - of that paddler who is so hard to shop for. In no particular order, they are all under $25.00

#1 I am sad to see that my favorite paddling shoe is being discontinued and replaced with a more expensive version by NRS. But it still exists as a close out item and is a steal at $11.25. I have worn this shoe (they call it a sock, but it is definitely more shoe like) from Alaska to the Caribbean. It's low profile yet comfortable.

#2 Another NRS closeout - These pogies served me well in Alaska this summer - So well I left them there. Somewhere between Juneau and Skagway. Probably on a rock. I like pogies much more than gloves. These are a nice simple neoprene version. $21.95

#3 Don't be fooled by the one bad review on REI.com. This little five liter dry bag is the bomb! Durable, with tie downs on the sides it makes an awesome deck bag. A reader actually suggested it, and I will never go back. $19.95

#4 Don't want to spend $49.00 on the Black Diamond storm - Try this for $19.95. This updated Black Diamond Gizmo is 35 lumens and weighs just a couple of ounces.

#5 Already shooting with a GoPro Hero HD2? Then they need this. $20.00 gets you a bicycle seat post adapter. Why would you need that? Because it fits perfectly on a paddle shaft.

#6 This is one of my favorite things. The replacement pad for the NRS quick change duffel. You already have a bag that all your gear goes in, but how many times have you stood next to it to change into or out of your paddling clothes and ended up standing on cold wet gravel mixed with mud? This is a round piece of nylon with a draw string around the outside. I stand in the middle of it to put on or take off my drysuit. It keeps my feet dry and clean, and protects the booties of my drysuit until I put on my desperado Socks. If you leave wet clothes in it you can then pull the draw string - it ends up looking like a big dumpling! - to keep your wet clothes from getting everything else wet. The best $15.95 I ever spent.

#7 To help you build Chi in the new year how about these Black Diamond Chinese exercise balls. You can find this same item less expensive without the Black Diamond Logo, but they make such nice steel products I think it's worth it. I have a pair of BD chopsticks that I received as a gift from the president of BD. And they are so beautifully made it's incredible.

#8 Another company that makes amazing products out of metal, Snow Peak makes this amazing piece of cutlery. $9.95 for titanium, you can't beat that.

#9 This is a book that really helped me get my meditation rolling (no pun intended), I highly recommend it. Don't knock it until you have tried it. And if your going to meditate I find a timer essential. $1.99 gets you my timer of choice.

#10 And finally, Don't get lost. I love this Wilderness Navigation book, It's not marine specific, but it is very good.

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy holiday. I will see you in the new year.

PO

They Help

2011-12-18T09:44:00.001-05:00

Over the years I have found several things that help the kayaker, that have nothing to do with kayaking. I thought I would pass a few of them on.

Martial Arts/Tai Chi: When I say Tai Chi and Martial arts what I am really saying is internal and external arts. I learned early on that people who practiced martial arts - particularly people that used weapons like the staff - took to the movements of kayaking very easily. You will find it easier to accept the concept of rotation faster if you already understand this movement from working with a staff, or throwing a punch correctly. Tai Chi teaches 'flow' and balance and patience better than anything I have ever seen. You also learn that power can come from slow, balanced, flowing movement, like a forward stroke.

Meditation: If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you know that I consider paddling a meditation. So meditation on dry land can only be good as well, right? I recently read a description of meditation that I liked, it described it as lifting weights for the brain. We spend our days focusing on many pieces of information all at once. the phone is ringing, while cooking dinner with the TV on, and the dog wants to go out, and little Johnny needs help with his algebra. As a species we do much better when we are focused on one thing. Our minds have become the kings of short attention span theater and this is never better illustrated by the friend you have that only calls you when they are driving somewhere and doesn't have something to do in the car. They will tell you it is a good use of time, but the real reason is that they aren't comfortable with their own thoughts. And they aren't comfortable with their own thoughts because they are constantly drowned out by a ridiculous amount of stimulus. By meditating you will learn to focus your thoughts down to one thing, your breathing. (When I am paddling I focus on the movements of a paddle stroke.) By doing this repeatedly you will make it easier to do - I think it is one of the more difficult things I do - and will give you a level of calm and peace you have never experienced before. You will also see the world with a clarity you have never seen before.

Neti Pots: If you are unfamiliar with a Neti Pot, it looks like a small tea pot. You put body temperature water in it, and a salt solution - so the water is the same salinity as your body - You then put the spout of the tea pot to a nostril, lower your head a bit, and pour. The water will go in one nostril, through your sinuses and out the other nostril taking all manner of things with it. What does this have to do with Kayaking? It is wonderful after a day of working on rolling when all sorts of liquid ends up inside your head. You can flush it out, and it will leave you feeling cleaned and refreshed. It is also a way to get the last of a cold out of your nose, And just recently I used one as I felt a cold coming on and the symptoms went away. Though this could have been a psychosomatic reaction.

Yoga: Yoga will help balance, and patience, and clarity and stretch. You want to learn to Greenland roll, your going to need to be flexibly and Yoga is the key. I was born pretty flexible - to the point that yoga instructors have commented on it, it certainly isn't through hard work on my part! - but you can gain a remarkable amount of flexibility and strength through yoga classes.

There are others, for more 'hard' skills, like land navigation sets you up for the more difficult water navigation, but this is another post.

The Bear - extended version

2011-12-07T08:24:00.001-05:00

A lengthened version of 'The Bear' encounter from the Inside Passage trip this summer has been picked up by Letsbewild.com. Stop by and check it out.

Where?

2011-12-06T10:38:00.001-05:00

Recently I received an email from an old friend. He asked a simple question, one that I am amazed I hadn't covered before. His question was this:

For beginners do you recommend a lake, river or bay setting? If you had the choices of course.

Wonderful question. And the answer of course is, it depends. I take most first lessons on a lake. In part due to proximity, but in part due to controllability. I don't have to worry about tides, or the current of a river. Tides and currents are both important elements to take into consideration.

I previously lived near the Hudson river, which is also tidally influenced. It is a great paddling destination, but one has to be aware of the tidal effects. When the tide is flooding, it is fighting the effect of the rivers current. But when the tide is ebbing, they are working together. I always tried to start my paddle heading into the current, so that when I am tired and turn around, I am not fighting the current to get home.

The same can be said for early paddles in a bay. What is the tide doing and how does it effect the local waters? Plan your paddle accordingly. So you start off working against the tide (tides can create currents, but they aren't the same thing), so you have its help coming home. If you plan accordingly you can put in towards the end of a tide cycle, and turn around when the tide does. So you are getting a current push in both directions.

Of course all of these answers are neglecting to take into account wind. Beginning lessons I like to have on fairly windless days. But around lesson three - when a student is starting to get comfortable with the forward stroke - I will seek out some wind. I have certain exercises that I like to make a new student do to experience the power of wind.

Recently paddling with my student Grace, there was a ten knot wind, and we paddled into it. I wanted her to feel how much even a soft wind can effect her speed. After a time we came around a point - that for a time sheltered us from the wind, and then created a wind zone as we rounded it. This implanted the idea of using the land to shelter you from the wind. We then paddled a stretch of coast that led to a dam. The dam was buoyed off. And we did the following exercise. We paddled up to a buoy and circled it. This allowed Grace to feel the effects of the wind as the boat was turned 365º - it also forced her to work to turn a long kayak quickly. At the next buoy we turned the boats the opposite direction. So again she could feel the wind on all parts of her boat front/side/stern as she circled the buoy again.

So really the answer is Any of these locations is suitable for a new paddler, as long as the conditions match the skill level. Think about where you are before you are on the water. What is the tide doing and when does it change, how is the land interacting with the tide, or wind, or current and how will that effect me on the water. Most importantly, look at your surroundings. See how they are effected by the current conditions, and keep track of that effect. how much are trees moving, and how much is water moving from wind, and current. Keep track of those changes so when they do change, for better or worse you notice them. And respond accordingly.

You may notice,

2011-12-06T10:33:00.001-05:00

On the lower right side of my blog is a new Delta Kayaks Logo, that when clicked will take you to their site. Over the past three years I have developed a good relationship with a handful of people at Delta.

Delta Kayaks and myself have entered into a simple link swap. But this is where I point out that Delta Kayaks doesn't pay me, I am a long time user of their products and my opinions of those products aren't influenced by Delta in anyway.

Santa's paddling style

2011-12-04T23:24:00.001-05:00

More readers, by far, come to this blog with one question. It is some variation on this:
Which is better, high angle or low angle paddling, or what's the difference between high angle and low angle, or when would I use high angle or low angle paddling style.

I have gone over the differences in the past, so I won't go into it again. However, this evening as we were decorating out Christmas tree my wife handed me two nearly identical Christmas tree ornaments. She said "we have two of these you should hang them both." As I looked at them I realized that while in theory they were identical - Santa Claus in a kayak - to the trained eye of a kayaker they in fact were very different.

Yes, they are both kayaking, and in touring kayaks. They both have a little dog on their bows, which is how I paddle most of the time. But one Santa is paddling a low angle style and one is clearly paddling a high angle style. The controversy of low angle vs. high angle extends all the way to the north pole.

I hung them on opposite sides of the tree so the two of them don't get into an argument of the benefits of their particular styles. As we have slid into December, I hope you are still finding time to get yourself into a kayak.

Gear Concept

2011-11-30T14:01:00.001-05:00

This is an idea I had while doing the Alaska Expedition, While I wouldn't want this level of information in my face everyday, on a long, expedition driven day, this level of, and access too information would be helpful. I would like a sunglasses company to team up with garmin and make this happen. What information would you want in a heads up display for kayaking?

Behold the power of muscle memory (updated)

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

About a year ago I made a conscious decision to stop attending my dojo. I think I may have blogged about it, but in short it was because I disagreed with several decisions they made in terms of instruction, and it was a big enough issue that I felt I needed to sever ties. I still work out six days a week, and part of that work out regularly involves the heavy bag. There is nothing like working out on a heavy bag. What I have rarely done in that year was Kata.

Kata, or Forms, are a prescribed set of movements designed to simulate fighting multiple opponents. When you test for a belt promotion you are graded on your ability to do the Katas for your skill level. I had learned six of the eight Katas for my school.

last night in my gym it was relatively quiet. At the end of this holiday weekend few had found their way back to the gym to work out. A large mirrored aerobics room was empty and I decided to do my Kata. I started facing the mirrors with the open glass behind me, so I could see how it looked. Almost immediately I got into a flow moving from my White belt katas up through what were essentially the Brown belt katas for my former dojo - even though I was only a blue belt. There were a few times that I wasn't sure I remembered the next step, and when that occurred I merely shut off my brain and did what felt correct. When I did, they flowed perfectly, the movements occurring smoothly for the most part, but with a few stumbles. Despite the stumbles I was happy that I remembered them all.

This is the perfect example of muscle memory. If you do something repeatedly, your body learns the movements and your brain only gets in the way. When you brush your teeth in the morning I guarantee you do it the same way every day. I am sure my friend the Chef cut onions the same way every time. I would be willing to bet you can find an example in your life of your muscles taking over when they know what they need to do.

The best example of this in kayaking is rolling. There is zero difference between a combat roll and a roll in a swimming pool. Yes the conditions may be different, the weather, the current, but the movements are identical, but so many people miss their roll when under pressure. For a very simple reason. Their brain gets in the way of muscle memory. When I teach people to roll and they get their roll correctly for the first time I tell them 'that was perfect, now do it 200 times.' You have to build that memory.

In one of the 'This is the Sea' movies by Justin Curgenven (I think disc 3) The great Freya Hoffmeister is paddling with a large group at a large tidal rip. Freya is probably one of the best kayakers in the world today, without a doubt the best, most prolific long distance paddlers currently active. I have heard it said that she can do 50 different greenland rolls, and yet in this tidal rip she failed to roll her boat. The reason is simple, her brain got in the way of muscle memory because she was thinking about how big the water was. (Clearly this is my assumption for the sake of an example as I wasn't there, Freya is an amazing paddler and I mean no disrespect)

And while rolling is a great example, we aren't limited to muscle memory effecting our roll. Muscle memory comes into everything we do in a kayak, from getting into and out of our kayak through all of our strokes.

When it comes time to react to something, you will always do better if you let your body react versus thinking about what the reaction should be. By the time you think about the appropriate reaction the time for that appropriate action has passed. A great quote from a bad movie, 'fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will make your worst fear come true.'

UPDATE

Today I received a comment that I felt deserved a bigger response than just a follow up comment. You can read it below, but here it is:

IMHO,you're right and you're not. I experienced lately a roll in cold water, the first attempt,based on instinct didn't succeed, (independently, I developed the same theory as you did and accordingly I rolled last summer at least 600-700 times) after the second attempt, despite the 7deg Celsius water, and no drysuit, I needed to bring my thoughts together and do it with more brain involvement, and less muscle memory, and voila, I rolled! But still, training is building muscle memory and confidence.I think you need both. Rolling 5 times after another doesn't mean by far that you're ready to go and won't fail
I suppose you know this better

So first let me say I welcome the comment and the conversation. I think I am a highly skilled kayaker, but the day that I stop trying to learn is the day I will stop writing this blog and for that matter stop kayaking. I welcome the conversation, and the debate, as long as both parties are open to hear both sides of the debate. There is one particular kayak blogger who disagrees with me on a number of concepts - and that's fine - but his lack of an open mind to my concepts - In my humble opinion - isn't. So I take what this anonymous commenter says very seriously.

I have blogged about the exact thing that he mentions on at least two occasions. I did a post about rolling at the National Whitewater Center, And this post about 'fall back plans'. They are both about me missing rolls, one in a stressful situation, and one in a cold, but not dangerous situation.

In my opinion when the commenter mentions "I needed to bring my thoughts together and do it with more brain involvement" I think he actually has it backwards. I think with the missed roll, a number of things are happening at once, the water is cold, and shocking. There is the stress of being in a bad situation. And the stress of the 'what if's'. What if I miss my roll. I'll get hypothermia and die. I'll end up in the next set of rapids upside down! From my point of view - and what I was trying to say in the original version of this post - is your mind is racing because of the 'what if's'. In my opinion when he calmed himself down he was taking the fear out of the situation, and allowed his body to relax and do what it needed to do. So I still consider that a muscle memory situation.

I see what he is saying though, when I roll my kayak I am thinking as I do it, but it is more of gentle, slowing guide. The same applies to when I am sparring. I am thinking, but more about what I need to be doing, not how to do it.

Rolling, I think - slow down, set up, hands in the right place? Good. Hip snap with your head down.
Rolling, Don't think - Ibettermakethisrollorlifeisgonnasuck! (Your brain is racing, let your body take over)

Sparring, I think - protect, move, strike after he tries to strike
Sparring, Don't think - after he throws a right, I will block, and then kick to the head (Thinking this much will get you punched in the face)

In both of these situations we want the brain to be calm, and not racing. That way our body can do what it knows how to do. Without our brain adding a million thoughts, concerns and a whole lot of adrenaline to the mix. I am a big proponent of the concept of 'slow is fast'. Doing something slowly and correctly is much faster than doing something quickly and incorrectly.

Thanks for the comment, and the conversation.

Kayaking Christmas

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

While this blog isn't generally about gear, I am a big fan of Christmas. Yes, I am a Buddhist who likes Christmas. I guess I'm an enigma. With that in mind I wanted to give a list of what I think would be a great top ten list of gear for the kayaker in your life. From least expensive to most.

#1 Adventure Medical Kits Slim Rescue Whistle $6.00 Because you can blow a whistle longer and louder than you can yell for help, every PFD should have a rescue whistle attached.

#2 Smartwool Cuffed Beanie $18.49 Keep your head warm on those Alaska paddle trips, feels wonderful and packs small.

#3 Long sleeve tech T $29.50 The fastest wicking shirt you will ever wear. (and it can't tell the difference between sweat (what it was designed to wick) and water) It dries super fast after rolling sessions. And offers great SPF protection.

#3A The Rescues - Gordon Brown DVD #2 $29.95 Gordon Brown is the Scottish Yoda of kayaking. His book is amazing, and while I haven't seen this video yet I am sure it will change the way you view rescues.

#4 Black Diamond Storm $49.00 For those early morning starts or late night paddles. 100 lumens bright, and waterproof.

#5 Brunton Deck Compass $86.39 Time to finally fill that spot designed for a deck compass, yet I know a lot of kayakers who haven't done it. Strap on deck compasses just aren't as good.

#6 Half Dome 2 $179.00 This is a wonderful little tent. Perfect for those first forays into kayak camping.

#7 GoPro Hero HD2 $299.00 Too much fun in a tiny package. Use it to shoot all your kayaking adventures.

#8 Werner Kalliste $400.00 I can give you so many reasons to buy this paddle it isn't even fair. Do the Carbon/Carbon version and skip the bent shaft unless you have elbow trouble.

#9 Kokatat Meridian Dry suit $1100.00 Help justify the price by saying it is safety equipment and it will extend your paddle season. It doesn't get better than this dry suit. And if your going to do a dry suit do the socks and relief zipper option. If your going to do it, do it big.

#10 Delta Sixteen $2300.00 I love my Delta, and when I paddled this last year it was my seventeen but just a touch snappier. It would make a great second boat.

That list would make anyone the happiest kayaker on christmas day. I just love the idea of a kayak under the tree.

Seat taken - Update

2011-11-23T10:30:00.001-05:00

I have a number of friends who check in with my blog who are not serious Sea kayakers. One is a very serious cyclist, the other is a serious whitewater paddler. I had conversations with both of them regarding the seat taken post.

My cyclist friend confirmed that the exact same rules apply to cycling. People tend to want big comfy seats when they start, and then as they learn what they want, and what works, go to ever smaller seats. He mentioned people with big gel seats that are sliding all over the place and have no real connection to their bike. Which sounds exactly like kayaking.

My whitewater friend - Andy, who I have mentioned before - has moved to Key Largo and I have lost my best kayaking friend. In fact, I wore his spray skirt in Alaska and told him that I felt badly that his skirt went to Alaska and he didn't. To which he replied "then I was there in spirit". An amazing guy who I miss paddling with, But I digress. He said the seat back looked a lot like the seat back he had in his whitewater kayak which he said he loved but on long days it would dig into his back. So I am curious long term how my new seat back does.

I have long been envious of the cockpits of whitewater kayaks. They have all sorts of contraptions to hold the paddler in place to make the kayak ultra responsive. We don't get any of these gadgets in sea kayaks. About the best we get are foam blocks we can shave into place.

I very much appreciate the perspective of two non-sea kayakers as I realized that the issues that I talk about in kayaking transcends my realm and is really experienced in other sporting realms.

If you live in the United States Enjoy your holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

Seat Taken

2011-11-17T23:01:00.001-05:00

Back in April I wrote a post about seat backs, and the novices love of a big comfortable seat back that replicates the lazy boy in their living room. I mentioned that I was considering installing a simple Immersion Research back band into my Delta. I had actually been told by someone from Delta that it would fit in the boat. About a month ago I was doing some research and contacted Delta about which IR back band fit my seventeen, and if they knew how to Install it. I had a great conversation with someone there that said it would fit, though I would have to do some work to make it happen, but that they had their own - similar - back band that would not require I change anything. He explained that it was still a prototype, but if I was interested they would sell me one - It actually cost half what the IR back band would have cost - and that they would like my feedback. It arrived about a week later.

Clearly a prototype, it has no Delta logos or markings on it. It came in a padded envelope with no instructions for installation. But upon looking at it, and the seat in my kayak, it seemed pretty straight forward in terms of Installation. I had it installed in about 10 minutes, which I would say is pretty good time considering I had no one telling me how to do it. I did have to peel back the thigh brace on the right side to release the end of the cord that supports the seat back - I have since learned there may be a way to install it without doing this - so I need to re-glue this thigh pad.

new back band original seat back original behind new

As you can see in the photo it is much smaller than the standard Delta seat, and it is fairly flexible. It sits comfortably at the small of my back actually mimicking the contact I got with my standard seat reclined all the way. Though I should point out having the standard seat reclined all the way was rubbing on the cockpit coaming, and after 21 days in Alaska it looked like someone took sand paper to the coaming.

My initial response to this change in my cockpit was very positive, once I got it adjusted it wasn't long before I forgot it was there - which is perfect! It was comfortable and flexed nicely with me.

The week after I installed it was the 2nd annual Paddling Otaku Expedition Skills camp (ESK2) and I got to use it for an extended period of time. It really was sensational. It did everything I wanted, offered a little support to my lower back, without getting in the way of anything I wanted to do. I am sure someone skilled in greenland style rolling would be very happy with this addition.

My only concern is that it may be too flexible. I worry how it will do over time - will it weaken from flexing - with the flip side being I might not like it if it were stiffer. Colin at Delta was very receptive to my feedback and I was very receptive to a new seat back.

I like it's minimalist sensibilities, and I like that it isn't more than I need it to be. I look forward to seeing how it does long term.

Last night

2011-11-16T11:07:00.001-05:00

Last Night I gave a talk at my local REI in Greensboro North Carolina. I talked for about an hour in regards to this past summers Inside Passage trip. I was extremely flattered with the turnout, and the warm response I received.

