tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88599236800943991722024-03-19T01:04:31.576-04:00Carolina Kayak Club Blog<b>Adventures, insight, and commentary for paddlers, by paddlers</b><br> <i><small>www.carolinakayakclub.org</small></i>
Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05663615960314963639noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-37517958361500161492018-04-04T10:29:00.002-04:002018-04-06T13:14:31.385-04:00Portsmouth Island / North Core Banks Circumnavigation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzkPjNi9ADlylvJ1947-LAgzfBXGW7nnZI-0UCYNYuOTZwcIYgryCX9A_d48jsBImTXFWpVx7ro2o6K-ZjggQCKl0OUqxo6tgiDumNlUcfHjZOm3y1dLxq0fNx7qaLlwugFACoz5yX9w/s1600/portsmouth_sea_level_2018-03-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzkPjNi9ADlylvJ1947-LAgzfBXGW7nnZI-0UCYNYuOTZwcIYgryCX9A_d48jsBImTXFWpVx7ro2o6K-ZjggQCKl0OUqxo6tgiDumNlUcfHjZOm3y1dLxq0fNx7qaLlwugFACoz5yX9w/s320/portsmouth_sea_level_2018-03-26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Campsite on the first night</td></tr>
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On Friday, March 23 2018, Lee Toler and I set out to circumnavigate Portsmouth Island. Portsmouth Island is essentially North Core Banks and is separated from South Core Banks by Ophelia/Drum Inlet. Circumnavigating Portsmouth Island is part of Lee’s quest to circumnavigate all the barriers islands in North Carolina and at the time of this writing, he has done 11 out of the 19.<br />
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We traveled about 4 hours from Raleigh to Cedar Creek Campground and Marina in Sea Level and setup camp, so that we could get an early start on Saturday morning. There were no other campers at this time of the year and our campsite was out on a peninsula, with a kayak launch only 30 feet from our tents and no security lighting to illuminate our tents, allowing for a great view of the nighttime stars.<br />
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<h2>
A Change of Plans</h2>
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Our initial plan had been to travel about 25 miles sound side, then another 2 miles out Ocracoke Inlet and around the North end of Portsmouth, camping ocean side the the first night(Saturday.) We would then spend two leisurely days paddling back ocean side, possibly with some surfing, and returning through Ophelia/Drum inlet.<br />
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However, the weather had changed several times during the week prior to our trip and a Nor'easter was now pushing towards Portsmouth and expected to bring rain Saturday night into Sunday morning and then potentially gale force winds Sunday and Monday.<br />
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Since we had both discovered during the first night, which dipped down to about 42 degrees, that our sleeping bags lefts something to be desired in terms of warmth and faced with what would be a long, cold, and rainy night/day in our tents, followed by what could be very heavy winds and seas the following days, we decided to make a change to our plans.<br />
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Instead of traveling sound side the first day, we reversed our trip and decided to paddle ocean side the first day along Core Banks in order to take advantage of the calm seas and good conditions, then travel back sound side in order to be more protected.<br />
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<h2>
An Early Start</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first stop on Portsmouth Island</td></tr>
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We got started around 7:30 AM and after the 3 mile sound crossing, pushed out Ophelia inlet ( Drum Inlet per most nautical charts.) The inlet was not visible from our campsite, so Lee plotted a bearing to help us find the inlet and as expected, we received a bit of a push from the ebb current and cruised out the inlet at about 6 MPH.<br />
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The wind was to our face for much of the morning, but it was relatively light and conditions were very calm, so we made good time. After about 11 miles, we decided to take a quick break and did a surf landing, ate, and then hopped back on the water.<br />
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Along the way, we were taken aback by the beauty of the desolate coast line with few signs of mankind, aside from seeing a few trucks from people staying at the Long Point Fishing Cabins. We also saw a number of dolphins, including one that swum close enough to Lee’s boat to give us both a jolt.<br />
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<h2>
Planning for the Storm</h2>
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As we had been paddling, one of the most prevalent talking points was how to handle the impending storm.<br />
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We threw around a number of ideas, including possibly taking refuge at the abandoned Portsmouth village, but the idea that we kept coming back to was paddling a bit further to Ocracoke and staying at a local hotel. No doubt, our cold experience camping Friday night made this seem like the most attractive option.<br />
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Paddling to Ocracoke Harbor would add about 7 miles to the trip that day, but a bigger concern was that since we had reversed the trip, instead of riding the tide out of Ocracoke Inlet towards the ocean, we would now be arriving as the tide was pushing out to sea and working against us. Even taking into account the usual 1-2 hour delay in tide reversal from the printed tide schedule we were quite worried that the current would be too strong to paddle across the inlet.<br />
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Due to timing, we predicted it might have been necessary to wait until around 8-10PM to catch the next in-going flood tide. In addition to this putting us crossing in the dark, rain was expected around 6PM, so we would also be crossing in what might be a heavy storm.<br />
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We discussed a number of possible contingency plans, such as continual paddling Northeast oceanside past the inlet to an oceanfront National Seashore campground further up Ocracoke island.<br /><br />
Another idea we tossed around was to try to make it far enough into the inlet and around the North end of Portsmouth, which is a mile wide, and contact a local man who runs a ferry service from Ocracoke for people wanting to explore Portsmouth Village. We would ask him to come gets us, as well as our boats and gear, and transport us to Ocracoke Harbor.<br />
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Similarly, if faced with a strong ebb when we arrived in Ocracoke Inlet, we thought it might be possible to hug the shore line of the North end of Portsmouth Island as much as possible, then set an extremely aggressive ferry angle in order to make it across Ocracoke Inlet to Ocracoke Island. <br />
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<h2>
Like Horses to a Barn</h2>
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After about 15 miles after our first shore landing, we reached the North end of Portsmouth and did a beach landing just inside the inlet. Here we assessed our situation.<br />
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Fortunately, we had not noticed any major push from the outgoing tide as we approached, despite arriving when it should be flooding out ( explanation to follow ) Convinced we had the energy and plenty of daylight to paddle another 7 miles, we called a local hotel to see if they had availability. After securing a room and only a very brief 10 minute stop, we hopped back in the boats to head to Silver Lake( Ocracoke Harbor.)<br />
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Despite already having paddled about 25 miles, much like a horse returning to the barn, the thought of a warm shower, clean bed, and restaurant cooked meal energized us and we made short work of the inlet crossing. We safely arrived at Ocracoke after paddling 32 miles, and averaging 3.7 MPH, with 8:33 Hours of paddling and 38 minutes of breaks.<br />
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Since it was still off season in Ocracoke, we were able to stay at the Anchorage Inn & Marina, which is directly across from their boat ramp in Silver Lake. We had told the hotel clerk we were arriving via kayak in about 2 hours, so she had already cut on the heat to our room before we arrived and helped us carry some of our gear to the room. After showers, we got a ride with the local taxi up to Howard’s Restaurant and Pub for a well deserved meal of crab cakes and fresh fish.<br />
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<h2>
Waiting out the Storm</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFMi9JM2ktzZMLQR7mzy3dzsxiHBl8-9OWh5gjBKp9hIgO94f9zF0TATEkySOGzuHQIO_q98c44PTRIGV5ss3plEZRsir5Q2F_jC91qKefH-C7MTkNaSRFLWnOmiIdk5eB7Ue71BsWX0/s1600/portsmouth_hotel_2018-03-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFMi9JM2ktzZMLQR7mzy3dzsxiHBl8-9OWh5gjBKp9hIgO94f9zF0TATEkySOGzuHQIO_q98c44PTRIGV5ss3plEZRsir5Q2F_jC91qKefH-C7MTkNaSRFLWnOmiIdk5eB7Ue71BsWX0/s320/portsmouth_hotel_2018-03-26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Rustic Campground at Ocracoke</td></tr>
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As expected, the rain hit that evening and ended up bringing quite a bit of precipitation to the area and we were quite happy to be riding out the storm in a warm hotel room, rather than what would have been a very long and cold night in our tents.<br />
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We had discussed getting started Sunday morning as soon as the rain broke, but the rain lingered until around 11AM and so there was little chance of us paddling all the way back to the vehicle that day. With a gale force wind warning in effect, we decided to stay one more night in Ocracoke, so after a great breakfast at Pony Island Restaurant, we spent the rest of the day walking around Ocracoke, visiting shops, getting coffee, and preparing our gear ready for the next morning.<br />
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<h2>
Homeward Bound</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34BKs56vHGB3vfzQRxYiuxVP09H-qST8UMFgDcrqZEkvN-wQHws0YLx1qZrNODCGjQZn522T9QFDV4U-6vlhWY2rmvru4WEgnUUkFqcpwe0SxYpKQoNnakFGuS5r2kj8EAQYzNun2Pls/s1600/portsmouth_2018-03-26_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34BKs56vHGB3vfzQRxYiuxVP09H-qST8UMFgDcrqZEkvN-wQHws0YLx1qZrNODCGjQZn522T9QFDV4U-6vlhWY2rmvru4WEgnUUkFqcpwe0SxYpKQoNnakFGuS5r2kj8EAQYzNun2Pls/s320/portsmouth_2018-03-26_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Silver Lake / Ocracoke Harbor</td></tr>
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At around 6:30 AM on Monday, we launched and headed out of Silver Lake to cross Ocracoke Inlet. The wind was very strong, but a little lower in the morning and expected to pickup again as the day progressed.<br />
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After a previous day of strong Northeast 25 Knot+ winds, the seas were pretty rough and there was reasonably heavy swell in the inlet. However, as expected the heavy winds from the northeast were favorable in terms of our southwest paddling direction. Once out of Ocracoke Harbor, we immediately began to paddle swiftly in our intended direction and reached the 3 mile south end of Ocraoke in minutes. We passed the inlet with Lee reaching a speed of over 10 MPH during one of his surfs.<br />
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Since Portsmouth Island and Ocracoke Island are oriented in a Northwest/Southwest direction(40 degree axis) and the Nor'Easter was blowing in a southwest direction, with speeds around 20 Knots and gusts to 30, it pushed us on our way, creating following seas in our direction of travel.<br />
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To quote Lee; “ The very strong winds created well formed 2-3 foot surfable mildy breaking waves, pushing us in our intended direction home. I was handed a situation like I never imagined. I was visualizing the possibility of “surfing” all the way back to Sea Level. We did unfortunately have to take a break from the surfing after about 7 miles. That was the fastest and most exhilarating 7 miles I may ever paddle.” <br />
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<h2>
Trouble at Sea</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4vqLNBPV8BJ5JZ9x8UNWkGo9Ynamz1K1nIY1vfmh1PpeIYkPBRVLQhZym1W1m2eCS_5rMgG3abPVGQGZIaZP4j9y8vWF8j1fn6KDc0TPyfWownVuHxPPzXpQhvUU1I-2jAQ2IULYDso/s1600/lee_portsmouth_2018-03-26_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4vqLNBPV8BJ5JZ9x8UNWkGo9Ynamz1K1nIY1vfmh1PpeIYkPBRVLQhZym1W1m2eCS_5rMgG3abPVGQGZIaZP4j9y8vWF8j1fn6KDc0TPyfWownVuHxPPzXpQhvUU1I-2jAQ2IULYDso/s320/lee_portsmouth_2018-03-26_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sound Side, Portsmouth Island</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, after surfing the following seas for about 7 miles, I got a bit too comfortable and in a moment of inattention, capsized. I attempted 3 rolls, but due to a combination of rough seas, wind, and not being properly locked into my boat, my feet/knees were not connected properly to the boat, I was unable to get back up and wet exited.<br />
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At this point, I was in a rather serious situation, as we were a mile or two from shore. The winds were very heavy as mentioned, and even though we were sound side, the swell was steady and strong. Ever vigilant, it didn’t take Lee, who was a bit ahead of me, much time to notice I was in trouble and circle back, with the arduous task of paddling back to me against the wind and swell. <br />
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He got me back in my boat, but because the seas were so rough, we opted not to do a t-rescue and instead I hopped into my boat still full of water. With the wind and swell, I was unable to safely paddle with a full boat of water and initially tried pumping, but this proved to be too exhausting. Worried about getting blown off course and the energy I was expending pumping, Lee instead told me to hold on and began paddling towards a duck blind.<br />
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The duck blind was in the opposite direction that the swell and wind was blowing us, but against all odds, we made it, with Lee paddling full force and me paddling with one arm, as I held on with the other. At some point during this ordeal, I capsized again, but was able to roll up and grab back onto Lee’s boat. <br />
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Once we made it to the duck blind, Lee tried to hold onto a post, but had to let go due to fears of capsizing himself. <br />
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Lee was not able to make any progress paddling the rafted kayaks in the direction of shore and at this point, we felt like there were 2 options; 1. a May Day call, 2. Attempt a T-rescue despite the great chance Lee might capsize also.<br />
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We decided on a T rescue, which necessitated me jumping back into the cold water. However, as luck would have it, as soon as I jumped out, I realized I was able to touch ground and so held onto Lee’s boat and supported it, so that he could empty mine. This is described in more detail below, but in retrospect heading towards the duck blind and general shallowness of this area helped out a great deal, although if I had become separated from my boat, it could of been a very serious situation!<br />
<br />
My boat must have re-filled some with water during the period I was trying to attache my spray skirt with frigid fingers, but much less than before. I hobbled back slowly to shore sideways against the wind/swell. I was surprised at my feeling of relative stability with as much water as I observed in the boat once on shore.<br />
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After being in the water for so long, I was very cold and the heavy wind was not helping. After only a few minutes, I opted to keep pushing on in order to warm up. We paddled for several more miles before stopping again in a slightly sheltered hollow, so that we could eat and take a breather. <br />
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<h2>
Back on Track</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyuxALNtfj4syLv6EfKmfeb0or1daE9L6TDTsdnsKT6hHBlYOGbaG8whNN5XNlLJc8gOR571s-Xp4iAUrh3-klD_eQOKTaG3N79cNvW3KXu4sDoGxPokyBAV5qhjKelazJDA19lbaugw/s1600/lee_portsmouth_2018-03-26_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyuxALNtfj4syLv6EfKmfeb0or1daE9L6TDTsdnsKT6hHBlYOGbaG8whNN5XNlLJc8gOR571s-Xp4iAUrh3-klD_eQOKTaG3N79cNvW3KXu4sDoGxPokyBAV5qhjKelazJDA19lbaugw/s320/lee_portsmouth_2018-03-26_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee at Long Point Cabins</td></tr>
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Despite the time we spent during the rescue and subsequent slow paddle to shore, we still made excellent time, with the same wind and favorable following seas giving us a much needed push. We arrived at the Long Point Fishing Cabins, which is operated by the Parks Service, after only 4.5 hours of paddling. Our moving average for this leg of the trip was 5.44 MPH and we had traveled 24.5 Miles from Ocracoke.<br />
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The Long Point Fishing Cabins are a semi-rustic set of cabins located towards the middle of Portsmouth island. There are around 10 rental cabins of varying amenities, with the nicest having indoor plumbing, heating, and all getting power from a diesel generator.<br />
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Accessible only via a local ferry, this was the first week they were open to the public and there were already several people staying there, although only a couple had fishing poles. Some of the campers, including the camp volunteer, had seen us paddling two days earlier as we traveled up the coast line.<br /><br />
Lee and I moved our boats out of the way of the dock and found a porch on one of the cabins that was out of the wind. We ate and sat in the sun to warm up. After eating, we spent some time looking at the map to determine our location and path, figuring that we were about 8 miles from the car.<br />
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<h2>
Erring on the Side of Caution</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqNRzqarHgvGQU3LLRz-tV1gKzM5dSsiTEpT6VI80DgE3v8jU29C08u2EC2I1ltCf-2ZlL4ufYO6pgj1abziQyIhyphenhyphenGR2VE-Ek8ToK46OqCbkSi6Uc9-3YpjhFKgzGKYxLzykWfne0LSw/s1600/lee_portsmouth_2018-03-26_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqNRzqarHgvGQU3LLRz-tV1gKzM5dSsiTEpT6VI80DgE3v8jU29C08u2EC2I1ltCf-2ZlL4ufYO6pgj1abziQyIhyphenhyphenGR2VE-Ek8ToK46OqCbkSi6Uc9-3YpjhFKgzGKYxLzykWfne0LSw/s320/lee_portsmouth_2018-03-26_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Windbreak at Long Point Cabins</td></tr>
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After about an hour and feeling refreshed from being out of the wind, we hopped back in our boats to finish the short leg, but by this point, the winds had picked up and shifted directions. The wind had been predicted at around 25 knots, with gusts above 30 knots, but even in just the short period when we stopped, it felt like it was blowing more than it had been during the day.<br />
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Likely with the thought of my capsize in the back of our minds and faced with what would be a rather difficult 3 mile crossing, as the wind and swell would now be essentially perpendicular to us as we crossed, we decided not to risk the crossing. After paddling only 50 yards, we decided it was a no-go and not worth the risk.<br />
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Communication on the water would have been near impossible, given the increased wind velocity and moderate change in direction, rescue would have been even more difficult than earlier in the day, and separation of a paddler from his boat would have been disastrous.<br />
<br />
Even though it was only a three mile crossing and 9 miles to go, neither of us needed to be home that day. So, we decided it was better to err on the side of safety and wait until tomorrow when the wind was expected to die down.<br />
<br />
After speaking with a park ranger and getting some pricing, we opted not to rent a cabin, but instead camp nearby. The local volunteer, who stays on site and helps manage the cabins, was kind enough to drive us around in her Gator in order to search for a camp spot that was somewhat protected from the wind, as well as help us move our gear. For tent campers, you are required to be 100 feet from any of the cabins and we were much further than this from the nearest cabin.<br />
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We setup our tents, changed out of our dry-suits into dry clothes, and then retreated back to the porch we had rested on earlier in the day for some hot coffee and to relax in the sun.<br />
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While it was disappointing to be so close to our vehicle and, after having made such great time, still very early in the day, it was a beautiful place to camp. We both also felt that we had sort of cheated by staying at a hotel in Ocracoke, so this helped make it feel more like a proper camping trip.<br />
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<h2>
An Easy Paddle Home</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0GMTYXwVDI7T7_98-tsxCwhZUZi3Uh7nH_9A89DBlgfLGnDRd_jYoXc55xG_ryfqLRsh3Q-PyLxvJmu1m4tojFJOXswEdKTY4FcH9En-56rq1Lbys80ctkQipTjh9j6jdvRUpsm1RqE/s1600/portsmouth_long_point_cabins_2018-03-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0GMTYXwVDI7T7_98-tsxCwhZUZi3Uh7nH_9A89DBlgfLGnDRd_jYoXc55xG_ryfqLRsh3Q-PyLxvJmu1m4tojFJOXswEdKTY4FcH9En-56rq1Lbys80ctkQipTjh9j6jdvRUpsm1RqE/s400/portsmouth_long_point_cabins_2018-03-26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our campsite</td></tr>
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The night was uneventful and as expected the wind began dropping during the night. We had a lazy morning and were on the water by about 9:30 that day.<br />
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The wind was 1/3 of what it was the day before, so the crossing back to mainland was easy. We started out with a rather aggressive ferry angle, but ended up adjusting it several times as we realized that the wind and swell were not presenting much of an obstacle.<br />
<br />
After an 8.7 mile paddle, we arrived safely back at the campground.<br />
<br />
<h2>Local Insights and Closing Thoughts</h2>
<br />
<em>How come Ocracoke Inlet was still flooding, when we reached there so late after the schedule tide change to ebb?</em> After talking with the owner of the campground, he indicated that sometimes, the deeper water in the inlet will be flowing out, while the water closer to the surface is still slack or even still moving in. This likely accounted for our easy crossing of Ocracoke Inlet, despite being at a time when the tide should have been flowing out.<br />
<br />
Another factor he mentioned was the effect of the Nor’easter. It will continue to blow water into the inlet past the time you would expected the tide direction to change. A long term South Wester has the opposite effect.<br />
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He also helped clear up a discrepancy between our map and what we had learned from the Park Ranger regarding the names of the local inlets. Our map had the name of the inlet across Core Sound from Sea Level as Drum Inlet. We had thought that Ophelia inlet, named for the hurricane that breached the outer banks and created the inlet, was three miles North. We both did Google Earth(GE) recon as part of our trip planning and on GE, you can see a second Inlet to the north. However, upon paddling both sides, there was only one inlet open, the one named Drum inlet on our map. <br />
<br />
The Park Ranger, however, referred to this inlet as Ophelia Inlet and said that there were two others, Drum Inlet and Old Drum Inlet, which were both closed now. The campground owner confirmed this and said that while some of the locals still call it Drum Inlet, several maps have it incorrectly labeled and it is really Ophelia inlet. <br />
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<em>Duck blinds are your friend:</em> This is actually the second time a duck blind has proved to be a safe refuge. In a previous paddle while crossing from the Cedar Island Ferry to Portsmouth, Lee and I had also stopped at a duck-blind to get a breather when another paddler in our group began to feel seasick. In that case, while we were not able to climb onto the duck blind, it was shallow enough that we were able to get out and take a much needed break before finishing our paddle to Portsmouth.Duck blinds are almost always planted in shallow water and in both of our experiences, they have never been in water more than 3 feet deep. During another trip, while Lee was doing his Hatteras circumnavigation and during a 10 mile diagonal crossing from Hatteras to Buxton, his group took a lunch break at a massive duck blind, tying their boats to the support posts that stood in only 6 inches of water.<br /><br />
<h2>
Trip Statistics</h2>
<ul>
<li><i>Overall Distance:</i> 65.2 Miles</li>
<li><i>Total Moving Time:</i> 16:20 Hours</li>
<li><i>Total Stopped Time(While Paddling :)</i> 2:33 Hours</li>
<li><i>Moving Average:</i> 4 MPH</li>
<li><i>Overall Speed:</i> 3.4 MPH</li>
<li>Top Speed: 11.1 MPH</li>
</ul>
<br />
<strong>Day One:</strong><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Overall Distance:</i> 32 Miles</li>
<li><i>Total Moving Time:</i> 8:33 Hours</li>
<li><i>Total Stopped Time(While Paddling :)</i> 0:38 Hours</li>
<li><i>Moving Average:</i> 3.7 MPH</li>
</ul>
<br />
<strong>Day Two:</strong><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Overall Distance:</i> 24.5 Miles</li>
<li><i>Total Moving Time:</i> 4:30 Hours</li>
<li><i>Moving Average:</i> 5.44 MPH</li>
<li><i>Top Speed:</i> 10 MPH</li>
</ul>
<br />
<strong>Day Three:</strong><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Overall Distance:</i> 8.7 Miles</li>
</ul>
JohnKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264811706480972343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-6905388032338010832017-04-27T17:52:00.000-04:002017-04-27T17:55:52.953-04:00Strokes notes: Thinking outside the Box<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you've ever taken an introductory kayaking course, you've heard of the "Paddler's Box." The Box is one of those classic fundamental rules of kayaking, and it's generally considered critically important for protecting yourself from injury--particularly shoulder injury--while kayaking. Many of the most common errors of paddling technique can be ascribed to doing things outside the Paddler's Box. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you've somehow managed to avoid being introduced to the Paddler's Box, here's a link to a short but helpful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kssLXFN1vo">video</a>. </span><span style="font-size: large;">And here's how the instructor in that video describes the Paddler's Box for those watching:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"The Paddler's Box is a rectangle that we create between our arms, our paddle, and our shoulders."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Huh? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">OK, so things are a bit clearer if you watch the video. But still, maybe we can find something a little more descriptive. How about this, from Jackson Kayak's paddle education site:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"The Paddler’s Box is the rectangle shape that can be traced from the hands, up the arms to the shoulders, across the chest and back down the paddle. It is the rectangle that is created by our upper body, arms and paddle shaft."</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's a little better, though we'll see in a moment that it's incomplete. Here's a simple diagram that might help, from the blogger and whitewater kayaker brthomas:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDMI4IQqoTMof-_4-TKwJEkG7GXOYf3YXE8o_qOB-yqvPUSnccdhkSqJ2YBqGCj11j6Uozxk4tUqlfPMj-tbE43vCWhy1Uk-kjLlzzdwWXDR99xqMC2Lz7eZFGR9pUpXdtcyn3X7hLeo/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDMI4IQqoTMof-_4-TKwJEkG7GXOYf3YXE8o_qOB-yqvPUSnccdhkSqJ2YBqGCj11j6Uozxk4tUqlfPMj-tbE43vCWhy1Uk-kjLlzzdwWXDR99xqMC2Lz7eZFGR9pUpXdtcyn3X7hLeo/s400/Picture2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So we can kind of see where the rectangle is there. Its four sides are the shoulders, the two extended arms, and the paddle. Maybe it's more of a trapezoid than a rectangle, but that's ok. And from the video and a number of these websites we get the sense of how to maintain the Paddler's Box. Here, from www.canoekayak.com:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"The paddler’s box moves with you as you rotate your torso, and it is generally important to stay within the box as you paddle."</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So the box always stays out in front of you, even when you rotate to the left or right. The idea behind the Paddler's Box is that it forces you to think about getting your body in position for a stroke--any stroke--by rotating your torso rather than reaching with your hands and arms. It's supposed to keep you from doing things with your hands that you just shouldn't do, like reaching behind you to place the paddle for a stern rudder. This is, without question, a good thing. So I can appreciate the desire to have a rule that communicates this important principle of good paddling. Unfortunately, I think that the Paddler's Box may not be the best way to achieve that goal. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I've never been fully comfortable with the idea of the Paddler's Box, for two reasons. First of all, I find the Paddler's Box extremely difficult to visualize. The diagram and descriptions above, though pretty typical, provide me only with a Paddler's Rectangle at best. Here's a more three-dimensional attempt to describe the box, from a site called ThoughtCo:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"When the hands are on the paddle and extended out in front of the paddler, the paddler’s box can be traced from the hands, up the arms to the shoulders, and including the chest and paddle contained within these constraints. This shape should roughly approximate a square. Now, extend those dimensions and shape down to the boat and that gives you the paddler’s box...Maintaining the paddler’s box simply means not allowing the hands to extend past the shoulders on either side, but they can move up or down within this imaginary box."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So the Paddler's Rectangle gets projected down to the deck of the boat, and this forms the Paddler's Box. It's a rectangular cube, and I'm supposed to keep my hands inside of it. That's actually not bad, I can see what the box is and how I'm supposed to use it. But it wasn't particularly easy to get to this point. And it brings me to the second reason that I don't like the Paddler's Box: For many skills, even demonstration-quality skills, the kind that you'd want your students or fellow paddlers to emulate, I'm pretty hard pressed to say whether or not my hands are inside my Paddler's Box. In other words, even when I think I <i>can</i> visualize the Box, I'm still not really sure what I'm allowed to do with my hands. Think of a good sculling draw, for example. Here's an image of someone demonstrating the stroke from the Necky Kayaks paddling skills website:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-0zEea2QF9LS23gPzar8rS_RK_paWLqzhDc3yRwITRiSVSkaGfYmJL218k466XIlEzbzJzCKQo91_Pg2uCX6yahM1-tjVL_kik0IwR92x5DeDFbRw94Dw4mUTKFWrmAMwPnG34oTyJw/s1600/Picture3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-0zEea2QF9LS23gPzar8rS_RK_paWLqzhDc3yRwITRiSVSkaGfYmJL218k466XIlEzbzJzCKQo91_Pg2uCX6yahM1-tjVL_kik0IwR92x5DeDFbRw94Dw4mUTKFWrmAMwPnG34oTyJw/s400/Picture3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Where's the Box? Is his upper (left) hand outside of it? It's certainly above his shoulder; it seems to be level with his forehead. What about his right hand, which appears to have moved outside the box to the right? Or has it? I'm at a loss to explain to someone whether or not this paddler has maintained his Paddler's Box. But I don't think he's clearly doing anything wrong. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In short, I find the Paddler's Box complicated to explain, difficult to visualize, and nearly impossible to apply to many skills. So what's the alternative? Here's my proposal for a rule to replace the Paddler's Box:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, allow your elbow to go either above or behind your shoulder. </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I believe that this rule covers every possible violation of shoulder safety that the Paddler's Box is meant to cover, and I think that it's also simpler to understand and simpler to implement. Here are a few examples of things paddlers do that I think should never be done:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Finishing the forward stroke with the arms instead of using good rotation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Reaching above the head for a high brace</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Reaching behind the back for a stern rudder instead of rotating</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Reaching across the body for a draw stroke instead of rotating</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In every single case, I think that following the rule above would prevent the paddler from committing these errors. A good efficient forward stroke should eliminate the pull-through with the arms that causes your elbow to go behind your shoulder. If your elbow goes above your shoulder for a high brace, you're asking for injury. The only way you can get the paddle placed for a stern rudder without putting your elbow behind your shoulder is to rotate aggressively toward the paddle. And the guy above demonstrating the sculling draw is just fine; he's rotated so that he can keep is right elbow in front of his right shoulder and his left elbow at or below his other shoulder. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Unlike the Paddler's Box, which is so challenging to communicate that in five minutes of googling I managed to find at least four variations, this rule has the great benefit of simplicity. And, even better, to implement the rule I get to refer to things that <i>actually exist</i>. So instead of trying to figure out if the stroke keeps my hands inside some imaginary box, the limits of which are baffling to describe and literally impossible to see, I just have to look at where my elbows are in relation to my shoulders. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The big remaining question is whether or not this rule does all the work that I want it to do. Can you think of an instance in which you'd feel justified in breaking the rule? Can you think of a movement that would put your shoulder at risk that wouldn't be prevented by applying it? If you can, I'd be interested to hear about it. If you can't, then maybe it's time we stopped worrying about the Paddler's Box, and started paying more attention to our elbows. </span><br />
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jdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916275714337757755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-36933398449209303432017-04-04T06:37:00.000-04:002017-04-04T06:39:13.605-04:00Strokes Notes: Hanging on the paddle<span style="font-size: large;">Cross-over paddlesports are more popular than ever, with many kayakers expanding their skills by moving from flatwater to whitewater (or vice versa), or by trying out stand up paddleboard or canoeing. Unfortunately, there is one sport that I rarely see mentioned in discussions of these alternatives: rowing. I suppose I can understand why this blind spot exists. Unlike kayaking, rowing is primarily aimed at mastery of a single stroke, which seems contrary to paddlesports in which the goal is more complete control over a much more maneuverable vessel. But I'd argue that rowing has a great deal to offer the kayaker. There is something to be said for millions of repetitions aimed at perfection of a single stroke; specifically, it tends to develop a deep feeling of connection between body, boat, blade, and water, a feeling toward which all paddlers should strive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I think that there may be one particularly valuable lesson that rowing has to offer the kayaker. It centers on a key concept in rowing: “hanging on the oar.” Here is a quote from Todd Jesdale, onetime U.S. Mens' Junior National rowing coach:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">"A rower needs to find ways to have the push and power of the legs go directly to the oar handle, with little interruption. Simultaneously, one must realize that every ounce of power applied to the oar handle must emanate from the footstretchers, that there is a one to one connection between push against the footstretchers and pull on the oar handle. So, when one pushes very hard with the legs and keeps various parts of the body from giving way or breaking, one moves the oar handle as well."</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Replace "oar handle" with "paddle shaft" and "footstretchers" with "footpegs," and I believe this statement captures something critical at the heart of the kayaking forward stroke. It also explains many of the ways in which kayakers routinely fail to exploit the full efficiency of that stroke.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To get an idea of what Jesdale means, take a look at Figure 1. This figure presents a series of images from a video clip of Rob Waddell, a rower with multiple World Championships and an Olympic gold medal to his name. These images show the "drive" segment of a single stroke, from the catch in frame 1 to the release in frame 8. Notice that from frames 1 to 3, for the first half of his stroke, it's ALL legs; the angle of the back is constant, and there is no break in his arms. Frames 4 and 5 finally see the back swinging toward the bow (remember, as a rower he's facing backwards), and only in frames 6-8 do we see him finish with his arms.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQquL4r2_L9K01frkZR8sGlyVFNDE3NJRXHUW3bPwCVidkkyExjBnXN46kIqksTpRr-sDTgsQnbK4sc85C8amDgDEt-ZHwXRunrn-zvmf2fyYT9mo05c8Iwg31NlKO_BRZdu7Xquz4KpE/s1600/1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQquL4r2_L9K01frkZR8sGlyVFNDE3NJRXHUW3bPwCVidkkyExjBnXN46kIqksTpRr-sDTgsQnbK4sc85C8amDgDEt-ZHwXRunrn-zvmf2fyYT9mo05c8Iwg31NlKO_BRZdu7Xquz4KpE/s640/1.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Figure 1.</b> The drive segment of the rowing stroke.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This progression--legs, back, arms--allows Waddell to transfer every bit of the power that he is exerting on the footstretchers to the handle of his oar. Here's another way to view it: As his legs drive against his footstretchers and push his hips toward the bow, the strong back forces his shoulders to keep up with his hips, and his straight arms force his hands (and the oar handles) to follow his shoulders. This is most apparent in frames 1-4. Everything is tied together, and the result is that the leg drive is perfectly transferred into movement of the oar handle. Only after the power phase of the drive is complete do the arms come into play at all; by frame 5, the power of the stroke has diminished enough that Waddell can begin to effectively engage his arms to complete the stroke and release the blades from the water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The connection you can see in Waddell's stroke, the unbroken transfer of power from the legs through the back and arms to the oar handle, is precisely what Jesdale refers to in his description, a description that is typically abbreviated with the coach's exhortation for the rower to "hang on the oar." Hanging on the oar is the way that the rower harnesses the power of the water pushing against the buried blade to move the boat forward efficiently. The feeling of hanging on the oar is similar to the feeling of hanging from a pullup bar; the weight of the body can be felt through the extended arms and down through the large muscles of the back (the "lats"). This is exactly where the power is felt in the upper body during the first half of the drive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now imagine, instead, that Waddell allowed the connection to break down. Imagine if the back was weak, and collapsed forward as the legs drove the hips back. The result would be a disconnect in the transfer of power; the legs would drive, but the oar handle wouldn't move. Or imagine if he tried to grab at the catch with his arms. Instead of transferring the power of his leg drive efficiently by using the biomechanical advantage of his extended arms, he would be trying to transfer that power through his contracting biceps--and even Rob Waddell doesn't have biceps strong enough to fully transfer the power of his leg drive. The transfer would break down. The result in both cases is a loss of power and a reduction in efficiency of the stroke.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What does any of this have to do with kayaking? Let's take a look at another world class paddler: Anders Gustafsson, a World Champion sprint kayaker. Figure 2 shows a series of video stills from one of Gustafsson's practice sessions. There are a great many similarities here to Figure 1. The most important for our purposes can be seen in frames 1 through 4. In these frames Gustafsson's right leg drives his right hip back in the seat and he uses the rotation of his torso to keep the shoulder following the hip. The extended right arm provides the connection that keeps the paddle shaft moving right along with the shoulder. The result is an unbroken connection between the leg drive against the foot stretchers and the movement of the shaft, a perfectly efficient transfer of power. Gustafsson is "hanging on the paddle" through this entire motion. By frame 5 the leg drive is complete, and the blade is nearing Gustafsson's right hip. At this point, nearly all of the power of the drive has been expended, and the remaining rotation of the torso and bending of the right arm is primarily serving to extract the blade cleanly from the water to finish the stroke.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-GZJH4ig55lpkHEbwDsjIBFLgBr1q3jeTJhZTO8Hzz8Haedb4WZlaeDMsQNmquXh7uZzvwGhoKxmG5j-6gD0f-5jfvuqTkrDDmKFyqQgbqi4MfeSegqG0SzgA_FzRtssHaaVWszNCHw/s1600/2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-GZJH4ig55lpkHEbwDsjIBFLgBr1q3jeTJhZTO8Hzz8Haedb4WZlaeDMsQNmquXh7uZzvwGhoKxmG5j-6gD0f-5jfvuqTkrDDmKFyqQgbqi4MfeSegqG0SzgA_FzRtssHaaVWszNCHw/s640/2.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Figure 2. </b>The drive segment of a kayaking forward stroke.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The same opportunities exist here for the transfer of power to break down. If, for example, Gustafsson's torso rotation was weak, his leg would drive his right hip back but his right shoulder would lag behind and fail to move the paddle shaft. Similarly, if he were to grab immediately at the catch by bending his arms he would be asking his biceps to transfer the power generated by the large muscles of his legs and back, an impossible task. Only by hanging on the paddle, by maintaining the connection through his lats and extended arms, is he able to efficiently transfer the power needed to drive the boat forward at top speeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In thinking about problems that kayakers might have in maximizing the efficiency of their forward stroke, I have come to the conclusion that many of them relate to a failure to hang on the paddle. Consider the following, for instance. One of the best ways to cultivate the ability to hang on the oar in rowing is to take strokes using <i>only</i> leg drive. Since the back and the arms remain static, this allows the rower to eliminate (or at least limit greatly) the possibilities of breakdown in connection throughout the drive. The same drill exists for kayaking. It's called the straight arm drill. Just about every kayaker who has ever taken a formal class, especially one focusing on the forward stroke, has done the straight arm drill. And most people absolutely hate it. I have found that most paddlers have trouble doing the straight arm drill properly--almost everyone wants to break the arms. But what's really interesting is that even when people <i>are</i> successful at keeping their arms straight, they often can do so only by sacrificing nearly all the power in their stroke.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Why? My theory is that many kayakers’ forward strokes involve engaging the arms immediately after the catch. Instead of hanging on the paddle and allowing the extended arms to transfer power efficiently from the leg drive to the paddle shaft, this approach relegates all power to the biceps, which means that the stroke is limited to what the biceps can bear. (Interestingly, this limitation can exist even if the paddler appears to be rotating well with the upper body, and in some cases even if there is drive on the foot peg. In other words, it’s difficult to diagnose this problem with the standard markers that we use for a good forward stroke.) The problem is that in this case the leg drive and the rotation are being compromised by the instinct to initiate the stroke by grabbing at the paddle shaft with the arm. For anyone that paddles this way, the straight arm drill is crippling. Since power transfer for them normally depends on engaging the biceps, removing that muscle group from the stroke eliminates virtually all power. In contrast, a paddler who consistently hangs on the paddle should be able to paddle at nearly full power with the straight arm drill; any limitation would be associated only with the mechanics of the release, which involves bending the arm to cleanly extract the blade from the water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is the cure for this problem? First and foremost, the paddler must cultivate the feeling of hanging on the paddle shaft. Some visualizations might first help to illustrate the technique. Imagine, for instance, that you're trying to pull-start a reluctant lawn mower. You don't just lean over, grab the handle, and pull the cord with your biceps. You'll never get enough power doing it that way. You put your foot on the lawnmower and you bend your leg to get leverage; you extend your arm fully, reaching your shoulder down toward the mower; and when you pull, you drive that shoulder back up with a strong push on your leg and rotation of your torso, and you let your extended arm do the work of making the cord handle follow along. That's the only way you'll get that rusty old thing started, by hanging on the handle and using the big muscles of your legs and your torso instead of your biceps. When people know they need to efficiently apply power, they instinctively apply every available biomechanical advantage. The challenge is to transfer this instinct to the forward stroke.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The easiest way to develop this feeling in the boat may be to take strokes in conditions where the resistance of the stroke is great enough to prevent grabbing with the arms. The most convenient place to find that resistance is in the first few strokes from a dead stop, overcoming the inertia of a stationary boat. If the paddler prepares appropriately for the first stroke--one hip forward, knee raised and foot placed firmly on the foot peg, torso rotated and on-water hand extending out with a straight arm, blade planted fully at the catch--and then takes a full power stroke by driving hard with the leg and torso rotation, it will be nearly impossible to grab with the arm and bend the elbow. The paddler should feel the power transfer from the big muscles of the legs and core, through the lats, and down the underside of the extended arm. This is the feeling of hanging on the paddle that the paddler should seek to replicate with every stroke. The paddler can repeat this exercise simply by letting the boat come to a full stop after every initiating power stroke; or, if there's a willing partner, by having that partner stand behind the boat in shallow water and simply hold onto the stern to keep it from moving. Other ways to find the kind of "heaviness" that reenforces this feeling is to paddle hard in very shallow water or to engage some kind of artificial drag or anchor, possibly by towing another paddler.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The other worthwhile exercise, obviously, is the straight arm drill itself. If you look at frames 1-4 of Figure 2, you'll see pretty clearly that Gustafsson's regular forward stroke is basically a straight arm drill for the entirety of this power phase of his drive. The biceps are not generating power, they are simply finishing off the stroke and facilitating a clean release. The straight arm drill will be most effective, obviously, once the student has cultivated the feeling of hanging on the paddle (perhaps with resistance drills as described above); that feeling can then be carried over into the straight arm drill until the paddler can move the boat efficiently throughout the drill. (The other challenge with the straight arm drill is that eliminating the elbow bend in the last third of the stroke makes it extremely difficult to achieve a clean finish. There is, fortunately, a very simple solution to this problem: just shorten the stroke. Simply extract the blade earlier, before you would normally begin your finish by bending the arms (say, just after frame 4 of Figure 2). Do the straight arm drill using only a half stroke, slicing the blade out early enough that you're not tempted to break the arms to get a clean finish.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once you've cultivated the feeling of hanging on the paddle shaft, it becomes something that can be easily employed as a "self-check." A paddler hanging on the paddle will feel the tension running like a cable that stretches along the underside of the extended arm, through the lats in the upper back, down the muscles lining the core and into the driving thigh. This is a proprioceptive marker just as effective as any visual marker of good forward stroke technique. It is a marker that is used constantly to gauge stroke efficiency when rowing, but I think its value has not been appreciated by kayakers. As a former rower and current kayaker, I frequently check myself to make sure that I'm hanging on the paddle, and it has been a critically important component in the development of my forward stroke. I highly recommend that you give it a try.</span>jdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916275714337757755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-19490615263476950382017-02-26T06:46:00.000-05:002017-02-26T13:00:44.086-05:00Strokes Notes: Why I feather<div style="line-height: normal;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(This is the first in what I hope will be a series of entries describing my take on some issues related to kayaking technique. It is a series aimed at others like me: strokes nerds. You know who you are. You've watched that Roger Schumann bow rudder video 13 times, and you've spent days trying to figure out if the inside or outside edge works better on your hanging draw. Pretty much all of my decisions about paddling style involve an agonizing analytical thought process. That's just how my brain works. So if you're a strokes nerd like me, maybe you'll find something interesting or even useful in these entries. And if you're not a strokes nerd... well, you've been warned...)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To feather, or not to feather? That is the question. As far as I’m concerned, you can pry my feathered paddle from my cold, dead hands. And in this entry I'm going to tell you why. I expect not everyone will agree with this position, so I invite counter-arguments, objections, and general rebuttal in the comments section. Or maybe someone will be moved to write a similar blog entry defending the unfeathered paddle. So here, in no particular order, are the three primary reasons that I feather my paddle.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. I feather because it just feels right. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once I made the decision to feather, it took me about a week or so to develop a feel for a feathered paddle. That was a pretty miserable week. Switching from unfeathered to feathered is an awkward experience, and it takes some dedication until your strokes feel normal again. The good news is that once you've gotten a few weeks of feathered paddling under your belt, you'll forget why it felt so weird to begin with. The bad news is that you can easily remind yourself how weird it felt by just unfeathering again. At this point I've been paddling with a feather for over 3 years, and I hate, hate, HATE going back to unfeathered paddling. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The point here is that there is nothing "natural" about an unfeathered paddle. I'd wager that my feathered paddle feels every bit as natural in my hands as an unfeathered paddle may feel in someone else's. And this goes for just about every important aspect of paddling. After 3 years of feathering I'm convinced that my body knows instinctively where my hands are on my paddle and how my blades are oriented at all times. I have no reason to think that the feather ever causes me to misapply a stroke, or to miss a critical brace or a roll. This, of course, is a common argument against the feather, that it introduces uncertainly in bracing because the two blades are oriented differently with respect to the water. I'm willing to concede this point only in a very limited sense. I believe the notion that a feathered paddle makes bracing more difficult applies primarily to "practice bracing." Here's the scenario: You're in a class, sitting in a good low brace position with your elbows up and the back faces of your blades perfectly parallel to the water's surface on both sides. In that position you're ready to do your "demonstration quality" low braces. But if your paddle is feathered, one of your blades will always be angled awkwardly toward the water, setting you up to miss a brace on that side; you've got to keep adjusting your blade angle every time you switch sides for another brace. The problem with this argument is that bracing almost never works that way. Here's the reality: You're paddling forward in rough water, you've just finished off a stroke on your right side, and you're hit with a surprise wave that throws you over onto your left. Quick!--how is your left blade oriented with respect to the water? Feather or no feather, your body has to know without thinking how to shift the angles of that left arm--shoulder, elbow, wrist--to position the blade for a good, safe, solid brace. There's nothing automatic about this but that practice makes it so. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I paddle with the feather because it just feels right. Calm water or rough, paddling straight or carving turns, high brace or low brace. It always feels right to have my paddle feathered, because 3 years of practice have made it so. An unfeathered paddle--not so much. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if I went out in rough water right now with an unfeathered paddle I'd be VERY prone to miss a brace when I needed it. No thanks.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You may have noticed that this isn’t so much an answer to the question “Why feather?” as it is an answer to the question “Why not feather?” Fair enough. But I’m not done yet… </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. I feather because headwinds are a drag. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You've probably all heard this argument: With a feathered paddle, the off water blade is conveniently angled to slice through a strong headwind. This claim is pretty obviously true, but it almost always invites counterarguments. For one thing, the beneficial effect of the feather would obviously be most pronounced with a 90 degree feather, and hardly anyone paddles with a 90 degree feather. For another, the feather is only reliably helpful in a perfect headwind. In any kind of crosswind, a feathered blade may be just as likely to catch the wind as an unfeathered one. In fact, it’s possible that a strong crosswind on a feathered blade might even have a destabilizing effect by pushing the paddler over sideways. And wouldn't an unfeathered paddle actually give you an advantage in a tailwind? This is also all true. But if that means it's all a wash, then why am I just so happy to have a feathered paddle in my hands when that wind kicks up in my face?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While it's obviously true that the wind can come from anywhere, wind resistance will have its most pronounced effect countering your forward movement. And the thing moving forward most is your off-water (top) hand; not only is your boat moving into the wind, but that hand is moving forward relative to the boat. If you haven't thought a lot about how headwinds affect you on the water, it's worth checking out this short <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_wind">Wikipedia article on "apparent wind"</a>. Basically, if there's a 10 mph wind blowing in my face and I'm paddling forward at 3 mph, I'm feeling a 13 mph headwind. If my off-water hand is moving forward at another 3 mph relative to my boat (just a random estimate, I'd guess it's probably quite a bit faster than this, depending on cadence), then my hand is pushing against a 16 mph wind. That’s a lot of resistance on the off water blade if it’s squared to the wind. (Based on the surface area of my Werner Cyprus, it works out to about 0.43 pounds of resistance with every stroke.) In contrast, if I had a 10 mph tailwind in the same situation, my off water hand would only feel a 4 mph wind pushing it from the back. Headwinds have a whole lot more effect on you than tailwinds. The result is that having your blade squared to a headwind will not only slow the boat down, the blade effectively acting as a mini sail, but that it will also put significantly greater strain on your shoulder as you attempt to push that blade forward into the wind. Half a pound of resistance doesn’t sound like much, but try doing 10,000 reps. That’s a workout you probably don't need. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So yes, how much a feather helps you does depend on where the wind is coming from and how your blade is angled relative to it. But the feather provides relief when you MOST need it, when the wind is right in your face. It could prevent your trip from becoming a very prolonged and potentially exhausting set of shoulder presses. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. I feather because I don't want to break my wrists.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Try this experiment. Grab a two-piece paddle, ideally one with a loose ferrule that allows you to easily rotate the two halves of the shaft relative to each other. Sit on a bench, stool, or chair, something that will allow you to get into a catch position with your paddle. Now lock the paddle in the unfeathered position (zero degree feather angle) and hold it like you’re ready to paddle. Your hands should be out in front of you, with the power faces of both blades facing toward you. Maintaining a firm grip on the paddle shaft with both hands (don’t let the paddle shaft rotate in your hands), move yourself into the catch position on your left side, with the left blade down toward the "water" and the right blade up in recovery. Now look at your top wrist. Unless you’re some kind of freak of nature, it will be bent. In fact, if you have a high angle stroke, it may be bent uncomfortably. Now, separate the two halves of the paddle so that they are still connected but free to rotate relative to each other, with the ferrule unlocked. Do the same thing, coming to a catch position, but keep both of your wrists locked in the unbent, neutral position. You will notice that as you move to the catch, the two halves of the paddle shaft rotate relative to each other. Stop again at the catch position; your top wrist should be unbent, but now your blades are feathered. That angle between the two blades is your natural feather angle--it is the angle you should feather your blades so that you don't have to break your wrists on your forward stroke.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ergonomics of the forward stroke are such that the off-water wrist will tend to break at the catch; again, this is more dramatic the higher the angle of the stroke. An unfeathered paddle combined with a firm grip on the shaft are thus a recipe for unnecessary strain on the wrists. If you paddle this way with a very low angled stroke, the bend in the wrists may not even be noticeable. But with a higher angle stroke, this approach could result not only inefficiency, but also tendinitis. </span></span></div>
