Off Message
Published February 23, 2012 | 
So how old is your average sea kayaker these days? 121? Sorry, but you know it’s true. Now we’ve talked about this issue a zillion times already and I’m not going to beat a dead Venezuelan tree frog here. Actually, the thing about age just popped into my head the other day when I found myself talking to someone about the safety of sea kayaking in general. Continue reading
Thin Ice & The Forward Stroke
Published January 3, 2012 | 
I’m no forward stroke guru. Thank the gods! We’ve got too many of those types already! Still, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned along my never-ending path to paddling enlightenment. Like, if you want to learn to have a great catch, paddle in thin ice. What’s the catch? Continue reading
Something In The Water
Published December 30, 2011 | 
Each year when the ice is beginning to form on inland lakes there is still time for the hearty paddler to get in a few good days on the water. You simply need to be more cautious. Not only should you be properly dressed for the occasion, but you also need to keep your eye out for nearly transparent floating obstacles. Paddling along at a good clip, floating ice can be nearly invisible. An awkward run up the side of one of these floating chucks or even a direct hit can quickly send an unprepared paddler right over. Most of us would call that a bad day at best. Continue reading
The Gift That Keeps Them Living…
Published December 8, 2011 | 
Ok, so I took this idea from a paddleshop’s Facebook adver-post (My new word of the day), but I can’t deny a good idea. Each year paddle bloggers write about great holiday gift ideas and inevitably that means gear, but here’s a better idea.. give a lesson.
It’s natural (and wise) to feel a little apprehension when your friend or family member decides to take up kayaking as a new hobby. It’s not a particularly dangerous sport, but when things do go bad, it almost always involves folks who are very inexperienced. Continue reading
Cold Purple Toes
Published October 26, 2011 | 
Such a beautiful color I wear upon my skin
And a perfect shade of purple on a flower permanent
- pop evil
It’s getting cold. Day 19 down and some 40ish miles to go. Well, I shouldn’t say it’s cold exactly, it’s not “winter paddling purple toes cold”. It’s that slowly seeping sort of cold that sneaks up on you over time. In fact, today I re-learned an old lesson about dealing with cold weather paddling. Keeping your feet warm can be tricky, and it’s not always about the gear. Continue reading
The Devil On Your Shoulder
Published October 14, 2011 | 
On Mondays, I never go to work / On Tuesdays, I stay at home / On Wednesdays, I never feel inclined ? Work is the last thing on my mind
On Thursdays, it’s a holiday! ? And Fridays I detest ? Oh it’s much too late on a Saturday
And Sunday is the day of rest – TMBG
We all know, paddling is an addiction, but to be fair, there are days. You wouldn’t think it would ever seem like a challenge to paddle a couple of miles in the morning, but it can be. Not because it’s hard or because you’re facing the rage of the wild seas or whatever, but because we’re human. Just the simple act of dragging your hide outside and schlepping your kayak to the beach on a cold, windy morning can be a challenge to overcome. Continue reading
The J-lean is Dead!?
Published September 30, 2011 | 
So Nancy Salsbury of Rutabaga is working on ideas for next year’s Canoecopia. She sent out an email asking paddlers for ideas for workshops. In amongst the hundreds of good ideas was a reply by a great coach which said, “How about one called “The J-Lean is Dead!”. OK, so I must have missed a meeting. Now, I’m not hot on names.. I usually tell students, “Were going to make the kayak do this.” or “We’re going to make the kayak do that.” I only use names as an afterthought. I don’t want students to focus on names as much as focus on skills.. So, just to be sure I knew what I was talking about I went to our favorite Kayak Wiki and read, “In the J-Lean, you use your hips to tilt the boat, but maintain your center of gravity over the center of buoyancy by keeping your upper body upright and perpendicular to the water surface. Its called a J-Lean since if you look head-on at someone doing this move, their body is in the shape of the letter J.” I think I call that edging myself, but um, why don’t we do that any more?
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