A number of people were expecting to see the videos I made, I chose not to show them months ago in part because I didn't want the evening to be about seeing a movie which is a one way conversation when I could have a two way conversation with the people in attendance. If however you came last night to see the three episodes of Paddle North they are viewable to the right if you click the Inside Passage link.

I mentioned very briefly that I was a Buddhist and after the talk someone approached me with questions. For that person I promised a series of links to an Author I found very helpful when I was first sliding into Buddhism. Thanks again to everyone who came last night.

Steven Hagen has written a series of books I found enjoyable and very helpful. This, his first, I found particularly enjoyable and insightful. Two others, this, and this were also very good reads.

Those of you who have been reading here for a while know of my interest in Eugene Herrigel's Zen in the Art of Archery. Which I also highly recommend.

Fall has clearly arrived here in the American south. The leaves have fallen and the temperature is about to take a deep drop. I have a lot of work to do on the book, and have been focused tremendously on it. But while the weather and the work ahead push me, and us, away from the water, now is the time that we must force ourselves back onto the water. We must be comfortable in the uncomfortable. If we are going to skilled on the water we must be comfortable in all conditions. The wind, and the rain, and even the snow and ice. Now is the time to be heading onto the water.

Over at Simon WIllis.net

2011-11-10T08:43:00.003-05:00

Is a wonderful post I encourage you all to see.

Because I am always looking

2011-11-07T23:05:00.003-05:00

I habitually watch the way people paddle. Recently I was giving a lesson to two people early on a sunday morning. I saw a paddler moving towards us, and after we passed and exchanged greetings I stopped and waited for my students. When they got closer - quietly - I asked them if they saw anything wrong with what they saw. They were quick to point out that the paddler who was now a good distance away, was slouching in his kayak seat. If you're slouching you can't engage your core muscles. He was also paddling with his arms, and his PFD was too loose. If you watch the paddlers around you, you will see many similar instances. The vast majority of people who get into a kayak make very little effort to paddle correctly. It is both the bane and the benefit of kayaking being so accessible. So as I am looking at paddlers on the water I am never surprised to see people that could be paddling more efficiently. But there is no excuse for this:

I took this picture of a page in a major magazine - guess which one? - because I was so infuriated by the photo. Look at the photo on the banner of this blog, then look at the photo above. Now look back to the banner. Now back at the photo above. Both are paddlers heading away from the camera at an angle. The photo on my banner is of Sarah, taken somewhere on the inside passage this summer. Please note that her elbows are both quite low. Now look at the photo from the magazine. This paddlers left elbow is well above his shoulder. This is not only bad technique, it is actually dangerous. Any time your elbow is above your shoulder, it only takes a little bit of pressure to dislocate it. Your hands should move across your face with your elbows below your shoulders. Now I should point out that in a past life I worked in photography, and I know how this photo was created. Someone found a model who couldn't paddle, and had them 'paddle' into the sunset for a great shot. They didn't care that the model couldn't actually paddle. I mean, who would notice? Right? I did. And honestly the editors of a major outdoor magazine should know better. So spend some time looking at photos, and looking at the paddlers around you. And most importantly watch yourself. Keep track of where your arms, and elbows and hands are. Keep track of how deep your blade goes in the water. And where the blade enters the water and where - in relation to yourself - you pull it from the water. Think about what it feels like when your pushing on your foot pegs, and what the kayak feels like when you edge. Be alert to what is happening around, and feel the wind on your face. Most importantly, be present in what you're doing. What ever your doing. Think for a moment of the monk who will sweep the floor for hours, intent on only that thing. Think about how amazingly well the floor will be swept. Imagine what your forward stroke would look like with the same level of attention applied to it. Most people aren't present when they are completing routine tasks. Their mind wanders as their body goes through the motions. They begin to think of all nature of things that have nothing to do with the task at hand. Take what you are doing to the next level. Be present, and watch.

Less paddling, but a little more Zen.

2011-11-04T09:46:00.000-04:00

16 years ago I went through a very difficult - for me - divorce. Shortly thereafter I first read about Feng Shui which in short governs the placement of items in your surroundings and their effect on you by influencing your Chi (or Qi, if you prefer). I studied Feng Shui and ended up using it to make some major changes in my life. In retrospect, my early learning's of Feng Shui cast me upon a path towards Buddhism, though it was still a few years off.

One of the first things I learned in my studies of Feng Shui was to de-clutter my surroundings. So one night I came home to my little west village apartment in lower Manhattan and set to it. I used massive contractor grade garbage bags and took 16 of them down to the street to be recycled, thrown away or donated. I followed a simple rule, if I thought I might need it, I threw it away. I only kept things I knew I would need. I sold furniture, a record collection, most of my stereo. I gave away a lot of things too.

It was liberating. Truly liberating. The first thing I noticed was that if I couldn't find something there were only a few places to look. Also, my small apartment now seemed much bigger. In our extremely materialistic world, people took great pleasure in giving me a hard time. I laughed along with them as I knew I was happier. I was literally having the last laugh.

What brought this to my attention recently was that I have lately been feeling like there are a number of things 'I want'. I have a couple of different jobs, and one of them would really benefit from an iPad. I have another new source of income pending, that down the road would benefit from a high end HD camcorder. I literally feel a bit of guilt that I 'want' these things.

The past several weeks I have run across a number of really interesting web sites. This one is about a couple that moved into a 'micro house'. I have been following the micro house movement for years and would love to be living in one, but alas my wife's book collection alone would fill it. This one is about the 333 project which I could do easily as I don't really have a dress code anywhere I work. This guy reduced all of his possessions to 100 items! Adding even more of a challenge to my theory of 'if you might need it'. This blog is written by a much more serious Buddhist than myself, and I love this post about suffering, and ironically he wrote this post about not taking it so seriously!

All of these amazing sites reminded me of how strict I had formerly been. So I am going to do a bit of a purge of the things in my life, so I can remember that liberated feeling. It will also help my desk be a bit more uncluttered. I would like this more current effort to translate into my digital life. Do I really need that file, or this photo? Won't my computer run better with more free space on its hard drive? Will my digital life mirror my non-digital life as giving a liberated feeling once the de-cluttering is done.

All of this hearkens back to early lessons in kayaking. We talked about Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do. Less movement, nothing extraneous. Keep it simple. All relates back to a simplicity of movement in our kayaks. I prefer the cross bow rudder to the bow rudder because there is less movement involved. Is there any reason that these concepts can't be applied to every aspect of our lives? Do we have to be defined by our possessions, or can we define ourselves with our actions. Do I really need three paddles? the third of which was the first one I ever bought made of plastic and aluminum?

I will continue to think about ways to simplify my life and my surroundings, and when the time is right or the need is imperative I will probably obtain the additional things I 'need', but in the mean time I won't beat myself up for wanting them. Does anyone need a paddle?

Inside Outside

2011-10-26T16:58:00.002-04:00

This is a view we have seen - in part - before. I had opportunity to mount a second camera under my deck at the same time I had a camera on top of my deck. I used them to get a good view of myself 'finding good contact' when entering the kayak as well as the foot and leg motions that go along with the forward stroke. It is hard to see how my body moves the kayak when I edge, it's there, but it's subtle.

So many things we have discussed before, but that are always worth mentioning again, and again.

Contact - five points of contact between the paddler and the kayak. This way the kayak will move as you move, and react to the movements of your body. Alternately giving you information to what forces the kayak is feeling from wind and water.

Forward - with each stroke we rotate our core at the belly button. The hand in the air (opposite the blade in the water) is pushing with relaxed fingers. And with each stroke we are pushing with alternating feet. This is where our power really comes from. When I am paddling slowly, I don't even engage my feet, but as soon as I want to accelerate I start pushing with the foot on the same side as my pushing hand. We never think about pulling the paddle through the water, just pushing through the air and with our feet. We are doing very little work with our arms, letting our large torso muscles and the even larger muscles in our legs do all the work.

It's amazing how much light comes through the hull of the kayak.

Kayaking with Grace

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

Several Sundays ago I found myself in my kayak at around 8:15 in the morning. I was giving a lesson to a young woman named Grace. This is her third lesson with me in borrowed kayaks as she waits for delivery of her handmade - by her brother - strip built kayak.

We had just started paddling and I was getting comfortable in my boat. The morning was absolutely glorious. Just warm enough to be in a long sleeve quick dry shirt and a pair of shorts. Just a little breeze as we paddled out onto the water. Warm light danced on the surface of the lake we paddled, and the sky was a nearly perfect shade of blue. The trees here in North Carolina were just starting to show off amazing fall colors.

Within a few minutes from across the water Grace mentioned that she was jealous of how effortless I looked, while she was still struggling with the intricacies of the forward stroke. I replied with a thank you, and that really all it took was practice - ten thousand hours, if you have been here before! - and that she was doing well and just needed to keep at it.

This interaction came back to me a couple of nights later as I was re-reading Eugene Herrigel's Zen in the Art of Archery. When the student is talking to the master about his failure to fluidly loose an arrow, the master replies:

" Don’t think of what you have to do, don’t consider how tocarry it out! " he exclaimed. `The shot will only go smoothlywhen it takes the archer himself by surprise. It must be as if thebowstring suddenly cut through the thumb that held it. Youmustn’t open the right hand on purpose."

It struck me that this is the way it must be when you are perfecting the forward stroke in a kayak. You don't think about walking down the street, yet you do it everyday. You must get to the point in your kayak where your forward stroke occurs without thought. I should point out that this is a lesson that applies to anything you are trying to learn. I have mentioned in the past the difficulty I have with certain kicks, it is as equally applicable to a tennis serve, or making a souffle or perhaps even learning to incorporate some flair with your drum. In order for it to look relaxed it has to be relaxed and you can't try to be relaxed. It is like trying to think about not thinking. "Zen Archery" goes on a bit further, as the student continues to question the master, the master responds again:

" You must hold thedrawn bowstring ", answered the Master," like a little childholding the proffered finger. It grips it so firmly that onemarvels at the strength of the tiny fist. And when it lets thefinger go, there is not the slightest jerk. Do you know why?Because a child doesn’t think: " I will now let go of the finger inorder to grasp this other thing." Completely un−selfconsciously,without purpose, it turns from one to the other"
" Maybe I understand what you are hinting at with thiscomparison, " I remarked. " But am I not in an entirely differentsituation ? When I have drawn the bow, the moment comeswhen I feel: unless the shot comes at once I shan’t be able toendure the tension. And what happens then? Merely that I getout of breath. So I must loose the shot whether I want to or not,because I can’t wait for it any longer. "
" You have described only too well " , replied the Master,
" where the difficulty lies. Do you know why you cannot waitfor the shot and why you get out of breath before it has come?The right shot at the right moment does not come because youdo not let go of yourself. You do not wait for fulfilment, butbrace yourself for failure. So long as that is so, you have nochoice but to call forth some thing yourself that ought to happenindependently of you, and so long as you call it forth your handwill not open in the right way ̇ like the hand of a child: it does

not burst open like the skin of a ripe fruit. "

There was an afternoon in Alaska where Sarah and I paddled through some very rough and unexpected water. Twice it spit us out in a direction we didn't want to go before we figured out a way through, or more accurately, around it. At one point Sarah said she was concerned about how rough the water was, but she looked over to me and I was just paddling along calmly. She said later that this made her relax, in part because her comfort level increased, and in part because she knew she didn't have to worry about me, she could focus on herself. This was flattering for me to hear as I regard Sarah as one of the better paddlers I have had the pleasure of sharing a route with, but I recall thinking that at the point when she looked over I was pretty concerned about what was happening. I am glad that she saw a calmness in me that I didn't feel myself.

And I think this is what Grace was seeing, a relaxed paddler allowing the stroke to occur. I won't be so presumptuous to say that I gave it no thought, I am always tweaking and playing and perfecting - or trying to - my stroke, but I think I am approaching that level of relaxed. And with practice so will Grace. But the key is not thinking about making it relaxed, simply allowing it to happen. Like the fingers of a child opening.

Will someone please make an eVent Paddling Jacket!

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks has been transitional weather here in the American south. The dog days of summer are over - and with summers departure my favorite quick dry top is no longer quite enough anymore - and it isn't quite drysuit weather as the the air is in the low 60's and the water is in the 70's. The drysuit - while convenient in terms of staying dry, is a bit warm, even though it is made of gore-tex.

Which leaves me with a paddling jacket that I love and have used for years. It is - or was, as it is no longer manufactured - made by Patagonia and is called a Skanorak or sea kayak anorak. It's a wonderful jacket with a large rubber rand at the waist and good wrist and neck gaskets. But oddly I have found myself NOT wearing it. This is the perfect weather for a tried and true piece of gear, but I just keep picking up something else. Something not even made for kayaking.

It is the REI Shuksan jacket. I bought it three or four years ago as a rain shell and it has been wonderful. It's light weight, layers well, and packs down to nothing. But the best thing about it is how incredibly breathable it is. Far more breathable than any gore-tex shell I have owned and far more breathable than my drysuit. I first grabbed the REI jacket for paddling because it was all I had, I ended up at the water under dressed and I had it in the car. I figured it was better than nothing - which was true! - but it was better than most anything! I put it on first, then my skirt, then my PFD. It is so thin that I barely feel it under my gear, it has a hood like my Patagonia Skanorak, it is even a similar color orange. But the breathability is incredible. NRS does make an eVent drysuit and I would consider it if I didn't have an amazing Kokatat drysuit. I can't really justify two drysuits. So what I really need/want is a paddling jacket made out of this amazing fabric.

If someone could get to work on that I would gladly product test it and give appropriate feed back.

House Keeping.

2011-10-14T16:22:00.000-04:00

This is not a blog post about how to keep your tent and kayak clean and tidy on long paddle trips, though now that I think about it that would be a good post.

This is a blog post to tell you that this blog is now located at:

www.paddlingotaku.com

The blogspot address will still work and redirect you here. Or you could update your bookmarks. If you have any trouble with RSS feeds or readers, let me know.

Thanks for stopping by

PO

Good Camp/Bad Camp

2011-10-13T18:08:00.000-04:00

When the time comes to get off the water for the day, and a campsite has to be created, there is a great deal of thought that gets put into all facets of the site. The first is location. Is this a place that I can easily get off the water, with space for three things. A good site for a tent, level, and flat. A site for a kitchen, a good distance from the tents, level and flat would be nice but it isn't necessary. A place for the kayaks to sleep, preferable above the tents - in terms of tide height - but if not above the tents then at the same height, and regardless of height above tide they must be able to be tied to something stout. It wouldn't do for a wave to come in and take our boats away while we slept warm and dry in our bags. Keep in mind that most of the foot traffic in a campsite is in the kitchen area, so it should be on the most durable of surfaces. Rocks, gravel, dirt. No grasses or mosses, nothing fragile that would be impacted by our trampling feet. The same goes for the location of the tent and the kayaks, but because there is less traffic to those locations we need the kitchen to be on the most durable surface.

Our new home may take on the look of a yard sale while we are setting up, cooking and eating dinner, and relaxing afterwards. People tend to try and hang things to help them dry and food bags get their contents strewn about during dinner preparation. But once it is time to call it a night and climb into a warm bag with a good book, the yard sale has to be put away. Everything is packed. Food is stored safely with Animals in mind. All our gear is packed and stored well above the tide line. I like to put things back in their dry bags, and then back into the kayaks. In Alaska I would put my gear in their two large mesh duffel bags and put those on top of my kayak (over turned so the mesh was down and the waterproof bottom was facing up) and then I would carabiner them to the kayak.

The thought process behind this is that we need our gear, and we need to take care of it. Just as it wouldn't be beneficial to have our kayaks wash away, it wouldn't do to have any of our gear wash away. But what could wash away our gear, you ask? Well, besides the fact that we may make a mistake calculating the next high tide, there are also storm surges that can create higher tides than predicted. It could also be something as simple as a ferry or cruise ship a dozen miles away. Its wake hits the beach and pushes way above the predicted high tide line. We were very careful in Alaska.

So you can imagine our surprise when early in the morning we came around cape fanshaw - it was probably seven AM and we wanted to be some unpredictable weather around a point known for big water - and saw the epitome of a 'bad camp'. We could see tents in the trees way above the beach - which in and of itself is fine, but the rest of what we saw was a little scary. Click the image below to see what scared us.

A tarp that was about to be blown down and away. Thirteen kayaks, that didn't look tied up, or to each other - they may have been but as far as some kayaks were from others led us to believe otherwise. A vast amount of gear on the beach, just above the high tide line. And as incredible as all that is, someones red jacket on the grass, waiting to be blown away, washed away, or just simply rained on. The number of dry bags and water bottles waiting to disappear was very disturbing. This is poor leadership, and poor role modeling. We never saw this group again, we suspected that they were heading south while we were heading north. I hope their trip ended well, but honestly, they were setting themselves up for disappointment.

Paddle North - Episode 3

2011-10-10T18:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks Steve.

2011-10-05T20:25:00.001-04:00

I am at a loss, so I will just say thanks.

Wind and clothing

2011-10-02T18:55:00.000-04:00

I spent this morning paddling. I have had very little time to paddle in the past few months. In part because my free time has been spent editing video, which I will be doing more of tomorrow morning, and in part because I have been working a tremendous amount. I only had a little time this morning and when I got to the water it was cooler and windier than I thought it would be. I was under dressed and the majority of my paddling clothing was at home. I would have put my dry suit on, if I had it with me, but I didn't, so I had to improvise.

There was a fleece in my car but while that would keep me warm it wouldn't protect me from wind or water. I had a shell jacket - the eVent Shuksan jacket by REI - and I decided to try it out as a paddling jacket. I put it on, then my skirt then my PFD. It was absolutely the perfect layer. I wish REI would make a paddling jacket out of this wonderfully breathable material but alas, they don't. It was light, and comfortable and with the cuffs velcro'd tight it worked well as a paddling jacket.

And it got me to thinking about paddle gear. While I have lovely paddling pants and jackets that I sometimes use instead of my dry suit - in the in between seasons like it is now in the American south they work beautifully - what if your new to paddling, and you don't want to spend what could easily be several hundred dollars on paddle specific clothing? A lot of the clothes you have for other outdoor activities could work double duty. As I mentioned the shell jacket I had worked really well. A pair of rain pants could work as splash pants, though I would put the bottoms of the legs inside a rubber boot or mukluks of some sort because they will absolutely get wet on the inside which wouldn't be too comfortable. Under my dry suit I already wear non-paddling-specific base layers. Patagonia capilene works beautifully, as does smart wool or the REI power dry. I have always used mid weight base layers designed for hiking, when I paddle and they perform amazingly well. Wicking moisture, insulating and drying quickly. Paddling in Alaska close to glaciers I go to a heavy weight or capilene 4 as the water - and therefore the interior of the kayak - gets much colder.

This morning I spent my time - what I had of it - playing in high winds. Those of you who have read this blog know that I like to play in the wind on my local waters. I find that it gives me a higher level of comfort when the water gets big to have spent time learning how my kayak performs, and in short 'acts' when subjected to wind from all points of the compass. I enjoyed seeing how she paddles and how strokes that I use work and didn't work when 17 feet of kayak is getting pushed by high winds. For instance the cross bow rudder that I use frequently for quick turns wasn't as nearly effective trying to turn a kayak that is getting pushed around by the wind. I am watching the wind and how it effects the surface of the water, and the trees on the shore. The noise it makes, the sound of the leaves. Over time this will give you reference to what conditions feel like when you hear and see certain things. I also like to look for wind lines created by land because it gives me a good 'edge' of wind and no wind to play with. How much will my kayak jump when I hit that line? This was useful in Alaska when we crossed the entrance to the Stikine river. We could see the line, where the ocean and river met, and while I wasn't sure, it looked like other lines I had paddled through, and in fact ended up being very similar in feel. You have to spend time in your kayak, in all kinds of water, and weather, and wind to get a feel for how your kayak - and you - will react. Remember the ten thousand hours. More video in a few days.

Paddle North - Episode 2

2011-09-25T18:50:00.001-04:00

A Typical Day

Paddle North - Episode 1

2011-09-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

Available in HD on Vimeo

On meditation, Yoga and the forward stroke

2011-09-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks I have been exceptionally busy. Rolling back into work after seven weeks of adventuring has been challenging. Adding to that I have spent most of my time away from work, working on the video from the trip. I have to travel for family this weekend, and the next two weekends I will be teaching far from home.

Despite this a couple of things have occurred that I have really enjoyed. A friend mentioned to me that Depak Chopra was offering a free 21 day meditation challenge, and would I be interested in doing it. It would be her first foray into meditation. I meditate far too infrequently, but when I do it clears my head, makes me noticeably more calm, and despite the fact that I find it very difficult, I truly enjoy it.

I took part in the Chopra meditation challenge for all of one day. They are guided meditations that were created so I could not download them, which presented a challenge. (I use a couple of apps on my iPhone to help me meditate, one is a guided meditation app, and the other creates nature sounds which is nice when meditating in a noisy or busy place, like my gym where I frequently meditate). I found myself 8 minutes into the first 13 minute meditation and I was still listening to instructions, and goals of the meditation challenge. It was a little too 'self help' for me.