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There are actually two solutions to this ergonomic problem. Mine, as you might have guessed, is to feather my paddle. I've found that a 45 degree feather is a pretty natural angle for my typical stroke, which is relatively high angle. I maintain my right hand as my control hand at all times during the forward stroke; my right hand holds the paddle in place and my paddle shaft just rotates freely in my left hand. With this arrangement, whether I'm catching on my right or my left the blade is always in a good solid catch position while my off-water wrist can stay safe and neutral. The remarkable thing about this is that my wrists and hands don't have to do anything to position my blade for the catch. The rotation of my body and the movement of my arms on the recovery is sufficient to put my blade right where it needs to be, on either side.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The second solution is, I imagine, almost universal among kayakers who don't want to feather their paddles. You simply forget about the firm grip--or, more precisely, you switch the control hand with every stroke. With this approach, the hands are held loosely on the paddle shaft (usually a good idea in any case), and with each stroke the on-water hand becomes the control hand. This allows the paddle to remain unfeathered and the wrists to maintain a neutral unbent angle, and still enables effective catches on both sides. It will work with any angle stroke, though the degree to which the hands must work to shift blade angle is more pronounced with a high angle stroke. (If you want to see a good demonstration of how this control hand switching approach works, check out this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOZnEPXt5ZE">video</a>. It's a good explanation of what many kayakers probably do without thinking about it.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why do I prefer the feathered paddle solution? My reasoning is based on a simple premise: Every sprint kayaker in the world can't be wrong. If switching control hands is a viable option, why wouldn't world class sprinters adopt it just as frequently as the alternative? My guess is that the answer has something to do with the challenges associated with finding the catch efficiently, especially at high cadences. With an appropriately feathered paddle the hands don't have to do anything to put the blade in a strong catch position, everything is determined by the ergonomics of the forward stroke. In contrast, if you're alternating control hands the hands are doing lots of work, with every stroke, to find the catch. Obviously this is doable, but what would happen if one adopted this approach at 120 strokes per minute? During a sprint the first inches of drive are absolutely critical, and there is very little room for error at the catch; the paddler must have confidence that the blade is entering the water at exactly the right angle to apply pressure immediately. I suspect it could be very difficult to accomplish this by alternating control hands at very high cadence. And maybe this is why kayak racers appear to be one group that is unanimous on the “to feather or not to feather” question. They just cannot afford even slight uncertainty at the catch. And what better way to eliminate that uncertainty than to make the catch position automatic? Just "set it and forget it”: determine the right feather angle for your stroke and you'll have a perfect catch every time without your hands or your blade needing to do any work at all. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I feather because it gives me confidence in my catch, at any speed and any cadence, without having to worry about poor ergonomics. All I have to do is focus on my forward stroke form, and my feather takes care of finding the catch for me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are my reasons for sticking with the feather. It should be clear from what I've said above that these reasons depend quite a bit on my own paddling style. Since I adopt a high angle stroke, the ergonomic benefits of the feather are considerable and, at the same time, I can employ a large enough feather angle that it makes a significant difference in a headwind. If you use a low angle stroke, you will have an entirely different set of criteria on which to base your decision. I'm sure that there are plenty of other arguments both for and against feathering that I've not addressed here, and there are also lots of details that I've left out of the above account, since I figure not many people want to read a 12 page treatise on paddle feathering. In the end, of course, your decision to feather or not to feather is yours. But as with all such decisions related to paddling skills, I recommend that you make it for good reasons, and not simply because someone told you there's a “right” way to do it. So if you’ve been wondering about why someone might feather a paddle, I invite you to think about the reasons I've laid out here. And then think about the reasons not to feather. And then get out on the water and practice, practice, practice until you find what works best for you.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 12px;"></span></span></div>
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jdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916275714337757755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-48744117532488668462016-05-18T09:51:00.000-04:002016-05-19T12:07:33.534-04:00Trip Report: Cedar Island to Portsmouth and OcracokeOn Friday, April 29 Lee Toler led a group of four paddlers, including myself, John Keeter, and Chris Rezac on a trip to Ocracoke Island. Lee had outlined a plan that would take us around the island in three days, and after some email exchanges to discuss options we agreed on an ambitious but achievable itinerary. We would leave from the Cedar Island ferry terminal near mid-day on the 29th (after a 4 hour drive from Raleigh) and make the crossing to Portsmouth Island, camping on the beaches lining Ocracoke Inlet. The second day would take us out the inlet and northeast along Ocracoke on the ocean side, reentering the sound through Hatteras inlet and staying on the south end of Hatteras Island. On the third day we would paddle southwest on the sound side, camping just south of Ocracoke Harbor. We would finish on Monday by loading our boats on the ferry for the return ride to Cedar Island and the drive back to Raleigh. Lee had timed tides to give us favorable currents into and out of the inlets and the winds, though forecast to run against us in both directions, would be relatively tame at 10-15 miles per hour. So despite the roughly 60 miles total distance we all felt comfortable in our ability to handle the conditions. In the end, we would have nearly completed the 35 mile circumnavigation of Ocracoke Island, but for the several miles between Springer’s Point and Ocracoke Inlet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cedar Island ferry terminal</td></tr>
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We launched as planned around noon on Friday under grey skies. We had encountered some rain on the drive to Cedar Island, but it had stopped by the time we got our paddles wet. Our plan was to paddle a straight course to the north end of Portsmouth Island. This would take us far enough out into the Sound that land would be barely visible, if at all. So we were to be guided by compass for the first leg of our trip. A moderate breeze off our front quarter and some light 1-2 foot swells from the same direction kept trying to draw us off course, but with occasional corrections we were able to maintain our heading. The breeze and spray kept me cool and comfortable in my drysuit (water temperatures were still in the low 60s, cold enough to be cautious), and the clouds gradually opened up to reveal patches of blue sky. All in all a very pleasant day on the water.<br />
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Until I got seasick. If you’re ever considering getting seasick, I have some advice: <i>Don’t do it</i>. Few things can ruin an enjoyable day of paddling more than the firm conviction that you’d rather die than spend another minute in your boat. In my limited experience with coastal paddling I’ve encountered seasickness about one out of every 5 times I paddle. So my advice isn’t entirely facetious; I have now decided that a 20% chance of being miserable isn’t worth the risk, and I’ll be taking Dramamine before every coastal paddle. I’ve never yet gotten seasick on a day when I’ve taken it, so it seems to be effective for me and has no apparent negative side effects. Unfortunately, while I had packed Dramamine in my first aid kit and even had a pill accessible in my pdf “ouch pouch,” I had decided not to take one prior to launch. Which leads to my second bit of advice: If you do get seasick, let your fellow paddlers know right away. It’s somewhat embarrassing to get seasick on a paddle like this—it is sea kayaking, after all, and hard to accept the fact that your body just can’t handle the “sea” part—and the inclination is to keep quiet and hope beyond reason that it’ll just go away. It won’t. In fact, it will almost certainly get worse. It’s far better to let your group know about the problem before you’re utterly incapacitated. Once I knew things were going downhill I drew up alongside Lee to let him know, at which point we all discussed options and planned to adjust our course to head toward the Core Banks and shallow water. This would take us a bit out of our way, but we’d still be heading in the right general direction.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pitstop in shallow water in the Sound</td></tr>
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As any nautical chart will show, there is a lot of very shallow water in the northern Core Sound. We were still quite a ways from solid marsh when we reached water shallow enough for me to hop out and stand next to my boat. The relief was immediate. We spent the next 30 minutes or so taking water and snacks and experimenting with various approaches to peeing from a boat while wearing a drysuit (experimental results available on request). Eventually I felt well enough to continue, and we headed off. I would have to stop one more time before we reached our destination, on the edge of a marsh prior to reaching Portsmouth Island. Fortunately I was able to continue paddling the entire time. The group decision to find shallow water and take additional stops allowed me to avoid the more debilitating effects of seasickness. In the end, I suspect that the extra distance and rest stops ended up delaying us much less than if I had needed a nurse boat and a tow. In retrospect, given our plan for a long crossing without opportunity to land I definitely should have taken a Dramamine before launch to remove any risk; if shallow water hadn't been an option, things could have gotten much worse for me and the group.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up camp on Portsmouth Island</td></tr>
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We reached our landing on Portsmouth Island after 18 miles of paddling and well before dark. Once on sandy beach I made a full recovery, and we were all able to find a site and set up camp at a leisurely pace while the sun set. We pitched tents in the dunes just off the beach, and aside from some mild uncertainty about the likelihood of the tide overtopping the dunes (it would not), we spent a very pleasant evening refueling and resting. The campsite was mercifully free of mosquitoes. Portsmouth Island has a rather infamous reputation, and I had troubled myself by reading online horror stories of mosquito-plagued outings prior to the trip. But the breeze and the early season conspired to keep us bug-free, and to provide us with perfect camping conditions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portsmouth Island campsite</td></tr>
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The next morning (after dutifully taking my Dramamine) we headed out Ocracoke inlet on the outgoing tide, taking a pretty steep ferry angle across the inlet to avoid getting swept out to sea. Before heading out we spent some time surveying the sandbars and breakers to find the safest route out to open water. We proceeding cautiously, pausing occasionally to discuss options and try to locate a calm path around the point. Our patience paid off, and we ended up getting outside without incident, following a relatively surf-free passage that cut inside an offshore break.<br />
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Once on the ocean side we headed northeast along the Ocracoke coast, directly into the wind. Fortunately the wind was as forecast, around 15 miles per hour. Having dealt with worse wind before I felt that we were making decent time, probably moving along at 3 miles per hour or better. But the markers on land seemed to tell a different story. After several hours of paddling we appeared to be making little progress, and decided to make a surf landing to take stock of the situation and get some food and rest. The landing was not entirely uneventful; the second boat in got tumbled in the surf after landing, coming up on top of the first boat and causing some minor damage. An important lesson learned: Spacing and timing are critical for surf landings. With so much beach available to us we should have been spread out much more. Also: Loaded boats and surf are a risky combination. It’s hard to control a loaded boat once you’re out of it, and the surf never seems to care that you haven’t quite gotten your boat out of the water before the next wave breaks. <br />
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On the beach we consulted Lee’s GPS, and were dismayed to learn that we had made it only about one third of the way up the island. We were barely averaging 2 miles per hour. Over the remainder of that day we pieced together an explanation. We had been fighting not only wind, but strong littoral or “longshore” current caused by swell approaching the coast at an angle. The northeast wind had been blowing for several days, building up 3 to 4 foot swell coming from that direction, nearly right in our faces. The associated current was running against us parallel to shore, and had been slowing us much more than we anticipated based solely on the wind. This effect was later confirmed by some other boaters we ran into, who commented on the strong longshore current to the southwest. Some quick calculations revealed that even if we kept up our current speed we wouldn’t reach Hatteras Inlet until the tide had turned against us. We discussed the possibility of continuing onward and camping instead at the north end of Ocracoke before entering the inlet, but we soon rejected this option. It would have gotten us in late after a grueling paddle, we didn’t know what would be available in terms of campsites, and (most problematic) we had all planned only for enough water to last through one night and couldn’t be guaranteed resupply. So the group opted to head back; we would reenter Ocracoke Inlet and camp at Springer’s Point, where we had originally planned to camp on the third night.<br />
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The experience presented a sobering lesson in the importance and challenge of accurately judging speed in conditions. The strength of the littoral current and its effect on our progress was surprising to all of us. Had we not been near shore with ample opportunities to judge land speed using obvious markers (water towers and other structures), we could have seriously overestimated our distance traveled and been in real trouble mistiming tides at the next inlet.<br />
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After launching through the surf we headed back to the southwest, flying downwind (and down current) and topping out at speeds over 6 miles per hour. We re-entered the inlet the same way we exited—cautiously, looking again for the path we had taken on the way out. We hit a bit more surf in this direction, which John took as the perfect opportunity to execute his first combat roll. After rounding the point it was a smooth paddle, mostly shielded from the northeast wind, to a calm beach landing at Springer’s Point. After setting up camp we walked through the nature preserve into Ocracoke and rewarded ourselves for 18.5 miles of hard paddling and judicious planning with pizza, beer, and ice cream.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Springer's Point beach</td></tr>
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Since our plan for circumnavigation was shot, we mulled over a number of options for the next day. Unfortunately tides would not be conducive to heading out the inlet again, even just for a day of surf play. And a long paddle back to the takeout at Cedar Island just seemed like a lot of effort without the promise of anything new—plus, the wind was forecast to shift 180 degrees overnight, and would be right in our faces for a trip back across the Sound. So we decided to get up late, have breakfast in Ocracoke, and take the early afternoon ferry back to Cedar Island. From there Lee, John, and I would drive over to Lee’s place to spend the night, followed by a Monday morning surf session at Bogue Inlet. Chris decided to head home Sunday night, saving his vacation day for another trip.<br />
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Just one quick note on the ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar Island: It is <i>outrageously</i> inexpensive. One dollar gets you on board as a walk-on, and bikes cost a mere $2 more. Kayaks, mysteriously, are free.<br />
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Tides again worked for us at Bogue Inlet on Monday morning; we let the tail end of the outgoing tide carry us out in the morning, and rode the beginnings of the flood back in the early afternoon. Surf was at about 2-4 feet, perfect for a few hours of practice catching waves, bracing, and perfecting our rolls. John and I, both relatively new to the surf zone, found the conditions just right to challenge ourselves and build confidence in rougher water. At the start of the flood tide the water just outside the inlet turned confused, with a small area of clapotis and waves breaking from multiple directions, ideal for practicing timely bracing and boat and blade awareness. It turned out to be a fortuitous addition to the trip, something we wouldn’t have gotten had conditions not forced us to deviate from our original plan. It was a great end to a great weekend--challenging paddling, fantastic early summer camping, and good group decision-making made for an enjoyable trip and a valuable learning experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUGekID58Qf97IxOjSyH7OCoqjVxvwx0Dr98xMDJDmITLJhBE3qBUXxcATpri6B3-RFkt7W5edmPwhxKfBUQRO8aXJkSWjIUXJXRYlQYrv6Ce9uKshOmSPNf4F90V49A04AEfpBfz3rM/s1600/bogue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUGekID58Qf97IxOjSyH7OCoqjVxvwx0Dr98xMDJDmITLJhBE3qBUXxcATpri6B3-RFkt7W5edmPwhxKfBUQRO8aXJkSWjIUXJXRYlQYrv6Ce9uKshOmSPNf4F90V49A04AEfpBfz3rM/s640/bogue.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break from the surf at Bogue Inlet (photo by John Keeter)</td></tr>
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<br />jdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916275714337757755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-8423135460028000142014-07-17T01:25:00.000-04:002014-07-17T02:24:41.128-04:00Journey Across The Pamlico<div style="font-size: 12px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kaJ9AowIO1EgBwQRWLgXO16eDUvkgh2LbX8Y6htRZND9WeZK9ES-_mnpY1xhyojqNGDrh7OafOkKuDo70uFznls6reVuOB_fGh0Vou3GSuh1CLPC5aiLuKlsmpXlMD1PyhHi5bPHj5sr/s1600/DSC03604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kaJ9AowIO1EgBwQRWLgXO16eDUvkgh2LbX8Y6htRZND9WeZK9ES-_mnpY1xhyojqNGDrh7OafOkKuDo70uFznls6reVuOB_fGh0Vou3GSuh1CLPC5aiLuKlsmpXlMD1PyhHi5bPHj5sr/s1600/DSC03604.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzl9Np8u8hll-29f9Vanhf4Aw0aE_JVacFEjmfSJxpwPxEFNnKzKLTefmoB2NPk6rd06CGxGyD2xNMIjgsx181BXeJ2iPAJMuGog7AGcrZvZhncP5yORwbeMDEt8wZpIX-RmJbnNX9zBF/s1600/DSC03618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCOtyq1MfnjTTyw-b1mToXg0dWLvzuHzJe5c1XDoLs8VUS4gsjfkfiO-YjNvgixIAltdyR8zhFQhg2bFs7TRhjj0cEcugp_eqdVOLMEUlvpt6uPCDah06jyij-DsNGUmAabpZD-JbDcVe/s1600/DSC03604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Pamlico Sound is the largest lagoon on the US east coast. When Italian explorer Giovanni da Varrazzano reached the Pamlico Sound in 1524 he thought he was in the Pacific Ocean. His report caused many errors in the naming of places on the map of North America. Its vast size and numerous shoals present many dangers and rough ocean conditions. For 2 years Lee endeavored to lead a kayak trip to cross the Pamlico Sound. Such a trip would carry with it dangers inherent in an major open water crossing. A paddler would have no place to bail out, rest, perform repairs, and have no shelter from storms and high winds. The trip would also require a reliable weather window and excellent navigation practices. In 2013 the time for the long an</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ticipated trip came, but risky weather forced Lee to cancel the trip entirely. He scheduled a second attempt the following year on July 12th, 2014 to leave from a public boating ramp at Stumpy Point on the mainland and cross the Pamlico Sound to the town of Rodanthe on North Carolina’s Outer Banks and return in the next 2 days when the weather permitted. We estimated the crossing would be around 18 miles each direction with each crossing lasting a duration of 4.5 - 6 hours. Our destination was Rodanthe Water Sports campground on the sound front and accessible directly by our kayaks. To bolster our navigational tools, Lee studied surrounding landmarks that would be visible far out at sea. He noted our destination was next to a water tank and near a radio tower. He estimated the towers would be visible once we were 5 miles from shore on a relatively clear day. Lee also picked out landmarks at our departure site to aid navigation home. A water tank and a cell antenna a mile inland were the only distinguishing landmarks that could be seen </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzl9Np8u8hll-29f9Vanhf4Aw0aE_JVacFEjmfSJxpwPxEFNnKzKLTefmoB2NPk6rd06CGxGyD2xNMIjgsx181BXeJ2iPAJMuGog7AGcrZvZhncP5yORwbeMDEt8wZpIX-RmJbnNX9zBF/s1600/DSC03618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzl9Np8u8hll-29f9Vanhf4Aw0aE_JVacFEjmfSJxpwPxEFNnKzKLTefmoB2NPk6rd06CGxGyD2xNMIjgsx181BXeJ2iPAJMuGog7AGcrZvZhncP5yORwbeMDEt8wZpIX-RmJbnNX9zBF/s1600/DSC03618.JPG" height="212" style="float: left;" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">at a distance for the return trip. In preparation, I created two routes and downloaded them into my GPS a few nights before departure. Lee had briefly contemplated leaving for Rodanthe from the port town of Engelhard which would </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> ve been an open crossing of 28 miles instead of the 18 miles we had planned if we had a south-west wind pushing us the entire way. However, the winds that day were to be 10-15 mph from the north-east . So we decided to depart from the originally planned site at Stumpy Point and deal with the wind and waves on our left beam.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7CsXKedyHD71kD8VQV4k68RYvFA4pcEikurmxnSLldyhJODp6oXV225gz-rZueXpoaeNiZrcIiFF-hOWUcNRoj-jVQa4DXZAPICVNNZYomvKhwWUzWz-e6JLHhegrH1spSKFuadRpx7Q/s1600/DSC03606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7CsXKedyHD71kD8VQV4k68RYvFA4pcEikurmxnSLldyhJODp6oXV225gz-rZueXpoaeNiZrcIiFF-hOWUcNRoj-jVQa4DXZAPICVNNZYomvKhwWUzWz-e6JLHhegrH1spSKFuadRpx7Q/s1600/DSC03606.JPG" height="213" style="float: left;" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our departure point from the mainland was a wildlife</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ramp on</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> a swampy rural hook shaped peninsula named Stumpy Point. There were no stores or lodging facilities for 20 miles, so we staged our trip from the near by town of Engelhard which was dealing with a cleanup after hurricane Arthur passed by a a week earlier. Mosquitos were everywhere, so the marina we had planned to camp at seemed even less inviting. Soon after we arrived in Englelhard, we learned Chris would be meeting us at Stumpy Point for the departure. On a whim, Lee and I decided to abandon our campsite plans and stay at the Hotel Engelhard overnight where we enjoyed good company and a hearty hot breakfast the next morning. We started our day at 6:00 am and left for Stumpy Point after our hearty breakfast for a planned 8:00 am launch. Driving the lonely road to the launch site we left civilization behind and contemplated the trip ahead as we stared into long empty road across a flat treeless landscape. Chris was at the boat ramp as we arrived to begin the careful packing process of loading our kayaks for the trip. Everything we needed along the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">way had to be easily accessible from the cockpit of a pitching kayak since we would not stop or get out of our kayaks until we landed in the Outer Banks. All my food was in small plastic containers so I could grab them quickly from my day hatch. I rigged 2 hydration systems with tubes inches from my mouth. A 3 liter bladder strapped behind the cockpit, and a secondary 1.5 liter bladder inside my PFD. I </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ58_Eshvm1rcIuXxLLl3NiaVMQjQEbve2BCusWGaWTD0OLuoZW7CjT8n0z5c7bIIm4T5gdCkiWUSMK9yGt7AblYfoKOxrQAA6m36Hq42l1UbbxfOdvqUTZG2_mnH1jlY4zUvWl53jTuYY/s1600/DSC03621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ58_Eshvm1rcIuXxLLl3NiaVMQjQEbve2BCusWGaWTD0OLuoZW7CjT8n0z5c7bIIm4T5gdCkiWUSMK9yGt7AblYfoKOxrQAA6m36Hq42l1UbbxfOdvqUTZG2_mnH1jlY4zUvWl53jTuYY/s1600/DSC03621.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">was not to use the water in my PFD until the 3 liter hydration unit was empty since it was my emergency water supply in case I was separated from my kayak and lost. I had </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">both a VHF radio with an emergency location system and a SARSAT Personal Location Beacon. I also carried 4 flares and a signal mirror in the front compartment of my PFD. Attached to the side was my trusty whistle. As we packed the NE wind penetrated the trees to remind us that this was not to be a calm day. I worked hard all winter perfecting a bomb proof roll recovery at the pool and practiced often in the lake and during trips to ensure a good chance of recovery in the event of a capsize. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EA3irIqDFPcojAN_pvC5gKF2R4OPVfSMgkWKacPiuyNuxESF1_-LNRRUenhYCw7LU0zk9O_IiPMBeH44taRGMmMKWuEqwpwsEfe5eZBV231b-DXspKncM6XIkMcmsyu51QjPDuwoeBtt/s1600/DSC03629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EA3irIqDFPcojAN_pvC5gKF2R4OPVfSMgkWKacPiuyNuxESF1_-LNRRUenhYCw7LU0zk9O_IiPMBeH44taRGMmMKWuEqwpwsEfe5eZBV231b-DXspKncM6XIkMcmsyu51QjPDuwoeBtt/s1600/DSC03629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRo1KKGF-wY0LbLvlvNUNLIRzJRsk12-egTztnTAzOvdy19eWnTUZcuGvhy8FbsCB0eR5865_m-E7CfYjepNrkSxF7hJQO7Rr7gR9VFyiNo6FSOg7UE-iBJ2U-HqPr86tLFrUQtzuczvB/s1600/DSC03625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRo1KKGF-wY0LbLvlvNUNLIRzJRsk12-egTztnTAzOvdy19eWnTUZcuGvhy8FbsCB0eR5865_m-E7CfYjepNrkSxF7hJQO7Rr7gR9VFyiNo6FSOg7UE-iBJ2U-HqPr86tLFrUQtzuczvB/s1600/DSC03625.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EA3irIqDFPcojAN_pvC5gKF2R4OPVfSMgkWKacPiuyNuxESF1_-LNRRUenhYCw7LU0zk9O_IiPMBeH44taRGMmMKWuEqwpwsEfe5eZBV231b-DXspKncM6XIkMcmsyu51QjPDuwoeBtt/s1600/DSC03629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: center;">We departed for our crossing at 8:45 am under the <br />morning sun through the tranquil waters inside the hook of Stumpy Point heading toward the point. When we reached the point, the wind and waves were waiting for us as our kayaks slammed by the 1 ft chop on the left beam. Once around the point, we set course to the town of Rodanthe on the Outer Banks far over an empty horizon. The water flew over our kayaks, accented in gold by the morning sun. For the entire trip each way I had my GPS route pointer displayed page. Once my kayak was on course, I immediately took a compass bering to our destination in case my GPS should fail and checked it periodically along the way. For the trip over we held to bering 120 degrees. I found the compass was easier to steer my kayak by as the GPS screen was slow to correct </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: center;"> at times to the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; text-align: center;">pitching kayak which made the route pointer seem to point erratically. The waves and wind made their presence known as waves crashed into the port side of our kayaks and spilled over the deck. My normally less stable kayak was a little bit more stable with the kayak loaded with gear and fresh water. Despite the waves and wind hitting us, we were making way at a good 4.2-4.7 mph as our bows pitched over the waves. The morning sun reflection from the waves and flying spray was beautiful. With the pitching, we had to remain vigilant about staying on course with no visible landmarks to guide us. Lee </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">stressed that we should err our path to the </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGVUwc8716KtVxCkIftRB9-1jMmfRKyMmKSyq8o-HUbltLI0ALzpbb1pzLKRD_8VR6ZE1qe4owHCb06YXKL9hq_lARg-KnYDWu4jsrgM7vBhhitN5HxhrE2KIBHBxRW6S7lw4hQwOGRwx/s1600/DSC03624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGVUwc8716KtVxCkIftRB9-1jMmfRKyMmKSyq8o-HUbltLI0ALzpbb1pzLKRD_8VR6ZE1qe4owHCb06YXKL9hq_lARg-KnYDWu4jsrgM7vBhhitN5HxhrE2KIBHBxRW6S7lw4hQwOGRwx/s1600/DSC03624.