Posted by derrick on
September 21, 2007
Let this moment be forever
we won’t ever feel the storm
I ain’t no vision, I am the man
who loves you inside out
backwards and forwards with
my heart hanging out
-bee gees
So I got a package from
Reed Chillcheater. I have to tell you the warm shirt came just in time! But the cool part is the way it’s stitched. When I was in Wales I talked to Chris Reed about how I always got nasty rashes in salt water. (yeah fun conversations lol) Even when I wore “rashies”. Chris explained to me then that the major culprit was the seems. A good rash guard, he told me would be stitched inside-out so the seams don’t rub against your skin. Especially under the arms where I personally get some really nasty rashes. The problem of course is your average paddler doesn’t want shirts that look inside-out. So you can use cloth that causes the least friction, but you still have the nasty seams. Thus “rash guard” is not always “rash guard”.
In Puerto Rico it took me a couple days to remember to turn my shirt inside out. So I started off with a bit of a rash. Even with the fancy anti-friction roll-on. But it was true, after a few days with inside out shirts the rash went away and did not return. Now THAT is good information. Much better than when I did my BCU 4* with duct tape over bloody painful wounds under each arm! Ewww!
Posted by derrick on
July 9, 2007
well, here’s a big pile of
Chillcheater gear. Yeah I know some of you don’t think you should wear black in the tropics. . but I get cold! So In this mess I have shorts, pants, rash guard, paddle jacket, 2 skirts (one is Taino’s) and a hoodie for those chilly mornings. .
Other than this little pile I will only take one change of street clothes and of course socks and “delicates” LOL. Clothing is one of those places where you can pack light on a trip. Well, as long as you don’t expect any physical affection!
Posted by derrick on
April 10, 2007
Oh the ocean waves may roll,
And the stormy winds may blow,
While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the land lubbers lay down below, below, below
And the land lubbers lay down below.
I had half a mind to show the picture the
Noel Webb standing out on the streets rattling his tin cup. . . taking money from children. . . But of course we wanted to get off to the right start. You see Noel Web from Brewdley, Worcestershire in the UK, is preparing to take on the amazing adventure of paddling around Great Britain. This is a serious challenge covering around 4,200km in some regularly "lumpy" seas. According to his blog he’s been getting a bit of advice from
Simon Osborn,
Nigel Dennis and others who know a thing or two about getting it done. Certainly the trip around GB has been done before, but this is one of those routes that is not for the feint of heart. More often than not "firsts" are not all that important in sea kayaking. The adventure and challenge are the thing. This will certainly be that in spades! Besides I’m pretty sure he’s the First Noel! (sorry couldn’t help it. . .)
We’ve talked a lot here about reasons for doing a trip. Raising money, sponsorships, personal goals and all the rest. Noel has decided to use his adventure to awareness and cash for the UK’s Cystic Fibrosis Trust, thus the "tin cup". Of course to do this and do it well adds a whole other dimension to your trip. You can’t just be out on you’re own little adventure, when you are trying to raise cash. You suddenly have to take on another "off water" responsibility which can have quite and effect on your trip. Often meaning that after a day on the water you may not get to just go crawl into a tent like you’d wish. One thing that Simon Osborn did and it looks like Noel will do as well is go into towns, set up his kayak and talk about what he’s doing and why. It’s a great way to get some attention. Otherwise you’re just paddling around out there where no one would even know you were there. Not a good idea if the goal is to raise cash. So on his first go round standing on the street, he raised about £250 in 5 hrs. Great! And no, he was NOT taking money from children. . . candy maybe. . .
Posted by derrick on
January 19, 2007
What do you wear
When you need to impress
Just slip
into high heals
And a brand new little black dress
-pet shop boys
So ask me if I’m excited. . .
You all know my fixation with Reed gear. Yeah, they make it possible for the secret order of Kayak Ninja to wrap ourselves in back gear. Not that you can’t go with yellow or blue too, but black is my thing. 
The deal with Reed’s gear is that it’s just so warm and comfortable. I’ve had my cags for some time now and am always amazed how they just totally kill the effects of wind when I’m out on the water. Something that really effects me quickly. Even in my drysuit I can feel the breeze sneaking through. Not in my Reeds though. Just great stuff. So it just feels really cool and somehow apt to be able to say I’m sponsored by Reed. Thanks so much to Chris & Jo. They’ve been really kind to me over the last year as it is while I’ve been bugging them about customizations, out of date logos and every other fiddly bit I’ve come to them with. I’d thought it was just as likely they told me “derrick, please don’t shop at our store any longer. . “
Posted by derrick on
December 9, 2006
Yippee! I got my
2007 Reed Catalogue today. Wow, Freya, you’re all over the place! Be sure to go to page 10 to see the a couple new products for those of us with a Greenland personality. Now you all know I’d been bugging Chris to make me an Akuilisaq, while unknown to me
Freya Hoffmeister had become a Reed Sponsored kayaker and was also talking to Reed about new Greenland products as well. Well, the new Akuilisaq and Gauntlets made the new catalog on page 10. Cool. Now, I wonder what he’s going to say when I ask for a little customization on my Akuilisaq. I have a plan for a hybrid. So stay tuned. Until then check out the new Catalog and be sure to tell them how happy you are to see new traditional gear in that fantastic Aquatherm fabric. Oh, and check out the BCU member discount as well! Thanks Chris!!
Posted by derrick on
November 28, 2006
So one day the Loch Ness Monster was feeling a bit peckish.
Slowly he slithered up behind a couple of kayakers standing in the shallows. . .
little did he know what he was in for. . .
Well, how did you expect me to open today’s post with a picture like this?? Now, while I have your attention I’d like to let you know that yesterday we learned that
Freya Hoffmeister will be attending
Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin this spring, along with our other famous female sea kayaking glitterarti. Freya will be doing a rolling demo as well as showing off her new
Rockpool Underground. In addition, she will be joining a women’s panel at the show and possibly offering some rolling lessons in the are as well. I’ll certainly post that info when I have it. Now, if you’ve not heard of the new Rockpool “Underground”, it is a 3 piece, very low volume fiberglass rolling boat that her and
Aled Williams have been working very hard on over the last while. It’s really quite a big deal, and something I’m quite excited about. As far as I know this will be the first time any Rockpool kayak will be on display at a paddlesports show in the states. Guys, Just remember that when you tell your partners why you’re hanging around the “Rockpool” table all day. . .
Posted by derrick on
November 9, 2006
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’,
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’,
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
-bob dylan
Ok, So it’s my fault. And I do feel rather low. I’ve kept saying I was going to show off my new
Coverall Cag Deck and warmer from Reed. But then I’d get distracted writing about something or other. Sorry Jb. Please stop writing me those rude emails and making those strange phone calls. . .
OK then. . . So the deal with this cag is that it’s a big baggy one size fits all monster that can be worn over everything else. Even your PFD (or Buoyancy Aid if you like) It has a nice snug hood with a wired peak and adjuster straps. It also has a massive waterproof front pocket with flap and drainage holes. This is a perfect bit of gear when you’re on the water and you or a paddling partner are getting chilled. No screwing around, just put it on. Over everything. It also has a nice spray deck with 6mm shock-cord and grab loop.