But while I abandoned Chopra, I didn't abandon the challenge. I began meditating daily in support of my friend, and though I did miss a day, she has not and I am very proud of her.

I find, for me, a much better form of meditation is paddling. Particularly when focusing on the forward stroke. It gives me a clear focus, and takes my mind out of the daily race it is in. I was reminded of this recently as I was teaching two students at the same time. One, paddling a sit on top kayak - a very nice sit on top, the WS tarpon 140 - and one paddling a loaner touring kayak while she waits for delivery of her hand made wood strip kayak. He, on the tarpon is a very active in yoga, and has previously been very active in martial arts. I have seen in previous students that martial artists pick up kayaking very quickly, and he did as well. The young woman in the touring kayak had the struggles that most do their first time when they have to unlearn what their body thinks kayaking is. Martial Artists, and I think to a degree yoga practitioners have a better connection to their body. And this makes forcing your body to do something that at first seems unnatural significantly easier. Also, as I have mentioned previously, the rotation of kayaking is very similar to the rotation throwing a punch.

I made the comment to both of them that it was important that when you stray from pushing and rotation, and slide back into slouching and pulling with your arms, which you will do, that it is important not to chastise yourself. Just acknowledge that it has happened, and come back to where you need to be.

This is equally true for meditation. if for example you are focused on your breathing your mind will invariably stray to something like, what should I cook for dinner, or why did he say that to me? It is important to accept that you have strayed from where you want to be, and bring your self back. Without criticizing, or judging. Just accept and move on. It isn't normal - or really, what we are used to - for our minds to be calmed to the point of no thought, particularly in our multi-tasking world. I am envious of a monk who can focus on one thing - sweeping the floor of the temple - for an entire day. That is his only concern. His only focus. Focus and meditation can be in anything we choose.

My wife, who has close to 30 years of martial arts experience has this summer in my absence taken yoga as her new daily ritual. She is doing yoga in our gym, or at a local yoga studio, and when she can't make either of those occur, I will come home from work and find her doing poses in the living room. She does nothing 'just a little bit'. So naturally I have been doing some yoga as well. We stopped on the way home from Alaska and did Yoga in Vancouver and Boulder, Colorado. I enjoy yoga, but it doesn't sing to me the way some other things do.

But it was in a yoga class that an instructor said something I find myself saying to students over, and over again. Which is not to chastise yourself when you can't do something. Or when your mind strays, or when it takes you a little longer to do something than your neighbor, partner, friend or co-worker does. We are all different, and all have different skills. I know that I am very good at forgiving those around me for their missteps. I work daily to be at ease with the world around me and to offer compassion to those in need of it. But I am not so good at offering that same compassion to myself.

My favorite quote of the Dalai Lama, when asked to describe his religion he said 'my religion is very simple, my religion is kindness'. Offer kindness to the people around you, but direct some of it back to yourself. Particularly when your forward stroke strays from where it should be.

The Power of VHF

2011-09-02T10:17:00.002-04:00

An important part of my kit on this trip was a hand held, waterproof VHF radio. Primarily for localized weather reports, but also for communication with vessels while paddling. I envisioned my VHF being for primarily weather and the occasional 'securite' call. A securite is a process whereby you let vessels - or potential vessels - know of your position and intentions. It is essentially a warning. When I thought of securite calls before the trip I thought of alerting vessels in our vicinity to our plans for a crossing. It would sound something like this:Securite sécurité sécurité. To all vessels in the vicinity of Cape Fanshaw. Please be advised that two kayaks - one red, one white - will be crossing from cape Fanshaw, west to the entrance of Seymour Canal. We will be traversing both the finger islands and the brothers on a heading of 280º. Our approximate crossing time will be three hours. Thank you. This is a fairly basic securite. It is telling vessels the intentions of two - hard to see, invisible on radar - kayaks as the move across a channel, perpendicular to powered boat traffic. While I have done securite calls in Alaska before I didn't get to make this kind of call on this trip. In fact for the first time in my life a securite was made so I would know the intentions of a vessel. A much larger vessel. As we were paddling towards Juneau we had to do a five mile cross with an island in the middle. The crossing would bring us across the Tracy arm, a popular destination for cruise ships to see calving tidewater glaciers, but we would be moving parallel to the main channel. As we concluded the first half of the crossing - to the island in the middle - I noticed an increase in boat traffic. A number of small fishing vessels, a black hulled ship - that we later identified as U.S. Coast Guard, and a large white Cruise ship. Because traffic was building I decided to take the VHF out of its pelican case in my cockpit, turn it on and attach it to my PFD. I only did this because I wanted to monitor the radio traffic - if any - in our vicinity. Less than five minutes later we heard this: "Securite sécurité. This is the Carnival Spirit. In approximately ten minutes we will be entering the Tracy arm."Sarah and I discussed this - in a mildly frantic tone of voice - for a few seconds. His course would take him directly across our paths. and while we had the right of way 'legally', he had the right of tonnage. We decided to make him aware of our presence. I responded:"Securite, sécurité, Carnival Spirit, please be advised you have two kayaks on your starboard side."He immediately responded:"Confirmed! We have a visual on you and will be passing you on our starboard side."Translated, this was him telling us that 'we see you, and you should really stay right where you are in the vicinity of that island, while we cut in front of you.'I responded again:"Carnival Spirit, we are holding our position until you are passed."Translated, Okay, you win. we aren't moving. This illustrates perfectly the use of VHF and its importance. Sarah and I did discuss one thing though. We are curious if the cruise ship made the securite because the Coast guard was there - listening to the entire conversation. If the coast guard hadn't been there would they have just gone, passing in front of us? We hoped to see the ship in Juneau. I promised Sarah that if it were there I would get us on board and talk to the person on the other end of the radio. But Alas by the time we got to Juneau the ship was gone.

Paddle North - teaser trailer

2011-08-22T13:11:00.000-04:00

coming soon(ish)

Instruction

2011-08-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

Please note that on the side of this page is a new option. I have decided to offer instruction in two ways.

Option 1: if you are in the Central North Carolina Area and want to learn to paddle feel free to contact me for pricing and scheduling. I teach a progression from the forward stroke through rolling, navigation, and expedition planning.

Option 2: If you don't live in the Central North Carolina Area I offer instruction through video. If you record yourself doing various strokes I can critique you, via Skype or iChat and give you skills to work on. This process actually works very well, as we BOTH get to see what you are doing, right and wrong and work towards getting your skills where you want them. If you don't have the equipment to record yourself paddling I can assist you in making inexpensive camera purchases and discuss mounting options.

In the not to distant future - probably January - I will be offering an online expedition planning E course. This will teach you the skills that you need to plan your own adventures safely. Always wanted to Hike in Alaska but didn't know where to begin? Begin with the E course to teach you the in's and out's of expedition planning. Until I offer the E course I am available as a consultant for expedition planning. Contact me for more information.

Dry bags

2011-08-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

You all know that I packed and repacked my kayak before going to Alaska, as a major fear of mine is that I will get to the put in and not get everything in the kayak. But while I was waiting to load onto the ferry I ended up meeting a number of guys doing long distance motorcycle rides through Alaska. They were heading home as I was heading to my put in, in Ketchikan.

We got to talking about the gear they had packed on their motor cycles. Most had hard cases - panniers - on tiebacks of their bikes, but within those they had waterproof bags that fit the cases perfectly. It made packing much easier because you could pack your bags and that would fit perfectly onto, or into the motorcycle.

I had a wonderful experience with the tapered dry bag I used, so much so that I will buy another one for my next trip so I have one in the bow and one in the stern. But this is really as close as we get to 'custom' bags for kayaks. The vast majority of us literally putting round pegs(dry bags) in square holes (our kayaks) and then filling the extra space with odds and ends. Even the tapered bag I use and love, doesn't slide all the way back into the stern. I found myself wishing for a 10 liter tapered dry bag that could go in front of my larger 35 liter tapered dry bag.

Why doesn't someone make dry bags that fit the shape of our kayaks? Why doesn't the manufacturer make - or contract out to a maker - a set of bags designed specifically for their boats? It would be another source of revenue, and it would make everyone happy.

The key to quickly packing your kayak is always packing the same gear in the same place in the same way, but invariable this doesn't happen. I can pack kayak pretty quickly, but even on a a trip like the inside passage where the load is unchanging, just getting smaller every day as we eat food, and use fuel, it should be the same, but it rarely is. Now if I had a set of Delta kayaks dry bags, made specifically for my Seventeen by Seal line I probably would.

Earlier in the year I was thinking Seal line - or some other manufacturer should make bags not only in more and different colors, but with large icons to denote what is in them. A food bag. A clothes bag. A first aid bag, and so on, and so on. You could buy them in a set or individually. It would also help create brand loyalty as some would want a system that worked well together.

Another thing I was thinking of as a bear chased us from a perfectly good beach, Hunters wear clothing lined with charcoal - I think they use charcoal, I'm not a hunter! - to mask their odor from the animals they are hunting. Why can't we - or any outdoors person - use something like this for food and garbage? and while we are on the topic why aren't there soft, bear proof options? a bear proof/odor proof bag for food and garbage? Well, in all fairness there are bear proof bags but they are ridiculously expensive.

The answer to why none of these things exist is market share. The number of paddlers doing overnight trips compared to the number of paddlers is a very high ratio. There simply aren't enough people doing paddling trips of the kinds that would benefit from products like I mentioned to make it feasible for a company to offer these products. As painful as it is for me to admit most people in the US are paddling for away and going home - really most new paddlers, believe it or not, are fisherman. At least in the United States the largest growing group of paddlers are fisherman - and don't need any of the things I have mentioned. But it would be nice wouldn't it?

Forward stroke again

2011-08-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

The focus of this blog is and always will be instruction. Even the coverage of my inside passage trip was based in instruction. I had a lot of time to think while paddling in Alaska. We did around 325 miles in 18 days of paddling. Which averages to 18 miles per day. By my math around 700,000 paddle strokes were done in those 18 days. That is a lot of time to think and tweak your forward stroke. In the first few moments of the trip I thought to myself - how many strokes will I do? And towards the end of the trip I started to think - How many strokes are left?

Psychologically there is a very interesting thing that occurs when you talk to people during a trip like that. In the beginning people will say "wow! you have a long way to go!" which is a painful sentence to hear. And then at some point what they say changes. It becomes "wow! you've come a long way." Which is an amazing sentence to hear. Our last night of the trip we were in Haines counting the minutes to get back on the water. We were ready to be done. We were waiting to take showers and a woman who said she was a kayaker asked where we came from. When we told her we came from Ketchikan and got there in 17 days she was speechless. Then she warned us about the wind.

If your going to do a trip involving 700,000 paddle strokes though your stroke has to be efficient. I noticed a couple of things with my forward stroke in the 18 days we were paddling. When the water got choppy and rough I tended to shorten my paddle stroke, and I think this was because I wanted to be able to brace if I needed to. But the by product was it slowed me down. I had to remember to lengthen my stroke out to not give away speed.

There are three things I like to watch for in my forward stroke:

Number 1 - Am I planting my paddle up by my feet? I want a nice long forward stroke utilizing as much of my rotation as possible.

Number 2 - Am I making my stroke too long? Where is my paddle coming out of the water? It should be at my hip. Any further back and I am lifting water up, instead of pushing my kayak forward.

Number 3 - How much blade is going in the water? In the middle of my stroke - or yours - the water line should be right at the throat of the paddle, where the shaft joins the blade. More than this, and I am wasting energy. Having the shaft in the water is only causing resistance in the water. But not having the blade fully submerged and I am giving up surface area that is providing propulsion.

I need to hit three sweet spots in each paddle stroke. Every time. No exceptions. Every. Stroke. Counts. And when you have 700,000 of them you get some time to think about it. But at the same time you have to control what those thoughts are.

When meditating - a foundation of Buddhism - it is important to keep your mind focused on the present. I always think of the forward stroke as a meditation. It has to happen without thought. Yet must be thoughtful. It is important to remember when meditating and your mind wanders, which it will do, that you bring your focus back to the present. But at the same time it is important to accept the wandering without chastising yourself, which is just another thought taking your focus away from the present, your chastising yourself for something that occurred in the past - just go back to your focus. The same thing has to occur with your forward stroke. When it strays from perfection, which it will do, just go back to focus. Check your three sweet spots, make sure your rotating, make sure your posture is correct. Make sure you are pushing with your feet.

Stay focused and in the moment and a fluid, beautiful forward stroke will come.

Kayak review: Delta Seventeen Long term test

2011-08-07T13:07:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading this blog you will already know that my Delta was purchased specifically for the Inside passage trip I just completed. I realized while paddling in Alaska, that I have never written an actual review of the kayak - though it is probably pretty clear from my writings here just how much I love the boat. That said she is not without her faults, and spending 18 days paddling a long way in kayak you really have a lot of time to think about what your paddling, and so here are those thoughts.

My kayak is the Delta Seventeen Sport. There is an expedition model which is the same kayak with the deck raised 1 inch providing a little more leg space and dry storage. They Also make an 18.5 which fit my 6 foot 6 friend perfectly. And for something a little smaller they make an amazing 16 foot kayak.

My partner on the IP was paddling a beautiful - though older - Necky Looksha made of kevlar. (When I was boat shopping the Looksha was my first choice until I paddled the Delta. She met all the requirements of an expedition kayak that would do 30 days unsupported and fit a smaller hipped paddler like myself) It had very sexy elongated lines with a flat deck. She is a beautiful boat. And while it was made for long paddling trips those elongated shapes - long narrow pointy bow, and stern. Low decks - made the boat harder to pack. In contrast the Delta is thermoformed plastic and weighed a bit more. Had slightly harder chines. Its less elongated bow gave her a longer waterline which means slightly more speed, and easier packing. The Delta is made to be packed. The word 'roomy' doesn't do it justice.

The kayak paddles beautifully, carving a beautiful edge turn, she is stable, holds an edge well and is easy to roll. The kayak has that shiny finish of much more expensive fiberglass kayaks. In fact I would say it 'feels' like a fiberglass kayak when paddling her but at a third less expensive and in my opinion a bit more durably. The boat is treated with a coating called solarkote to protect the color of the kayak from fading, and it works. My kayak is three years old and as vibrant a red as the day I got it. Unfortunately the inside of the cockpit isn't treated with solarkote, and it has faded to a sort of light green/yellow. I may paint it.

In my experience Glass boats tend to be a bit more brittle whereas the thermoformed Delta tends to have a bit more flex. When departing a rocky beach in a hurry - say after a bear visits your campsite - I was able to slide my Delta over the rocks with ease while the Looksha had to be carried. I am sure I put some scratches in the bottom of the kayak, but I wasn't worried about scraping off gel coat or worse.

The cockpit is roomy and very comfortable on long days. The comfortable seat - which adjusts forward and back - is simple, with a thin foam pad on it, and the seat back - which is adjustable as well moving both up and down, and hinging forward and back - is very comfortable, though a bit big. I have it lowered all the way, and reclined all the way back, so essentially I am not using it. I only contact it at the very base of my back. But when I rotate at my core - as we all should when we paddle! - it tends to rub against the cockpit coaming which is causing some wear and tear. I have been told that you can remove the seat back and put in the Immersion Research Back band which I will do, and should have done before this trip.

The bow and stern hatches use a wonderful seal that doesn't use a neoprene cover which makes them very fast in terms of getting into a hatch easily. Historically they have been very dry. In fact when I paddle here in North Carolina in the spring, when the water is cold and the air is warm, the hatches seal so well that the cool water has cooled the warm air in the stern, causing it to contract, sucking the stern hatch down so much that I couldn't get it open very easily. In fact there was so much suction that the hull was slightly 'oil canned' in. But when the hatch cover was released the hull immediately popped back out. I have actually had this happen twice. The seal is that good. However, in Alaska where so many of the beaches were gravel, small bits of gravel would get in the seal of the hatch prevent a good seal. I routinely had more water in the compartments than I would have liked to see. It was just very hard in that environment to keep the seals free of debris. I would still call it user error.

My kayak has a rudder - though it is available with a skeg - I chose the rudder so as not to give up the storage space in the stern. The rudder is beautifully made with 'Gas pedal' style controls. They are easily adjustable, by flipping a tab sideways you can adjust the placement of the pedals which works well. Though I would like to be able to move the pedals with the same tab that locks and unlocks them (with my hand) instead of having to use my foot to slide the pedal back and forward. I have written about the difference between rudder and skeg so I won't go into them here, but I am starting to think of a rudder as a skeg on steroids, that post is coming soon.

A few complaints. The boat scratches very easily. I wouldn't mind so much if she wasn't so damn pretty. I have bought the Novus polish/scratch repair system which works well, but doesn't amaze me with its results. I am sure this is just the nature of the plastic used, and there probably isn't much that can be done about it. The first real scratch occurred while assisting someone with a rescue, I slid my paddle under a bungie and left a long scratch in the deck. I would like it to be a bit more scratch resistant.

When the kayak is empty it handles beautifully. It tracks well without the rudder down, and with the rudder down the kayak is unbelievably solid in wind coming from all points of the compass. She is a very impressive kayak in this regard. But, when fully loaded in a following sea she wants very much to Lee cock. (turn flat to the waves). I am sure this is because with more weight she is sitting lower in the water and the waves pushing the stern have more to push against. Even with the rudder all the way over and correcting with paddle strokes she was hard work in a following sea (when fully loaded). I don't know enough about designing kayaks to know if this is something that could be corrected through design changes. I say over and over again that everything in a kayak is a trade off and I am sure this is a trade off of some sort. That is my only performance short coming in this highly versatile kayak.

I would, and have recommended this kayak to others. The few times that I have let others paddle her they have all cursed me afterwards because she is such an impressive paddle. I would buy this kayak again in a heartbeat. She is as comfortable on a day trip with no gear as she is for a month in Alaska. She is beautifully designed, and finished with a great deal of thought going into so many aspects of the finished product. She is as fast, as stable and easy to roll as any high end kayak on the market, but as I said above at a less expensive price than any composite boat. I will be paddling her - happily - for many years to come.

A week on, some thoughts.

2011-07-27T18:32:00.003-04:00

The Flu that I picked up in Juneau full force is still sticking around in the form of a hacking cough, and some congestion. I have had it for close to 19 days, and everyday it gets a little bit better.

I have done quite a bit of driving since arriving in Skagway and as I type this I am at one of the Lodges in Yellowstone National Park, drinking a whiskey, and trying to pull together all the thoughts that have run through my head while driving for the past week.

First I have to say that being at Yellowstone after 21 days kayaking unsupported in Alaska is a little like going to Disney after walking across the desert. There are so many people here it is a little overwhelming. While the scenery is very beautiful it feels sort of like someone put a national park at a shopping mall. And honestly, my four season tent looks a little out of place surrounded by massive RV's. Tonight I will be cooking dinner on my whisperlite while I suspect my neighbors will be using their microwave. And it took every fiber of my existence to listen to the lecture on bear safety in our campsite (E170) from the lovely woman who checked us in.

My first, and overwhelming thought is that this route - the protected, docile, inside passage route - is anything but. We paddled with some big winds, some on our bows, but mostly - thankfully - on our sterns. We paddled some big water, and some very surprising and very powerful currents. This is not a route for the faint of heart. There were a number of times that Sarah and I chose to take a more aggressive line and a couple of times it almost bit us in the behind.

My second thought, which ties into the first, is that this is a route in desperate need of a designated water trail. So much of the information that I had, from many sources, was either - wrong, outdated, or wildly inaccurate. With the exception of the Alaska ferries (The Alaska Marine Highway System) and most of the Harbor Masters we dealt with, there is very little support for kayakers. The vast majority of the 'possible' campsites that I gleaned from various sources were not campable beaches. We camped on several perfect beaches that I had never come across in my research. If a group of concerned locals would band together from Ketchikan to Skagway (and maybe an arm off to glacier bay) to create designated campsites, and reliable information and a support network - I would have gladly paid for an official guide book! - More people would do the route which would provide more revenue to local merchants.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the experience was wonderful. The scenery was beautiful, amazing in fact. We saw humpback whales most days. We saw bald eagles every day - multiple times a day. Seals and sea lions where nearly constant companions. We saw a few sea otters, and for the first time for me we saw a pod of Orca. Granted they were at a distance, but it was still nice to see. But every time I paddle Alaska I am amazed by the scale. This is an actual conversation:

Paddler A: ice berg, left side, a few miles off.

Paddler B: I see it.

Paddler A: wait. I think that is actually a cruise ship.

On our last day, paddling into Skagway I saw what at first I thought was a pair of white buoys. Small one's marking a crab pot or something like that. A few minutes later I realized that they were 50 foot long sport fishing boats.

the scale of what you are seeing around you is so massive it distorts your perceptions. I can't explain why this doesn't happen paddling the BC coast - which is breathtakingly beautiful - but it doesn't.

If you haven't been to Alaska you must go. I don't know how many times I have been, but I will return and it will always be amazing.

The Bear

2011-07-20T17:16:00.007-04:00

Probably my biggest - unfounded - fear prepping for this trip was bears. Bears are always a concern but some of the areas we would be paddling through have significantly high bear populations. And while I don't mind black bears so much - they are really very timid - We would be dealing with Coastal Brown Bears*.