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">north to counter the inevitable southward drift of our kayaks caused by the wind and waves on our left beam. I adjusted my paddle cadence to match the period of the waves to ensure my paddle was in the proper bracing position at all times to </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">prevent a sudden capsize. Lee periodically looked back to determine how far out from shore he could see our return trip landmarks. As we moved beyond the sight of land I became more comfortable relying on my navigation instruments. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKGcV_Fmi_EJHP1YT0jM4ZIGng7YVUmiUaMN7EYIYSxetOpZ79qA5SheujH9ankB7dGZSDDLHPfeW-C-Q5rSmLM5YCq5meXF48BJncgqEX1u3xQ7aiOZI1xALZu02mYc9_kFw18p-SQ5K/s1600/DSC03631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKGcV_Fmi_EJHP1YT0jM4ZIGng7YVUmiUaMN7EYIYSxetOpZ79qA5SheujH9ankB7dGZSDDLHPfeW-C-Q5rSmLM5YCq5meXF48BJncgqEX1u3xQ7aiOZI1xALZu02mYc9_kFw18p-SQ5K/s1600/DSC03631.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EA3irIqDFPcojAN_pvC5gKF2R4OPVfSMgkWKacPiuyNuxESF1_-LNRRUenhYCw7LU0zk9O_IiPMBeH44taRGMmMKWuEqwpwsEfe5eZBV231b-DXspKncM6XIkMcmsyu51QjPDuwoeBtt/s1600/DSC03629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTEoLzC1r3C_KViXwFmpq6pgg4Z-oHJ2TkeD0ndA7nQ1UBLSzs0UvTTi4n4EmB4sgHPqjzLO81dYbjpQiIgwELEfyibojqAjFyzC3aqWhhyphenhyphen4xl43i0CN3mlGgbV-GKpmJPyekfDt1mOe4/s1600/DSC03625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At 4.5 miles out we sited the tall water tank next to our destination which was our landmark from the outer Banks. Our kayaks pointed strait at the landmark as it was first sighted reassured me my navigation instruments were spot on. From then on we were able to visually navigate as we were most comfortable doing even though we were still a long way from spotting land. The wind was a little stronger and the waves steepened as we were far from any shore. As the trip wore on, the miles seemed to tick off slower as our landmark so far away was in no hurry to move closer. We could not stop, so everything we did had to be accomplished very quickly and deliberately. Every time a hand was taken off the paddle left us vulnerable to being knocked over by one of the constant barrage of waves hitting our beam. Through the entire trip we always gripped our paddles firmly by at least one hand. This trip was only the second expedition for my Epic Kayak and the first in rough water. I found accessing my food more challenging than anticipated. So I had to curtail my meals until the seas subsided enough to safely reach for my food. The resulting loss of calories would later catch up with me. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7Z_yQldNMVHZAxPZq0-tcCc_gRXMgjz-UE8boI0FG3Ekkcfl7gBQg-_SIJIoE_L-MAcI1uCtqxz2iOhhjCb0cFXRwb5-prMMlDOQLpu67nrk1MiaWKz6rNqSpm3dnffP1PpPFN_JyhQp/s1600/DSC03634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">As we drew closer, we could start seeing more land features. Radio antennas appeared from obscurity, later houses, business, and other land features appeared and at long last land. The NE wind hitting us from the side all day was coming directly from the Atlantic, so as we drew closer to the Outer Banks the shrinking fetch lessened the size of the waves. We could feel ourselves getting closer to the Outer Banks. The beautiful sand dunes from the national seashore painted the island with a sparkling stroke of gold. We saw navigation markers to the Oregon Inlet pass by as we directly headed to our destination. Having no been able to replace the energy I lost was starting to take its toll and my pace slowed considerably </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs64ZEAG6_KIgZ8T6UASii7c1MyOQtqmX1YCD5ZZAVI7T9cXIir9AUrkueyPi-1cZFkzHN4bvvjZZKuQM82j8z0LAaSZpxI0zu7OSZ1rQ61VwaE9_gWOUgzUBKxbAyogwqmWYWma52mA_/s1600/DSC03634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs64ZEAG6_KIgZ8T6UASii7c1MyOQtqmX1YCD5ZZAVI7T9cXIir9AUrkueyPi-1cZFkzHN4bvvjZZKuQM82j8z0LAaSZpxI0zu7OSZ1rQ61VwaE9_gWOUgzUBKxbAyogwqmWYWma52mA_/s1600/DSC03634.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">as I began to struggle the last few miles. As we neared the shore, our kayaks passed into shallow water and saw jet skis, standup boards and the puzzled looks of people at play wondering where these three kayaks appearing from the abyss came from. We landed on a gentle beach exactly 4.5 hours after launch and traveled 17.3 miles. The staff on hand was kind enough to help us carry our loaded kayaks from the water’s edge to a grassy spot at the top of the bluff. After nearly 5 hours we arrived and were starving hungry after a non stop trip. We wasted no time unloading and pitching our tents so we could clean up and find some much needed food. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;">We walked next door to Lisa’s Pizza in Rodanthe where</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOZohTA08L3_mdJ3J0hCx-VkfExoDoQ5cSc_gfCXYZac3ynVtUv2T6AFUU_OGXuH2upW4Yozu9aiMMLGHNLMT5N7vXVXAr9B8aQQThJ5VcGVQRaGKkP96ivC0yqRCwjhmG2Q08oLoAQYL/s1600/DSC03639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOZohTA08L3_mdJ3J0hCx-VkfExoDoQ5cSc_gfCXYZac3ynVtUv2T6AFUU_OGXuH2upW4Yozu9aiMMLGHNLMT5N7vXVXAr9B8aQQThJ5VcGVQRaGKkP96ivC0yqRCwjhmG2Q08oLoAQYL/s1600/DSC03639.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> the 3 of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">us ate 2 large pizzas. After which, we sat and savored the air conditioning for a while before leaving to find Chris some ice-cream. We hit a few shops, then walked a mile north to see “Serendipity” where the movie “Nights in Rodanthe” was filmed. The house had been moved from its romantic spot at the ocean’s edge to a safer lot inland. We made our way to the beach and took in the sights of the beautifully quaint Rodanthe beach for a while and made our way back to the campground in time to watch a most beautiful sunset over the Pamlico Sound. Before going to bed, we made preparations for a very early departure back the next morning. This would be our only weather window since the </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a8MPZcQjXC87OSJohusClI_yeEl5H1FFPVte65HQII7gICghsjMDCDbjSQSacQWZJA6Y-VqhCq5TmmmxDl5FOKpBtSy76_kVWJAGDGmhD1TXVrQRFTJuvSzcRZaezhPkbF2kidYCOgpx/s1600/DSC03654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a8MPZcQjXC87OSJohusClI_yeEl5H1FFPVte65HQII7gICghsjMDCDbjSQSacQWZJA6Y-VqhCq5TmmmxDl5FOKpBtSy76_kVWJAGDGmhD1TXVrQRFTJuvSzcRZaezhPkbF2kidYCOgpx/s1600/DSC03654.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">weather was forecast to deteriorate after noon. For my part, I hoped and prayed for a calmer less rocky trip home. After plugging in the route back on my GPS I started getting ready for bed. We had a most exhilarating and satisfying day and slept well that night. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7SHQiM1dPMgO8dMZ91gO-Y_dvXCrwXg8ZWMniOqUxVuUJ2gTyf7PDoVG51DqagcpzGww0k1oSm-CIUqaLPLG_JDH0uXTOP6IZEPi7ASwbIAnzPCgSaauEgwK6Mb25Ywhw6YqcP7dpfq2/s1600/DSC03655-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0l9uKncuqN6-OaQBRySFx4oowzY2KvL2fyhYH9sTnLrRBWiTA0ffxrrQjTwNasO4A_FeSLHEF1ns4BgmwJprHIqdcH6V2m28f6ISTnh-QyOptn-qR4cdTsH9AHJh1mivrhJfMkqCJH8h/s1600/DSC03656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0l9uKncuqN6-OaQBRySFx4oowzY2KvL2fyhYH9sTnLrRBWiTA0ffxrrQjTwNasO4A_FeSLHEF1ns4BgmwJprHIqdcH6V2m28f6ISTnh-QyOptn-qR4cdTsH9AHJh1mivrhJfMkqCJH8h/s1600/DSC03656.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0l9uKncuqN6-OaQBRySFx4oowzY2KvL2fyhYH9sTnLrRBWiTA0ffxrrQjTwNasO4A_FeSLHEF1ns4BgmwJprHIqdcH6V2m28f6ISTnh-QyOptn-qR4cdTsH9AHJh1mivrhJfMkqCJH8h/s1600/DSC03656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsAu-l3RqrldOQZR5leiRDyL9uBbVNmQdEWIwK93-_q4SXV3QqZXDEQxjb8MHAX6LIM9HIBQohHMvzxuLt3o75fctVkVd_thyphenhyphenzsHsSs8oi6KrO3iXijioAYP0yjxa4m7hJnrYgK2QDZMU/s1600/DSC03654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12px;">The following morning, we departed Rodanthe at 7:15 am in crystal calm conditions. The golden light of the sun cast a warm glow as we departed familiar surroundings into what appeared to be the imaginary realm of a dream where the sky </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"> water were indistinguishable and objects real and imaginary appeared before us. Waves at a distance refracted off the horizon and appeared as land before vanishing. Clouds reflected off the water looked like a continuous sky above and below. The silence was peaceful, but its emptiness lent it to a most surreal environment we passed into. There were also the familiar sights of pelicans plunging after fish. Once again we started with no landmarks and relied entirely on our navigation instruments. I took my compass bering for the trip back across the sound . We followed herring 300 back as we plugged forward through the dream like landscape. We spotted many unexplained objects and anomalies. What looked like a big block of pilings or a barge ahead of us was likely trees far over the horizon magnified by the air at the water’s surface. As we paddled on, the tranquil conditions continued. Unlike the trip over, we could actually converse in a normal voice as we found ourselves truly alone miles from anywhere. or anything. We spotted a red marker on the same bering as our destination so we used it as a visual landmark knowing it was stationary, but not really knowing what it was until we were almost upon it. It turned out to be a channel marker to the Oregon Inlet. Once we passed it we once again navigated by our instruments until at 12.7 miles into the trip, we spotted our Stumpy Point landmark on the correct compass bering and backed up by my GPS route </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">pointer. But It was very far away and we were a long way from spotting real land. When visibility improved, we saw the lonely Bodie Island lighthouse to the north at a distance. We were able to make our way back </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIeSPdJBZXUC7fm8wLywhsDAYITY4P7lbhLpVeQN92FJcHsSvYV_SIjyvVmSBMyJIBnxa4Snhx5XpE22AlgDagI3rXzPzk_uNwfyMiL7ZCUtv7jpPBI53McF-_c_zJ5edQiEsXkZbHpkC/s1600/DSC03658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIeSPdJBZXUC7fm8wLywhsDAYITY4P7lbhLpVeQN92FJcHsSvYV_SIjyvVmSBMyJIBnxa4Snhx5XpE22AlgDagI3rXzPzk_uNwfyMiL7ZCUtv7jpPBI53McF-_c_zJ5edQiEsXkZbHpkC/s1600/DSC03658.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12px;">faster with the calm conditions and afforded more freedoms </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPnJU4cziaPTqREDTqHlEeb-9QAMsX2JhLKRpGeS1GkgxLcveS-mnRFebHvcTzpg7ck1ovRsiS8SftMkCSWgaTBNTrRdh19T3GRqKC7UkWUjBbYpL5UMjG_Ql1bOiTQnlFc2wE2FR7qeG/s1600/DSC03659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPnJU4cziaPTqREDTqHlEeb-9QAMsX2JhLKRpGeS1GkgxLcveS-mnRFebHvcTzpg7ck1ovRsiS8SftMkCSWgaTBNTrRdh19T3GRqKC7UkWUjBbYpL5UMjG_Ql1bOiTQnlFc2wE2FR7qeG/s1600/DSC03659.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12px;">to leisurly grab for food, drinks, lotion without worry of a c</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;">apsize in rough waters. But there was little to no wind to cool </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKZ8BL5CXz3342D7F-JkLS2RPjSazZmFNY-0dccaSPEGjXyHQubDynEq-1iN6-RSVs9bNdngAaNOdP9uOMmmQ1ijPhRK9nlU805ZxfdN7M1k6PnlQ9NVYCkuhJ9RuYI7Y60Uj8zQdo1so/s1600/DSC03662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKZ8BL5CXz3342D7F-JkLS2RPjSazZmFNY-0dccaSPEGjXyHQubDynEq-1iN6-RSVs9bNdngAaNOdP9uOMmmQ1ijPhRK9nlU805ZxfdN7M1k6PnlQ9NVYCkuhJ9RuYI7Y60Uj8zQdo1so/s1600/DSC03662.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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us. At one point Lee left his kayak and took a quick swim. I</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0l9uKncuqN6-OaQBRySFx4oowzY2KvL2fyhYH9sTnLrRBWiTA0ffxrrQjTwNasO4A_FeSLHEF1ns4BgmwJprHIqdcH6V2m28f6ISTnh-QyOptn-qR4cdTsH9AHJh1mivrhJfMkqCJH8h/s1600/DSC03656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start;"><br /></a></span></div>
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considered rolling my kayak, but did not want to get my camera wet. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbb7yxM4Kf3T46GIbrBYIbhhlBv814Kf2RcsKDt3-XkrZ6JQ_s5CaWAkZEDGz6cmUt8Xi4u5QRMuATPqix-wKQMw_eZ91FQpTUEJrNzarzKhfUw2bhOiCylxvTOkAmnwUAgOSV1WeBkmkv/s1600/DSC03662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYhnNqDExKbWpXOaJlOrISW4BIofwgASZEIrbFCW2NBlojDcmFVChFTH_QEgbSH8oCdN0s_MLO9qSprsIi9JZd0IuUfopfigbO8zYoFvQgK2y2dsYr5FF6GnefcF0j_I8oCVMQkNvmjQO/s1600/DSC03665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIYhnNqDExKbWpXOaJlOrISW4BIofwgASZEIrbFCW2NBlojDcmFVChFTH_QEgbSH8oCdN0s_MLO9qSprsIi9JZd0IuUfopfigbO8zYoFvQgK2y2dsYr5FF6GnefcF0j_I8oCVMQkNvmjQO/s1600/DSC03665.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbb7yxM4Kf3T46GIbrBYIbhhlBv814Kf2RcsKDt3-XkrZ6JQ_s5CaWAkZEDGz6cmUt8Xi4u5QRMuATPqix-wKQMw_eZ91FQpTUEJrNzarzKhfUw2bhOiCylxvTOkAmnwUAgOSV1WeBkmkv/s1600/DSC03662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After more miles ticked off, we could see tree covered</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> land and soon after, a 5 mph South East wind kicked up. As drew closer to our landmark, I noticed my GPS route pointer starting to diverge. We were heading for what appeared to be the point just left of our landmark, but my route pointer was continuing to diverge. I soon realized we made the error to use our landmark as a spot on marker for our destination when in reality, it was a mile or so from our destination. We corrected our course to my route which I set to a waypoint at the tip of Stumpy Point. Finally, the end was near and the wind was picking up as though the Pamlico was not willing to let us go without a fight. But soon we rounded the point and entered the protected waters inside the point and leisurely paddled the calm last quarter mile to the ramp and the end of our trip, arriving back at 11:35 am. Very shortly after our return our weather window closed as we observed torrent water from where we came with numerous whitecaps. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EBmmMsSw6MuYrot5gG9FmGV-nR-yshJfY4NRJj1XWUpJ2SlYAhGnSCiAoz3YH8sUHzNATkzUMffLBuL5IFKsTDKC4I-meka6McHV6hiO9vMgE8ddWMa-bDJmyZ6TJ1TUsTeIQ_12Wg2n/s1600/Pamlico+Track3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EBmmMsSw6MuYrot5gG9FmGV-nR-yshJfY4NRJj1XWUpJ2SlYAhGnSCiAoz3YH8sUHzNATkzUMffLBuL5IFKsTDKC4I-meka6McHV6hiO9vMgE8ddWMa-bDJmyZ6TJ1TUsTeIQ_12Wg2n/s1600/Pamlico+Track3.png" height="254" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the two days of this trip each one of us had paddled the farthest we had ever done without stopping or setting foot on land. We had traveled 35 miles according to my GPS at an average of 3.7 mph. I had learned much about navigation and the importance of researching landmarks in preparation. Preparation will make your trip much easier. I also was reminded of the importance of replenishing the calories burned. Toward the end of the trip over, I found myself running low on energy and struggling near the end. Know your body and give it what it needs. We had a great time on Rodanthe and enjoyed good food. The passages we well planned went well with no evil surprises. Our passage home was a surreal experience at times. One I have never experienced before. In summary, we were rewarded with a intimate perspective and experience that only a kayak can offer: to be one with every nuance of the sea with a front row seat to her vast emptiness, might and brilliance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Equipment:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Kayaks:</b> QCC Q700X, Epic 18x, P&H Bahiya</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9ioXCpBGq7-vySBLKH7t7-PJoOaDDVYMjA4EJSRvoWO2aiPFmffLeKzUSYw-W2vpAhlxlm6oeb8PDw1wt2mBc6fYiKTc9WGBU4W8ZUlNun8UheoOOVKtkDICw_K7czHxN7vcBMUq0uM/s1600/1017396_570990242948961_1817266935_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9ioXCpBGq7-vySBLKH7t7-PJoOaDDVYMjA4EJSRvoWO2aiPFmffLeKzUSYw-W2vpAhlxlm6oeb8PDw1wt2mBc6fYiKTc9WGBU4W8ZUlNun8UheoOOVKtkDICw_K7czHxN7vcBMUq0uM/s1600/1017396_570990242948961_1817266935_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Reason #21. Yoga Makes us Better Paddlers by: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> •</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Increasing our flexibility/torso rotation</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> •</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Increasing our balance </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> •</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prevents injury and delays age related physical ailments so we can paddle for years to come</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> •</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Helps us to focus and relax (when is focus important?) Big seas, interesting conditions, navigating whitewater, combat roll</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.38in;"> •</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.38in;">When we are focused and relax, we have better performance</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-indent: -0.38in;">Why Do I Practice Yoga? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After years of endurance horse back riding injuries and a serious whiplash injury that permanently straightened my neck vertebrae, I had very limited neck rotation and chronic back/shoulder pain</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">YOGA keeps me paddling and has increased my flexibility to allow me to roll, never would I have been able to do that without it</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yoga greatly enhances my connection w/</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> mind, body, spirit, boat, nature</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"> and the water</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz43jPq9GBFoYLT0lFg3iDh44SxHWgpjd_QZdSByk79zoY6JUa18k78TzWhtpPJ8gW4mNFuYxVgC_McLRnIlbYXSA2NQLJ9yEp_HuBLhvdAZ53u-8m9VPVO4nC-15lsSSmZosf-6fQ3w0/s1600/229928_450360971682592_58632929_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz43jPq9GBFoYLT0lFg3iDh44SxHWgpjd_QZdSByk79zoY6JUa18k78TzWhtpPJ8gW4mNFuYxVgC_McLRnIlbYXSA2NQLJ9yEp_HuBLhvdAZ53u-8m9VPVO4nC-15lsSSmZosf-6fQ3w0/s320/229928_450360971682592_58632929_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Yoga Makes You More Grateful<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">When and Where? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a studio</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every day</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At home</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shore side before entering a boat</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the boat (KAY-YOGA)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After paddling</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whenever sore, stiff, hurting</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the early morning</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At your desk</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the evening</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With your family</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By yourself</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With strangers in a class</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Outside is the BEST! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Chris fit at 53<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IhT3WBBd_aAdTk6EuFkFBZQdK6KGUtWd7WhD68xs8qRpzTKXsU8o3eftmk25sG8u3PGptI2SiSqCOe1o7WGnbRk9RGGOSo47WYYfqWMg4fvZ9HV83vWAH1BpiNYGn_fXQzY_jwRdIBg/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">I am grateful for kayaking<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Yoga isn't Just for Women! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Men’s Fitness Magazine, professional athletes who practice yoga:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shaquille O’Neal Basketball</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">LeBron</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> James Basketball</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ray Lewis Football</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Victor Crews Football</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mike </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Krzyzewski</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Basketball</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">New Zealand Rugby teams</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Philadelphia Eagles</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Evan Longoria Baseball</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kevin Garrett Basketball</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vernon Lewis Football</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kevin Love Basketball</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.38in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Joe Taft </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Men, Proceed with a Small Note of Caution:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -0.38in;"><span style="font-size: large;">NY Times</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yoga for men can be harmful IF:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They ignore aches and pains</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Force themselves into poses that they are not ready for (being more muscular than women, they tend to do this)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t jump into advanced poses too quickly</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Women naturally have more flexibility, men have more muscle and less flexibility</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">•</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Begin with a certified YOGA instructor, beginner classes</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Where to Start?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your local studio: we have partnered with mind/body/fitness yoga in Greensboro at <a href="http://www.mindbodyfitnessyoga.com/">www.mindbodyfitnessyoga.com</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">At home: </span></span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXX-4Z0XxzJ32vtMf0zgcpAI0YkxgnSO7V8KmExcCmgUQXJ0FFU9rnQyOaUd3IucbUhhwdijCSuyHut0WUySZWi82QTyeAvk3j8UXYD2B00nYEQHW5OVGi53A27-3Z3oF7bogW4B0VPFc/s1600/13062_509888609063161_794632531_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXX-4Z0XxzJ32vtMf0zgcpAI0YkxgnSO7V8KmExcCmgUQXJ0FFU9rnQyOaUd3IucbUhhwdijCSuyHut0WUySZWi82QTyeAvk3j8UXYD2B00nYEQHW5OVGi53A27-3Z3oF7bogW4B0VPFc/s1600/13062_509888609063161_794632531_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">www.shopgetoutdoors.com </td></tr>
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JoAndrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10511406614350299707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-41333621031324896142013-06-28T13:34:00.000-04:002013-06-28T19:05:19.582-04:00Laying the Foundation for Paddling Stronger: Cardiovascular Training Part II <!--[if !mso]>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXdX4snHUxH97W2mYBY47TbI1eMcuHNYk9SjRnItbEOiwNcVyTnH_ZmkitXyxjksQGGgfDYD0_bpeLuimAm0qhZIUs1eo_JlaB1eM1Wqm3qnu94Y7YxkHj76xMRxYHViSP8xcIpR9M98E/s227/canyon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXdX4snHUxH97W2mYBY47TbI1eMcuHNYk9SjRnItbEOiwNcVyTnH_ZmkitXyxjksQGGgfDYD0_bpeLuimAm0qhZIUs1eo_JlaB1eM1Wqm3qnu94Y7YxkHj76xMRxYHViSP8xcIpR9M98E/s227/canyon.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>by Stephen Knight</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the previous entry we began laying the groundwork
for improving paddling fitness by ranking the changes in breathing due
increased effort. These changes
were listed on a 1 to 10 scale to produce the Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) Table. We then assigned Training Zones (TZ) to
the RPE scale in the second table as an abbreviated way of describing our
efforts in order to train consistently. A benefit of using the RPE-TZ
Table is that there’s no instrumentation – you are the “on-board computer”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That’s not to say a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) isn’t useful, but it only generates numbers if you don’t know
what’s driving them. Beats per minute (BPM) become useful when they’re coupled
with the physiologic responses to increased effort like those described in the
RPE Table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This correlation lets us devise fairly accurate TZs based on BPM at levels of exertion up to RPE 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond that level of effort it’s not possible
to determine an accurate lactate threshold and maximum heart rate outside of
controlled testing conditions. Each person’s heart rate and response to
exertion will be unique due to age, conditioning, state of rest, and innate
physiology. That kind of precision is a lot more in-depth than we need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, the RPE-TZ table and a sports watch
are all that are needed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before
getting started with any performance training, meet with your
physician for an objective evaluation of your overall health to ensure there
aren’t any underlying conditions you need to know about, especially as we get
older. Read <a href="http://www.surfski.info/getting-started/tips-training/item/1025-atrial-fibrillation-and-the-athlete.html">http://www.surfski.info/getting-started/tips-training/item/1025-atrial-fibrillation-and-the-athlete.html</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, you need to establish a baseline to measure
improvements over time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can
expect positive changes in your health with consistent training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Time
to get started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s assume that
you fall into one of two groups, the first being relatively untrained and
paddle infrequently or at a low intensity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If this is the case and your goal is to improve your aerobic
endurance then you’ve got to spend more time paddling outside of your comfort
zone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">According
to the RPE –TZ table, that’s going to require paddling at RPE 3-4 / TZ 2, where
your effort is hard enough to make conversation difficult or in mostly short,
broken sentences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the
long, steady sessions lasting one to four hours with few if any rest stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start with 30 minutes to one hour at
this level of paddling at least two times a week; more often will bring faster
improvements. Keep extending your paddling at the same intensity until you
literally feel that you can paddle all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be patient, it could take several weeks before it gets easier
and the full benefits may not be apparent for a month or longer. Can’t get out
on the water as often as you’d like? You can get much the same benefit from
cycling, running or swimming at the same RPE. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I encourage running or jogging on trails because in addition
to an aerobic workout (yes, it’s OK to walk the hills), the uneven terrain improves
your sense of balance and awareness while in motion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">If
you fall into the second group where the goal is to improve speed and
long-distance endurance then the intensity has to increase. A lot. Training
must continue to build aerobic conditioning as well as adapt paddle specific muscles
to long periods of</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">endurance</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There
are two thoughts on how to achieve this goal, the first being to paddle at RPE
5 or TZ 3 for long steady efforts lasting one or more hours. At this level of
effort your breathing is heavy but limited conversation is still possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rest periods, if any, are kept very short.
For many paddlers this level of conditioning is good enough but it can come up
short if you are challenged by weather, currents or a heavily loaded kayak.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The
second approach is where the effort is harder but the rewards are greater. You
can expect substantial changes in endurance and power. Extended intervals at RPE
6-7/TZ4 will push your muscles to a point where they are just below the point
of having sufficient oxygen to perform efficiently. This is the sub-lactate
threshold, and training at this level may take 6-12 weeks before you see the
benefits, assuming you have good aerobic fitness to start with. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s
an interval workout that takes a little over an hour. Warm up thoroughly for 15-30
minutes emphasizing good forward stroke form, leaving the socializing and skills
practice for later. The first interval is 12 minutes at RPE 6-7 /TZ4. Your
breathing will quickly become very deep and hard - talking will not be
something you want to do, but you still can. This is not a sprint or all out
effort. Your goal is to be able to complete the entire 12 minutes in the
training zone. Recovery! Three
minutes of easy paddling. Now go again at the same high intensity for 10
minutes and recover for 2.5 minutes. Repeat for 8 minutes and recover for 2
minutes. See a pattern? Now go for
6 minutes and recover for 1.5 minutes.
Last one, go for 4 minutes and cool down. You’re done for this session. Interval workouts like this can be done
two to three times a week as long as you allow 1-2 days of recovery time
between sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If
at anytime you feel faint, or your breathing doesn’t seem to slow down when you
let up, then stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re not
ready for this level of workout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Drop back to the RPE 5/TZ 3 workouts for several weeks before trying the
higher intensity workout again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> “I
don’t know. All of this sounds too much like race training”. Well, you’re right. It is race training.