I did a lot of research before going. I contacted a number of kayaking instructors that I know from the National Outdoor Leadership School to see what NOLS does regarding bears and sea kayaking and it took me a while to figure out that NOLS isn't too worried about it because they tend to stay away from the prime Brown bear habitats.

All of our food was in plastic bags, then inside dry bags (bear canisters don't work in kayaks). But the problem was that there was so much of it. 80 pounds or so for the two of us. When Sarah and I talked about this we realized that hanging 80 pounds of food would be incredibly difficult (we later realized that the trees along the coast weren't suitable for hanging). We decided to do what NOLS does, which is leave the food inside the kayaks. This would keep little critters away, and we would just have to remain aware in case of larger critters.

Both of us carried bear spray, and we were both pretty careful about odoriferous items in the tent. Oddly, One evening while looking at our cans of bear spray I realized that my 'American' bear spray was 2% capsaicin. While her 'Canadian' spray was only 1%.

We saw the occasional bear print. We actually camped one night about ten feet from Bear scat - though it was fairly old. We saw three bears walking the coast while we were paddling. Two black bears and one Brown. We were never really concerned.

Until that night.

We had come ashore at around 4 on an amazing sunny day. We had taken the opportunity to lay some clothes out to dry. Sarah cooked an amazing dinner. The kayaks were about 10 feet from a large rock outcropping. Tied to a tree in case of a storm surge wave. The tent was at the same height vertically up the beach, but about 30 feet away. The door of the tent was facing the water. It was 8:24 when I heard something moving through the forest behind our tent. It was the sounds of branches snapping. It was still completely light out. I poked my head outside the tent but didn't see anything. The sounds came and went for a couple of minutes. Sarah was just dozing off next to me, and I was reading. I heard another sound of something moving through the woods, unzipped the back door, poked my head out, and was looking directly into the eyes of a very large - and really quite beautiful - Brown bear. I got back int he tent, Sarah woke, I am sure sensing the change in energy in our small space, and said "what?" To which I calmly replied that there was a brown bear standing on my kayak.

My kayak was closest to the tent. They were separated by about two feet. Sarah's cockpit cover was off. The bears rear legs were on the ground. His front paws were on my kayak. With his right paw resting on the hatch cover. He was big. probably 1400 pounds. With his front paws on my kayak, and his head erect - looking at me! - his head was probably 8 feet off the ground. He was not being threatening in any way. He just looked curious.

I got out of the back door of the tent, Sarah got out the front door. We both held our bear sprays with the safety caps still on. We began yelling for him to go away. We yelled for about 30 seconds and he just stared at us. Then I realized I was standing on a rock covered beach. I picked one up, about softball sized, and threw it at him. I have no throwing arm and missed, but he started walking away. He walked towards the rock outcropping with us still yelling. I threw another, and he moved another couple of feet. A moment later I threw a third and he very gracefully climbed the rocks and walked into the woods.

I can only explain the expression on the bears face as similar to my dog when I tell her to leave the kitchen - "what? what did I do? Okay, Ill go."

Sarah looked at me and said "I think we should go" and we did. We were on the water 30 minutes later.

The bear was standing on the hatch with all of my food in it, but he had walked over Sarah's kayak - stepping in the cockpit and popping her cover - which also contained food. As we were paddling across the water to another beach - and we saw him several beaches further north - I realized what I think drew him in. We were one day from Juneau. One day from completing the longest uninterrupted section of the entire paddle. Which meant we had a lot of garbage - food garbage, and food packaging. It was all in plastic bags inside a dry bag, but it was in the compartment he was standing on. I think if we had given him another 30 seconds he would have located it and tried to get it.

We dumped our garbage the next day in Juneau, and were much more stressed over bears the remainder of the trip. We could have dumped food garbage during crossings in the water. Though this is against LNT it is biodegradable and wouldn't have caused too much harm. If it had been two days to Juneau I might have done that. But we still would have had other garbage on board. There really isn't much we could have done differently. As encounters with large brown bears go, this was a fairly good one.

*The Coastal Brown bear has a close relative the Grizzly bear, and is commonly mis-identified as such. Grizzly bears however live inland whereas the Brown bear lives at the coast. Browns are larger than Grizzlies and somewhat more aggressive. A close relative to the Brown, is the Kodiak bear which is larger still, and only second - size wise - to the Polar bear.

Ketchikan to Skagway

2011-07-17T17:11:00.002-04:00

June 26th through July 16th

18 days of paddling

3 rest days

I have a lot to write, and a lot of video to edit. But first some quick notes.

This route which is billed as easy paddling and no real technical challenges was anything but.

We paddled some very big water, and had to deal with some very high winds. This was a very challenging paddle, and lets not even get into the brown bear that stood on my kayak.

We completed the paddle - the mileage still needs to be computed - with very few hitches in 18 days.

I need to take some time off as I am exhausted and have been sick for the past ten days. Tomorrow morning I will see a doctor and then head south from Skagway.

Thanks for keeping track, lots of info to come.

aaaannnnnndddddd GO!

2011-06-17T14:06:00.002-04:00

Well, it's that time. All the gear is packed. The food is ready. A float plan has been created. All of the eight million odds and ends have been taken care of. Tomorrow morning at 8am I will start driving north and west. Hopefully five and half days later I will be in Skagway, parking the car, and getting on the ferry to Ketchikan. If it's not done by tomorrow morning at 8, it isn't going to get done. After about 10 months of hard core planning - and years of dreaming - this trip is finally going to start.

People tend to think that the hard part of something like this is the actual paddling, and while that will be difficult - particularly the hours we will be doing in the cockpits - I personally think it is the 'getting everybody, and their gear, and the kayaks to the starting point'. I think that is the most difficult and stressful part. Time will tell how it all will play out. Hopefully close to how it was planned. I won't be updating this blog from the road, but I will be updating my twitter feed. When ever possible I will add a current position as well as what is roughly going. on.

Thanks for following this blog and the trip. See you in Skagway around the 18th of July.

Ironically,

2011-06-16T11:44:00.002-04:00

I will be eating Freeze dried food on the long drive cross cross country,

and eating real food once the kayaking starts!

This is the 'don't do something stupid' phase.

2011-06-01T19:45:00.002-04:00

It's like the days before the big game. You don't want to break an ankle. Or cut a hand. You don't want to do something stupid that could jeopardize the trip. Be careful driving so that you don't total the car you need to drive to Alaska. Make sure a limb is hanging - about to break off - and puncture the kayak you need to paddle 409 miles.

No food poisoning, no colds, or viruses, nothing stupid. You have planned this for too long. Spent too much money, spent too much time. Don't make a stupid mistake.

This phase will continue right up until you hit the water. Don't drive behind the big truck spilling gravel all along the highway.

Certainly, whatever you do, don't pull a muscle in your back at the gym. That would be dreadful. I know, because that is what I did this morning. I think it is actually just a muscle that is spasmed, and I think it is primarily due to stress. I have been chewing motrin like m&m's and am working my way through a bottle of red. After work I did a short run, then hit the rowing machine - which felt pretty good - to loosen it up. Then spent some time in the steam, and then hit the shower. I will be fine in a few days.

I just have to be careful.

'It fits' part 2

2011-05-31T15:19:00.008-04:00

Today was rations day. Yesterday I spent a fair amount of time going over the ration sheets provided by Claudia at the NOLs Rocky Mountain Branch. Today I rolled into our supermarket with clipboard and papers and started shopping.

I will confess that I got some strange looks, but I spent about an hour shopping, checking weights, and portions and the occasional directions.

This is what it looked like when I arrived home, and after two hours of weighing and bagging, this is what it looked like sorted into 3 groups. Ration 1, 2, and 3. Ration one is a little bigger as it has some things that will last the whole trip like tomato paste, pesto, peanut butter and nutella.

This is it packaged and ready to go in a kayak.

There are still some things that need to go into the ration. "freshies" like onion, garlic, potato, carrots, and I certainly cant forget the cheese. I still need 4 pounds of cheese that I will buy in Skagway. All will hold up well for some time while inside the belly of a kayak. Power food, like cliff bars and the like. will go into the ration. The weight comes in just a touch heavy. As they are in that last photo the entire ration is at 30 pounds. The ration plan called for 36.75 pounds (1.75 pounds of food per person per day) I think I will be over once I add in the freshies. Then of course I need a spice kit, and coffee. And, ahem.... Whiskey. It will probably be right around 42 pounds. A little heavy.

New twitter feed.

2011-05-30T16:44:00.003-04:00

This blog now has a twitter feed, @paddlingotaku, which I will be updating once I am on the road. Unfortunately I don't have the resources to live blog this trip, maybe the next one! But what I will be doing is updating twitter whenever I have cell service, which I think will be fairly frequent. Real update coming soon, but I have to finish the shopping list, that's right, it's food time!

The minutiae will kill you.

2011-05-24T16:03:00.002-04:00

It's the little things that add up that I think may absolutely drive me crazy.

I found out today that the adhesive I was using to practice boat repairs was the wrong stuff. It worked well. But I would like to try what I am actually supposed to use. I ordered some online.

The wheels for my kayak should be here soon. But I am also going to need a cable and lock to secure my kayak for two days. Do I pack it with me the rest of the trip, or donate it to the Harbormaster in Ketchikan?

I have enough batteries and SD cards for the GoPro for 16 hours of recording at 720P. I have them both (as well as batteries for my Olympus Camera) in a small pelican case, but the SD cards are so small I worry about loosing them.

I got a small piece of fiberglass cloth in case I have to do a serious repair. I hope I never have to use it - donated by a friend who runs a kayak shop, thanks Will!

I love my tent, but hate how big it packs. I need to play with that and see if there is a better way. The biggest problem with it, is the rain fly has a an 12 pole in the center that is permanently attached and makes packing it difficult.

I needed to beef up my fire starting kit, which now doesn't really fit anywhere. I have lots of little odds and ends that don't have permanent places yet. I haven't made any changes to the way I do things, or pack things, but just adding a little bulk for the length of the trip is wreaking havoc with my systems.

My nice insulated coffee mug is making everything taste metallic lately. I need to clean it and sterilize it and see if that changes things.

People keep asking my why I don't bring some form of solar power system to recharge cameras and the like. A) they don't work as well as you think B) We are paddling this route in the driest month of the year and can still expect about 7 inches of rain. But if you would like to donate this to the cause, feel free. I will even return it to you if it survives.

When I bought my kayak a few years ago, it was purchased with this trip in mind. On every trip I have done it has been the 'load monster' in the group. This trip will definitely be the test.

As I type this, the weather in Skagway Alaska is 50º with 8mph winds from the southwest. In other words. Absolutely perfect for paddling. I wish I was there right now.

25 days.

Well, it fits.

2011-05-17T17:18:00.003-04:00

Things have been progressing nicely. Both myself and the Rockstar have ferry tickets. She has a SPOT so I don't need to figure out that whole thing. There have been many emails back and forth between myself and her. I have also sent a large volume of emails to various resources in Ketchikan. My dilemma - as there always seems to be one - is this. I will arrive in Ketchikan with all my gear two days before the Rockstar. So I need a place to stay, and a place to stage my kayak. My initial hope was that there would be a campground in Ketchikan that I could go to, but alas there is no camping inside the city of Ketchikan. There is a motel directly across the street from the ferry that would be perfect except that it costs $200 a night.

I finally found that there is a hostel about a half a mile from the ferry, and I got permission to lock up my boat at the harbor masters office.

Today I spent the afternoon packing the kayak with the actual gear that will be going. The important thing is that not only does it need to fit in the kayak, but I also need to get it all - by myself - from the car, to the ferry. Then from the ferry to the harbor masters office. And then after dropping off the kayak to the hostel. And of course back. So it needs to fit into two bags. A large mesh duffel, and a seal line 115 liter boundary bag. Today I learned that it pretty much fits, both in the boat, and the bags.

I also learned that I love the tapered dry bag. It makes it very easy to pack the boat. I am tempted to buy another one for the bow but at this point I am not sure what would go inside it.

I still need to tweak a few things in terms of the gear layout. I am also not happy with my deck bag, and may try and figure out a way to go without it. It sits very high on the deck of my kayak.

I leave a month from tomorrow....

Like Dominoes..

2011-05-09T20:58:00.004-04:00

My lack of updates is directly related to the number of changes that have occurred in the last two or three weeks.

Everyone that had said they would take part in this adventure with me has changed their mind. Many perfectly valid reasons have been given, and while I could - and will - write more about this later I think it boils down to this. For most, this is a new and slightly intimidating adventure. The first time you do a trip like this there are just so many variables. It is very easy to say to yourself, I can't do this Because.....

The list can be long. It is the reason that many people can say 'I have always wanted to do something like that!' but in fact they never do. Seth Godin writes about the lizard brain. The lizard brain wants us to be afraid because that keeps us safe. I have written before about the need to push personal boundaries, and I am sure that these dear friends of mine will, when the time is right. I have to stress I have known all the parties involved for years, and care very deeply for them all, and have, and will take part in adventures in the future with them. I have actually already spoken with one about a paddling trip in the fall or spring.

I owe a debt of gratitude to the people who are no longer going, because my responsibility to them made me do all the planning to get there myself. So as I contemplated going alone, I decided that was exactly what I was going to do. I started looking into a satellite phone rental and making changes to the food list. The biggest hurdle to going alone - besides the drive to Alaska alone, which I am not looking forward to - is that in camp everything that has to be done, has to be done by you. No one will help set up a tarp in the rain, or cook dinner. It's all on you. And it can be exhausting.

As I was making these plans I decided to send an email to a friend. A friend I hadn't seen since 2006. I work for a very well known outdoor school - though I haven't taught for them directly since 2009 - and on my instructor course I met a woman I became very good friends with. My nickname for her on this course was 'the rock star' because she was that good in a kayak. Far better than me at the time. At the end of the instructor course I mentioned I had always wanted to do the Inside Passage and would she be interested in doing it with me. Her response, in classic rock star fashion was that she would be bored. She wanted to do the 'outside passage' on the more exposed pacific coast. A route that didn't interest me.

I sent her an email explaining what had happened, and she replied that while normally she wouldn't be interested, my offer had landed at her feet at the perfect time. She would go. It took 72 hours for all the stars to align. There is now a new departure date, and some small changes in gear. She has paddled in the Petersburg area near where we will be so she has some experience in the area. Her lizard brain knows not to be afraid.

Today I purchased a ferry ticket for the 23rd of June. I won't be home for my birthday, but due to the earlier departure time - about a week - my wife can meet me in Skagway at the end of the trip. Which will be amazing.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.....

2011-04-24T12:54:00.003-04:00

This is probably the most painful part. The waiting. There is very little left to do. In about a week we will start spending money. They ferry tickets need to be purchased, and about a month after that the food will need to be purchased and packaged. For me, my prep is done, but for a few things left that need to happen.

That is not the case for everyone. I believe some gear still needs to be purchased, and there is still one member of our group who is not sure she can afford to go. So there may still be a last minute reduction in the size of the group. From four to three.

If she doesn't go, the only thing that will really change - aside from the fact that I will miss her, as she is an amazing person - is the tent I bring along. I will go from my four season three person tent (which would have been for the two of us) to a two person 3.5 season tent that will be my solo home. I hate the thought of not using my four season tent as it was purchased specifically for this trip, but I also cant see using a three person tent myself. That seems a little excessive.

The Chart book still needs to be printed but I want to add some info to the back of it - locations of campsites, and food markets for resupply as well as useful phone numbers. I need to pull that info together just prior to printing.

With the the waiting continues.

On my phone I have added Wrangell, Skagway, and Ketchikan as regular locations for the weather app, so I can see and compare here and there. It's 77º here, but 43º in Ketchikan right now.

A friend will be loaning me his GoPro which will serve as the backup camera in case of a failure. I do still have to order a special housing for the camera as well as a couple of additional batteries. I have talked with several people about using a solar charger to charge my batteries, but heading to a rain forest I don't think it will be too effective.

So with that I will keep waiting, and waiting.....

The tapered dry bag

2011-04-12T18:55:00.004-04:00

The tapered dry bag has arrived, and once I got the chance - I was out of town teaching a Wilderness First Aid course - I loaded it up. I packed it with every piece of clothing that I normally pack on a multi day trip. From rain gear to base layers, everything except my drysuit which I will be wearing when I paddle. It swallowed them all without any trouble. In fact normally with a dry bag you want three smooth, solid rolls to maintain waterproofness. I actually got six rolls - indicating that there is still room in the bag! The bag fits in both my stern and bow, giving me some packing options. It leaves a little room in front - or behind depending on your point of view - which will be filled with fuel bottles. I will test pack the kayak in a few days but it fit so well in my boat I am thinking about ordering another one. It literally takes the place of two 20 liter dry bags, a system I have used effectively since 2000! I am very excited, and can't believe I waited as long as I did to do a taper bag.

Tomorrow the first of the food arrives, along with the bags that will be holding all the food when packed. The only purchases that need to be made are the actual food and fuel, and a few accessories for my Gopro camera. At the end of the month we will buy the ferry tickets. Were are getting close.

Take a seat

2011-04-04T10:41:00.002-04:00

When I talk to new paddlers, or paddlers contemplating their first kayak purchase, one of the most common comments about kayaks that I hear is this. "I liked this kayak because it had a really comfortable seat"

New paddlers are drawn to kayaks with seats like lazy boy recliners. I can see the appeal, but like so many things for new kayakers this will lead them down a path of poor kayak control, poor posture in their kayak, and a lack of connectedness - if that is a word - to their kayak.

Kayak seats have two parts, a seat bottom and a seat back. In general I am less concerned with the seat bottom. It can be padded, or gelled. It should certainly be contoured to your shape. It is where the vast majority of your weight is going to be impacting the kayak, so a bit of padding of some sort is okay. It is seat backs that concern me, and it is large seat backs that attract the attention of many novice kayakers. Yes, they look very inviting. Yes they are comfortable. Yes, they will get in the way of every skill we strive to have.

Take a look at the seat of any high end touring kayak and you will see a thin molded fiberglass seat base - probably with no padding - and a very thin lightly padded back band. Not even an actual seat back. But take a look at a kayak like the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 and its beautiful phase 3 seating, with its large articulated sections, and high back. One is designed for high performance, and the other for high comfort. The problem is the high level of comfort gets in the way of high performance.

The high seat back impedes our ability to rotate at our core, which is the key to power in our kayaks. It also allows us to lean into the seat back, ruining our posture and removing weight from the seat bottom and loading it onto the seat back and decreasing our overall connection with the kayak. It can also get in the way of our PFD making us uncomfortable. It can get in the way when rolling, or doing any kind of re-entry - particularly from the stern - and it makes greenland rolls impossible as you can't get your back close enough to the back deck.

My Delta splits the difference it is neither a high and heavily padded seat back, nor a tiny back band - though I have been told it will accept the immersion research back band. I have compromised by reclining the seat back as far as it will go. The top of it is now even with the top of the cockpit coaming. It barely touches the bottom of my back. It forces me to have good posture. My back is straight. I am ready to rotate.

This lesson was driven home to me working at the school I teach for in Alaska. I got into a very old kayak with a simple back band. The first time I pressed on the foot pegs the webbing in the back band ripped, leaving the back band dangling. At the end of the day - 27 nautical miles later - I felt ready to continue paddling. I was in fact eager to keep paddling. Our students felt otherwise and we made camp in a marshy cove.

Yes, it forces you to have strong back and core muscles, is that a bad thing? Yes, it may be difficult in the beginning. But like so many things that are difficult in the beginning it will pay huge dividends in the end.

Bits and pieces and miles

2011-03-27T17:03:00.002-04:00

This week a number of little tasks were completed. The repair kit is all but done, I just need a few feet of fiberglass tape for the ultimate nightmare, a crack in my kayak. The kit contains a sleeping pad repair kit, silicone seal, devcon adhesive, a tent pole repair sleeve, the Whisperlite expedition repair kit and a multi tool.

The last of my dry bags have been ordered, I pulled the trigger and ordered a tapered bag for my stern which will hold all my clothes. As well as a new waterproof compression dry bag for my sleeping bag. And the first two 13 liter ration bags. The rest of the team will have to order their own ration bags.

Claudia from the NOLS Rocky Mountain Branch is sending me the first of the food, 8 pounds of the NOLS potato hash browns, and the plastic bags that will be used to pack the rest of the food.

I completed, printed and bound the topo maps of the route. They were printed on National Geographic Adventure paper which is waterproof and tear resistant. I am almost ready to print and bind another book, this on of charts of the route compiled from the NOAA booklet charts - which bring the majority of the route down to 8.5 x 11 size, and easy usability on the deck of a kayak. We will also bring along the charts on my office walls that were just about the first purchase made at the beginning of planning. They have been updated with marks for campsites.