However, your body doesn’t know the difference between competing in a race and
paddling in challenging conditions. Skip even the least amount of conditioning and
eventually fatigue leads to being left behind or you risk developing an injury. Those are reasons enough to incorporate some
“race training” into your paddling.</span><!--EndFragment--><!--EndFragment--><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for
reading my blog entry for the Carolina Kayak Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been engaged in a number of outdoor activities for most
all of my life as a participant and instructor. When not competing in trail running,
bicycle and kayak races, I’m a USA Canoe and Kayak Team Paracanoe Coach and
work with the Bridge-II-Sports Foundation for Adaptive Sports as the Parakayak
Racing Club coach.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18032038123861523540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-82767228361426956972013-05-10T16:49:00.001-04:002013-05-10T17:32:17.171-04:00Know Your Kayak Under the Water (part 2): Stability Applications<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAKtHztYznBYuZrjfQwAsJTtTyqqrM3C-2CRQLYbHnvcXWBk-LRQ4d8mfGtUZouXJF4D3ZXQmN4K9kKRxZAtB0TrSOJXUGSSiIIGFwB3hSp-6zg3m1WzJCotaEZ3eckQNvTgcqxtakdW3/s1600/Portrait_small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAKtHztYznBYuZrjfQwAsJTtTyqqrM3C-2CRQLYbHnvcXWBk-LRQ4d8mfGtUZouXJF4D3ZXQmN4K9kKRxZAtB0TrSOJXUGSSiIIGFwB3hSp-6zg3m1WzJCotaEZ3eckQNvTgcqxtakdW3/s1600/Portrait_small.JPG" /></a>There are many considerations between practicality, safety and desire when we shop for a kayak. We may look for features that empower us for a realm of high adventure, or opt for a more modest craft to spend a few blissful hours in a tranquil paradise. Whatever we choose should have features that reach a balance between our aspirations, skills and confidence on the water. Unfortunately, there is no high tech miracle that will deliver all these things for every paddler. But instead a game of give and take that forces us to sacrifice coveted qualities we desire for the performance we want. Hull design is all about tradeoffs. But kayak designers are using some innovative techniques to seemingly cheat the laws of physics. In part 1 of this series, we examined the merits of primary and secondary stability and learned the importance of selecting the proper measurement of each to cultivate our skills and piece of mind while considering the consequences of the trade-offs for our choices. In this article we will examine some real kayaks and identify performance characteristics from their hull features and uncover some tricks designers are using to deliver performance while minimizing sacrificial tradeoffs. <br />
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The first kayak we will analyze is a popular recreation kayak targeting novice and casual paddlers with a bit more prowess to take them a bit beyond novice conditions: The Tsunami from Wilderness Systems is the choice of a wide range of paddlers from the very novice to intermediate and delivers a surprising performance when pressed. <br />
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A kayak that fills this role must feel comfortable and secure to paddlers whom have never paddled a kayak, and those engaged in a secondary activity like birding or fishing. So a high degree of primary stability is required. In exchange for this up-front stability, a substantial wetted surface must be deployed underwater to provide an adequate angle of support for a comfortable stable feel (see Fig A). The downside to providing this comfortable stability is the substantial drag from the broader wetted hull surface in addition to instability in rough conditions from the primary stability attempting to right itself on the slope of waves. But it is a designer's job to cheat the laws of physics anyway they can to reclaim performance. And the designers at Wilderness Systems had a few tricks up their sleeves.<br />
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As we saw in part 1, the theatre of battle between the forces of stability and instability plays out in the form of rotation about the longitudinal axis spaning the length of the kayak. To remain stable, the kayak must apply righting forces in the form of an opposing torque to this axis to counter the rotational destabilizing forces much like a wrench applies torque on a bolt. As we know, a longer wrench shaft will apply more torque on the axis. Moving the righting force away from that axis will allow the hull's beam to be used as leverage to magnify the forces of the primary and secondary stability as illustrated in <i>figure B</i>. But designers pay a high premium in wetted surface drag if they extend primary stability to the entire width of the hull. <i>Figure A</i> illustrates a cross-section at the center of the hull's length where the always deployed primary stability support is consuming wetted surface (WS) area. However, secondary stability is much less costly to the drag of the kayak as it resides undeployed at and above the waterline. So the kayak's streamline qualities will benefit most from this leverage if secondary stability resides at the furthest distance from the center axis. As we can see from the figures above, the designers at Wilderness Systems took a bite out of the primary stability area and lowered the secondary stability to quickly deploy when the kayak leans, taking over at the point where the center of gravity pushes the primary stability to the point of capitulation <i>(see figure B)</i>. We can also see the wetspace drag is reduced from this design as the wetted area is reduced. The handoff to secondary stability will also lend more stability in waves as the destabilizing effects from primary stability are reduced. But one drawback to locating the secondary stability this low to the water is a jump in the amount of wetted surface drag when a heavy payload makes the kayak sit lower in the water as secondary stability sitting passively above the waterline is deployed prematurely to bolster buoyancy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jzioHkchF-fzkIaTgzWMqUEyYZddTAbHgOrRDziVZp6sgIESsFvMAwJXLJkgF4SNDeFXRW_aDaUtVRMmzpyU-3QkiAu4VrKqbO_S75An0zWTICtQXe9od3dNqdvFdbAoDYVDSYmwmTl1/s1600/DSC01330_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jzioHkchF-fzkIaTgzWMqUEyYZddTAbHgOrRDziVZp6sgIESsFvMAwJXLJkgF4SNDeFXRW_aDaUtVRMmzpyU-3QkiAu4VrKqbO_S75An0zWTICtQXe9od3dNqdvFdbAoDYVDSYmwmTl1/s200/DSC01330_2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Task of lip changes to rear flotation</td></tr>
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As noted above, righting leverage is greatest at the widest point of the kayak, which in the Tsunami is located at the mid point in the hull's length. So all of the stabilizing magic must take place at the mid point in the length where the hull is widest. The rest of the hull's length will play little to no part in the stability at all since the leverage possible away from the widest beam is minuscule. Therefore the totality of the hull fore and aft of the middle is better utilized for other tasks like tracking, decreasing water drag, and providing lift above steep waves. So the protruding lip that provides secondary stability at the widest point serves a very different purpose of providing buoyancy at he bow and stern to lift them over steep waves and prevent the ends from perling. This lip fore and aft also keeps water from splashing on the paddler as waves hit the kayak. Also notice how the the designers reduced the wetted area fore and aft of the middle. The designers also added a dome area atop the ends to increase the buoyancy of the ends to reduce the tendency of periling into the waves. The pointed tops allow the ends to cut to the surface of the wave quickly if they perl without shoveling the water. These robust design measures at the ends is needed to overcome the lack of rocker the designers sacrificed to put more of the hull's waterline length to work in the water. As we see later, a rocker design is for waves beyond the targeted market for this kayak, so the designers properly passed on a rocker design. But they saw the need to bolster the ends to provide a capacity for waves, and this is one of the surprise competencies of the Tsunami.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuN8JiYmrJ-VsIU-wdeL9b3RJqSClw2l2yXk10JtpigvA_u28KXa9mbs09fDT9IYtg6LFIDiOx74VB46snGgssAuFqKYwy0Kg3TqUDtckA76Qf-X58cqthdTJLW7HUTT80rksAZYR1JcO/s1600/valley-gemini-sp-st.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuN8JiYmrJ-VsIU-wdeL9b3RJqSClw2l2yXk10JtpigvA_u28KXa9mbs09fDT9IYtg6LFIDiOx74VB46snGgssAuFqKYwy0Kg3TqUDtckA76Qf-X58cqthdTJLW7HUTT80rksAZYR1JcO/s320/valley-gemini-sp-st.jpg" width="320" /></a>The Gemini from Valley is an entirely different kayak designed for paddlers with a more advanced skill set. As such, the designers opted to create a hull at the other end of the tradeoff spectrum to provide more performance and less initial stability, delegating the task of stability to the paddler's skill set. However, the laws of physics stood directly in the path of their objectives. They wanted to design a kayak nimble enough to play in the surf and be competent for long distance expeditions. However, these two objectives put the designers at opposite ends of some significant tradeoffs of the hull design. A single solution was not possible as these two objectives are irreconcilable without severely diluting their desired specialized performance. So the designers decided to start from a common base design and spin off two distinct kayaks: the Gemini SP for surf play and the Gemini ST for for sport touring. For the benefit of our discussion, we will examine the design of both of these kayaks in broader detail to understand the choices the designers faced and the implications on the stability of both kayaks. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv8vB8RhD3HAQk5v0LFZk4iqRCnNTQpdClD_cJWvcHvONg70Eoh_m7bWtQaPBTqJO8FIhvaoctZ0PBToxuzREP9HgLMY-8KJPwrgk5O0FHRcMAFdOJvFBbwem-InIiT4uK4FWBEOOhwdc/s1600/DSC01316_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv8vB8RhD3HAQk5v0LFZk4iqRCnNTQpdClD_cJWvcHvONg70Eoh_m7bWtQaPBTqJO8FIhvaoctZ0PBToxuzREP9HgLMY-8KJPwrgk5O0FHRcMAFdOJvFBbwem-InIiT4uK4FWBEOOhwdc/s320/DSC01316_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemini SP underside with peeked keel and sidecut</td></tr>
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The Gemini SP by Valley is a surf zone play boat, designed to be nimble in the surf and turn effectively when put on edge. It is not designed for a comfortable ride over long straight distances for hours on end. It will smash through opposing waves and surf high atop their crest. In a surf environment, primary stability is not needed or desired as we know primary stability will erroneously attempt to right the kayak sideways on sloped surfaces, which is never a good thing. However, secondary stability is much more desired since it carries a delayed reaction and deploys much deeper into the lean, so a wave will pass before secondary stability can attempt to right the kayak on a slope. Secondary stability will also protect the paddler form a capsize while edging the kayak and leaning into a wave while side-surfing. Tracking is not as important as turning for a surf zone play boat since it must react quickly and need not hold a straight course for very long. So the designers created a short 14' 10" (452 cm) kayak with a lot of rocker to turn when on edge and stay above the waves with an upward orientated bow and stern. However, the tradeoff to this rocker design does not allow the load to be dispersed over the length of the hull, resulting in a hull that concentrates the load at the cockpit. A necessary sacrifice for the the high degree of coveted rocker. Normally, the laws of physics would be unkind to such a design as the sagging cockpit would plow the water causing significant drag. But the designers at Valley were not ready to give up on the kayak's prowess on smoother water. After all, the goal was to create two similar kayaks for different purposes with similar characteristics. To make the Gemini SP snappy as well as nimble, they needed to streamline the wetted surface beneath the cockpit to reduce drag. And the only way to do this was to add buoyancy at the keel with a steep peaked bottom to reduce wetted surface by boosting the kayak a little higher from the keel. To further reduce the wetted surface area the designers gave it hard chines with a cut-out similar to what we saw in the Tsunami <i>(visible in the picture below)</i>. The picture below also shows a benefit in the substantial amount of secondary stability in reserve above the waterline. The tradeoff for all this is a reduced primary stability which is not desired in a surf playboat, resulting in an initially unstable feeling kayak that novices would find unsettling, but a high performer for its playground in the surf.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa1y1oX-5bnev66Xp-Y22X0UTcEGcH9BKzUMYC6sFlU9jcDpGUTbWNGDha4xO25VPDa_5fuPz3lyL8ZKkB2Xjf_NlANfD8LQrS_6UVmeRB4F1uAXLBpj9Y9QLZa1WNMsB3Mh9xze82k-x/s1600/DSC01326_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa1y1oX-5bnev66Xp-Y22X0UTcEGcH9BKzUMYC6sFlU9jcDpGUTbWNGDha4xO25VPDa_5fuPz3lyL8ZKkB2Xjf_NlANfD8LQrS_6UVmeRB4F1uAXLBpj9Y9QLZa1WNMsB3Mh9xze82k-x/s320/DSC01326_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemini SP rides high with its rocker and ample sec stability</td></tr>
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With less wetted surface the Gemini SP shows surprising speed for this type of kayak. I was surprised one day on the lake when a friend in his Gemini SP was able to keep up with my Epic 18x on a casual cruise on a calm lake. Claims that Valley highly touts in their promotional material. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVajILQNjGNssOYMAotOOB2FGUxDagIdN-j3i2TqpFBSc9G2VAzOMqEt7U1uRN60h5eS8RjFJ6rzzZ-i_lM8wxHlElqU6b2BVyL7LqCWTN65BO3-bdV_VfgaYZZB2pShyphenhyphen0viS-fXYGfiz/s1600/DSC01311_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVajILQNjGNssOYMAotOOB2FGUxDagIdN-j3i2TqpFBSc9G2VAzOMqEt7U1uRN60h5eS8RjFJ6rzzZ-i_lM8wxHlElqU6b2BVyL7LqCWTN65BO3-bdV_VfgaYZZB2pShyphenhyphen0viS-fXYGfiz/s320/DSC01311_2.JPG" width="320" /></a>As a touring kayak, the Gemini ST sports tourer is designed for covering distances over calmer waters and provide the paddler with a more comfortable experience on the water over a longer span of time. It is the same length of its twin the SP. A touring kayak must be more efficient and minimize drag. Given its very different mission, the ST has much less rocker, letting it disperse its load over the length of the kayak so it rides higher with less wetted surface drag. The tradeoff is a less nimble kayak that does not edge as well and tends to perl into steep oncoming waves. Unlike its twin, the ST does not need hard chines or a high peeked keel. For its mission, the designers have given it softer chines with a flatter, low peaked bottom for more primary stability, but not too much, but allows the paddler to take a break, fish, shoot pictures, or relax without the unstable feeling of its twin the SP. But the designers at Valley similarly did not want to give up on the nimbleness of the ST. Without the high peeked bottom and the large cut out of the side, the designers had the luxury to bring down the sides of the hull closer to the water for a faster, more responsive secondary stability with a small cut for efficiency. These curved sides will also lend some nimbleness to this rocker-less design when edging by putting a curve on the water <i>(see part 3 of this series)</i>. But the lack of rocker leaves the ST more susceptible to perl into sharp waves. Often, manufacturers will compensate by adding more buoyancy to the bow and stern as we see in the SP. But unlike its twin, the designers remained true to their objective and sacrificed the surf readiness flotation volume at the ends for reduced drag and the efficiency of a more streamlined design.<br />
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So despite the very diverse performance objectives of the Valley Gemini designers, they created two kayaks rather than one to tackle an impossible spectrum of kayak performance goals in a truly unique way. The complexity of these solutions underscores the value of hull design knowledge so we are able to understand and make intelligent choices from the abundance of sophisticated technology available. Practically, we can only test a few kayaks on the water in far from ideal conditions. We have seen how designers make significant tradeoffs to obtain their performance objectives. But the motive that drives many kayak designers is to create a kayak that will fetch broad appeal so the company can monetize a successful product. For other designers, its a labor of love they hope to monetize. But the desires of a paddler lends purpose to a kayak as a tool leveraged to seek a path to their bliss and dreams. Ideally, the paddler will seek the the empowering technology they need, grow into its characteristics, and find confidence to carry on to the next level. A tall task for products of broad appeal. But as paddlers we have choices and the ability to obtain knowledge of the science that goes into these more specialized and capable craft. As for any endeavor no matter the discipline, the right tool is needed for the task. <br />
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In part 3 we will examine elements of hull design related to tracking and edging then dive into the hydrodynamics of skegs and directional hull features. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2013 Lyman Copps</span><br />
<br />Fastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-51213061886443538602013-04-26T00:21:00.000-04:002013-04-26T12:16:54.727-04:00Laying the Foundation for Paddling Stronger: Cardiovascular Training Part I<!--[if !mso]>
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<i style="font-family: Arial;">By Stephen Knight</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXRovK9TB5PulOHJfRwf69v1-7yPAlQ5PMfkVIEb4hffBR4r5j5TrkF3GxBTz7rIh67D0aDO6_OfrNHMGO5NxsErwMR3RCgoQBnpB26-GnAv10A_lBOkW9TVphvPDM3h9aZan52fFANmM/s1600/canyon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXRovK9TB5PulOHJfRwf69v1-7yPAlQ5PMfkVIEb4hffBR4r5j5TrkF3GxBTz7rIh67D0aDO6_OfrNHMGO5NxsErwMR3RCgoQBnpB26-GnAv10A_lBOkW9TVphvPDM3h9aZan52fFANmM/s200/canyon.png" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> We’ve all seen a paddler quickly glide by seemingly
with little effort and know it’s because of the hours of hard training. Your second thought is “my interests
are touring and enjoying the water, not going fast”. However, that thought quickly fades when you lag further behind
your group of friends or can’t cover the distance they can. “I paddle a lot but
I’m still slow. How come?” The answer is not the amount you paddle, but the
how.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Let’s start with the “how”. Without using
a heart rate monitor, we can get a good estimate on your level of exertion by
how you’re breathing or the Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE). Using a 1 to 10 scale with 1 being the
easiest, we can see that most recreational paddlers stay within an RPE of 1, 2
or 3. Beyond that, the ability to continue at a higher RPE is very limited. What’s more, it’s going to take a few
minutes or longer to recover from a higher effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNT7kXjrL7SnpFM4eTXRFcIoRXW_ugvp_blJeMmG_QXAM5NNH17db3IceXnvMF8ZfsqfAW3SZKPgjK_Ib041-Pon1w8hyphenhyphenRbm9UW43fnrtyQH_pF1KVSFw10lhM-j5aXBERxO9DlEUMRBf/s1600/table2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNT7kXjrL7SnpFM4eTXRFcIoRXW_ugvp_blJeMmG_QXAM5NNH17db3IceXnvMF8ZfsqfAW3SZKPgjK_Ib041-Pon1w8hyphenhyphenRbm9UW43fnrtyQH_pF1KVSFw10lhM-j5aXBERxO9DlEUMRBf/s640/table2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Now that we’ve established a way to gauge
our effort while paddling, what does that tell us about what is going on within
our bodies? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Taking a cue from our breathing, we can
divide our response to exertion into five distinct levels and call them Heart
Rate Zones. Each Zone is the body’s response to a diminishing availability of
oxygen to the working muscles. At
this point a heart rate monitor would be useful as a means to precisely measure
our response to working harder. However,
we’d need to know several other pieces of information and that’s beyond the
scope of this article. For our
purposes, the RPE scale is perfect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Looking at the Zone and RPE
table, we see two distinct divisions. Aerobic (with oxygen) in green, and Anaerobic (without
oxygen) in red. These divisions
represent the predominant type of energy generating metabolism going on in the
working muscles. The tipping point
or Lactate Threshold (RPE 8) is where the body is losing the ability to deliver
sufficient oxygen to sustain the effort. Although glucose can still be utilized anaerobically to
produce energy through an alternative pathway, it is short term and produces
lactic acid as a by-product. The
body does not let very much go to waste and lactic acid is no exception. It’s transported from inside the muscle
cells through the blood to the liver as lactate for processing into glucose. Wait, isn’t that why I get sore after
working hard? No. Lactic acid has an undeserved
reputation for producing residual “muscle burn” or soreness when in fact it’s
trauma to muscle cells that is the real culprit. Another name for this discomfort is Delayed Onset Muscle
Soreness or “DOMS”. Fortunately,
it goes away on its own and becomes less frequent with regular exercise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now that we’ve learned how
our bodies respond to exertion let’s go back to the original question, “how” are
you paddling? If you spend all of
your time at an RPE of 1 or 2 there are definite benefits but your fitness
level will still be quite low.
Increasing the intensity to an RPE of 3-4 will provide substantial
improvements in your ability to paddle longer with less effort, but it still
falls short. It isn’t until you
spend time at an RPE of 5 to 7 that you see significant improvements in your
fitness. Training at higher levels of intensity will increase <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">your lung capacity, stimulate
the heart to pump blood more efficiently, deliver more oxygen to the muscles
through an expanded capillary bed, develop more efficient energy metabolism, and
increase the number of mitochondria in muscle cells. That’s a pretty enticing return for an investment of effort. But, is it that easy, just paddle
harder? Well, sort of. There’s a
smart way and then there’s a hard way to improve your fitness. We’ll go with a
smart way to get good results in my next entry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks for
reading my blog entry for the Carolina Kayak Club. I’ve been engaged in a number of outdoor activities for most
all of my life as a participant and instructor. When not competing in running,
bicycle and kayak races, I’m a US Canoe and Kayak Team Paracanoe Coach and work
with the Bridge-II-Sports Foundation for Adaptive Sports as the Parakayak Racing
Club coach.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Fastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-34130218907960212882013-02-27T17:40:00.000-05:002013-04-26T01:38:57.752-04:00Know Your Kayak Under the Water (part 1)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBcjJpmoYPGePAz4X9PgHM8QvC3P4-rKJPsW2Ftz7ZpwZhDX868DqL8BAtu7jQclHX8e3FFFTeP7qzW7MacpugiAPsup_I8DzHV3Bko4sitTfX8wle-cVVV9t4LSOKA8KG2Ieo-lQZwiT/s1600/Portrait_small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBcjJpmoYPGePAz4X9PgHM8QvC3P4-rKJPsW2Ftz7ZpwZhDX868DqL8BAtu7jQclHX8e3FFFTeP7qzW7MacpugiAPsup_I8DzHV3Bko4sitTfX8wle-cVVV9t4LSOKA8KG2Ieo-lQZwiT/s1600/Portrait_small.JPG" /></a>As kayakers, we rely on our boats to impose our will on the water, exhorting pure human power against the wind, tides, and currents. Beyond our own endurance, we have our kayaks and their carefully designed characteristics to safely and efficiently ferry us to our destination. However, most paddlers when considering a kayak acquisition look above the waterline when over 90% of its vital characteristics lie below the waterline. Recently, I looked through manufacturer promotional material for several kayaks. I found happy paddlers in emotionally provocative colorful pictures as one could imagine with a detailed list of above waterline features. But found little to nothing substantive about the all important hull design. Sadly, most paddlers do not understand the design features of their hull and its intricacies. Above all, the hull is the very essence of a kayak's designed performance. As individuals that kayak, we have different demands as diverse as the seasons. And selecting a kayak compatible with our skills and needs is very important. If one design was perfect for everyone, all kayaks would look alike, and we would not have hundreds of models to choose from. But hull design is all about trade-offs. Features that deliver the performance a paddler desires or needs will often require a sacrifice in another area. Despite how instrumental your kayak's hull is to its performance, precious little is has written about it, leaving kayakers in the dark on exactly how and why their hulls perform as they do, and what to look for in a hull shape when considering a kayak purchase. In this series of articles I will bring to light the deep dark secrets of hull design in simple terms. We will examine facets of stability. Explore hull shapes and features below and above the water line that affect stability and in later articles examine hull characteristics of speed and efficiency for moving through the water. But first we will establish a premise for our examination of hull designs with some basic physical principles to help us dissect hull shape features. <br />
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Of primary importance to our endeavors on the water is stability. In nearly all watercraft, we look to the design of the hull for stability and must sacrifice streamline efficiency to have it. However, a kayak will permit the task of stability to be delegated to the skills of the paddler, allowing craft stability to be exchanged for a more streamline performance with lower resistance. But unless your primary task is powering the craft while providing stability every moment you are on the water, this delegated task may not be willingly accepted by many. Bird watchers, fishermen, and paddlers out for a relaxing day on the water may desire a kayak that provides a high degree of hull stability. But at what cost? And why the tradeoff?<br />
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First we will look at what stability actually is. Our kayaks move and twist on the 2D plane of the water rotating around 2 axes. Since sea kayaks are long and stand little chance of flipping end over end, lateral rotation is of little consequence. So our only concern is its rotation about its longitudinal axis running the length of the kayak. When we lean left or right we are applying torque on our kayak to spin about this axis. As we float upon the water, the weight of our kayak and all its contents is pressed upon the water with a downward force and held in check with an upward opposing buoyancy or (weight displacement force). If the kayaker is properly centered in the kayak, the center of gravity will go straight down through the axis. In reaction, the opposing center of buoyancy will move straight through the axis in the upward direction to keep the kayak and its contents in check. Since these forces pass straight through the axis there is no torque being applied, thus no rotation about it.<br />
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If the paddler leans to one side, the center of gravity will move away from the axis and impose a torque upon it. At this point, the designed features of the hull come in to play to react with an opposing righting force by adding more dry hull volume (floatation) in the water on the side of the lean thus imposing an opposing torque by moving its center of buoyancy off-center in the direction of the lean. Since the weight of the kayak cannot change, to add dry volume on one side of center requires the kayak to reduce wetted volume on the opposite side. Buoyancy on the side opposite to the lean is also reduced which helps the center of buoyancy migrate in the direction of the lean. However, when the kayak runs out of dry volume to put in the water, it can no longer move the center of buoyancy to match the center of gravity. At that point, an unopposed torque will be applied to the kayak hull and it will capsize. This is the point of capitulation. <br />
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So what can we deduce from these physical facts? First: a kayak hull has only has a fixed amount of stabilization reserves. If they are spent early providing primary stability, we can expect the kayak hull to capitulate earlier. Also, as a long wrench with more leverage can apply more torque than a shorter wrench, a wider kayak will have more leverage to apply more counteracting torque against a leaning torque. But widening the beam will dramatically sacrifice speed and increase water drag when the kayak moves. A tradeoff that must be considered wisely.<br />
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So what are these features that work for us? What does a featureless hull look like? Lets examine a featureless hull which is simply a floating cylinder. Since it is round and featureless, its center of buoyancy will always be in the center and cannot move to either side. Its perfectly round shape does not allow any more volume to be added to one side or taken from another. It is the same on both sides all the time. Consequently, any offset in the center of gravity will generate torque on the cylinder, opposed only by the small forces of the cylinder's inertia, and friction of the water. Picture yourself standing on a perfectly round floating tree trunk.<br />
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Since have a stability budget, how do we spend it? If you fish or birdwatch, and paddling is your secondary purpose, or you just want a stable, secure experience in calm conditions, you may want to spend a good part of your stability budget on primary stability. Primary stability is the instantaneous ability of the craft to apply a righting force to a leaning motion. Kayaks with high primary stability feel stable initially as any leaning is met with an instantaneous counterforce. In order to accomplish this, primary stability must be located in the wetted volume of the hull. High primary stability hulls will have a flattened bottom with possibly a slight "V" or gentle rounded shape. As such, the hull size below the waterline is larger and drag from water friction is rather high, affecting performance. Since much of the stability budget is spent on this primary stability, there is less of a secondary stability reaction. But high primary stability will require more leverage, thus a larger stability budget which must be bought by widening the beam (width) so the hull can achieve enough righting torque on the axis with a longer lever (remember the wrench). Typically, high primary stability kayaks are wide and short as they do not need an excessive waterline for a kayak that is not designed for blazing speed or cover a lot of distance. But they are a lot of fun, very practical in rivers and small lakes, swamps, and estuaries and highly maneuverable. But, a high primary stability exposes the kayak to a serious side effect. In our theoretical illustration above, we observed the mechanism of stability as a function of the kayak's flotation and the water surface. We know the kayak will attempt to bring itself level to the surface of the water. But the surface of the water is often not level (the slope of a wave). So a kayak with high initial stability can right itself sideways to a small degree; enough to introduce considerable instability in rough water, requiring mitigation with bracing skills from the paddler. But, for paddlers who rarely venture into rough waters and have no desire to travel far or fast, a primary stability kayak will be a fine investment for a leisurely enjoyable ride. Performance paddlers will find themselves fighting a sharply increasing drag as they ramp up speed. The increase in speed will hit a wall as the kayak reaches its maximum hull speed (explained in a later article).<br />
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A kayak facing rough seas will need to minimize the instability side effect from its primary stability, and reserve its stability budget for secondary stability. Unlike primary stability, secondary stability will not respond instantaneously but apply stability further into the lean. Secondary stability also exhibits less of the destabilizing behavior in waves since the hull will not react until much further into the lean. Unlike primary stability, secondary stability assets are in the dry volume of the hull above the waterline. In the first illustration above, notice how the "V" concentrates most of the flotation in the center, while the flotation at the extremities is pushed out of the water into the dry area of the hull. This is the secondary stability area in reserve. Since the dominate flotation force is in the center, the kayak will pivot about it and feel initially unstable until the secondary stability is deployed. In the second illustration, when the kayak rotates about its axis, dry volume is deployed into the water bolstering flotation at the edge of the kayak, which in turn moves the center of buoyancy to counteract the leaning force. Since secondary stability assets are stored above the waterline, these kayaks enjoy an added advantage of a more streamlined hull with much less wetted hull surface resulting in far less drag from water friction when the secondary stability is not deployed. Secondary stability kayaks cater to more advanced paddlers seeking performance. In many models, manufacturers will further narrow the beam (width) considerably stripping much of its righting force leverage. And by this action, delegate much of task of stability to the bracing skills of the paddler in exchange for a considerable increase in performance. Manufactures may also choose a more rounded hull without a "V". But the stability principles are the same with more rounded surfaces offering less primary and more secondary stability, with flatter rounded bottoms offering a higher degree of primary stability. Novice paddlers will find secondary stability kayaks deceptively unstable and unsettling. With a much more narrow beam, these kayaks will have a much smaller stability budget, but will store most of this tighter stability in reserve for a time when it is really needed. <br />
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To illustrate primary stability and secondary stability I presented two mutually exclusive theoretical kayaks. But in reality, no kayak will have all of one and none of the other. All hundred or so kayak models will fall somewhere in between catering to many skill levels and a wide range of venues and conditions. When a paddler chooses where they want to spend their stability budget, they should deliberate long and hard to find the kayak that best suits their needs in the near term and longer term. Also consider where you are going to paddle and where you want to paddle. They must also assess their skills and allow room for improvement. A kayak designed for calm conditions can also perform well in challenging conditions if used with proper skills. When I purchase a kayak, I am initially a little unstable and grow into its characteristics as my skills improve. Paddlers for whom the kayak is a vehicle for another purpose or activity may want a lot of primary stability so they can focus on their secondary activity. Kayakers wanting performance with the intention of piling up a lot of distance will want a performance kayak with a low drag. Paddling a considerable distance with a higher drag hull can feel like towing a second boat. A day on the water with a prospective kayak is better than a short test paddle. When shopping for a kayak, try a lot boats. You may just fall in love or learn a little more about who your are on the water.<br />
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In the next article of this series, we will apply some of our new found knowledge to examine the stability characteristics of a number of actual hull shapes. <br />
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Sources:<br />
<a href="http://www.rcwarships.com/rcwarships/nwc/stability.html">http://www.rcwarships.com/rcwarships/nwc/stability.html</a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2012 Lyman A Copps</span></i><br />
<br />Fastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-64219906183248340482012-12-14T09:36:00.003-05:002012-12-14T13:05:32.245-05:00Big Fun in Small Surf<br />
A few kayakers you may know ventured into some winter surf. I am still without drysuit (hurry, hurry with the replacement, Kokatat!) so I came out with my camera to shoot some photos.<br />
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The surf that day was quite mild (1-2 feet) and mushy, but folks still had a great time. What's interesting to me is how much variety, fun, and challenge there is in the small stuff. As you look at these photos, it's good to consider how high a two foot wave can look when it's cresting above you<br />
and you're seated in your kayak. Why, it can block your view! Imagine, then, what seriously big surf must look like--its weight, muscle, force. When I read about the stuff, say, Freya Hoffmeister has paddled, I am deeply humbled by both the ocean and true courage.<br />
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Take a look.<br />
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Here's the start to the day. This is often how we view the water, standing. It doesn't look dramatic, just a calm day at the beach.<br />
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When you're launched and just past the breakers, you can see how even small swell appears to swallow the kayak.<br />
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From shore, standing, you might not even notice the swell. Look at the photo. You don't see the swell clearly with the eye. But you can tell it's there once you realize that Chris and Lee are in their kayaks, not swimming.<br />
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When the wave crests, it looks really big! This wave may have crested at just above 2 feet. But look<br />
how it appears from the vantage of Dawn, the kayaker!<br />
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And, even the small stuff is fun to surf, lots of energy and great rides.<br />
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Sit on tops, like Frank's, are a lot of fun in the surf. If you don't like to paddle a decked kayak, and aren't interested in learning to roll, these kayaks are terrific options, and fun in the surf!<br />
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This photo looks dramatic! Lee has just finished surfing and now it's time to brace!<br />
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With a nice low brace, Lee and his kayak bounce through the soup. It's counterintuitive, but leaning in to the foam pile with a solid low brace keeps your kayak upright.<br />
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Here, Chris is finished surfing and ready to brace.<br />
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Frank zooms down a nice one!<br />
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I like this photo because it looks so COLD. I think that's a stand up paddle boarder behind Lee. Lots of the SUP crowd is out these days.<br />
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More pretty ones.<br />
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A 1.5-2 foot wave can be truly fun. Look at the ride Dawn's catching!<br />
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Whee!<br />
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This is a pic of Dawn doing a cool layback high brace she learned at Sea Kayak Virginia.<br />
I mean to try these sometime.<br />
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So don't think you need massive surf to have a good time in the surf zone. Most sea kayakers wouldn't know what to do with a wave that's three to four times the size of the one in the photo.<br />
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Small surf is fun.Virginiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639280145290434227noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-20359501712306138232012-12-01T14:37:00.001-05:002013-02-28T16:57:07.123-05:00Finding Stability in a Sea of Chaos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JWp7jaPnuJD6f_tFimicfSlSPJLV5pNrEgAs2B48AN_-EvaX1lTyGSq6h_7PJRPzTgt5H232cPWzUQ6vAShnhNxclsqprAA0zzPJwfo9j6Rrbb5XkYUJFmGhIlAr30CXfZ4R2P1DV7fQ/s1600/Portrait_small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JWp7jaPnuJD6f_tFimicfSlSPJLV5pNrEgAs2B48AN_-EvaX1lTyGSq6h_7PJRPzTgt5H232cPWzUQ6vAShnhNxclsqprAA0zzPJwfo9j6Rrbb5XkYUJFmGhIlAr30CXfZ4R2P1DV7fQ/s1600/Portrait_small.JPG" /></a><br />
As we indulge the sounds of life, a mosaic of diverse vibrations, notes, and beats play upon our ears at times orchestrated with purpose, other times randomly. With the experience of life, we perceive these sounds and wire our minds to react to them in thoughtful predictable ways. The sea is not unlike our terrestrial world. As we watch the ocean, we see another type of concert manifested in the waves with rhythmic vibrations, harmonics and beats similar to the sounds we surf with our ears. As kayakers, we are afforded the unique opportunity to become part of the music of the sea. Where every other water going vessel passively opposes the sea's forces, the kayak alone is able to interpret and play upon each wave with elegance and precision, realizing remarkable stability for watercraft of such narrow proportions. Last year I faced faced a situation of hostile conditions far out at sea for more than 10 hours (see <i>"50 miles at sea"</i>) and learned in course of the trip, rather than futilely react to each wave, there was a opportunity to assimilate with the rhythms of the sea and feel stable in the midst of chaos using my paddle as an instrument, and my cadence as a verse.<br />
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But the waves and motions of the sea are even more complex and diverse than a symphony orchestra. Waves originate from many sources and many directions, close by from boats to storms and winds hundreds and thousands of miles away, and even reflect from rocks and shorelines and move in opposite directions making the water very confused and difficult for kayaks. A paddler unfamiliar with such conditions, like a person encountering a loud strange and unanticipated sound will react defensively with a thoughtless opposing reaction. As we gain knowledge of unfamiliar sounds, we respond with a predictable and well thought out action. Similarly, as kayakers, we will encounter difficult conditions many times and must develop ways to handle these situations. Especially in a long trip where we may face difficult conditions for hours and days at a time, we do not have the luxury to react to each wave. <br />
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Large cruise ships use sophisticated stabilization systems with bracing fins that work exactly in the same manner as a kayaker braces with a paddle to provide remarkable stability in rough seas. As its complex computer algorithms interpret the sea's motions and rhythms, so do our minds in an even more eloquent way with the the ability to anticipate the conditions and instinctually apply the proper stabilizing actions.<br />
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The kayak itself has little innate stability. Although wider beam kayaks for the novice possess a higher degree of primary stability, nothing comes close to the skills of a skillful paddler. In wavy conditions, primary stability works against the paddler and shows its weakness inherent in every other craft as it characteristically applies a righting force to bring the kayak level to the surface of the water. If that surface is on the slope of a wave, the kayak's primary stability will actually attempt to right the kayak more sideways which can be seriously destabilizing in the moving motion of the waves. In challenging conditions, lower primary stability is more desirable as the paddler assumes the responsibility for providing the stability. But every kayak still has some primary stability, and the paddler will be pressed to mitigate the affects of the waves on that primary stability in addition to the other effects by applying a brace to each stroke. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VYLrLqZdF0alBUYrzJmAiyh1WqZ3FtdzoREjF_mkarD8o-35H6QGzBjThN8OJd63f57BArc6S71xSnxszJLjG20ebgrNVHjGwAIyJDfTV-rke-YK8SAU_VgK_D1BpCjoks2R0Lw3mCKF/s1600/P3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VYLrLqZdF0alBUYrzJmAiyh1WqZ3FtdzoREjF_mkarD8o-35H6QGzBjThN8OJd63f57BArc6S71xSnxszJLjG20ebgrNVHjGwAIyJDfTV-rke-YK8SAU_VgK_D1BpCjoks2R0Lw3mCKF/s320/P3.JPG" width="320" /></a>Applying a brace to the stroke is a simple matter slightly angling the blade downward during the stroke. Angling the blade will add a downward force component in addition to a forward thrust. Adjusting the downward angle of the paddle can be done very quickly. Often times the paddler will need to try a number of angle settings to find just the right bracing strength. But once the right angle is found, its normally good for the wave set and should be noted for similar reoccurring sets of waves. If more bracing force is required to cross over a sharply pointed wave or through a whitecap break, a downward pry can be added to the stroke by pushing straight down on the braced blade during a stroke. The pry can be used only when a brace is applied to the stroke. Otherwise, the blade will knife downward and possibly compromise stability. If a wave hitting the kayak requires a pry on a brace, the paddler should be ready to brace quickly on the other side to address a possible abnormally harsh transition to the downward slope with a temporary shift to a fast cadence. As I paddled long hours in rough conditions, I was periodically hit by isolated waves which posed a problem, requiring a fast cadence until the wave passed. On a couple of occasions a wave broke over my bow, causing the kayak to spin off course like a compass needle. The fast cadence possibly averted a capsize far from shore. <br />
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As waves travel through the ocean they combine and cancel each other out. Over a distance, the resulting set of waves normalize into a consistant procession known as a "wave train". The waves further congregate into groups like harmonics from a string instrument, which called "sets". The kayaker will notice groups of similar size waves passing in cycles as wave sets come and go. The paddler will need to adjust to changing wave sets by altering the brace angle and cadence to match the oncoming set of waves and make fine adjustments. Through a number of cycles the paddler will notice a pattern which can be anticipated and formulated into a strategy to be used at any time in the future. As we learn to anticipate the notes of songs we hear many times, paddlers on longer trips will have the ability to predict when wave sets will arrive and structure tasks around the arrival of specific sets of waves.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6YGQp6iHIw6SU7chxo4iIeYWZ2rU6GG6kAlAHnaMVBWBnNImteJ-EExGSHVWWm3fdYIihIo_e4_O0HY7UD7Es3jhaQKEklpHuq8YlwANrn8z0d_-_IivzX3VFs4p4LKEYiP_iZejiMZ9/s1600/kayak_bracing_diag.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6YGQp6iHIw6SU7chxo4iIeYWZ2rU6GG6kAlAHnaMVBWBnNImteJ-EExGSHVWWm3fdYIihIo_e4_O0HY7UD7Es3jhaQKEklpHuq8YlwANrn8z0d_-_IivzX3VFs4p4LKEYiP_iZejiMZ9/s320/kayak_bracing_diag.png" width="320" /></a>As a padder moves through a rough conditions with the wave train at the beam, the kayak will transition between the upward and downward slopes of each wave. With a normalized wave train, the waves are spaced consistency. The paddler may use this to an advantage, by matching their stroke cadence to the consistant period of the wave train. A slower cadence is used for longer wave periods. A faster cadence is used for more confused conditions with sharp pointed waves. When in doubt, I always start with a faster cadence and adjust downward to empirically match the conditions. The transition between braces should match the crest and the trough where the slope changes. After a while I was able to develop an instinct to match my cadence to the wave train and develop a strategy for a number of conditions and realize a feeling of stability and confidence in a sea of chaos as these motions became more instinctual.<br />
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As kayakers, the chorus of the sea summons our skills and intuition to artfully ply confused waters with uncommon grace and dexterity while bearing witness to its every nuance like no other craft. As a musician contributes to a song, the kayaker flows with the beats and rhythms of the sea, wielding their paddle in a special art of seamanship as a small contributor in the greatest composition.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2012 Lyman A Copps</span></i>Fastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-11642648707770108942012-11-21T13:00:00.000-05:002012-11-21T13:00:03.298-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Kayak Katamaran Kabana</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>10/25/2012</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozmtHmXevV6x4NnlvvGWzZH3niwNicNKMTbgLhMi1ptaolyWpVuEgHNmfSaWOHMITIpt-pvKk4vpVELBZP1fxIKCl-Wbs2v56Z-UglVueS_fvO4KMOM0_fU_bgoZR6GHbdBZZL2uIJLmW/s1600/P3180050medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozmtHmXevV6x4NnlvvGWzZH3niwNicNKMTbgLhMi1ptaolyWpVuEgHNmfSaWOHMITIpt-pvKk4vpVELBZP1fxIKCl-Wbs2v56Z-UglVueS_fvO4KMOM0_fU_bgoZR6GHbdBZZL2uIJLmW/s320/P3180050medium.jpg" width="320" /></a>I am ever in search of the perfect camping solution for different situations, and a recent post by FastYak on the CKC forum shook loose some ideas I had about a floating camping set up. I'm not thinking of a pontoon boat or a platform with flotation that could be towed by kayak to the location of one's choice. My idea is similar but more compact, which is appropriate for a small boat. </div>
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Mountaineering and the relatively new sport of tree climbing/camping make use of suspended sleeping platforms or portaledges like <span style="color: #0f3bee;"><a href="http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0oG7jM49olQo2QA2ChXNyoA?p=portaledge&fr=sfp&fr2=piv-web" target="_blank">this</a></span>. I have no idea how they transport the things but am assuming they don't climb up the wall or tree with the fully assembled platform hanging off their backs. Presumably it comes apart like a tent and can be stored more compactly. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">The thought of sleeping suspended that high is absolutely terrifying to me. Being wide awake is no more comforting. I can barely even stand to look at the photos. However, the platform, minus the suspension straps is an idea that could possibly be modified for paddling. </span></div>
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Such a kayaking platform would consist of two side poles and a spreader bar on each end (or vice versa) between which some kind of taught strong fabric is strung. The whole thing would be securely supported across the back and front decks of two kayaks (the "pontoons"). To get an idea of how the crossbars might work have a look at <a href="http://www.baloghsaildesigns.com/custPhotos/davidwysenBlg.jpg" target="_blank">this photo</a> of two double kayaks attached together like a catamaran for use with a <a href="http://www.baloghsaildesigns.com/" target="_blank">Balogh Sail</a>. For the <span style="color: blue;"><b>Kayak Katamaran Kabana</b></span> there would only be 2 crossbars. There would be some permanent mounting base on the kayak to which the poles would be attached. Pole length would be determined by the desired size, structural requirements and engineering limitations of the materials. The longitudinal bars would of course have to be attached in some way to the crossbars.<br />
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It could be a camping platform, sun deck, swimming/diving/fishing platform, etc. A tent could be erected on top. To reduce weight and bulk it might even be possible to use strong specially constructed paddles for 2 of the poles with those also serving as the spare paddles. Other dual purpose features could possibly be incorporated as well. Perhaps a folded configuration of the fabric could double as a sail with poles or pole parts serving as mast, boom or spar. Also, in heavy wave conditions having the two kayaks securely attached to each other could provide additional stability, more like a catamaran. </div>
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If designed right it could be taken down and the fabric stowed in a hatch with the poles stored on deck as are spare paddles. Since 2 kayaks are needed for support there will be 2 kayakers who need a place to lay their heads. So a double platform like this <a href="http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/climb/tc-kj-s-el-cap-kit/cliff-cabana-double-portaledge/" target="_blank">Black Diamond Cliff Cabana</a> would be needed. For mountaineering these platforms must be over-engineered for strength given the consequences of failure. That also makes them heavy, the Cliff Cabana weighing about 20 pounds. Seems to me a kayak supported platform would not have to be that heavy. </div>
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Has my imagination run wild? Probably yes. But it would be so cool to have a <b><span style="color: blue;">Kayak Katamaran Kabana</span></b> - paddle over to a unique corner of the marsh or swamp, drop anchor or tie off to a tree, set up the platform and spend the night gently rocked to sleep on the water.</div>
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Any mechanical, structural or materials engineers out there with any ideas about how to do this?</div>
Babahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08353729514476971913noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-8728268819497909652012-11-19T19:27:00.000-05:002012-11-19T19:29:45.913-05:00Beautiful Contrarians<br />
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Sooner or later someone will say to you, “Everything about
learning to kayak is so counterintuitive.” For instance, to turn your kayak,
you do all the work on the side opposite from the direction you wish to turn;
to keep your kayak from turning over in a wave, you lean in to the wave,
sometimes until you are buried by it, in order to stay upright; to roll, you
keep your head in the water until the end. At first these things feel
completely, dangerously unnatural. Why? Because they are unnatural-- at least to our land brains.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe, like me, after you've kayaked a bit, you’ll begin to discover that your land
intuition isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and that by learning to kayak, your brain becomes engaged in the entire world differently, all the time, not just when you're on the water. Perhaps when you are
wanting to steer a situation the way you would steer a car, you think: no, this