Having the charts done I was able to run a piece of cord - marked with mileage - along the route. Doing so, I discovered two things. First, my preferred route has a stretch of around 40 miles that only have 'possible' campsites instead of solid knowledge. While this makes me a little nervous it is at its heart what adventure is about. The other thing is that I had done the math loosely on the route and found it around 375 miles. But by doing it with the cord it came up around 409 miles (though I just did a conversion to nautical miles and that is actually around 355). This is striking because an additional 30 miles is a fair bit of kayaking. It our daily average from 11 miles to 16. Of course I know full well that there wont be 'average' days. The distance we paddle will be dictated by weather, and conditions and the comfort of the team. But really we have 30 days to do this or we will all be late getting back to work. The plan calls for 25 days of kayaking, with 5 days for weather/rest days, which really isn't much.

Here is the schedule as it stands now:

Ketchikan to Pt. Higgins - 10

Pt. Higgins crossing to Caamano pt. - 11.5

Caamano to Niblack pt. - 7

Niblack pt. to Three islands - 11.5

Three islands to Emerald Bay (stopping in Meyers Chuck) -21

Emerald Bay to Change Island - 9

Change Island to Found Island - 12

Found island to Nemo pt. - 18

Nemo Pt to Wrangell - 13

Wrangell to Coney Island - 22

Coney island to Petersburg - 13.5

Petersburg to Dry bay - 19

Dry Bay to Cape Fanshaw - 22.5

Cape Fanshaw to Church Pt (?) - 28

Church Pt. to Mole Harbor (?) - 25.5

Mole Harbor to Windfall Island (?) - 19

Windfall island to Oliver Inlet (?) - 17

Oliver Inlet to Juneau Alaska - 21

Juneau Alaska to Auke Bay - 15

Auke Bay to Circle Island -16

Circle island to Point Bridget - 12

Pt. Bridget to Pt Sherman - 13

Pt. Sherman to Eldrid rock - 13

Eldrid Rock to Haines Alaska - 24

Haines Alaska to Skagway Alaska - 16

That's how I have it figured, 25 days, 409 miles. Will it play out that way? in terms of distance, it will, in terms of days or averages probably not. The key is just to continually be heading north. It will unfold however it unfolds. As a Buddhist I try hard not to worry about things I have no control over. But as a human, I can't always help it.

Yesterday, Someone googled...

2011-03-24T08:17:00.003-04:00

How to go to the bathroom on an expedition.

They were led to this blog post, which unfortunately for them didn't answer the question. Since it is a very common question - literally the first question my sister asked when I returned from my first Alaska trip - I decided to write a post about it.

One of the certifications I have acquired over the years is 'Leave No Trace - Master Educator', and I follow strict LNT rules when in the back country. Here is the LNT process for going to the bathroom.

Here is the short version:

200 feet from fresh water, dig a cat hole - six inches across, six to eight inches deep - Deposit waste in the cat hole. Refill the cat hole and disguise the site. I was taught that toilet paper must be packed out, but the LNT site currently says that non-colored, non-perfumed toilet paper can be buried along with the waste. I don't pack any toilet paper on expeditions. More on that later.

I like this for digging my cat hole as it works well and keeps BPA laden bottles out of the landfill.

Urine is a non-issue as it is sterile and has very little effect on the environment, but it should still be 200 feet from fresh water. It can sometimes attract animals due to the salt it contains, so urinating on gravel, pine needles, or soft soil will help prevent this. You can also dilute it with fresh water.

Notice all these descriptions say fresh water. The concern is contaminating ground water, which we then end up drinking. As a sea kayaker I am not terribly worried about contaminating the sea as there is a massive amount of bacteria that helps biodegrade anything that might get into it, but I am still digging my cat hole away from the ocean. Though I will urinate in the intertidal zone.

So why don't I pack in toilet paper? There was a time where you weren't allowed to bury toilet paper, and if you used it you had to pack it out. Let's be honest, no one is packing out used toilet paper. You can't burn it because the paper will burn, but the feces will not. My toilet paper substitute of choice is rocks. I will generally grab three or four rocks from the water line before heading off into the brush. These should be rocks that have lived a long time in the water, and are nice and smooth and rounded. Nothing with hard or sharp edges. I use them and simply drop them into the cat hole when I am done. I have also used moss, pine cones, and various other natural items. But I like rocks the best.

I am not a hygiene fanatic, but a lot of back country ailments can be traced to dirty hands, and so I do carry a small bottle antibacterial gel for preventing for keeping hands sanitary. In the front country I think antibacterials are a bad idea, as they are breeding more robust bacteria that will be harder to kill in the future. But in the back country where it is very hard to wash your hands effectively I think it makes sense.

Two things

2011-03-22T12:10:00.004-04:00

Two items that will be on this trip that I don't normally carry are a deck bag, and a ditch bag. When I do Alaska kayaking trips I use a deck bag, and this time will be no different. I don't use one on shorter trips because I generally wont spend as much time in the cockpit of the kayak. But with the potential for 8, 10 or even 12 hours in the cockpit on this trip a deck back will be an essential piece of gear. It will have some things in it that require easy access, and I will be using this seal line deck bag.

Inside it will be the pelican case for my water proof point and shoot camera, as well as a pelican case with all my GoPro accessories - if they all fit. A small pair of binoculars for both wildlife and scouting beaches for landings, and sea state for launches. Power food/Snack food. A GPS - again in a pelican case, and a regular compass.

the ditch bag is something that I haven't carried before. Ditch bag may be the wrong term, more like the everything emergency bag. It will have my general repair kit which includes a multi tool. As well as some emergency fire starting supplies, some power bars, a light source, an extra wool hat. If we decide to bring a spot, it will be either in the ditch bag or the deck bag.

My large first aid kit will be at my feet in the cockpit, but a smaller - band aids, Ibuprofen, etc - will also be in the deck bag.

In general I don't like the idea of having gear on the deck of my kayak, they make the boat more susceptible to wind, as well as more difficult to roll. But these are items I will need to get too in during a paddle, and it will also free up some space inside the kayaks.

One other piece of gear that over the years I have toyed with purchasing, but haven't until recently is a tapered dry bag. I tried this one out the other day, filling one with all my paddle clothing - including my dry suit - and then stuffing it in the stern of my kayak. My thought process is this. For my clothing I use two 20 liter dry bags and always have. It has been a good system, one filled with 'weather' clothes and one filled with everything else. Slowly the two bags merge into one, as just about everything gets a bit damp on a month long trip in Alaska. The two twenty liter bags are generally full en route to the put in, but once I put on paddle clothes one of the is only half full. This system has worked well for me for years.

Recently though I had been thinking that I wasn't maximizing the space in my stern. I have gotten good at packing things in my bow, but because the stern dry storage is so much longer it is hard to get things deep into the area directly in front of the rudder. It occurred to me that I could get this tapered dry bag, and fill that area completely. It doesn't go all the way back, I think there is just enough room for a liter fuel bottle. I am excited as I think this will also free up space inside my kayak. It will certainly shift the order of things, as my clothes have been in two twenty liter dry bags directly behind my cockpit. Clothes will be slightly more 'buried' in the boat so I will need to be a bit more thoughtful in my planning for each day.

The ride

2011-03-16T11:26:00.005-04:00

I finally got a kayak on top of the roof rack and on top of the car that will be driving to Alaska. It was nice to finally get into the water, it had been close to a month between weather, the drysuit and work. I met my wife for lunch after paddling in cold wet conditions and she immediately saw the difference in my mood. I am noticeably happier after kayaking, as I have said before it is my meditation. It sets my mind straight. And that is the joy of kayaking.

I wish that the crossbars were a bit further apart, but the rear bar is just in front of the rear bulkhead, and the front bar is just behind a hull support that runs across the floor of the cockpit - I originally thought that bar was to stiffen the hull in the cockpit while paddling but when talking to Mark Hall of Delta kayaks he informed me that it for exactly the reason above. To stiffen the kayak when on a roof rack.

While the fit of the rack is perfect - after many years of Yakima use, this Thule rack was the easiest fit I have ever done - the rectangular bars flex a bit more than I am used to when loading a kayak on board. Yakima's round bars are clearly stronger. I could have used the Thule Aero bars, but they are a bit more expensive.

The absolute coolest thing though, is that the little Toyota Yaris has a removable tow hook on the front right side. Making a bow line easy to attach. No more crawling under the car looking for something to hook it onto.

I did see about a 6 mpg drop with the roof racks on, I can only assume it will be worse with two kayaks up there. Hopefully the price of gas will drop back down by the end of June.

One year.

2011-03-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

I realized last night that today was the one year anniversary of starting this blog. I've had fun, and learned a lot.

Thanks for reading.

The Drysuit update

2011-03-10T16:53:00.006-05:00

My mango red Kokatat GMER dry suit is once again in my hands. Shipping was slower than I had hoped a bit more than a week each way, and then there was a little issue with UPS not knowing where it was for 26 hours - which only had me slightly insane. It turned up this afternoon and looks wonderful.

It came in a box folded like it was done by someone who has folded a lot of dry suits. It had a tag on it with my name, and a list of where it was to be patched.

The outside of the drysuit had small bits of something on it, it almost looks like melted plastic shavings, they were on the suit exterior, but the interior was clean.

I counted 14 small patches inside the suit, there may have been more. They did a beautiful job, and I am very excited to get this back on and in the water. Here is my only concern. Yes this suit is about two years old, and yes it gets a lot of use. But I take very good care of it. It lives in its own dry bag, it hangs dry after use. I really cant account for 14 holes.

Jordan from Kokatat was awesome, He couldnt tell me what caused the pin hole size leaks - how could he - but he explained that they are common in high wear areas. He was awesome about keeping me informed as to the status of the suit, and explaining the process for the repair. Though I would like to see a video of how they pressure test the drysuit. So this is one less thing that needs to be taken care of before Alaska.

Another item off the list is a power adapter for the car. I bought a 12 volt accessory adapter that will charge the GoPro. So I can shoot video on the drive, and hit the ferry with fully charged batteries. I will also be prepared to charge the batteries on the ferry as I assume I will be able to find a standard electrical outlet. I would like to shoot video of the route on the way down.

Batteries

2011-03-06T21:16:00.003-05:00

Batteries are the bane of my existence. At least in terms of this expedition, and I am sure they are problematic on all expeditions. My GoPro takes its own lithium ion battery, as does my Olympus point and shoot. My headlamp takes AAA's and my GPS and VHF take AA's - and my VHF has it's own lithium ion as well. My iPod of course has its own non-removable battery.

I can of course pack AA and AAA batteries for the various devices I am bringing, but it is really the GoPro and Olympus that are the trouble makers. I currently own 3 batteries for the Olympus, and 5 for the GoPro, and I plan on buying 2 or 3 more for the GoPro. I just don't know when and where I will be able to plug in the camera to charge. In fact the Olympus requires a special charger to charge the batteries - the GoPro you just plug in the camera and it charges, which is a plus. I am glad I don't have to worry about charging a laptop on the trip, as that would be nightmarish. I do with there were an easy way to blog - or even just take notes electronically for blogging afterwards - while on the trip.

For the past six months of so I have been watching this company, and I am very excited by the products they are offering. I was even more excited to see this - the smallest item they make available at my local REI, and if I wasn't going to a massive rain forest I would consider it, I just don't think I will get enough sun to make it worth the money.

What I would like to see are devices lithium ion batteries become standardized. So chargers will become prolific, and there will be no guess work as to what works with what, and how long a recharge takes. Sort of the way SD cards have become standardized - though my biggest gripe about my Olympus is it uses a non-standard SD card which is very frustrating.

Now here is a million dollar idea that I would love someone to create. Solar chargers are great, but as a paddler they are usually not waterproof, and I tend to paddle in places without a lot of sun. I would really like to trail a tiny line off the back of my kayak with a small propeller that gets turned by my movement through the water. That turning is then turned into electricity in a dry box on my back deck, which in turn charges batteries. If someone could get to work on that I would really appreciate it. Something tells me the market for expeditionary kayaking isn't quite big enough to warrant the creation of such a device.

This is a cool blog.

2011-03-04T09:12:00.001-05:00

It's about kayaking down the mekong and is written in a wonderful style, If I didn't have to go to work, I would be sitting here all day with a cup of coffee reading it.

enjoy.

Water, and the Ferry.

2011-02-28T16:45:00.002-05:00

As a storm rages outside my window, big logistics, and little details are filling my head today. One of the biggest logistics is getting the team and all of our gear to Skagway Alaska, we then will load all of our stuff onto the ferry and head south to Ketchikan. Where our paddling will begin.

The ferry is a major concern. The logistics of just getting everyone and all of our gear to the ferry - on time - is enough to make someone crazy. But after having just gotten off the phone with the Alaska Marine Highway System I feel slightly better. They recommend making a reservation a month or two prior to our trip, though since we don't have vehicles they aren't very concerned about there being space for us. The cost is $147.00 per person and $47.00 per kayak, and the trip will take about a day and half.

The little details that are filling my brain are still fairly important. Water and maps. We will be bringing along a Sawyer gravity fed water filter. It is a nice system, that uses two bags, one for dirty water, and another for clean water, with a filter in between. Gravity forces the water through the filter delivering filtered water into the clean bag. But, I didn't want to bring the sawyer clean bag since most of us use MSR dromedaries. So I spent a fair amount of the day creating s system to use the sawyer quick connect plugs with the MSR bags, but then I realized that by doing that I would be giving up an additional 4 liter bag - the sawyer clean bag. So I scrapped my ideas and will just transfer water to the Dromedaries from the Sawyer clean bag.

The Topo maps have been scaled and are ready to print - I even did a test print on regular paper - now all I have to do is order the special waterproof paper that the topo maps will be printed on, and have them printed. I will have the large NOAA charts - that currently adorn the office walls, covered with post it notes for campsites - with us, somewhat cut down to size so they are easier to use. But I am also toying with the idea of printing the NOAA booklet charts for the area. I can't decide if they will be helpful, or if the scale is so small that they will be uselessly small sections of water.

I have done trips planned on maps that look completely usable during preparation but when you hit the trail you realize the maps used to plan were the most useless scale to really judge what is happening. I am concerned that something like this will occur with these charts. But when it is all said and done, and we are on the water, little things like water bags and the scale of charts will hopefully be non-issues.

Long lists, and guyouts.

2011-02-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

The amount of things that need to occur on a trip like this one is almost mind numbing. Most days I walk around with a small spiral pad to make notes of things that need to be purchased, built, prepared, or in some other way made ready for this trip. Even as wired as I have my gear, there are many things to do.

A big item on the list is repair kit related. A trip of this length, in conditions like this it is almost inevitable that something(s) will break. And so a repair kit is necessary. My repair kit is in a small yellow plastic waterproof case, and at the moment it has in it, a multi-tool, a sleeping pad repair kit, an MSR whisperlite expedition maintenance kit. It will soon have aqua seal, duct tape, silicone seal, and anything else I think might be needed. There will also have to be a kayak repair kit with epoxy for repairing the kayaks, and cables and hardware to fix rudders and skegs.

On todays agenda from the never ending list, was to set up my tent and add guyout lines to many of the guyout tabs on the tent. I had a few on it, and while the tent was purchased with this trip in mind, I have never had the opportunity to really put this particular four season tent to the test. I have spent many nights in many different four season tents. There are tents I like, and tents I don't. This particular tent - made by REI - was purchased because I couldn't get the tent I really wanted. It was a back up. But After using it a few times, it has proven itself as one the best tents I have ever used. Easy to pitch, bombproof, roomy. Huge vestibule. Just a fantastic tent.

Most people don't realize that there is a right and wrong way to load a guyout point on your tent. You want to load it in the direction it is sewn. It will be significantly stronger that way.

There is also a preferred way of tying the lines so that they are knot free and easy to adjust.

The truckers hitch with a half hitch is a great way to do this. In the video below you will see me tying this simple combination of tensioning knots, and then releasing them. Leaving the rope knot free.

truckers hitch from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

Whisperlite, and simmering.

2011-02-20T16:04:00.004-05:00

One of the key pieces of gear coming along on this trip is our stove. Or more accurately I should say 'stoves' as there will be three. One for each cook group, and a backup. Our stove of choice, and the first choice of many expeditions is the MSR Whisperlite.

Yes, it is heavier than a canister stove. Yes, you have to prime it. But that is where the disadvantages end. It is much more efficient in terms of fuel use than anything else. It is extremely reliable. It will run well in the cold, and the wet. It packs small, and supports a big pot. It is easy to maintain in the field, and almost never needs it. It is an easy choice.

There is one other complaint people have with this stove, and that is that it doesn't simmer well. In fact it doesn't simmer at all. If your boiling water it isn't a major issue, but once you really start cooking you may need the ability to simmer. Many times I will just regulate heat by moving, and/or holding the pan above the flame. And this works well enough. There is also a device called the 'scorch buster' which goes over the flame and creates indirect heat. I haven't used it, but it has a great reputation.

There is of course one other method. This method isn't in the directions for the stove. I learned it in Alaska in 2000. I have to stress, attempt this at your own risk. I am merely illustrating a technique. I don't believe this is recommended by the manufacturer or anyone else. But here it is. Light your whisperlite as usual.

1. set up your stove with wind screen and heat reflector. Attach the fuel bottle which has been pressurized with around 10 pumps.

2. open the valve on the pressure pump to allow some liquid fuel into the priming cup on the bottom of the stove. When the cup has a little fuel in it, close the valve.

3. light the liquid fuel in the priming cup with a match or lighter. Allow this raw fuel to preheat the stove.

4. As the fuel is about to burn out open the valve again, allowing fuel to flow out of the fuel bottle, it gets heated and vaporized in the fuel line, where the gas exits the top of the stove you will now have a nice blue flame. Your ready to cook.

Here is where you adjust the system to make it simmer.

DON'T TRY THIS! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

5. After preheating your stove, and having it ready to cook, turn off the fuel valve, and blow out the stove. You should still hear the sound of gas escaping for a few seconds.

6. Pick up the entire stove from the fuel bottle, as the stove is very hot. Unscrew the pressure pump just enough to allow the fuel bottle to become unpressurized. Do not do this near an open flame.

7. Put the stove back down, open the valve on the pressure pump to allow fuel to flow again, and light the stove once more at the burner - not the priming cup.

You now have a stove set to simmer. you may need to give it one or two pumps every now and then to keep it going. Or, you could buy a simmer lite, or dragonfly, both of which offer good flame control. Have I mentioned NOT to try this technique? Good. Here is a video illustrating the above method. Unfortunately in daylight you can't see the difference between the regular flame and the simmering flame.

Simmering with a Whisperlit from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

One thing worth mentioning, a lot of people turn off their whisperlite incorrectly. Many will turn of the pump valve allowing the stove to extinguish itself. And while this works, it also causes the stove to sputter to a stop, which creates soot which can clog the jet. A better method is to turn off the valve, and blow out the stove. The remaining - vaporized - fuel will just vent out of the fuel line.

Damp feet

2011-02-14T18:16:00.003-05:00

I have mentioned many times, how much I love my Kokatat Drysuit. While expensive, it is by far the best piece of paddle gear I own, which is saying a lot as I love my Werner Kalliste, and my Delta Seventeen. But owning a good drysuit will change your paddling life, as it makes paddling in cold wet environments significantly easier, and safer. And in case you hadn't realized, I like paddling in cold, wet environments.

What finally spurred me to spend a lot of money on a drysuit was my feet. I don't like most paddling foot wear, and I really like having a good connection between my feet and the kayak. If you have watched the 'inside' video, you can see how much my feet tweak and move on the pedals in my cockpit. My drysuit fixed this as when I wear it I am warm and dry and can still feel my kayak. I wear the same shoes summer and winter, but in the winter there is a thin gore tex sock inside of them.

So I was a little dismayed when after a paddle a few weeks ago I felt like my socks were damp. I thought it might be sweat, so I wasn't terribly worried about it, but today before paddling I decided to check out the feet of my drysuit.

I did this first by filling a large camping kitchen sink with water and submerging my feet. After about ten minutes, I felt the same dampness on one of my feet. So step two was to move to an actual sink. I filled the sink with water, and filled the foot with air, thinking it would fill like a balloon, and if it leaked I would see bubbles. I didn't get to the bubble stage because I couldn't get the foot to hold air long enough! This was troubling, so a call was placed to Kokatat, and they confirmed that the foot should hold air like a balloon. Scott at Kokatat suggested a bathtub test which I tried, and had the same results as my camping sink test. But still no bubbles. So I tried one more thing. I filled one of the feet with water, applied some pressure, and sure enough, a small hole on the bottom of the foot. Really small. I had to apply pressure to get water to come out of it. So after another phone call to Kokatat I decided to send it to them to test, and repair. I think they will do a much better job on both accounts than I will.

With an Alaska trip in 3 months or so, this drysuit working well is a key factor. I was a little concerned about how long the repair would take, but Jordan at Kokatat informed me it would only take about a week once they got the drysuit. He also informed me it would cost $20 regardless of how extensive the patching is. Which I think is pretty incredible.

The final piece of this puzzle is I do want to explain that I am very careful with the feet of my drysuit. I wear NRS desperado socks over the drysuit feet, and I change into my drysuit standing on a special pad, also made by NRS. So I am curious how I did it, but my guess is something inside my paddling shoe.

Kokatat was extremely helpful, pleasant, and cooperative on the phone, I hope it's an easy, and speedy fix. As I will probably not paddle with out it.