situation requires my kayak brain, and to steer this situation, I must work on
the opposite side, even though it is counterintuitive. Perhaps someone pushes you around and you
think it’s time to hide, but you learn to lean in hard against whatever’s
coming at you in order to stay upright. </div>
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Or maybe you find yourself suddenly
upside down and submerged and wanting to panic, but kayaking has taught you
that you’re fine, you can hang out a while without worry or panic, only to roll
back up, and keep paddling forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kayaking may be counterintuitive, but the lessons transfer well to the non kayaking side of life too. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Virginiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639280145290434227noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-41485032152893809422012-11-13T13:21:00.000-05:002013-02-28T17:06:30.447-05:00A Harbinger for an Ancient Legacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently, the science of kayak hull design has taken and interesting turn which brings together aspects of the kayak and surfski into new exciting high performance craft that promises to shape the future and change the way we paddle. In this article, I present some background information and dive into design features of the Epic 18x which I believe is the most compelling hybrid design to date. <br />
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The kayak is a remarkable invention of the Inuit people allowing them to thrive in barren, hostile lands, not otherwise suitable for habitation. This powerful tool while bountiful with its benefits, demanded a discipline and strict set of age old skills. Modern renditions of the kayak gave this remarkable craft to the masses and introduced them to the rich Greenland traditions and discipline. But nothing from the past is immune to the scrutiny of science, as paddlers demanded greater performance and mastery of the seas. As science and technology have influenced the kayak, the surfski, having come from a very different past, faced an even more profound transformation, producing remarkable paddle craft capable of achieving high speeds on the rough ocean, not only squeezing efficiency from the paddler's every stroke, but augmenting it with energy captured from the sea itself. As the quest for kayak speed progressed, high speed flat water racing kayaks emerged, achieving high speeds, but leaving the paddler with a much less seaworthy craft as optimizations for speed sculpted away its traditional rough water handling features. However, the kayak industry is now taking a long look at the surfski and finding ways to adopt its remarkable design elements. Recently, one kayak manufacturer introduced an exciting new iteration of its kayak that is every bit a kayak above the waterline, but every bit a surfski below the waterline. While new designs are common, the paddling community took notice as this new radical design achieved staggering speeds and proved itself a formidable expedition kayak. However, as with the racing kayak, there are always tradeoffs in exchange for gains. But, for the first time, a near hybrid design emerged, capable of being paddled like a kayak or surfski on the ocean, casting a shadow on the pedigree of two rich and storied legacies and their legendary disciplines. <br />
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The surf ski sprouted from modern western culture along the coast of 20th century Australia. As the populations ventured into the turbulent surf, a need arose for a suitable lifesaving craft capable of negotiating the surf. In New South Wales, Harry McLaren and his brother Jack in 1916 built sit atop, hand paddle boards to navigate the family's oyster beds. Variations of these craft were later used for lifesaving and proved much more agile than 5 person surf boats that required a high degree of skill. In time, lifesavers realized a double surf ski could do most everything a life boat could. These early surf skis were very wide and bare little resemblance to those in use today. With little reverence for its past, the surf ski was transformed into a high speed, ocean going paddle craft for recreational and racing purposes. The length grew to increase the waterline for speed and provide more stability when smashing through the waves. To reduce drag, hulls were narrowed and the "swede" hull design which places the point of maximum beam behind the cockpit was implemented. With the point of maximum beam behind the cockpit, water inertia and friction on the hull is reduced as water is moved out of the way more slowly over a longer wedge. The swede hull also places the paddler closer to the water for a better vertical stroke by locating the cockpit in a more narrow part of the hull. The iconic pointed ends and most of the rocker that allowed Greenland kayaks to keep their bows above the waves in rough seas are sacrificed in favor of a much longer waterline for speed. To replace the missing rocker and the up-swept ends, the bow was made much more buoyant by squaring it off and making it taller. These efficiencies, the lack of rocker and extended hull length, allows surfskis to put their full length on the water and achieve a greater bow angle and more effectively harness the gravity off the face of a wave to add significant speed to the overall average. Wave riding skills are an intricate part of surfski discipline. Surf skis have no edging control, so secondary stability and chines in the hull that produce a distinct secondary stability are not required by surfski technique. Instead, a smooth rounded hull is used to reduce the wetted surface, thereby further reducing water friction. But this requires more technique and a strict discipline to keep them upright. Stability is attained through bracing and proper posture centered over the keel. Typically, the paddler will lean forward to utilize the strongest torso muscles with knees close together, head pointed forward, chin up. A rudder provides all directional movement and must be available at all times. Surfski designs increased rudder availability by relocating the rudder forward of the stern to keep it in the water on steep waves that often lift the stern. Unlike kayaks, surf skis have not attained a payload capacity and serve a short duration paddling purpose. Surfskis are very different from a kayaks and demand a different skill set and paddling style. Surf ski Discipline, and technique has evolved into two primary goals: keeping upright, and maximizing forward thrust. Sprint kayaks share a similar technique with surfskis on flat water. A proper stroke is crucial: Blade entry, catch, and follow through. Also important, is a technique to maximize the efficient transfer of energy to the hull. Surfskis are paddled with a wing paddle. Forward lean with strong torso rotation is needed to utilize the core muscles for a sustained strong drive. Good technique will propagate the rotation to the seat and transmit the energy through the legs which pump up and down to deliver energy to the hull through the foot pegs. Surfskis are not rolled, but are easily remounted from deep water.<br />
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As the relentless persistence of science sculpted the kayak, new designs took shape along the same path of technological optimization as the surfski. However, the purpose of the kayak is very different. Not primarily designed for speed, the kayak was created for much more practical purposes and survival, including transportation, hunting, and fishing in rough waters, requiring maneuverability, stealth, and high degree of seaworthiness. The Inuits solution: a highly rockered, upward pointed hull ends kept the kayak from diving into large waves, but reduced the waterline of the craft which was not that important. The pronounced "V" shape of its hull and chines had little primary stability, but added a reliable secondary stability. The pronounced rockered "V" shaped hull also helped these kayaks track straight, and turn easy with edging. Greenland kayaks have no skeg or rudder. However, the pronounced "V" adds wetted surface and water friction to the hull which is not a problem for the Inuit style kayak. East Greenland kayaks were flatter with little rocker giving them more speed with a longer waterline, but were less suitable for rougher waters as the rockerless pointed bow did not have enough buoyancy to lift above the waves. Greenland kayaks fit snug to the paddler allowing a more symbiotic relation between paddler and craft for easy, quicker edging control and rolling in the event of a capsize. However, they had little room for gear. Unlike surfskis, kayaks do not require a highly disciplined posture and steep paddle angle. A lower paddle angle allows a wide unobstructed view angle for hunting, fishing, and keeping other paddlers in sight. Kayaks can be righted with a brace or a roll. Historically, the Inuits had no method for reentering their kayaks, since being separated from one's kayak meant certain death in the ice cold waters. Their very lives relied on their rolls and other righting skills. Modern kayaking allows the wet exit as a last line safety measure, in turn several methods for kayak reentry were added. British style kayaks brought the kayak to the masses, while attempting to retain the spirit and characteristics of the original Greenland design. The symbiotic fit is exchanged for a high volume hull to accommodate a generous amount of gear and paddlers of all shapes and sizes. Thigh braces restore some of the body extension fit of Greenland kayaks. West coast kayaks from the western American coast similarly retain the pointed bow and rocker, but add a rudder to a flattened stern to reduce weather-cocking in the high winds of the western American waters. <br />
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The designs and techniques of kayaks and surfskis evolved separately and are very different. As they differ in their purpose, their benefits are mutually exclusive to each other. Paddlers are left at a fork in the road to decide what they want and what they are willing to live without. Similarly, their circles of paddlers are divided along the same lines. Slowly, kayak manufactures started dabbling with design aspects of both paddle craft, adopting bits and pieces at a time. To make a truly hybrid design was a difficult task fought with several technical challenges. Moreover, they each require different skill sets and disciplines. Kayak manufacturers began to adopt a very limited number of surfski features, yielding limited gains since these features on a kayak could not be paddled in the manner for which they were originally designed. At Epic Kayaks, the two founders, both surf ski champions, over a period of years, ventured so far as to entirely do away with the kayak hull in favor of a swede style surf ski hull in their 18x and 16x models, resulting in kayaks that bare little to no resemblance to their traditional roots, and perform far different than kayaks of Greenland lineage. They were not the first to try this, but they went further by designing every facit of the craft to give surfski and kayak paddlers what they need to paddle the kayak in the manner befitting both crafts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4BRPTUV7w76NFoRHXi0Le0OWZbFK5OIR6oBhN2MsGWhdbRC_0Ah1ENJ6bu07SlcoPANjBcR-0NqKndnXT9vfR1hP1QS4EEAik2EFgIEjMrBmTlLEY8ZokFSslc_rgMSQ3ze6rPapmF0P/s1600/Tru-trac+rudder.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4BRPTUV7w76NFoRHXi0Le0OWZbFK5OIR6oBhN2MsGWhdbRC_0Ah1ENJ6bu07SlcoPANjBcR-0NqKndnXT9vfR1hP1QS4EEAik2EFgIEjMrBmTlLEY8ZokFSslc_rgMSQ3ze6rPapmF0P/s200/Tru-trac+rudder.png" width="169" /></a>To satisfy surfski paddlers a reliable rudder that stays submerged and engaged in heavy waves was needed. While a bottom mounted rudder works quite well for both uses, it cannot be retracted and is therefore unsuitable for most kayak purposes. The most difficult task for Epic was coming up with a rudder design that would satisfy surfski requirements and fold away to preserve a kayak experience. Their solution led them down a path to a rudder design unlike any other. The stern of the hull was severed and turned into the movable portion of the rudder, housing a retractable spring loaded surfski blade, which could be extended from the bottom, forward from the stern. When not used, the blade retracted into the stern section which in turn, locked into the center position to become the ridged stern of the kayak. Their solution raised eyebrows in the industry. While not a perfect surfski rudder, it went a long way to satisfy requirements of a hybrid craft and solved a long standing rudder problem of surfskis and kayaks with a spring retractable blade that moves out of the way when hit by an obstacle, and returns to place when the obstacle was gone. Obstacles cause standard kayak rudders to kick up and not reset. Standard surfski rudders just break off unless a stern mounted surf rudder is used.<br />
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Epic also did away with the iconic pointed bow and stern of a kayak in favor of the swede surfski hull with an elongated water line and a large buoyant bow to keep it from burying under the waves. The large single continuous foot brace facilitates energy transfer through the legs, and elongated cockpit coaming to allow the paddler to easily paddle the kayak like a kayak or surfski/racing K1 with plenty of room to extend the knees through the opening of the coaming enabling the paddler to pump energy into the hull with the legs and rotate down to the seat. Padded knee holds just under the coaming sides allow the paddler to quickly switch from a surf ski posture to brace for a roll in the event of a capsize. For a more kayak feel, the seat could be slid forward to allow a smaller paddler's legs to go further under the deck to better contact the hull for bracing and rolling. Epic designed the seat to retain the functionality and feel of both a kayak and surfski, with smooth bare contoured fiberglass, allowing the surfski paddler a smooth surface to rotate on the seat to engage the lower back muscles and drive energy through the large foot brace. Like many greenland style kayaks and surfskis, the back is low with little back support. There is a lumbar pad for the lower back that does an adequate job of support while allowing a good layback roll. Paddle blade cut-outs on the forward deck were added so the surfski paddler can initiate the catch phase with a vertical stroke close to the hull. For the kayaker, the craft performed like a kayak responding well to edging, and very easy to roll. However, as the large coaming provides the surfski paddler with extra room, this further reduces the symbiotic relationship kayak paddlers have with their kayaks, leaving the kayak paddler to alter their bracing technique to grip the undersides of the large coaming with the knees. The large coaming may also let the paddler come out of the seat during a roll if the paddler does not sufficiently brace their knees against the sides of the cockpit. To compensate, Epic heavily padded the underside of the deck around the front and sides of the cockpit. They also put the seat on an ajustable track. With the lower wetted rounded hull design, the kayak does not hold its course as well with the rudder up, but the rudder is extremely effective in all conditions. The surfski paddler has what is needed to assume a proper posture, paddle stroke, plus a reliable forward mounted rudder. The hull responds like a surfski hull in the sea as it is able to catch waves and not bounce from the bow in rough seas like a high rocker kayak. The rounded swede hull will likely unsettle beginner and intermediate paddlers initially in rough conditions with its much lower primary stability. However, when loaded for an expedition, the kayak is quite stable, and rides comfortably at the expense of much of its blazing speed when riding empty. To capture a little more secondary stability, Epic flared out the gunwales above the waterline behind the cockpit at the widest point of the kayak where the secondary stability emanates. If the kayak does capsize, it rolls very easily. Paddlers of all types will enjoy being placed closer to the water as surfski paddlers expect for their vertical stroke since the cockpit is at a narrower point in the hull. The 18x is not a beginner kayak, but is one a paddler can grow into and not outgrow. <br />
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For expedition use, the kayak rides very stable in the water. The elongated cockpit makes it very easy to exit and enter. The newer latch style hatches hold tighter and keep the compartments dryer. They are also very easy to open and secure shut. The hinged day hatch is especially convenient which stays fastened and has only one latch. <br />
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In an industry with hundreds of kayaks of different shapes, sizes,
and specializations, the introduction of a new quirky looking design
hardly raises much notice. However, in 2009, paddler Frya Hoffmeister
circumnavigated the continent of Australia (8570 miles) in an Epic 18x
sport, and shaved more than a month off the time of the only other
previous successful attempt by Paul Caffyn. The paddling community
finally accepted the Epic 18x as a serious expedition kayak and began to debate
the merits of fast expedition kayaks. Epic later went full circle and introduced the V8 surfski which adds a
surfski top to the "18x Sport" kayak hull. While this new kayak could never be the perfect solution or satisfy all the intricate demands of both types of craft, it did integrate the spirit of both a kayak and a surfski in an interesting way. Harnessing all the benefits of this design will place extra demands on the paddler to expand their skill set to encompass at least a subset of kayak and surski techniques. For their efforts, the paddler can wield a full featured kayak with the speed and prowess of a surfski when empty that settles down to a stable serious expedition kayak when loaded. <br />
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These are exciting times to be a paddler with advances in water dynamics and the melding of kayak and surfski technologies. Only the future will tell if the Epic design will stand as a milestone in the evolution of the kayak, or be seen as a first deep foray into the realm of a true hybrid craft. Several kayaks have penetrated the market utilizing aspects of both technologies in their own creative ways. With the success of the Epic 18x, we will certainly see manufacturers committed to produce more hybrid type craft to take paddlers farther and faster. Along this journey, paddlers will find they too must evolve to meet the skill set demands of these new craft. Farther down the road refinements will likely mainstream hybrid design kayaks and push kayakers farther away from a 4000 year old legacy and discipline into one created for the modern age. Only the future will tell if the traditional kayak will fade into irrelevance and be relegated to the romantic fascination of a few.<br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2012 Lyman A Copps</span></i>Fastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-72683491482209119742012-11-11T22:08:00.002-05:002012-11-13T13:52:54.991-05:00Kayaking with the Big Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Several years ago, I wanted to skill up so that I could do more open water paddling, I ran in to a Catch-22. Most of the recreational paddlers I started paddling with weren't interested in ocean paddling, and the more skilled paddlers I knew routinely closed paddles to those they determined to be "less skilled." I don't think it helped that I was a woman and that most of the sea kayakers were guys. For a while, I felt like I had to drag my husband out on every paddle with the "serious" guy paddlers as some sort of chaperone to prove to the guys and their significant others that I was actually there to kayak.* I found it to be a truly miserable time. I tried to recruit folks from my rec kayaking community to skill up without success and I had limited success "breaking in" to what began to feel like the "big kid" paddles. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d6e0VC3gYqGHGbFL6NezH-nhUGph1ObXaQF0EblB_883gl8FlwTEs0uDJwsUoGaUTycD03MU5CzmW9PC80W-gzKMeAYsYsrHIWcQ9pw-IN7Jl2UwwPlW1A15ovOnW8U6aZ6qclGwUfs/s1600/Chris+and+Barrett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d6e0VC3gYqGHGbFL6NezH-nhUGph1ObXaQF0EblB_883gl8FlwTEs0uDJwsUoGaUTycD03MU5CzmW9PC80W-gzKMeAYsYsrHIWcQ9pw-IN7Jl2UwwPlW1A15ovOnW8U6aZ6qclGwUfs/s320/Chris+and+Barrett.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So how did I blast through the impasse? Well, two ways. First, I went out and skilled up the best way I knew how: I routinely invited those paddlers I knew to be more skilled on paddles that I planned. A lot of the time, I didn't know what I was doing. Some of them very rightly told me that, but I was not to be deterred. Once some folks determined that I was determined to get on the ocean, others took the time to correct me AND to offer the resources on where to obtain the correct information. They referenced great resources like saltwatertides.com, leant me nautical charts, and offered insight on the local knowledge they had gained over the years. Most importantly, a few excellent kayakers even began going out with me on the water, then the trips I planned, and supported me in ocean trips even before I knew how to roll. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The second thing I did was actively work to develop my skills in more formal settings. I found instructors I worked well with and sought out their knowledge. I found that I worked very well with teachers who could clearly demonstrate, who did not overwhelm me with excessive talking, and who had a kind and gentle good humor that kept a nervous learner eager to learn. I almost gave up kayaking after a negative first experience, but Lamar Hudgens at Barrier Island Kayaks showed me that I could do the things I wanted to do AND have a great time. As a result, I've bought two kayaks from him and gone to numerous symposia at his shop.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeQNoYHVnkcbPNcfVyuRYby8tIYI9Im6hJje68BV3jCyp7tb4Y465tnEAf70m-sUEnKZaZ9nhedy2I8imRobqCqcBiwoYVDH5rfNwdYGj6kr_vEk27iop_frzyEtmiTO8DAED4Th0pO4/s1600/IMGP1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdeQNoYHVnkcbPNcfVyuRYby8tIYI9Im6hJje68BV3jCyp7tb4Y465tnEAf70m-sUEnKZaZ9nhedy2I8imRobqCqcBiwoYVDH5rfNwdYGj6kr_vEk27iop_frzyEtmiTO8DAED4Th0pO4/s320/IMGP1822.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">One very important lesson I learned was that the more skilled kayakers weren't shutting me out of fun trips and adventures because they were cliquish. They were shutting me out because they feared for their safety and the safety of the group. A solid, skilled group of paddlers can only support a few who are less skilled--it's simply a matter of safety. For instance, I planned, or tried to plan, a trip to circumnavigate Bald Head Island in 2009. It was tough for me, even once I got more skilled paddlers to come along; the strong personalities of folks and what I interpreted at the time as an "officious" tone nearly drove me to cancel. But I stuck it out, and as a result, I got to do my first real ocean journey of 20 miles around the Cape of Bald Head.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFloQ1q7KL3nIK1Ph3gpdvZsIzwG_kPTDgRK713ahFNeW3w9dwfQbnlC5FaZPfSiVEjjWBdDoOAjzobOBAGu8hwQGGB_KFjG4pKCd01G4qOlJ4lU0kbqKryCQFqo8KOJrFYc79GJzZjwk/s1600/IMGP1799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFloQ1q7KL3nIK1Ph3gpdvZsIzwG_kPTDgRK713ahFNeW3w9dwfQbnlC5FaZPfSiVEjjWBdDoOAjzobOBAGu8hwQGGB_KFjG4pKCd01G4qOlJ4lU0kbqKryCQFqo8KOJrFYc79GJzZjwk/s320/IMGP1799.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So where does safety come in to the story? Well, in lots of places. I discovered on that trip that even the skilled paddlers had limits and they (and I) weren't yet aware of mine. They sometimes capsized during surf landings; they didn't always adhere to plan and sometimes took off on their own; some didn't pack enough water. On this trip I discovered that I become violently seasick in ocean swell. I also learned that I could paddle through 5 foot swells, vomit 20 times, and paddle ten miles without bailing out. (Now, seasick medication keeps me happily afloat.) I can't say what the others learned, but I learned I was a lot tougher than I thought and that the "big kid" paddlers still had plenty to learn too. That heartened me considerably. They didn't know it all. They simply knew more than I did and had more practice. With classes and people to practice with, I knew I could learn what they had.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdeRrAOoIHyNWSMlUaZ0PNPa8sAa2gfOGB86wSO_-Api15pLaYmfGekkE4g0B6J2lt7DUYnvycfBuN7MC00LC5-TiHb-IlejG6XPLQzPnZzHiM_3NYEM3KSfSIZ6OY_e-rcjZJRQUBUg/s1600/IMGP1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdeRrAOoIHyNWSMlUaZ0PNPa8sAa2gfOGB86wSO_-Api15pLaYmfGekkE4g0B6J2lt7DUYnvycfBuN7MC00LC5-TiHb-IlejG6XPLQzPnZzHiM_3NYEM3KSfSIZ6OY_e-rcjZJRQUBUg/s320/IMGP1815.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">So, if you're new to skilling up, take heart and be persistent. And if you're more skilled, remember what it felt like when you weren't and invite those who are lesser skilled on some of the more challenging, technical paddles. That way, our community continues to grow and to flourish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Dawn S's account of the Bald Head Adventure is here:<a href="http://sandybottomkayaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/bald-head-island-circumnavigation.html">Bald Head Island</a></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">*My husband became an excellent kayaker in the process. :)</span>
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Virginiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08639280145290434227noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-85809065046723483242012-11-08T22:11:00.001-05:002012-11-13T13:52:16.583-05:00Who Are You?<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Guest Contribution:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Virginia</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Kayakers kayak for different reasons: some of us love to kayak on glassy water and drift along quietly;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">some of us like to kayak down rivers; some like to cover lots of miles; some of us like a bit of whitewater; some of us like surf and swell.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ7r_KHyQxhnj3QZxwBaLikV5p3I_EExF8JpXdOcHpjQGNHR01Aom4qQtHOHK_LtCLyZbESkbMbJh6VlheNun8shgP8hUHpWkWZ5wVJApdtZt3xndBGpGWgKUt9uTBiXp53B4ag4M_ESp/s1600/Wilmington.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ7r_KHyQxhnj3QZxwBaLikV5p3I_EExF8JpXdOcHpjQGNHR01Aom4qQtHOHK_LtCLyZbESkbMbJh6VlheNun8shgP8hUHpWkWZ5wVJApdtZt3xndBGpGWgKUt9uTBiXp53B4ag4M_ESp/s320/Wilmington.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">In a big community like CKC, it's important to remember that what often works well for one paddler might not work at all for another. Luckily, we mostly know one another from trips, symposia, or the CKC forums and so we are respectful, generous, and kind.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Whatever your kayaking interest, you'll often find at some point you want to “skill up” a bit. Before you sign up for a class or symposium, do some homework on yourself and some fieldwork on your chosen venue and instructor. This can help you spend your hard-earned money wisely and emerge more satisfied with your learning experience.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">First, ask yourself what sort of student you are.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Do you do better one on one than in a large group? If so, individual lessons might work better at first than a symposium class with 8 students.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Do you tend to be a thinker and need to understand things theoretically prior to attempting to execute them? Or do you tend to just want to watch and then do? Make sure that both you and your instructor know this in advance. Then you can help your instructor create the best class for your needs.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Do you have any fears? This is important and often overlooked.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">For me personally, I wasn't told by the first company I trained with that I was going to learn wet exits with a sprayskirt on. I'd been bullied and trapped underwater as a kid and the idea of being upside down in a skirted kayak seemed overwhelming. Luckily, my instructor (Robert Smith) just sat with me through it, and was reassuring, so it all worked out. But it would have been better if I had known to get details on what would happen that day and to clearly disclose my fears. Now, I'm happy as a clam underwater, but it took me a long time to feel at ease. I need instructors who are patient and not punitive. Now, I seek out those I have heard are patient and encouraging and quickly discard those that are not. It's just what works for me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Do you have any physical limitations? If so, let your instructor know. Many instructors also have adaptive skills training.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Then, ask yourself what, specifically, you hope to gain from the class. It helps to clarify your goals.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Perhaps you want to be able to turn your kayak with ease in the wind. Perhaps you want to learn to climb back in your kayak. Perhaps you want to learn to roll. Perhaps you want to learn to surf.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f3wJXbQhi4VyIPY2ZSvbYDKebHOWUnYqIeP3g34VbcO8lIVQdS19mTjF2o8OAOxaRdagIfH6K4fEsj5D-5LrKAa9Bxr_Fgi0lVAgTcHfQtAvhSqbwTthh66z7znDOhCXzH0E7Xlu2-2r/s1600/Virginia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6f3wJXbQhi4VyIPY2ZSvbYDKebHOWUnYqIeP3g34VbcO8lIVQdS19mTjF2o8OAOxaRdagIfH6K4fEsj5D-5LrKAa9Bxr_Fgi0lVAgTcHfQtAvhSqbwTthh66z7znDOhCXzH0E7Xlu2-2r/s320/Virginia.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">These are all great things to learn and all of them take some time to master. You might dip your toe in at a symposium and get a taste of each. You might take one class a time, then go off and practice with your kayak friends from CKC. For me, I like to learn one thing at a time.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Finally, get some local knowledge. Ask others who know you and whose skills you admire which instructor they think would be a good fit for you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Look at the kayak forums and websites. Who is more structured? Who tends to be gentle and soft spoken? Who tends to demonstrate strokes clearly and effectively? Who is excellent at navigation? Who is an excellent rolling instructor? Once you've selected a teacher, try to talk with them a bit beforehand.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Teachers and students are individual. A great fit is key to both developing your skills and enjoying learning.</span>Mariahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05663615960314963639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-34430483047456200262012-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:002012-11-07T08:00:11.722-05:00Campfire StewThis is a tradition with me, as long as I have been camping. It involves me tossing it together while I pack my gear, boats and car the night before a trip. By the time the car is packed, the stew is ready to head off for the first night of camping. Usually, the first night involves settingup camp, possibly unloading a boat, finding out where things are. This is the night for something that can be heated up and eaten right away. When I have brought this, it seems like many people have a variation on this theme, and tell me about their ideas. Here is mine.<br />
Saute 2 pounds of hamburg. Drain well. Saute one huge Vidalia onion up in the leftover oil. <br />
Add 1 bag of frozen green beans, one bag of peas, 2 bags of corn, two large cans of diced tomatoes, <br />
When adding herbs, I always prefer fresh, but use what you have. Add 1 1/2 tsp. of thyme, oregano, basil, margoram, black pepper and salt. Simmer and adjust seasonings. <br />
This is very simple, but everyone always eats it--hearty and practical, and good for camping.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06992044595541794966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-5446017384144344882012-11-06T13:00:00.000-05:002012-12-14T13:08:49.301-05:00Lessons Learned from Surfing<h1 style="text-align: center;">
</h1>
<h3>
SURFING SEA KAYAKS!</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There's probably nothing more fun (to some of us adrenaline junkies) than surfing the perfect wave. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That said, and after a surf day that was chock full of lessons learned from observation, I'd like to share these pointers. Please feel free to add your own comments and knowledge!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b>Assess </b>the waves when you arrive first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they dumping?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the timing between them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are the conditions?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy1kBQM0EXU/UI1zrZnH0OI/AAAAAAAAABY/njQKVL2OG7s/s1600/surf-leeGarner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iy1kBQM0EXU/UI1zrZnH0OI/AAAAAAAAABY/njQKVL2OG7s/s1600/surf-leeGarner.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8859923680094399172" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b>Assess </b>the beach – </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Piers? Jetties? Obstacles?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Crowded with people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it safe for them if you surf?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b>Assess </b>the weather</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Wind – which direction and where will you get