One other note of interest, Cameron, one of the paddlers on my Alaska trip tried on my drysuit today with plans of buying one. His first comment after putting it on was how nice the gaskets felt compared to his paddling jacket. Once you put a Kokatat drysuit on, everything else pales in comparison. I guess that's why they call it 'cult Kokatat' of which I am a proud member.

Men, Heavy bags, Driving and kayaks.

2011-02-13T11:01:00.002-05:00

The Gym I attended most days has a number of free standing heavy bags - the boxing kind - scattered around the facility. They also make available boxing gloves, but they don't offer instruction. Invariably about once a week I will see a man put on a pair of gloves and hit the heavy bag for a minute or so. Also invariably they punch incorrectly. Most men don't know how to throw a punch, yet most men think they do.

I was taught to throw a punch by a girlfriend. The situation played out in a gym, in Manhattan and after I punched the bag, she destroyed the bag, and then proceeded to teach me how to effectively throw a punch. It was humbling to have a girlfriend teach me to punch, so I did the only reasonable thing I could think of, I married her. Over a decade later she can still beat the pulp out of me - if she chose to - and she is not a big woman, as I am not a big man. She is a couple of inches shorter than me. What she has is skill. Finely honed skill near 30 years in the making, studying various forms of martial arts.

Driving is the same way. Men not only think they can drive, but they think the only difference between them and anyone in Nascar, F1, indy or him is the car. I am sure I am guilty of this myself. I have been driving since my early teens, driven every manner of vehicle for a living, and feel confident that on a race track I could produce a reasonable time. I am also sure I am wrong. While I have read about apex's and turning, and when to accelerate in corners I know there is a big difference between reading about it, and doing it.

I don't fully understand why men think this way, and I have never run into a woman who thinks this way, though that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I just don't experience it. I think it has to do with the fear of not knowing how to do something 'a man' is supposed to know how to do, but that is a guess.

Not surprisingly I see the same thing occur with kayaking. Regularly I see instructors of other disciplines think they can instruct kayaking because they can sit in a kayak. Regularly I see men who say 'Oh, I know how to kayak' because they have been in a kayak a couple of times. Recreational kayaking is a very popular sport. It is popular because you don't need instruction to get started, but that doesn't mean you don't need instruction. I don't generally see this kind of attitude in female kayakers, but again, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. In order to learn any skill you have to open your mind to new concepts, and prepare yourself to take in new information that may be very different than your preconceived notions of that skill. I think kayaking has one of the highest levels of misconception of any skill set in the outdoor world. Particularly canoeists who think a kayak is a similar craft, but with a different paddle. You have to put away the fear of not knowing, and open your mind to the possibilities of finally learning.

Packing adjustments

2011-01-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

As planning for the Alaska trip continues, I am making some adjustments to the way I normally pack. In part because we are going to need every square inch of space in the kayaks, and in part because we will be carrying some gear that I don't normally carry.

I have mentioned before the 262 pounds of food. That food will be broken down into 3 ten day rations. What isn't eaten from the first ration will work into the second, and so one. That means each ration weighs 87 pounds. Divide that number by five - there will be five kayakers on the trip - and that means 17 pounds per ration. So each kayak will have 3, 17 pound rations on board. Which is 52 pounds. I think we are going to store them in these bags. Which means on top of everything else we have to pack, we need to have room for 3 17 pound, 13 liter dry bags with food.

In addition to that there will be bear spray - still deciding on other bear related items - At least one video camera, with many extra batteries, and mounting gear. Still cameras, VHF, Cell phones, water filters, the list goes on and on.

With that in mind, I have decided I will be getting a new water proof compression stuff sack for my sleeping bag. I am also thinking about a compression stuff sack for my tent, and one for my cooking tarp. It is a tough question, because when you compress things they get much smaller, but they also get much harder. When they are uncompressed, they are bigger, but softer, so it is easier to fill gaps with them. I will have to play with packing my kayak. The other bit of guess work is will the rations fit inside those dry bags?

On the Navigation front, I think all the campsites have been plotted on the big charts, and on the digital topo maps which create waypoints on the GPS. I am starting to create little topo maps that will be printed on this special paper. This is very cool stuff as you use it in your regular ink jet printer, but once you do they are completely water proof. A good friend of mine demonstrated this by thrusting an entire map under water, and then pulling it back up and putting on his deck. The ink didn't run, and the paper didn't tear. So I am going to create the route on 8.5 x 11 double sided pages. The nautical charts will be cut down to a more manageable size.

If money were no obstacle - which it is! - I would also print the route using these NOAA bookletcharts. Which are charts made specifically for people who don't have a massive chart table to look at your maps. Like us kayakers. The Planning continues.

Charts and Maps

2011-01-17T16:19:00.003-05:00

The route begins to take shape. While it is a fairly direct course from Ketchikan to Skagway, there are a few decision points that need to be addressed. But yesterday I spent an hour and a half reading notes from an inside passage blog with information about campsites and transferred those campsites to our charts. The charts which hang on the walls of my office are now covered with 25 small yellow post it notes. Each one with the name of a campsite, and other little bits of information. Little bits of information like 'BEARS'. The post-its are next to highlighted sections I created on the charts.

I then turned to technology. I have a copy of National Geographic TOPO! installed on my laptop. I transferred these campsites to the digital topo map, and created waypoints of each. I then transferred these waypoints to my GPS which previously had the maps for the inside passage loaded on board.

The locations of campsites are really the determining factor in what our days will look like. Most people don't realize that you can't usually just 'get off the water' whenever you want to. In most of the world Trees, or cliffs or some other natural obstacle will keep you from getting off the water, and too safety. In order to camp we not only need to be able to get back on land, but we need a place that isn't going to be flooded at the next high tide - and Alaska can have tide cycles that can range 20 vertical feet - there also has to be room for us, our kayaks, and enough space that our tents aren't on top of each other. The distance between these campsites is going to be what determines the length of our paddling days. If the next campsite is 10 miles away, but your team is tired and need a shore break, guess what. You keep paddling. It will be the determining factor if our days are ten miles long, or thirty miles long. It's the difference between a 4 hour paddle day and a 14 hour paddle day.

I will continue to pull camp site data from other sources - a book is next - and I will continue to load them into the TOPO! software and the GPS. Before we depart for Alaska, I will print the topo maps which will have the campsites marked on them. We will also have our charts with the campsites marked on them. As paddlers it is good to use both, as we need both water, and land information.

A day of many accomplishments.

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today was a very busy day in the land of inside passage prep. It started with a solve to the parking problem. We have three options. A location that will store the vehicles for approximately $50 for the month. A place where we could park the cars with the only risk being a possible ticket - not towing, as I have it on good authority that Skagway doesn't own a tow truck. But finally, and I think this is what we will do, we can park at the ferry terminal for free. So I will consider that problem solved.

I did the math on the drive, and it looks like it will cost around $650 per car to drive round trip. That is assuming 35 miles per gallon, at $3.00 a gallon - both of those numbers will fluctuate - based on 3700 miles to Skagway from North Carolina.

Finally, I had another round of emails with a very nice woman, Claudia Pearson, from the NOLS Rocky Mountain Branch. She was assisting me with the ration plan. NOLS doesn't plan food around individual meals, it plans them around the concept of having a pantry of food, and creating meals as you go. This system works very well for big groups, or long trips. With her help, and the help of the NOLS cookery I figured that we should plan on 1.75 pounds of food per person, per day for 30 days. Further I decided that it should be 3 rations of ten days each, for five people. We will be broken into two 'cook groups', one of 2 and one of 3. This actually works out well, as 2 of us are vegetarians, and 3 of us are not.

Claudia was nice enough to plug our information into her computer and generate a list of foods, and I can see how they break out per cook group, and for each ration. At the end I can see totals in terms of weight for the shopping.

In total the plan calls for carrying 262 pounds of food. This will probably not be exact because we have the opportunity to resupply en-route 3 or 4 times. We will also probably carry more fresh food than NOLS normally does. There was one line on the ration sheet that grabbed my attention. It calls for 32 pounds of cheese. That is a lot of cheese. This food will be packed in dry bags, 3 per kayak weighing 17 pounds each. We will also have a gallon of fuel in each kayak.

Add on top of that, personal gear, tents, a cook tarp, etc, etc. and you have 5 very heavy kayaks. While I am not too worried about my kayak, as it is a load monster of a boat, I am concerned about some of the smaller boats with smaller hatches. There is always that fear, 'will it all fit'. The only thing I am sure of is every day we will get stronger, and every day the kayaks will be lighter. That is assuming we get all of this gear, and the paddlers, to Ketchikan to get into the water.

Parking, Part 2

2011-01-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

I have talked before about Google Earth and what a great resource for planning it is. But today as I still try and figure out parking for two cars for a month in Skagway something occurred to me. I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to walk the streets of Skagway looking for a good safe place to park for a month. To see what it looks like. To look at businesses and see what their parking lot is like. Then it occurred to me, I could. I used Google street view to 'walk' the streets of a town 3500 miles away. I now know the airport is really small. And there doesn't appear to be long term parking at the ferry terminal. While I am still looking for a place to park, I now can see where I am going to be. It really is an amazing thing. As I 'drove' from the airport to the ferry terminal, I thought, in a few months I will be driving this for real. The way technology has changed the process of planning an expedition is incredible. Google earth was a game changer. The ability to email the Skagway Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau is awesome. That as we paddle through certain locations we will have cell phone service making it a little easier to contact our families and tell them that we are doing fine will take a mental weight off of us, and our loved ones.

You can debate the intrusion of technology into the outdoors. It does make for more rescues as people perceive it as a safety net, and so therefore take greater risks. But for the people who actually need it and use it responsibly it is an absolute - and literal - life saver. I carry a VHF radio for emergency communication and weather reports. 30 years ago was this viewed as technology intruding into the outdoors? How soon until I have live, up to the minute satellite weather maps on my phone or other device making the weather radio obsolete? I bet it's not that far off.

SPOT has just announced a device that pairs with your smart phone to send text messages via satellite from just about anywhere on earth. How soon until this technology is two way? How soon until Personal Locator Beacons are the size of an Army Dog tag to be worn around your neck. Press a button on it and the cavalry is alerted.

For now I will continue planning our trip, using what ever tools I have at my disposal. Which means paper charts, digital maps, GPS and compass. At the end of the day they are all just tools, and each has it's place.

Paddling in cold water

2011-01-09T13:21:00.003-05:00

Many of you know that I am a big fan of the drysuit. After many years of saying 'you don't need it/you can accomplish the same things less expensively' I finally gave in, and purchased one two winters ago. I never looked back. It is an expensive piece of gear. Probably the most expensive piece of gear you will buy with the exception of your kayak. But the comfort and freedom it gives you is unbelievable. I no longer worry about getting my feet wet, or getting in the water to help someone into or out of their kayak.

This week, several of the kayakers doing the trip are thinking about clothing, as they want to be paddling, but the weather has gotten bad. I went paddling this week with one of the Alaska team mates, so he could try out some clothing combinations. We were lucky enough to have some ice on the lake we chose to paddle on. This isn't the type of ice we will have in Alaska, but it was still an interesting experience. In Alaska, when near glaciers we will have icebergs and 'bergie bits'. Small chunks of ice ranging in size from fist sized to the size of a large television. On the Lake here in the Carolinas we had sheets of ice. Thin enough that we could paddle through it, but it definitely made it's presence known. It was noisy. In sections you had to break through it with your paddle to get your stroke started. It was an interesting experience, and while it doesn't directly relate to conditions in Alaska, it does give us the chance to work on layering and head, hand and foot wear.

ice from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

Parking

2011-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

As planning continues for this summers expedition it is clear what the biggest challenge will be. Logistics. Simply getting the people, the kayaks, the gear, and the food to a put-in in Ketchikan Alaska. This is true of most expeditions in my experience. We have already researched the best ways to get five kayaks and assorted gear to our put-in. The least expensive way is simply to drive the kayaks on the top of a pair of cars to Skagway. Load the boats and gear on the ferry to Ketchikan. And paddle back north.

So here is today's dilemma. What are we going to do with two cars for a month in Skagway Alaska. We need to park them someplace safe, and walkable to the ferry terminal. I am sure we could find long term parking someplace, but anyway that we can save some money is needed.

So I am putting it out there. Do you know someone who lives in Skagway, Alaska?

Here is your chance to help.

Examples

2011-01-05T16:24:00.003-05:00

I talk frequently about several concepts.

Integrating different strokes together into one fluid movement.

The importance of connection to your kayak, so that your movements are its movements, and when it moves, you feel the movement and can react accordingly.

The key strokes that make a paddler amazing are the simple skills diamond. Low/high brace, Forward stroke, Sweep stroke - simple strokes taken to the next level by good edging.

This is a video I found on youtube via reddit - I think - of a paddler in a tide race in Victoria BC. He perfectly exemplifies the concepts above. He flows smoothly between different strokes, braces, forward strokes, and stern rudders as he moves from trough to peak of each wave. Truly beautiful to watch - the slow motion helps, but I am sure it is beautiful to watch at regular speed as well.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-22T07:37:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

However you celebrate this holiday season I hope it is happy and healthy. Maybe you will find a kayak under the tree. And speaking of trees....

happyholidays2010 from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

The first boat has arrived

2010-12-18T10:23:00.003-05:00

For several people doing the Alaska trip with me, one of the biggest hurdles is the fact that either they don't currently own a kayak, or they own several kayaks that aren't suitable for this kind of trip. This is one of the bigger challenges. It is hard enough to buy a kayak, but add to that fact, that they are going to be sitting in it for nearly a month straight. It not only has to fit well, but the kayak needs to hold a lot of gear. Making a difficult decision more difficult is that all three of the people who need kayaks for this trip are small women.

Well last night, for one of our team mates a kayak arrived, it is now resting peacefully with the other kayaks in my yard. It is an interim kayak. A kayak for her to use to get some serious time in the cockpit while waiting for her actual trip boat to arrive. And if a trip boat shouldn't arrive, it will be a fairly suitable stand in. Many things are still going on here, but serious planning must start once January rolls around. A tentative departure date has been set for June 23rd. Ferry schedules must be consulted, a route has to be finalized. Much to do between now and June 23rd.

Delinquincy

2010-12-06T11:12:00.002-05:00

I have been very delinquent in my writing. In part because as the holidays draw nearer I get busier. In part, because paddling wise there isn't much to happening. Plans are moving along well for the this summers Alaska trip. A car was purchased to help transport the kayaks to the north end of the inside passage.

Team mates are starting to get serious about gear, and skills. The trip is coming together nicely, but there is still much to do. I need to start going over maps and charts and really fine tuning the route. That will be most of January. People consistently talk about how they could never do a trip like this. Either it's the sitting in a kayak all day, or taking the time from work. But honestly I think the hardest part is all the prep work. The gear, the food, the boats, the logistics, and most importantly the people. Keeping the people focused - but not overwhelmed and on track. That is the biggest chore.

RECAP - the 2010 Paddling Otaku expedition skills camp

2010-11-23T12:17:00.002-05:00

With the skills camp ending a few days ago, I have had some time to go over the event in some detail. I must say I am very happy with how well it went.

We had some last minute cancellations, so the group was smaller than I had hoped. But the participants were literal sponges for expedition information. With topics including meal planning, float plans, basic navigation, loading kayaks, making camp, where to store boats, how to dress for the water, etc.

The culmination of the event was a long paddle day. In my opinion the best skill for an expedition paddler to have is the ability to spend a long day in a cockpit. It is the only way to get the kind of productive mileage you need to maintain to accomplish a long distance paddling goal. We hit the water on Saturday morning right on time around 9:30 am. We spent 40 minutes looking for a water source - something not uncommon on an expedition - and then started paddling. We took a break an hour and a half later, earlier than I would have liked, but didn't stop again for another two hours. In all we paddled just shy of 17 miles, in just around 6 hours. I was very proud of how well people did in terms of keeping comfortable, and keeping focused.

I shot a little video, but probably wont post anything. I hope we get to do the 2011 expedition skills camp in the spring. This time some place with tides!

DAYS!

2010-11-18T12:14:00.003-05:00

It seems like I have only been home for a few days, and yet I am packed and ready to go back out. This seems to be my theme for next year, as I already have many trips planned for 2011.

This past week I was in Lander Wyoming, completing the training to teach Wilderness First Aid for The Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS. I have been associated with NOLS professionally since 2006, and since 2000 as an Alumni, but I have never had a training experience as difficult as this WMI instructor course. They have exceptionally high standards, and I wasn't sure I was going to make the cut until about the last 24 hours - folks at WMI, I am honored to have been selected! Next year I will be teaching 6 wilderness first aid courses by June for WMI, and I am really looking forward to it. In July I will be paddling in Alaska for a month. And tomorrow I leave for the three day paddling otaku expedition skills camp. All I can say is I have a very understanding wife, and a very sad dog. Fortunately I can pack for a three day trip pretty easily. Very little of my gear set actually changes. And though I always forget something, it is usually something pretty minor. Lets hope.

People worry about bears.

2010-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I talk to people about the number of times I have been to Alaska, one of the first questions I generally get is about bears. People are afraid of bears significantly more than they need to be.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't take appropriate bear precautions, but you also shouldn't lose sleep over our ursine friends. I highly recommend reading 'Bear attack their causes and avoidance' which is the final word on the topic of bears, and the causes of bear attack. One of the most important things I took away from that particular book is this:

You are 50% more likely to get injured if you have a gun than not. Now that doesn't say 50% more likely to get injured by a bear, just 50% more likely to get injured, and I think that says a lot. I hear many people talking about guns for bear protection - part of that may be that I live the American South East where people like their guns - But guns, particularly hand guns are not a good bear deterrent. Even the biggest hand gun has a relatively small bullet, and therefore small stopping power compared to the size of a bear. A much better idea is bear spray. Though again, you have to know how and when to use it.

Education is key, and I think a very big part of the equation is confidence. I think that bears sense the confidence level of the people in their vicinity, and base a lot of their actions on that, though that is just my opinion.

Of course, sometimes the right thing to do, is nothing at all.

This isn't kayaking related

2010-11-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

But it is very cool. I initially thought it was using a GoPro which got my interest. I was wrong but this is still a very cool thing. Home made spaceflight is now possible, along with video of -almost- the entire process and GPS tracking for retrieval.

I think this is important because there is less and less interest in science in the United States. We are falling woefully behind other countries in science and math, and that is going to hurt us in the not too distant future. We all need to be doing everything we can to get our children interested, and active in the sciences.

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Thanks Drax!

The Paddling Otaku Expedition Skills Camp

2010-11-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

This November I will be hosting a small group skills camp - primarily for the Alaska paddlers but some others may be joining us. We are going to be going over various kayak expedition skills, including but not limited to:

Navigation, Packing a kayak, Tent site selection and kayak placement in relation to tent placement. Float plans, On water leadership, meal planning, clothing for paddling and camp, Tides, weather, and safety.

It will be three full days both on the water and on land. A big part of what we are going to be working on is getting people, and their bodies, comfortable with the concept of long days on the water and in a kayak. This is probably one of the biggest challenges. But when you have 350 miles to paddle, and a limited amount of time to do it five or six mile days don't work. You need to be in the mindset of fifteen to sixteen mile days with the occasional 25 mile day thrown in for good measure. The only way to do that is to find what makes you comfortable in your kayak, and getting in the right mindset to do that.

For me a long day in the cockpit is a meditation. Usually groups will determine that every two hours or so, people want to do shore breaks, stretch their legs, and go to the bathroom. I generally don't get out of my kayak on long days. When people are going ashore, going to the bathroom, eating some snack food, I am sitting in my kayak resting, eating and re hydrating. Once I get set, and I am in the right mind set I don't want to mess with it. My body just tends to feel like it just wants to keep going. For me, that is the key to expedition kayaking. Getting in the zone where all that needs to happen is around fifty thousand forward strokes. That is a wonderful place to be.

Here is to clear Skies.

2010-11-06T09:30:00.003-04:00

No, this isn't a post about the weather.

This morning I am heading to Lander, Wyoming to take the WFA ITC.

If your not into Acronyms that would be Wilderness First Aid Instructor Training Course with WMI of NOLS - Yikes more acronyms!

Wish me luck!

UPDATE: Alaska

2010-10-23T12:37:00.003-04:00

Things are moving well towards next summers trip. The team has stabilized in terms of numbers, some are starting to spec new kayaks, and gear. As a group we are pretty excited. A few things need to occur for next summer to work. One of those is that I need to buy a new car. This has been pushed to the forefront because I got a new - or actually additional - job that will require my little home to go from a one car household, to a two car household. I have no qualms about paddling 350 miles in frigid Alaskan waters, but buying a car is daunting.

The reason that a car is need for Alaska is this. My team lives on the east coast of the United States. There will be - probably - five Seventeen foot kayaks going on the trip. They need to get to Alaska, and that is probably the biggest logistical challenge.

I looked into shipping kayaks, but that would cost almost as much as buying new ones, and then there is the fear of damage en route.

I looked into renting kayaks, and again, the cost would be around $1400 us. Plus, you don't know what you will have to paddle in, and I would rather this group get some time in the boats they will be paddling for the month.

A friend has an uncle who ships exotic sports cars from where I live to Seattle, Washington. He offered a ride for our boats. But then I would need to get the kayaks from Seattle to Bellingham Washington for the ferry to Skagway or Ketchikan Alaska. The ferry alone is over $600 per person. one way. And we would still need to get to the boats to Bellingham, and us to Seattle.

The fuel to drive all the way to Skagway will cost around $500, and while it will take more time it will give us control over the boats, so currently that is the plan.

two cars, five kayaks, a whole mess of food, and gear. and two or three drivers. I am honestly more worried about getting to the water than I am about anything that might occur on the water. But this isn't my first expedition, and I know that the things that you worry about are never the things that cause problems. It's the things you never think of, that create roadblocks. Only time will tell.

What went wrong.

2010-10-17T08:39:00.003-04:00

I first saw this video linked online, it is helmet cam footage of a very bad day paddling. the experience, though not the video, ends with a helicopter rescue. Though this is whitewater I think it has some valuable lessons for us. The kayakers paddle broke when trying to roll - which in and of itself is both incredible and unbelievably bad luck - but there were several mistakes made by this paddler that I think we can learn from.

I don't mean to embarrass this paddler, I got his permission to post the video, as he agreed there were lessons to be learned.

I think that the most valuable lesson here is this. Rarely do people die when they make a mistake. Most climbing deaths on Mt. Everest don't involve someone rappelling off the end of their rope. But what happens is this. You make a mistake and an hour, or a day, or a week later, that mistake has been compounded and amplified - usually by other mistakes - to a point where you suddenly realize that you made a life threatening error and now have to claw yourself out of the hole you have inadvertently dug.

All to often I hear this phrase, 'Of course it's safe, we have always done it this way, and no has ever gotten hurt!' But having done something over and over again and not having a problem doesn't make it safe, it means you didn't get caught.

So what is the one thing this paddler didn't do, that would have made this day paddle an inconvenience instead of almost the end of his life? You may think his luck turned bad when the paddle broke, but in fact his fate was -almost- sealed several hours before the video starts.

Thanks to ScottyB for letting me post this.

The Swim from ScottyB on Vimeo.

Head and hands

2010-10-11T08:14:00.006-04:00

As Andrew C pointed out in the comments of the last post I neglected to discuss Gloves or head gear. This was on purpose as the previous post was exceptionally long. Before I delve into options for those two critical areas I wan't to tell a story.

The first time I paddled in Alaska I was a student with a famous outdoor/leadership school. We were camped on an island in Prince William Sound, and before we could really undertake big paddling days, each student had to perform a wet exit, and take part in an assisted rescue as both a rescuer, a rescuee and a rescuee in a double kayak. The water temperature was around 45º and so wetsuits were provided. We were instructed to roll out of the kayak, wet exit, and yell - paddler in the water. I did as Iw as told but when it came time to yell, my brain commanded my body, but almost no sound came out. As hard as I tried I couldn't make my vocal chords produce more than a grunt or a gasp. It turns out this is not unusual. This occurs because of something called the mammalian diving reflex. The Mammalian diving reflex exists in all aquatic mammals - seals, otters, dolphins and it's effects in these mammals helps them swim, and live longer in cold water as well as to dive to great depths. The reflex exists in humans but acts more as a way to keep us alive in a life threatening situation.

It is triggered automatically by a pair of cranial nerves and immediately causes bradycardia or a slowed heart rate. It also causes peripheral vasoconstriction which means blood vessels in your extremities constrict to keep more warm oxygenated blood flowing to your core and your brain. First your fingers and toes, then your hands and feet, and finally your arms and legs. There is oxygen stored in your muscle mass that makes it possible for you to continue using the effected limbs even after blood flow has been cut off. Interestingly seals have significantly much more oxygen stored in their muscles extending the time that they can go without oxygen.

I suspect that the loss of quality speech when immersed in 48º water is due to the vasoconstriction, but importantly there is a way to short circuit the MDR if you are going to practice rescues in cold water. Simply splashing water on your face will trigger it, but thereby you are in control of it, and not the environment - it's not as jarring when it happens if you trigger it first.

Andrew C also mentioned ice cream headache when he goes paddling, this is caused by cold water - or ice cream, or a slushie - touching the roof of his mouth. This causes your brain to think it is being rapidly cooled, and to prevent that it causes massive vasodilation to warm the brain - causing the headache. So Andrew, close your mouth! I am kidding it can probably occur in really cold water just by submerging your head.

So what can you do to keep the head warm? The best option - particularly for whitewater paddlers as they tend to be submerged more than us sea kayakers is a skull cap. It works well under a helmet and works even when wet.

When I am doing a multiday paddle I pack three different pieces of head gear. A ball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes, and to protect my follicley challenged scalp. A wool hat which will insulate when wet or dry, and dries very quickly, I like this on because it is so thin, and warm. And a rain hat.

Also on that first trip to Alaska I debated spending $50.00 on this rain hat. It looked very good, but it was a lot of money for a hat. So I didn't bring it. Someone else on the trip did bring the very same hat, and it worked really well for them, and I could have really used it. I learned a valuable lesson. Don't let an expensive trip get ruined because you had cheap or inappropriate clothing or gear. If you have spent $4000.00 to go paddling in Alaska what difference is another $50 going to make. But the difference of having a good rain hat - in a state that rains all the time - will be huge. I came back from Alaska and immediately bought that hat, and now it is the first thing that goes in a dry bag when I am headed someplace wet.

Gloves I think are even easier. I use a pair of NRS fingerless gloves (that are no longer made!) that I use in one of two occasions. If the backs of my hands are getting sunburned I put them on. If I am planning a long day - 20+ miles - I put them on. This I do to protect the bit of skin between thumb and index finger. I don't get calluses or blisters paddling long days, and if you are it is caused by one thing. Your holding your paddle too tightly. I also have a pair of thick neoprene gloves that I hate. They are all warm and cushy when dry, but when wet or even damp they are impossible to put on, and if you get the first one on, the second is even harder. I generally bring them to loan to people who have forgotten or lost gloves. I am a big fan of pogies. They protect your hands, from wind and water and cold, yet they give you full contact with the paddle shaft. They also allow you to do things with your bare hands that you couldn't do gloved and then quickly return your hands to a warm dry environment. And if you don't need them you can easily slide them to the center of the paddle where they are out of the way, yet handy if you decide you need them.

Three hats, three pairs of gloves. Simple, relatively easy to pack.

But wait, there is one more thing. I am a big fan of wool socks. They are my favorite choice because they insulate when wet, and dry quickly. Also important they don't get as stinky as synthetics do. I generally figure out how many pairs I want for a trip based on the length of the trip. Then I add a pair to that number. This additional pair goes inside my sleeping bag. AND NEVER COMES OUT! This assures that I get to sleep in warm, dry, clean socks. Which while feels nice serves an important purpose. If your feet are wet all day long and don't get a chance to dry out at night you are at risk for getting trench foot. A painful - and all too frequently trip ending - malady. Sleep warm and dry.

cold

2010-10-09T14:24:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year when the weather starts to change and the water gets colder. It is the time of year that a lot paddlers start to put their boats away for the season. But it is without a doubt my favorite time to paddle a kayak. In part because there are fewer people on the water, and I can have it to myself without fears of a power boat captained by a 'had a few too many' skipper racing past me way to close for comfort and much faster than necessary. The people on the water are what I like to call 'professionals', some others may call us 'die hards'.

The people that venture out onto the water when the weather turns colder have probably put a bit more time and thought into what they are wearing, as well as what they will be doing. There is a bigger level of commitment when the water temperature drops. If you are paddling and have a bad day and the water temperature is 80º you really don't have much to worry about. But if the water temperature is 50º or even 40º you are in a completely different situation. Those of you paddling in more northern climates know what I am talking about.

There are two different temperatures that we need to look at when we plan what we are going to wear. The air temperature, and the water temperature. We need to meet a happy medium somewhere in between the two. If for example you have a 70º air temperature and a 48º water temperature - common in the summer in Alaska - and you are dressed for the water temperature you will be sweating in the cockpit, but if you are dressed for the air temp, and end up in the water you are going to have a very bad day.

I have two different types of outerwear systems that I use for paddling, and two different types of next to skin layers that I use under the outerwear systems. The temperatures listed below are examples to explain the way I think when I plan for cold air/water paddles. Nothing is written in stone. If you are active in the outdoors, you should have a lot of what I mention here already.

Fall - Air temperature 65º/Water temperature 60º

Next to skin: lightweight synthetic long underwear bottom, and either a lightweight synthetic long underwear top or a quick dry long sleeve shirt.

Outerwear: Waterproof Breathable kayaking anorak with gaskets at the wrists, and a rand at the waist. WPB pants with gaskets at the ankles and a rand at the waist.

Small neoprene booties with nothing under them.

The waterproof layers on the outside are going to trap a lot of heat, so a thin layer underneath is all that is needed to keep me warm. All the options for the base layers will quickly wick moisture away from my skin to help keep me dry. You may get a little moisture inside the clothes - you may be a little wet - but that's okay, because the synthetics will insulate you when wet, and the WPB layers will help keep you warm.

The booties are going to fill with water when you get in and out of your kayak, but they work like a wetsuit. Your body will warm the water, thereby keeping you warm.

Late Fall: Air temperature 55º/Water temperature 60º

Outerwear is the same as above, it's the base layers I am going to change. Midweight synthetic long underwear, top and bottom. You just need a little more insulation to keep the warmth up. Some people go the wetsuit route, but I really don't like it. It doesn't really perform that well when you are dry - as it is designed to warm a thin layer of water next to your skin.

Winter: Air Temperature below 50º/Water temperature anywhere below 60º

Drysuit. That simple. Can you use a dry top and pants like listed above? Sure, just bump up the base layers to heavyweight/expedition weight - but be careful, you don't want to end up in the water. With a drysuit I actually use a midweight baselayer as well, sometimes even a lightweight because it traps so much body heat. My drysuit has thin booties that I put my neoprene booties over in part to protect the drysuit, but mainly because I like the contact I get with my foot pegs. For a very long time I scoffed at the drysuit as extravagant and unnecessary. I really purchased it because of the little booties I wear. I love the feel they offer, the contact with the kayak. I tried many ways to make them work through the winter, and I couldn't pull it off. That combined with a constantly wet bottom, spurred me to make the investment. It paid for itself almost immediately by extending my paddling season right into brutal winter - if the water isn't frozen I can still paddle. It's 34º and snowing? Guess what, I am still going paddling.

I primarily am talking about dressing for immersion, meaning you are planning on getting wet. All of these systems will work when your wet, and still keep you warm. But can you do this another way effectively. Why cant you replace the WPB paddling jacket and pants with regular hard shell outerwear, and replace the neoprene booties with high rubber boots -an Alaskan staple. You can, as long as you don't top your boots getting into our kayak, or roll your kayak once you are paddling you will be fine. BUT, if you do wet exit you have to get ashore and get into dry clothes.

It is important to keep a couple of things in mind. There is nothing wrong with being wet, as long as you are warm and wet. There is also nothing wrong with being a little cold, as long as you are dry and cold. But be very wary of being cold and wet. Cold and wet will kill you.

When expedition paddling it is good to have paddling clothes - clothes that will be damp either from water or sweat - and land clothes - clothes that will be warm and dry. I start all my trips with clothes in two twenty liter dry bags of different colors. One is paddling clothes, and one is land clothes. Eventually I start to think of the two bags differently. Paddling clothes becomes wet clothes. And land clothes become dry clothes. On a long trip something will usually get inadvertently wet. a pair of socks, a T shirt. Once it's wet, it goes in the paddling/wet clothes dry bag.

It only takes a little planning to paddle warm and safe in the winter. If done well, you can paddle all year.

Update: Low and High Brace turn

2010-10-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

I get a surprising number of hits from people doing google searches for the low and high brace turn. There seems to be a great deal of interest in this stroke, which while fun, really isn't that useful - at least compared to strokes like the forward and the sweep. Recently over at kayak yak there was a post with video showing the talented teachers of body boat blade doing the low brace turn - they also showed an edging video that I have commented on in the past - But they do the Low brace turn differently than I do, so I did some research.

My go to book for kayak information is Gordon Brown's 'Sea Kayak: A Manual for intermediate and Advanced Kayakers'. In Gordon's book he talks about the Low brace turn, and he does it the way I do - or probably more accurately, I do it the way he does.

My other go to book is 'Sea kayaking Illustrated' which makes no mention of the stroke whatsoever.

The body boat and blade folks teach a much more passive version of the stroke than the way I perform it. They talk about using the blade for psychological support, and allowing the blade to gently slice over the water, allowing a more confident edge turn. Whereas I teach a much more aggressive stroke with the blade biting the water at a much higher angle. My method turns the kayak because of the blade interaction with the water, and the BBB version is supporting the kayak while it turns - the paddle isn't initiating the turn, just supporting it.

I like to think of the two versions of this stroke as a passive version, and an active version. I don't think one is right or wrong, but they are different, and I think you should take the time to play with both and see which works better for you, which is what I did earlier this week. Below is video of both versions. First a left then right 'passive' low brace. Followed by a left and right 'active' high brace. They are really two very different strokes, and I feel that both are useful in very different situations.

updated low and high brace turn from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

Balance

2010-10-04T15:59:00.004-04:00

After reading about the BCU five star training that Simon Willis did, I couldn't help but give a couple of the things he mentioned a try. In particular the balance drill that he had to do. I will confess of the three things I was interested in trying, I only tried two of them. I was not able to stand up in the cockpit of my kayak. I am sure with practice I will be able to accomplish it, but on this particular day I didn't have it in me. I was successful at sitting on the back deck of my kayak, and turning 360º and then getting back into my kayak, though I will say it took me 2 minutes and 24 seconds. I envisioned it being much easier. I am curious how fast the people in his training did it? I am going to work on being able to do it faster. The third balance drill that he mentioned was this. Also sitting on the back deck, and rolling the kayak 360º under you. So you are sitting on the top, then the side, then the bottom, then the other side, then the top. I didn't even try this, as I wasn't sure what to do with my paddle. Perhaps Simon can offer some guidance. I should point out that I am very interested in doing a BCU assessment and I am only a few hours from a highly skilled east coast BCU five star instructor, but I just have had an opportunity to make it happen. Some day.

I shot video of the drill, but sped it up 500% so it isn't quite so painful to watch.

balance drill from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

Packing

2010-09-23T09:02:00.005-04:00

If you are a rock climber, the question you get asked is, "How do you get the rope up there". If you are a long distance paddler the question you get asked is "How do you get all that stuff into a kayak". I think it is one of the easier things to do. Small bags are easier to pack than big ones, but as I have said before I am organizationally challenged. So I tend use 20 liter, 10 liter and a single 5 liter. I am a big fan of dry bags, but for my kitchen bag I use a small duffel with a heavy duty plastic bag inside of it. I find it easier to root around for the things I am looking for.

Their are a couple of basic principles:

If you may need it during your paddle, it goes in the cockpit or directly under a hatch opening.

Keep heavy things - water - centered. In general try and balance the load inside the boat.

Fill in the gaps. Don't give away space by not using it. watch what your doing, and don't leave gaps. Which means, a lot of the time, the most important thing to pay attention to is the bow and stern. Fill in those pointy gaps. I am continually toying with buying a tapered dry bag that fits my bow or stern, but I haven't made that leap yet.

Some people will say that you can trim the boat for particular situations by adjusting where weight in the boat is the heaviest. For instance, adding more weight in the bow paddling into a cornering wind, so the bow locks into the water and tracks better. I don't like this idea, as situations change, and it doesn't make sense to then repack your kayak.

Below I have two videos. A straight 'this is packing a kayak' and an uncut - but sped up - packing the boat. In total it took me a little over ten minutes to pack my kayak. I think in general it takes people longer than that, but I have a fairly solid system. As I have said continually, practice makes everything easier. I like to pack a kayak before a trip, just to make sure that it all fits.

Packing from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

packfast from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

the challenge.

2010-09-16T21:20:00.003-04:00

- Am going to cross the Pacific on a wooden raft to support a theory that the South Sea Islands were peopled from Peru. Will you come?

This is the message that Thor Heyerdahl sent to three people. They all said yes. This in a time before Personal Locator Beacons, GPS, Drysuits, satellites phones, and Search and rescue. THEY ALL SAID YES. This to me is amazing. Many think the hardest part of expeditioning is the act itself, and that may be the case if your climbing Everest. But for the trip I am planning for Alaska the trip itself isn't that physically demanding. The route is very protected - that's why it's called inside - and there is relative safety in the form of the Alaskan Marine Highway system. We have many opportunities to bail out in a bad situation. The difficulties are this, not necessarily in this order. Cold, Wet, Rain, Wind, Getting time off from work, and getting there.

The paddle isn't that difficult, though long, and cold and wet, it is more a challenge of perseverance. The Challenge is getting the group together, and keeping them focused on the goal. And getting them to the put in. Seriously. I think the most difficult part of the trip is getting all the people, and the gear, and the kayaks, to the put in. It isn't even that expensive of a trip - unless you don't own a kayak, which two of our group don't, yet. Or at least a kayak suitable for a trip like this. - But the costs are pretty meager.

The group of people who responded to my Heyerdahl like message on a whiteboard started as 9 and now is 6. How many make the actual trip only time will tell. Many things have to come together to get this group to the other side of the continent in a position to paddle for 30 or so days.

The Kitchen

2010-09-14T10:38:00.003-04:00

I used to be an avid backpacker, but after many years I had an epiphany. After laboring all day under a 52 pound back pack, and setting up camp with no real comforts or amenities. I was faced with freeze dried dinner coming out of a package. This is no way to live. This is why I started sea kayaking. I read a magazine article by Tim Cahill. He explained that after a day of paddling in the San Juans, dinner was fresh salmon with a nice bottle of wine. My interest was immediately piqued.

Cut to today. Close to two decades later I am revamping my paddling kitchen kit. I like to eat well on paddle trips, but at the same time the longer the trip the harder it is to get creative, because of the constraints of space and time. But in November the Alaska crew is doing a paddle together. Only a few days, and as some wont have their kayaks that they are buying for Alaska, we needed to scale it down a little. Three days, base camped on an island. Working on skills and getting a feel for group dynamics. But I digress. The kitchen kit.

In Gordon Browns video he explains that he likes smaller bags because you end up with less air in the boat, but if I have a dozen small bags I wont be able to find anything. So I use a bag for food, and a bag for cooking gear, and it is this bag of cooking gear that I am revamping. Previously I would put cooking tools into the bag, and then hunt and peck for what I was looking for, but I recently picked up this. It is designed for bike tools, but I am using it for kitchen tools. It packs pretty flat, and will make finding the appropriate tool that much easier. I am waiting for a small chefs knife to arrive and then the first stage will be done. I am looking forward to the November trip to get a feel for how it works.

Charts and NY Nautical

2010-09-11T17:04:00.006-04:00

As I started planning this little 350 mile jaunt through Alaska, the first major task was route planning. Where we would actually be going. I have a few good books, and a few maps, but I did a lot of the early planning with Google Earth. I am a huge fan of google earth, both before and after a trip. To see the route, look at possible campsites - sort of - and generally get a feel for where we are going, and what is going to need to happen. It gives a wonderful birds eye view of the route. You can see the major crossings, and where the walls squeeze in.

But of course, I need to bring charts - and maps, but that's another post - with me. Some quick research showed me that the route would cover three NOAA Charts. They were 17300, 17360 and 17420. The NOAA makes them available for download in high resolution. They also offer something perfect for kayakers. Booklet charts. Again, they are free charts that are suitable for download and printing, but they are cut into much smaller sections. They print at 8.5 by 11, so they are suitable for a regular printer and fit in traditional binders. I downloaded the full size charts, and figured for route planning I would have them printed. At this stage it is better to see the whole route spread out before you. I downloaded them, and brought then into photoshop, aligning the images into one master map. After cropping and aligning it measured 40 x 48 covering the whole route. I figured I would print it out someplace commercially but after looking into it I found that it would be as expensive as buying the full size waterproof NOAA charts. At the time I had a trip home planned, and remembered that downtown Manhattan there is an amazing place called New York Nautical. I had been there once, but had never purchased anything and I decided that this would be the perfect thing. The day that I decided to make the trip an old friend and I had planned on going into Manhattan to a favorite place to relax, and before hand we would stop at New York Nautical.

It is a fairly non-descript place, on a side street way down town. Upon entering it was a small space with large chart tables in the center, with what seems like hundreds of flat, open drawers holding charts by the thousands. The walls were lined with cases displaying all sorts of navigational tools, and aids. Brass compasses, Dividers. Bells, lights. Two gentleman were sitting at desks, one on the phone, the other stood and asked if he could help us. I mentioned that I was looking for three NOAA charts of Alaska. I gave him the numbers, and he started looking. He mentioned in passing that 'NOAA has had us shredding charts lately - so I don't know if I will have them'. His co-worker, still on the phone pointed to a different set of drawers, indicating they would be there. In no time all three had been found and placed on the large plotting tables. I slid my hands across the coast of southern Alaska and he handed me a long thick dowel to hold them open. He said 'take your time.' and walked away. It occurred to me that people must come here not sure of what charts they need, and peruse several before figuring out exactly which ones they require. I didn't give him time to sit down, and told him that these were the ones I needed, and I would take all three. He took out an old receipt pad and started writing a receipt for me. 'Vessel name' he asked? 'It's a kayak', I replied. 'Well give me a name or I have to charge you sales tax.' Not too sure of how having a vessel name saved me sales tax - I am sure it is some business incentive from 1840 or something like that - I told him sailing vessel Annabel lee, and he wrote it down and handed me the receipt with the total. I paid him and we were on our way. As we walked out onto the sidewalk in lower Manhattan I remembered something I taught my nephew a long time ago. He was probably only four or five at the time, now an adult, But I taught him a very important saying. 'Every adventure starts with a map'. And here I was with three charts of Southern Alaska. It was a start.