blown</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Rip current formed by strong wind?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>T-storm likely?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b>Assess </b>your kayak surf group</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Skills</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Safety</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Courtesy</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b>Rules</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>No ‘parking’ down wave of another kayak</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>No rescues in the surf impact zone</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8859923680094399172" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>After riding a wave, turn and make a loop out of
the ‘flight pattern’ of other kayakers</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Be alert for swimmers and surfers on the wave,
and do not snake their wave</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Surf<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>exit</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Stand ocean side of the kayak</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Getting dumped in the surf</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Get on the ocean side of your kayak, not the
beach side</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Do not put fingers in the toggle loop</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Let the kayak go<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>– you’ll dislocate or injure your shoulder or hand attempting to hang
onto it</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8859923680094399172" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Do not attempt a ‘pole roll’ near the
beach…another good way to injure a shoulder</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b>Rescues </b>in swells or at sea
<br />
<ol>
<li> Be Careful!</li>
</ol>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-36986449777675555682012-11-05T13:00:00.001-05:002012-11-05T22:19:04.849-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GXdQxOg2rw/UIR3VVh_wnI/AAAAAAAAAAM/grJUHxEuOuI/s1600/cold-weather-paddling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GXdQxOg2rw/UIR3VVh_wnI/AAAAAAAAAAM/grJUHxEuOuI/s1600/cold-weather-paddling.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>Fall brings Falling temps = Hypothermia Risk</h1>
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Each year, needless deaths occur from hypothermia. The ACA states that 70% of drownings could have been avoided if the victim was wearing a PFD. This doesn't reflect the number who may not have died of cold shock or hypothermia had they been properly dressed for immersion.<br />
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So here's my general rule: If you do not wish to swim in the water as you are dressed, then you should not be kayaking (or SUP) in the water....doesn't matter how experienced you are.<br />
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Capsizes happen... kayaking is a wet sport... if you are not dressed for the water temps, you are risking your life. Hypothermia robs your body of heat, mental acuity and physical dexterity.<br />
<br />
Try this test. plunge your hand into a bucket of ice water for up to 5 minutes and see if you can still pick up a penny....sounds so simple, right? Most heat loss occurs from head, neck, hands and torso. Know the H.E.L.P position.... better yet... don't put yourself at risk.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="style1">Options to wear based on water temperature :</span></b><br />
• Drysuit <br />
• Wetsuit <br />
• Paddling Jacket or Drytop <br />
• Neoprene hood, gloves, socks <br />
• Heavy neoprene boots <br />
• Fleece undergarment for Drysuit <br />
• Warm paddling hat <br />
• Rashguard or wicking under layer<br />
<br />
You may also wish to carry a cag, bivvy bag, or shelter, matches or lighter, thermos of hot tea, and warm change of clothing. Knowing how to help someone else who is showing <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothermia/DS00333/DSECTION=symptoms" target="_blank">symptoms of hypothermia</a> may help save their life.<br />
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Need more information? Almost every <a href="http://wannakayak.com/http:/wannakayak.com/tips/cold-water-paddling/" target="_blank">kayaking website</a> like ours, has informaton devoted to cold weather. You'll find a helpful temperature chart and compelling video on the above link. Feel free to post references to share!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-4747829240296708242012-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:002012-11-04T06:00:03.511-05:00OCRACOKE<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CKrwec_l4nVXgThLeYeSH081pGNqZdJiXA52Eeuuzp3xiKA-_r8laEliQzC3p0rbHqz6I9reRVD7emUrQw4jmhQ_8DXSCKS_D6Ewqvert1YUsd3jr31WaKIuSOFjUPxJU2RpS7Yko9A/s1600/Ginger_portrait.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CKrwec_l4nVXgThLeYeSH081pGNqZdJiXA52Eeuuzp3xiKA-_r8laEliQzC3p0rbHqz6I9reRVD7emUrQw4jmhQ_8DXSCKS_D6Ewqvert1YUsd3jr31WaKIuSOFjUPxJU2RpS7Yko9A/s1600/Ginger_portrait.png" /></a></div>
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If you love islands, visit this one. It is the jewel in North Carolina's crown.</div>
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Ocracoke Island is the next island south of Hatteras. But it's very different: no beach houses. None! All of the island's population - the 700 or so year-rounders and the thousands of summer visitors -- are clumped around the picturesque harbor, Silver Lake, on the soundside. The gorgeous Atlantic shore is part of the Hatteras National Seashore. Nothing but dunes, sea oats, and breaking waves for miles and miles. In Ocracoke village there are modern structures alongside old ones but no highrises and no McMansions. And this is the magic: there is NO road access. You take a car ferry to Ocracoke -- or your own boat -- or you don't go. If you take the ferry from Cedar Island or Swan Quarter on the mainland, you'll ride for more than 2 hours and lose all sight of land. When you arrive at Ocracoke on its thin sliver of sand, you know you've reached the end of the New World. Next stop, France! (In fact, there's a famous story of a North Carolina kayaker who capsized in Oregon Inlet farther north; months later his kayak did wash up in France with his wallet still aboard! CKC member Dawn was there; ask her to tell the story!)</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7if5P2j5508rW7wGmsGYTVJIPSytIxNxGndFGI4HfvozOmJtgdk6KXozOiKR-uBANFTshElYVohlOwN-eW1Y0GGMpaVQNCJU1axhWXL73pvdCoARQqMNNsID5xqcRp4xLrNJfou5iqM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7if5P2j5508rW7wGmsGYTVJIPSytIxNxGndFGI4HfvozOmJtgdk6KXozOiKR-uBANFTshElYVohlOwN-eW1Y0GGMpaVQNCJU1axhWXL73pvdCoARQqMNNsID5xqcRp4xLrNJfou5iqM/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Here's the car ferry turning in Silver Lake.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<br />
<div class="p1">
The best time to go to Ocracoke is October, in my opinion. We were there the weekend before Hurricane Sandy drove a couple of feet of water up into Ocracoke village. For us, it was all warm water, blue skies, no crowds. We rented a pet-friendly cottage, quaint on the outside, modern enough within.</div>
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</div>
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<br />
And here was a piece of yard art that hurt to see -- a beautiful, well-built wooden skiff. It was last registered in 2001. Lovely sheer line. The bottom has some rocker too. On Ocracoke these wooden skiffs have been replaced by flat-bottomed fiberglass Carolina Skiffs -- great commercial fishing platforms for the extremely shallow waters </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhtMNh5GyjYv5ZPIiUYGovz3Os2ZzaxMMkWrAqlRsCXnV_cwf8KkMWfK2cQ1PoD7f7BlqqRFtEos-UHhXtGiZfy024lLKY6Gaa1J8qWZ-m6NqzM62twVd-cfvjLKlxLHun1fpr5i2MDY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhtMNh5GyjYv5ZPIiUYGovz3Os2ZzaxMMkWrAqlRsCXnV_cwf8KkMWfK2cQ1PoD7f7BlqqRFtEos-UHhXtGiZfy024lLKY6Gaa1J8qWZ-m6NqzM62twVd-cfvjLKlxLHun1fpr5i2MDY/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
of Pamlico Sound. But strangely enough, over on the mainland, from Cedar Island down to Harker's Island you still see these wooden skiffs floating on their moorings. They're in use even today. It pains me to see a great old wooden skiff left to rot. Better to give it a Viking funeral, I say, and send it up in flames. But I'm a landlubber and I'm in love with the beauty of wooden boats. Those watermen are not nearly so sentimental about the tools of their trade.</div>
<div class="p2">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9bGQ2cxQDNU94gNPwwV84qV8ZS0NNuYcgv7dYdjctb7x3mQHPmR7DpQuUEXWLD2xhF09saKxYFP7ioTk-fxSsnBJdp8iN5_lhuxutyqiGZjOE-5bdxIICVVJMWxVTFgBCS5rIelaZr8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9bGQ2cxQDNU94gNPwwV84qV8ZS0NNuYcgv7dYdjctb7x3mQHPmR7DpQuUEXWLD2xhF09saKxYFP7ioTk-fxSsnBJdp8iN5_lhuxutyqiGZjOE-5bdxIICVVJMWxVTFgBCS5rIelaZr8/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a>I went kayaking only one day during our 4 days on the island. The soundside was calm as glass on our first day, so that was my window of opportunity. North of the big pine hammock at mid-island, Hwy 12 crosses 5 salt creeks in quick succession. </div>
<div class="p1">
One of them, Parker's, has a small sand landing by the bridge. That's where I launched. (Note: This is public land, but a commercial fisherman constructed the landing. If you go to Ocracoke, never block any water access, any sand road, with your car. Always park out of the way. We're visitors; the Ocracokers need water access to make their livings.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLunNsUo6kA2YjaIZWJAu2umtGyTpLa30qRu0ipX8gJMaHUrnOyppCgX4yWW97goGS0G1MJ9dx9BtE_CQ8TIFBgIxhBrQNi2SWOmijTmR8A1_wr3k59Ek_dqByWnTc6hohc8SFVyburE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLunNsUo6kA2YjaIZWJAu2umtGyTpLa30qRu0ipX8gJMaHUrnOyppCgX4yWW97goGS0G1MJ9dx9BtE_CQ8TIFBgIxhBrQNi2SWOmijTmR8A1_wr3k59Ek_dqByWnTc6hohc8SFVyburE/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a>It was early morning when I launched my light skin-on-frame kayak and began a slow paddle back down the sound to our cottage. The mirror-like water was light gray and the clouds were the identical color. There was no horizon line. The sound of voices from distant boats floated over the water to me, though I could barely see the boats. It was a great paddle that day. I saw one Peregrine Falcon up close as it flew low over Hwy 12, heading south. Falcons migrate with their prey, the shorebirds. I saw 3 Diamondback Terrapins and 1 sea turtle (species unknown) in the water. I also saw a greenish needlefish and 4 rays -- maybe stingrays but I'm not sure. My kayak floated just inches above the rays but they didn't move. Only their gill covers pulsed open and shut. For much of my paddle the water was barely a foot deep. For large stretches behind Ocracoke Island that's the depth for a mile offshore. You could get out and walk if you wanted. In fact, the Pamlico Sound is shallow overall; the deepest spot is 22 feet. The car ferries have to follow narrow dredged channels in and out of harbors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY__RCh1V_uhmhFOmYLI6Zk9LoDbPa1r5Qwmm1uXRqtWvCMoaCEP_XDIGq7Gz_2JYDfW95V0Dvhw6clrPzlBKFnAh1uFuzDkGfRaM1RwWMmO7mZRBtZ0lvbgO6HlPQ95B18rTe-meMGJ3/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikY__RCh1V_uhmhFOmYLI6Zk9LoDbPa1r5Qwmm1uXRqtWvCMoaCEP_XDIGq7Gz_2JYDfW95V0Dvhw6clrPzlBKFnAh1uFuzDkGfRaM1RwWMmO7mZRBtZ0lvbgO6HlPQ95B18rTe-meMGJ3/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="p1">
Later we walked on the Atlantic beach where large swells crashed in. But the utter tranquility of that soundside paddle stayed with me for the rest of my time on Ocracoke. </div>
Gingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179353395889720651noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-27947483640420367402012-11-03T16:00:00.000-04:002012-11-03T16:00:03.275-04:00Younger Paddlers?<br />
There’s a thread on the <a href="http://www.carolinakayakclub.org/">Carolina Kayak Clubs</a> forum titled “Where are the Younger Paddlers?”, indeed it does seems most of us are middle aged or older. This is also true for other kayaking groups I belong to as well. Many believe sea kayaking to be a sport for the more mature, with the extra time and money to enjoy the sport. <br />
<br />
Not just a concern in our kayak club, but discussed among other outdoor clubs as well. <a href="http://paddling.net/">Paddling.net</a> also just published an article by Cliff Jacobson on this topic called ‘<a href="http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?643">Grey Hairs</a>’, lamenting on the fact that we are missing the youth in our outdoor activities, and wondering if “we're raising a generation of youngsters who love malls more than trees” putting some blame on our educational expectations that no long include field trips and away from school activities.<br />
<br />
Adventure Kayak Magazine had an article in their Early Summer 2012 Issue by Tim Galloway titled “<a href="http://content.yudu.com/A1wmzc/akearlysum12/resources/14.htm">Where are all the Younger Paddlers Paddling?</a>”. Galloway (who is 23 says) “To get younger people into the sport, it needs to be seen as exciting and challenging, requiring us to let go of the stereotypical notions of flat water and sunrises, and accept the multiple facets of sea kayaking”.<br />
<br />
If we want to see some younger folks join in, we have to take some responsibility to show them the way. Start at home with family. A couple of weekends ago when my son Alan (age 26) and niece Morgan (age 17) were both visiting, we spent a morning on our lake. It was Morgan’s first time paddling, she was a natural.<br />
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SandyBottomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06229035938500562535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-44698331840212996552012-11-02T16:00:00.000-04:002013-02-28T17:05:26.499-05:00Fifty Miles By Sea<br />
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" 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I posted the entire article of our June 2011 50 mile ocean expedition. From my experience, this was one of those few trips in the life of a paddler that fundamentally changes their perspective of their place on the water. On the first day, our group encountered the roughest ocean conditions we had ever faced, far beyond our comfort zones. As we found our place in the landscape of these hostile waters, I learned to work with the dynamics of the sea to paddle with greater confidence rather than fight and react to the relentless pounding of the waves. In a later article I will cover what I learned. I hope you will enjoy our story. <br />
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On the final weekend in June 2011, 5 paddlers came together to fulfill a longtime dream for one. Lee had long envisioned an ocean paddle expedition on the Atlantic from the banks of his house in Swansboro, North Carolina to the most eastward extent of the shoreline at Cape Lookout, Into a notorious region known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for its legacy of storms, battles, pirates, and many shoals causing unusually nasty waves having wrecked more than 2000 ships and boats of all types over the last 400 years. Much of the region along the Shackleford Banks has changed little in 400 years. Lee was anxious to complete the ocean paddle to take care of "unfinished business" from a similar failed expedition last year, where strong storms kept us off the ocean and hunkered down on an uninhabited island. Lee invited four additional paddlers : Dawn, Barrett, Chris, and myself. All quite experienced. <br />
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Late afternoon on June 24th, we began to stage our expedition from Lee's waterfront back yard two miles inland. At that time strong winds were blowing and the pounding surf at the beach could be heard all the way from the sea. All were anxious that night knowing in just a matter of hours, we would be facing the beast head-on. I suggested driving over to Emerald Isle to scout the inlet. Dawn said "if you do, you won't go". The surf was forecast to be very high with five to seven foot seas the next day making surf landings difficult and risky. That evening, we carefully and creatively loaded our kayaks for the possibility of not returning to shore for the first day's 32+ mile duration. Also, everything needed during the day must be within arm's reach and must be quickly accessible so you are not off your guard when hit broadside by a breaking wave. The task ahead was daunting. Leave through the Bogue Inlet at low tide in the face of rough seas crashing against its shoals, paddle over thirty sea miles, before entering and crossing one of the busiest inlets on the east coast before reaching our campsite on the Shackleford banks. If the Beaufort inlet was too dangerous, we were prepared to cross in front and paddle nine more miles to the safety of a natural harbor at Cape Lookout. An early departure at sunrise was planned. Over the night, very little sleep was had as we listened to the crashing waves from our beds. In my case anxiety got the best of me. All of us knew to reach tomorrow's destination would summon every bit of our skills and take a bit of good fortune. <br />
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The following morning at 5:55 am, five kayaks set off for the inlet under the promise of a golden sunrise. The wind had diminished and I felt better sitting in my kayak, satisfied with my preparations and was anxious to get started. We made our way toward the inlet in good spirits, crossing the ICW, and skirting Dudley Island. The sound of the crashing breakers grew louder as we drew closer to the inlet. As we passed between Emerald Isle and Bear Island, the breakers showed their teeth as the tide drew us closer. We remained tight in formation so we could communicate, and searched for a clear passage to sea. There was none. Inlets naturally form shoals from the sand carried in and out with the tidal cycles forming a sometimes hellish gauntlet of breakers. We could not see what the seas were like behind the shoal break, or new how far out the breakers went. So our plan was to hug Emerald Isle and slip away from the shoal break by moving away from the inlet down the coast, just beyond the reach of the surf. We maintained formation as we sneaked between the high island surf and the breakers from the shoals. But all too soon, our luck ran out and we were forced to make a run to sea. The kayaks broke formation and headed out to sea facing the teeth of the breakers head on. We were hammered as we slowly inched our way out, losing sight each other, as each padder was on their own until passing the last of the breakers. Once clear, we looked around to see who made it, reassembled, and pressed on, relieved that everyone had made it, leaving the gauntlet behind us, earning our place on the ocean, and feeling the task ahead was doable with the much anticipated hostile inlet passage behind us. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCJy0rhP3R8X_RF1uz1uUJmerxKWRdGyToB7u_lymOvv3JXaxTiNwfr8Ms0FtzsDDxOYTSpTF5naj7GmKWwuvu2RIup0p4Lnzh1D38p_FAFq0cF_ziffyBy1_NwwvGHadblmLOCh_mrw3/s1600/P2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCJy0rhP3R8X_RF1uz1uUJmerxKWRdGyToB7u_lymOvv3JXaxTiNwfr8Ms0FtzsDDxOYTSpTF5naj7GmKWwuvu2RIup0p4Lnzh1D38p_FAFq0cF_ziffyBy1_NwwvGHadblmLOCh_mrw3/s320/P2.JPG" width="320" /></a>The ocean beyond the inlet was sharp pointed waves, breaking whitecaps at times, with 17 mph winds from the southeast which gave us following seas over our right shoulders the remainder of the day. Smoother seas were forecast the next day. The seas were very rocky. We saw no other boats for nearly the entire first day's distance. Shaken by our passage through the inlet, we sought safety in deeper water, angling our kayaks parallel to the deep rollers on the trip out which kept the boats level as we moved away from the shore to a distance between 1.5 and 2 miles from shore. The ocean turned from green to a deep clear blue, leaving the sediment of the surf and breakers behind. We then turned straight east running down the coast, our speed increased with the following waves to between 4.0-5 mph. Shaking off the turbulent start, and feeling relieved to be under way, all of us began to settle into our new environment at sea. For the first time, we took in the views and enjoyed the splendor of the rising sun over a vast emptiness. The sea reflecting its twisting rays on the heaving waves. The land was far away and featureless, disappearing in the trough of the large rollers. The waves even at 1.5 miles out were blown very sharp and tall by the wind. On one occasion, I planted my paddle down, and it did not hit the water. Occasionally, wave-tops would break over the side of our kayaks. So we spread our formation to prevent the waves from tossing one on top of another, but kept close enough to ensure everyone was safe. Rarely, could you see everyone at one time as we constantly moved over the waves through the troughs. We were reassured by our arsenal of safety equipment including VHF radios, satellite tracking beacons, horns, flares, and family monitoring our progress on the internet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VYLrLqZdF0alBUYrzJmAiyh1WqZ3FtdzoREjF_mkarD8o-35H6QGzBjThN8OJd63f57BArc6S71xSnxszJLjG20ebgrNVHjGwAIyJDfTV-rke-YK8SAU_VgK_D1BpCjoks2R0Lw3mCKF/s1600/P3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VYLrLqZdF0alBUYrzJmAiyh1WqZ3FtdzoREjF_mkarD8o-35H6QGzBjThN8OJd63f57BArc6S71xSnxszJLjG20ebgrNVHjGwAIyJDfTV-rke-YK8SAU_VgK_D1BpCjoks2R0Lw3mCKF/s320/P3.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8859923680094399172" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Anyone traveling on the ocean in a small craft will soon notice its rhythms. Waves exist in groups of different sizes known to mariners as "wave sets". At times, a set of waves 10 to 12 feet would hit broadside forcing us to frequently brace our kayaks. As the day progressed bracing became more of a subconscious action. Calmer sets afforded an opportunity to take care of various tasks, grab a fist full of trail mix, a couple of crackers, or sip some water from the hydration unit. Each task was quickly handled since one hand off the paddle would leave the kayak vulnerable. When reaching for food, I would store several bites in my mouth and consume the food over the next couple of minutes. I was relying on my 3 liter hydration unit to last most of the day. When depleted, I had several bottles stored under my sea-sock in my cockpit to fall back on. I had a bottle for bathroom breaks at sea. My pantry was in my deck bag, as was some safety equipment during surf passages. My Feathercraft K1 was designed for the sea, but I still worked a small safety brace in with each stroke for safety. We were well over a mile out and the last thing you wanted to do was go over and possibly put another paddler at risk attempting a deep water rescue. Everyone at all times kept a wary eye on the unsettled wave train for rogue waves cracking over our heads and other bothersome waves. Over the course of first day, several waves broke over our kayaks. Each time, we were<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH27RApmy82zVR0LiKYe0Mg-U62Y8u5Q5tbTvQarUr7W4R1PnTwr8bwmChiLuL4AtKmiiaJTguNBEnavkoblG0kH0crI1pDRRAcxLlYgxNdxxS0zuWyV3pK1ZnTzuVaWvzPDIGAiHgP_-/s1600/P4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQH27RApmy82zVR0LiKYe0Mg-U62Y8u5Q5tbTvQarUr7W4R1PnTwr8bwmChiLuL4AtKmiiaJTguNBEnavkoblG0kH0crI1pDRRAcxLlYgxNdxxS0zuWyV3pK1ZnTzuVaWvzPDIGAiHgP_-/s320/P4.JPG" width="320" /></a> quick with the low brace.<br />
As the day progressed, the tall wave sets became less frequent and we were putting several miles behind us. However, at 15 miles into the estimated 32 miles, the pounding of the breakers in the inlet and the large rollers far from shore had taken its toll, and Lee requested a surf landing. Also, Barrett's rear storage compartment taking on water. At the time of the decision, were still 1.5 miles off shore and could not see the surf, but we all knew it would be bad, and dreaded the looming confrontation. Two miles later as we came close to shore, the waves grew behind us. The surf was breaking far out from the beach, we ran the gauntlet one by one. Lee and Chris made great surf landings. The rest of us met with misfortune on the way in and were tossed from our kayaks. When near shore I looked over my shoulder, and saw Barrett's kayak nearly vertically standing on its nose on a monster wave and feared for his safety. However, he made it to shore none the worse for wear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wJ9qrh7SDoeWaaEv9i3WMip_1-Xxk1XvSToPPNMALLme4wQtlg-1ntnrlwNBF9mL78bkSthYYtM6oxPTQBV2q-DfcfqLRpAOtEQxJhaiXBbsXtpe0t9R5_nFIRChOeXXMdgr4CEx4vwr/s1600/P6250029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wJ9qrh7SDoeWaaEv9i3WMip_1-Xxk1XvSToPPNMALLme4wQtlg-1ntnrlwNBF9mL78bkSthYYtM6oxPTQBV2q-DfcfqLRpAOtEQxJhaiXBbsXtpe0t9R5_nFIRChOeXXMdgr4CEx4vwr/s320/P6250029.JPG" width="320" /></a>Despite the rough landing, we all made it to shore and enjoyed the beach for nearly an hour. Beach goers admired our equipment and posed for photographs in front of our kayaks. Barrett emptied his kayak and secured his hatch, and Lee was feeling much better after replenishing his electrolytes and felt able to complete the journey to Shackleford Banks. I replenished my on-hand provisions, topping off my hydration unit with one of the two 3 liter tanks in my storage hold. We ate lunch since it was 11:00 and the only time we would touch land until the day's paddle was over after 17 more miles. I was rather surprised how much water I had consumed at sea. Once our break was over, we readied our kayaks for sea and launched through the rough surf which relentlessly pounded us for nearly 100 yards out.<br />
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Once more we were underway, and cruised only a 500 yards to a quarter mile from shore. The closer proximity to shore put us more at risk for breaking waves. Over the remainder of the day's paddle had a few narrow escapes. We headed east passing Atlantic beach. As we approached the Ft. Macon (a civil war fort at the end of Emerald Isle) and the Beaufort Inlet, the waves had once again increased to around 8 to 12 feet. At this point, we were more comfortable in these seas. We were quickly approaching Beaufort Inlet (one of the busiest inlets on the east coast). Last year when we crossed the Beaufort inlet, we felt like mice crossing a freeway. However, this time, the rough seas left the inlet nearly devoid of traffic. But large breakers were guarding the flanks of the channel, leaving us with a choice of heading back out to sea a mile to clear the breakers and ride the 40 ft deep channel in, or sneak around the rock jetty along Ft. Macon into the inlet. We decided to sneak in the back door. By this time, the tide was going in and we rode it past the breakers, crossed the channel and made our way across the inlet to the uninhabited Shackleford Banks where we planned to camp.<br />
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We pulled our kayaks up to a protected beach and set up camp, relieved that we survived the paddle without serious incident, and no rescues. We were settling in as the daytime boaters were packing to go home. We had traveled 34 miles and had only 10 more to Cape Lookout ahead of us. My hands were very badly blistered and swollen, resembling ground chuck. <br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8859923680094399172" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>We took a much overdue swim and prepared to cook a wonderful Fajita dinner. Barrett and Chris had bought some thick stakes which Lee had sliced and froze the night before. The steak and vegetables were put into a flexible cooler and packed for the trip. We carried along 2 frying pans. I brought along my Jet Boil with an attachment to accommodate the large pans. Lee was the master cook for the night and made simply the best outdoor dinner I ever remember having. We walked around to the ocean side and checked out the Shackleford side of the inlet for our departure the next day, and turned in early from what was very remarkable day. As the last of the daytime boaters left, peace and the gentile sound of the water descende on our camp site. A gentle breeze cooled the approaching evening. We were tired. The distanced paddled in the ocean was the farthest that Lee and I had ever done in one day, and was the furthest offshore any of us had paddled.<br />
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As the sun rose on sunday, we were pleasantly rewarded for the previous day's perseverance with placid glass like seas, promising smooth passage. After breakfast, we broke camp and set off at 8:00 am for the 11 mile trip to the Cape Lookout light. After hitting some strange currents in the inlet, the tide swept us ouclear of the inlet and into the ocean, where we set course east once again on a straight line to Cape Lookout along a featureless, barren Shackleford banks.<br />
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The 10 miles to the "Bight" (what the locals call the bay) was easy, but hot as there was no wind, and a very hot sun. After 5 miles, we spotted the lighthouse on the horizon amid a rather hazy sky left from long burning forest fires a hundred miles to the southwest. My hands were still swollen and hurting from the previous day, but in consideration of the splendid day on hand, I had little to complain about. <br />
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Finally, we entered the bight, and made our way to the lighthouse. The whole area was crawling with day-trippers. We crossed the Barden channel and pulled up on a nice little protected beach near the lighthouse. By that time we spotted two kayakers with greenland paddles. Our shuttle drivers, Bill Bremer his wife Laura, who had stayed in the comfort of Lee's house, enjoying the fine restaurants of Swansboro, arrived in their kayaks from the takeout to escort us the last leg to Harker's Island. They had launched at 10:20 after staging Lee's Van and kayak trailer for the Hour and 15 minute drive back to the start of the expedition, and arrived within 10 minutes of us at the lighthouse. <br />
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After spending some time on the Beach and eating lunch, we set off on the last leg with the long traveled ocean to our backs, we made though the Barden Inlet and past the inland marsh of Shackleford Banks where we found ourselves among the fabled shackleford horses who paid us no mind, but rewarded us with their stately presence. After being shipwrecked 400 years ago by the spanish and surviving countless hurricanes, they seemed no worse for ware and content without anyone's help. We followed the channel to Harker's Island where our vehicle and kayak trailer was waiting.<br />
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At journey's end we sat for a minute reflecting all we had done and the places traveled over the two days. The tide had favored us through the 4 inlet passages. Over the last 2 days, I had grown remarkably in my paddling experience and confidence. We encountered the sea and her many wiles on her terms of which she afforded us safe passage, allowing us to experience living on the edge out at sea as countless mariners before, and wind down with a splendid placid journey on one of the Atlantic's most beautiful coastlines and marsh. Seems hardly possible two days could be enough for all we have done. However, the lasting effects, of what we have learned and experienced these two days will carry forth for a lifetime.<br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2012 Lyman A Copps</span></i></div>
Fastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859923680094399172.post-91275560309390647442012-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:002013-03-05T11:47:12.264-05:00Welcome Paddlers!<br />
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Welcome to Carolina Kayak Club member's blog. We are a community of enthusiastic paddlers originally from Central North Carolina, but are now spread across the state. As we embark on our 5th year, we look back on some interesting adventures in our unique playground between the sea and the mountains and picked up some interesting and knowledgeable paddlers along the way. We are very pleased and feel privileged to share with you our Adventures, insight, and knowledge in the coming months and years. The blog has a number of fine contributors on board to provide a steady stream of great new articles and stories. Expect a lot of new posts as we ramp up in the coming few weeks. We hope you will find our blog useful, entertaining, and hope you will return again and again.<br />
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Enjoy<br />
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Contributors and Staff of the CKC BlogFastyakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07527634596779394663noreply@blogger.com2