And let me tell you, when the charts are spread out on the floor they take up quite a bit of space. In fact it is fairly daunting.

September 11th 2001

2010-09-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

On September 11th 2001, I was living in Lower Manhattan, the west village to be precise, just north of Houston street. As the crow flies I lived exactly 1.25 miles from the World Trade Center. The thing that most people don't realize about that fateful day - and you wouldn't realize unless you lived there - was how beautiful that morning was. Early September in NY can be glorious and it was. The sky was an unbelievable blue. The air was crisp, and clear, and had just a bit of a cold snap to it. Just cool enough to need a light jacket but you could sense that winter wasn't too far off.

At 8:46 am when the first plane struck the North Tower, I was driving in the Holland tunnel to New Jersey. The Photo Studio I managed had relocated from Manhattans Union Square area, and I was making a reverse commute. When everyone was coming into NY, I was going out. the impact was initially reported on the radio as a small plane. Then shortly later corrected to a full size airliner. I looked in my rear view mirror and could see the North tower burning. A friend and co-worker was in my old beaten up truck with me, and we decided to continue on to the studio. Shortly after that the second plane hit the south tower. Life in lower Manhattan would never be the same.

I tell you this story because it was that day, sitting in my office at the photo studio, watching the news, and trying to get into contact with my family, that I pulled out a map of Alaska and thought of being some place beautiful, and peaceful. When times are bad for me I retreat to the wilderness. I had been to Alaska in 2000 and it was still fresh in my mind. I had paddled Prince William Sound for the first time that year, and it would start an obsession that continues to this day.

I looked at that map of Alaska, and here was the plan I hatched on that day in September of 2001. I would paddle my kayak from Ketchikan Alaska to Skagway Alaska. The inside passage. Roughly 350 miles of amazing Alaskan rain forest. While in 2000 I was already a skilled kayaker, I was but on the beginning of my journey. I realized quickly that my touring kayak wouldn't hold enough gear. I would need a better tent, along with a lot of other gear And really, my skill level should have been higher. I spent the next ten years plotting, planning and building skills. Every time I needed a piece of gear I thought about the inside passage. Every time I packed a kayak I thought about the inside passage. I have been back to Alaska 4 times in that decade. I also paddled the British Columbia coast - their section of the inside passage, the more difficult section - Not to mention all the other places I had put a kayak in the water. But still the Alaskan section called to me. I became an instructor for the school that taught me. But still, in the back of my head, Alaska whispered. She said 'you still haven't done it. I am waiting for you.'

Two years ago I got close to finding someone to do the trip with me. But too many things got in the way. I work for a major outdoor retailer (MOR) and we have a dry erase board for people looking for something fun to do. You can write, 'going climbing Thursday, who wants to go?' Finally, about four months ago, I looked at that board and wrote 'Paddling the inside passage, who wants to go?' I got tired of making her wait.

A surprising number of people let me know that they were interested. People with all sorts of skill levels. In the next eleven months I am going to journal the process, the planning, and the trip. There will be pictures, and video. There will be a trip to Alaska's Inside Passage.

Skilled and unskilled

2010-09-09T08:25:00.005-04:00

Last night as I was watching my Sensei do Kata - and explaining why it was the single most important aspect of Karate. I realized how unskilled I was. The perfection of his movement. The minimal effort required to get the maximum effect. The combination of grace and power. At first it was depressing - how far I had to go. But then I realized if I had not already come a very long way, I wouldn't be able to see in him what I was doing wrong.

This is how I feel when I watch Gordon Brown Kayak.

Endings, but never ending.

2010-09-08T08:00:00.002-04:00

Roughly six months ago I stepped out of the shadows and I started the process for putting what I teach on this blog for all to read. Seventy-two posts later I am about where I want to be, At roughly thirty five thousand words it is a bit shorter than I planned but so far I am happy with the results.

I am going to take some time, and reorganize what I have. Change orders around. Flesh out some more Ideas. I will still be posting, but the age of hard skill instruction has - mostly - come to an end. I will add, and tweak things in the future, and as I mentioned previously I am going to transition the blog into a journal for a trip I am doing next summer.

So if you have read this blog from beginning to end, and it has helped you, then I have succeeded in terms of my goal. This is but the first step on a longer journey. A long time ago I was introduced by my Sensei to the phrase, 'student of serious kayaking'. It is a phrase I like very much. I consider myself a teacher, but the reason I teach is that it lets me learn. I learned a tremendous amount about kayaking in the last six months. I plan on learning a lot more.

For you, my advice is simple. Paddle. Spend time in your kayak, and get to know it. Be pushing your skills. Paddle in different environments. Paddle in the cold, and the wet. The rough and the calm. Paddle with your kayak empty, and full. simply paddle. Only through consistent practice can you continue to grow as a kayaker. Work to the point that kayaking can become a meditation. The forward stroke is the ultimate meditation in a kayak. You must be aware of it, yet unaware. You have to learn how to do it, so you can forget how to do it, and thereby do it naturally. That is the skill. That is the art.

If you came to this blog with previous kayaking experience, I hope you followed my advice, and emptied your cup. If you did, I am sure I had something to fill it with in return.

This phase of the journey ends, and another begins. But here is an offer I have for you. If you have questions that I didn't answer, by all means send me an email. If you have questions about form, and how yours is, send me a link to a video, and I will review it, and get back to you.

Video is a wonderful tool to see what you are really doing. I saw it myself when editing the video for this blog, I had to shoot and reshoot things because I didn't like the way I was doing particular things. Video is pretty easy to do these days, please use that powerful tool.

Now go kayaking.

Weather, or not.

2010-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Another important factor when paddling is weather. Understanding what is happening now, and what may happen in the near future. Being in small craft, sitting on the water line, it is very important that we think about weather a great deal. Weather, tides, and currents are a big part of the decision making process. We need to be thinking about all three. Should we be on the water or off? Can we reach a planned destination or should we plan an alternate?

Weather, like tides, can be very complicated. But for the most part we can simplify to get the information we need to help us make the important decisions.

Whenever I paddle I wear a watch with a barometer. I helps me keep track of the changes in Barometric pressure in my immediate vicinity. It is the changes over time that are important. I also carry a VHF radio, with a weather band. This way I can listen to the weather report for the surrounding weather stations to know what is happening in all directions.

I use the information from the barometer, and the vhf and my senses, to form a picture if what is happening, and what may happen in the immediate future. While weather forecasts online, and on television may go seven to ten days into the future, I really don't believe a weather forecast more than three days out. There are too many variables that can effect what has been forecasted.

Here are some factors to keep in mind:

In general terms West to East, because of the jet stream. If you want to know what tomorrows weather is going to be, look a couple of hundred miles to the west.

In the northern hemisphere HIGH pressure systems bring cool, dry air. They flow in a clockwise direction. Air flows away from the high pressure center, and the coriolis effect makes it turn in a clockwise direction.

Also in the northern hemisphere LOW pressure systems bring warm, moist air. They flow in a counter clockwise direction. The best example of an extreme low pressure system is a hurricane. Where winds fight to get to the center of an extreme low pressure center, and for a circle, or eyewall.

Air, and the associated 'weather' flows from areas of high pressure to low pressure.

High pressure is 'good' weather.

Low pressure is 'bad' weather.

With this little bit of knowledge we can do basic weather prediction. Clear skies are the work of high pressure systems. I know if my barometer is falling rapidly, then bad weather will follow, as the falling pressure means any moist air will 'fall' into the center of the low. This moving air, is going to make wind, and then potentially rain.

High pressure is going to push the 'lows' away, and with them take all the moist air. But that high is going to flow east - due to the jet stream - and will slowly move away.

When bad weather gets pushed away by a high, there is usually high winds, as the high gets pushed away, air has to fill the void.

So I am watching my barometer for an overview of what is happening to the air pressure around me. At night, and in the morning I am listening to the weather report to get an idea what is happening to the west. I am also listening for the wind report. What kinds of wind will I be facing tomorrow when I try to paddle to my next destination.

It is wind, not rain, that is our limiting factor. With wind comes waves, and those two things are going to keep us from making good progress, as well as making it harder to get off the water should we have a problem. I will paddle all day long in the rain, but wind, wind worries me.

Wind will slow our progress, or make our forward progress when it comes from behind at least tricky - I think the best test for a kayak is how it paddles in a following sea. That is when kayaks get squirrely - if not down right dangerous. I don't mind waves on their own, but where waves interact with land is where things get dangerous, made more so by wind pushing you into land. Wind makes a good situation bad, and a bad situation worse. pay close attention to the wind.

Once more into the tide

2010-09-03T17:01:00.002-04:00

A few more elements of tides that we need to understand are that the tides don't change like a switch going on and off. They gradually change, and that change is constant. In a normal situation you have 4 tides a day, as I mentioned previously. Two highs, and two lows. If you have four tides a day, and the changes are gradual then they must be fairly even in their dispersal throughout the day. They each last approximately 6 hours - give or take. In actuality tides occur about fifty minutes later each day, (Because it takes the moon 24 hours and fifty minutes to complete a cycle around the earth) which is why our tides don't occur at the same time each day. Tidal changes during that six hours start slowly, build to maximum strength, and then start decreasing in intensity. During the middle of the cycle when the most water is moving, you get the biggest change in tide height. This varying cycle generally follows the rule of twelves. During the first and sixth hours of the cycle 1/12th of the water will move. During the second and fifth hours 2/12ths of the water will move. And during the third and fourth hours of the cycle - the middle two hours - 3/12ths of the water will move.

The important aspect of this is that in the middle of the cycle you have the most movement of water, and at the ends of the cycle the least. In fact at the change of that cycle when we end the 6th hour of the high tide and start the 1st hour of the low tide, in that change over, we are in a period called 'slack tide', this is when the least water is moving.

So there are times when a lot of water is moving, and times when very little water is moving. It is important to know when those times are because while the water is moving vertically, it flows to new areas, as water always seeks its own level. When water flows through a narrow area - a constriction - it goes faster. Like putting your thumb over the end of a hose.

So when you create your float plan, look at the possibilities of water being constricted and a tidal current being created. If there is an area of constriction water will be flowing very fast through that constriction at the middle of the tide. Whereas very little water will be flowing there at slack tide. Plan your paddle accordingly.

For instance, if I am paddling out and back to the same point I want to paddle against the tide on the way out, and back with the tide - so when I am tired I am not also fighting the tide. The same goes for the wind. I would rather start my paddle heading into the wind, so I get a push coming back.

Or perhaps I have to transit an area of high tidal current, but its going to take me four hours to get to it. That means I need to leave the safety four hours before the slack tide, so I reach the area of high tidal current when the least amount of water is flowing through it.

An area like this is not very far from where I learned to paddle. It's an area called 'Hell Gate' and it is in New York State. Three bodies of water converge on a very small opening. The Long Island Sound enters the East river along side Manhattan Island. At the north end of Manhattan island The Hudson river joins the East river. The sound, the East river, and the Hudson river are all tidally influenced. Meaning the rivers reverse there flow when the tide is coming in - or flooding - and then the rivers flow takes over when the tide is receding - or ebbing. (In actuality the East river isn't a river, it is an inlet from New York Harbor, a large bay, and finally the Atlantic ocean.

So when the tide is flooding, water comes from the Long Island sound and floods into the east river. At the same time the Water is flooding the east river and Hudson river. This junction can become very turbulent with a fast moving tidal current.

Other things effect tides and tidal currents as well. The shape of the land surrounding the water, and the shape of the land under the water all will effect the tide, and tidal currents.

It's good to understand tides and tidal currents, but the best way to know how tides effect a certain area of coastline is to get knowledge from someone who paddles there all the time. Local knowledge is key. Seek out paddlers who know the area, and can give you information that can only be learned by putting a kayak in the water.

Transitions

2010-08-30T17:10:00.002-04:00

This blog will slowly be transitioning from a purely instructional to a purely story driven enterprise. I am planning a trip for next summer, and currently I am spending a fair amount of time paddling with the young team that will under take this trip. All have some experience paddling, a couple of others are paddling driven like myself. But it is interesting to see the people with little experience - day trips only - thinking about what a month in a kayak will feel like. I am coaching on basic skills, the diamond of four strokes and a skill that I talked about earlier. But hearing things like - I have never worn a spray skirt - make me think. I know that all the members of the group are capable of doing a trip like this. It will be more perseverance than hardcore skills. But even perseverance can be a challenge. It will be interesting in the next year to see this group of relatively inexperienced kayakers grow with their skills and confidence and take on an amazing challenge.

It has gotten me to thinking about the physical aspects of long distance paddling. I really have very little patience for a two hour paddle. I do them. But they don't drive me. They are more a way to keep my skills sharp, and my mind clear. But give me a coast line, and a campsite twenty miles away, and that is where I shine. I am not fast, but I have the ability to spend 16 hours in a cockpit, cold and wet, with out a moments thought. It is a zen experience for me. It is as close to being in the moment as my far to active brain can handle. It is my meditation.

Recently I have been fielding a lot of questions from students about hands. Hands, and gloves. Hands and gloves in cold weather, and warm weather. and blisters. Which really are probably more likely calloses. Here is what I have to say about hands.

I have three pairs of gloves, A fingerless set which live in my pfd chest pocket. A thick neoprene arctic glove, and a set of pogies. The fingerless gloves come out on two different types of occasions. A very sunny day to protect the backs of my hands from sunburn, and very long days where I am planning on paddling 20 plus miles. But they aren't for blisters or callouses. They are simple to protect the patch of skin between thumb and index finger. Paddling for a long day particularly into the wind where my paddle is feathered, that piece of skin gets a lot of wear. So it is just an added piece of protection. The thick neoprene glacier gloves I despise. I bought them for my first Alaska trip. I thought they were amazing until I used them. They tend to get wet on the inside, and once wet are very hard to dry. Also once wet they are very hard to get on or off, and once you get the first one on, it is particularly difficult to get the second one on. I bring them on trips but they are generally my loaner gloves for the person who can't locate - or neglected to bring - theirs. Finally pogies. I was very skeptical of pogies. Until I tried them. When using them I still have good solid contact with my paddle, as well as protection from wind and rain. But if I need my hands it is very quick to get my hands out of them and to the task at hand. Try and put a spray skirt on with thick neoprene gloves, it isn't easy.

Hands are important. They are our connection to the paddle, which is our connection to the world. You must take care of them. Feet similarly so. The primary reason that I made the investment in a dry suit was to keep my feet dry. I tried many options and the things that kept my feet dry didn't give me the feedback from the foot pegs that I wanted, and the things that gave me the feed back I wanted left me with cold wet feet. Which for a little while is manageable, but for an extended period of time is difficult, if not down right dangerous. In the summer I wear small neoprene booties that is actually designed for whitewater play boating. In the winter I wear the same booties over my dry suit socks. It is important to not only have a good connection with the boat physically, but if you are cold you are distracted. And distraction leads to problems.

predicting the next tide.

2010-08-27T10:29:00.003-04:00

We can look at the beach and see where the water is, and even sometimes where it is going, but for us to camp on a beach we need some solid information. The tide line is for ever moving up and down the beach, and we need to be able to decipher what we see to figure out where our kayaks and ourselves can sleep. We need to determine where the last high tide was, and how high above that the next high tide is. If you look at the photo that I borrowed from a skilled photographer on the web you can see two distinct lines running across that beach from left to right. The line closest to the camera - running diagonally across the frame - this is the high tide. The line slightly further away that is less distinct is the low tide.

The more pronounced line is the last high tide, the one below it is the most recent tide, which was a low tide. This tells us that the next tide coming is a high tide again, and our tide table which we learned to read earlier in the week will tell us if the high tide that is coming is higher or lower than the last one. This is the information we need. The height of the next tide in relation to the last high tide whose remains we can see on the beach.

Just for clarity, I know that the low tide in the picture is newer than the high tide in the picture, because when the high tide comes in it will wash out the remains of the low tide. Therefore it must be newer.

So we can see the last high tide. if we pretend that the height of that tide is 8 feet (above mean low tide) and the next high tide is 6 feet. Then all we have to do is camp above the current high tide line. But if the next high tide is the 'high high' and its height is 9 feet then we need to do some figuring.

So for this example our next high tide is going to be one vertical foot higher than our last, lets go stand on that last high tide line and figure out the next high tide. To do this we are going to need our paddle, a half filled bottle of water, and the ability to accurately judge height or a tape measure.

Put your paddle blade on the tide line with the shaft perfectly vertical. Estimate the distance above the tide line that the next tide will be vertically up the paddle shaft, in this case, one foot. Hold the water bottle at the one foot line, horizontally, so it is pointing at the beach. Use the water in the bottle as a level to make sure the bottle is horizontal to the ground. Then sight over the top of the bottle to the beach, and mark that height - the spot you are looking at over the top of the bottle - I like to use a small piece of drift wood sticking up out of the sand. This is your next high tide line, and your tents and kayaks must be above it.

This is also a good time to touch the two tide lines and see how wet they are. The newer low tide should be wet to the touch, while the high tide should be a bit drier as it has been there longer. Get a feeling for how long it takes for sea grasses to dry in the sun, and you will have an easier time determining what you are looking at.

In the picture there is also scattered sea grass above the high tide line, this could be one of two things. As the month goes on, the tides will move in a cycle getting higher each day, until they reach an apex, and then slowly receding each day, until they reach the lowest point in the cycle and then they start over. This could be an older high tide, with the new high tides receding lower and lower. If your paddling when the cycle is receding, all you have to do is find the last high and camp above it, because the next high high is guaranteed to be lower.

Unless this scattered line is something else. A storm tide. When you get a Storm, High winds can drive waves higher on the beach above the high tide leaving a scattered layer of sea grass. Looking at this photo I would bet this is the case.

Tide tables

2010-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

So now we understand what causes tides, it's time to look at how this information breaks down into effects for us paddlers.

First lets look at a tide table for an area near where I learned to paddle, Port Jefferson on Long Island, New York for Monday the 30th day of August 2010.

It lists four tides in this order, HIGH, LOW, HIGH, LOW. Because we have four tides a day and two of them are highs, and two lows, they occur in that order HIGH, LOW, HIGH, LOW. The first high is at 3:19am and has a height of 6.3 feet. 6.3 feet above what, you may ask? 6.3 feet above mean low tide, which means the average low tide. The next tide, a low is at 9:20 am - almost exactly 6 hours later and is 1.0 feet high, again above mean low tide. Next is a high tide at 3:31pm with a height of 6.9 feet followed by a low at 10:01 at 0.8 feet. Four tides of different heights all approximately 6 hours apart. This tide table has a tidal range of about 7 feet. From a low low of 0.8 to a high high of 6.9 feet. 7.1 feet to be precise.

The tides occurred in this order:

Low High - meaning the lower of the two high tides

High Low - the higher of the two low tides

High High - the higher of the two high tides

Low Low - the lower of the two low tides

I mentioned before that when traveling in a kayak, my first concern is being able to get off the water. I would rather be off the water and wish I was on the water, then on the water and wish I was off. But once I am off the water, I need to be able to camp. I don't want to set up a tent and wake up in the middle of the night floating in my sleeping bag with my kayak washed away. So I use this tide information when picking a campsite. I want to make sure that I am camped above the high high tide line, and then I want my kayak to be above the tent. This assures that if my tide calculations are wrong I will know when my tent floods, and before my kayak floats away. And remember we are talking about tides, which are the vertical movement of water - not horizontal. So when I am finding a campsite - with this tide table - the tent needs to be at least 7 vertical feet above the low tide line. On a steep beach that usually isn't too far. On flatter beach, that can be a great distance.

Lets look at one more tide chart, this time for a place I have been lucky enough to paddle out of on numerous occasions. Whittier Alaska. This one for August 6th 2010. The first tide, 1:58 am at 12.3 feet Followed by 8:32 at -1.1 feet. Then 2:57pm at 11.0 feet, and finally 8:35pm at 2.2 feet

1:58am 12.3 feet is the high high

8:32am -1.1 feet is the low low

2:57pm 11 feet is the low high

8:35 pm 2.2 feet is the high low

There is a tidal range 13.4 feet, think about having to find a campsite 14 feet above the low tide! I say low tide, because if you come ashore at low tide, that is how far you will have to travel. But most people will come ashore between tides. Rarely have I ever arrived at my home for the day at high tide. So really what we need to do is find the last high tide, figure out how high the highest tide will be during our stay, find that spot on the beach, and camp above it.

That is our next lesson.