Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Test Your Gear. I Did in May. A Good May Day for Me!

Cold Water Rescue Practice. Do it safely. Test your gear before heading out. I finally did!

Today some experienced local paddlers and kayak instructors got together on Canada's Ottawa River to do cold water rescue practice. I joined in. I was glad I did!

Whatever gear you are paddling in when the water is cold, it is a good idea to test your gear close to shore before you head out further. Some days, you choose your gear well. Other days, you wish you've dressed differently.

 I've been paddling for several years in different types of gear, and combinations of gear, and never got completely into the water to test all of it in cold spring waters before heading out. Today I did. And I'm so happy I finally had the courage to do it!

Everything I wore today performed well for me in the conditions I paddled and practiced in during cold water rescue practice. The water temp was probably 10 degrees Celsius or warmer, but I can't be sure. The thermometer we plunged into the Ottawa River was impossible to read. The air temperature was about 16 degrees Celsius at 2:00 in the afternoon, but there was a fair wind blowing in the bay and I felt chilled on land in dry fleece as I geared up.

I had to go by feel. How did I feel in the water with my gear. How much time will it give me to get back into my boat and be comfortable. I didn't plunge my unprotected head completely into the water today. I'll try that another time, with a neo hood.

Of course, how much time you spend in cold water or on a cold shore is another matter. The point of the rescue practice is to see how well, and how fast you can get back into your boat unassisted or assisted, and how you can help others.

The gear I wore today to practice cold water rescues worked for me. I can't tell you how happy that made me feel. I couldn't believe how buoyant I was in all my neo, paddle jacket and PFD! You may be in neoprene, a dry suit, or a T-shirt and shorts. What matters is what you wear, what works for you, how it performs for you, and how well you can perform in it. Then it matters to the others you are paddling with!

Gear Up

You can see in the photos, that I'm geared up. I was wearing a long sleeve neoprene top and long neo pants, a Merino wool layer underneath, a Gul paddle jacket over all that, a very well-fitting PFD of course with the straps on the shoulders and waist battened down securely but still comfortable, a neo skirt, neo socks and neo booties, and Gul 4mm Flexor Gloves. I don't have a drysuit yet.

I started slowly by walking out into the water to see how my body reacted and how my gear choice performed. Then, when I was comfortable with my gear in the water for a few minutes, I got into my Boreal Baffin unassisted from the water. Then I felt ready for rescue practice.


I know that if I'm in really cold water and get dumped over suddenly, I can still suffer from cold water shock and gasp reflex. But today I'm testing my gear after the spring water in the Ottawa River has warmed up a bit and the ice has completely thawed several weeks earlier. I don't ever want to intentionally throw myself into water that is 4 degrees Celsius or colder. And I'm thinking I may want to avoid paddling water that cold.

Cowboy Scramble into the Boreal Baffin - This boat rocks! I love it!

When you are suited up in gear: Neoprene or a dry suit, gloves or mitts, booties and your PFD, that's when you're going to find out just how much tighter you fit into your cockpit, whether or not you can grab your decklines with your gloves, if your hands and feet are warm and comfortable, if you can still maneuver with what you are wearing, can you get back into your boat with all that stuff, and find out if you can still assist others.

You should be comfortable and able to paddle with ease in your gear. You want to have fun right?

I did today. Another day could be different. I know that. And when I'm not in the mood to hit up all that gear, I grab my bike or my yoga mat!

 
Why do Some People Paddle Cold Water in T-shirts and Shorts?

There is nothing like being suited up properly for the spring cold water conditions in May on a warm, windy, sunny day in a beautiful bay on the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada, with a crew of experienced paddlers and instructors, only to see several people heading out from shore in rec boats wearing shorts and T-shirts, but at least a PFD.

Wow! They have no clue what they are doing. And most times, they will head out and come back just fine. I'm happy for you who do - you're lucky. They put their feet into the water to launch and say, "Yikes, the water is cold!", and head out anyway.

Get gear. Test your gear in a safe way. 
Learn about hypothermia.

• Visit Coldwater Bootcamp and watch the videos of real people and what happens to them in cold water.
• Visit Cold Water Survival by the United States Search and Rescue Task Force.

Learn about the water you paddle and what temperature it is. It is probably way colder than you think!

Learn how to get back into your boat. Practice. Have fun!

Don't Forget the Sunscreen

Despite all the great gear I wore today, I still forgot one thing! The waterproof sunscreen. I've got a nice little red sunburn on the only part of me that was looking at the sun for two hours. My nose!

Thanks to Local Paddlers and Instructors

Thanks to the great crew of local Ottawa paddlers and instructors who continue to share their experience with us and who put on today's practice! You rock! 

Happy and safe paddling!
The BaffinPaddler

Have you tested your gear?

First Spring Paddle with the Boreal Baffin: Paddling on Clouds and Testing the Gul 4mm Flexor Gloves

Camera Failure - What a way to start an epic first spring paddle!

The absolute bane of the blogger has to be camera failure when you set out for your first spring paddle on an epic weather day with exceptional environmental conditions that offer rare photo ops that won't be there tomorrow or maybe ever again.

When I set my Boreal Baffin down on a nice solid ice ledge near a big rock on a sunny spring afternoon with a perfect view down the Ottawa River's mirror reflection of both the azure blue sky lightly dusted with soft white clouds and the surrounding landscape, I knew I had a perfect shot! You couldn't tell what was sky and what was water or which way was up. They both looked the same at that moment in time. But my orange Olympus Stylus Tough camera had other ideas!

It had a dead battery and no spare was on hand. You can relate, yes? Even though I'm a girl, that didn't stop the barrage of four letter words that escaped me for a good long while. I had to give up on pressing the "GO ON YOU #@&* CAMERA!' button and resign myself to just paddling the boat and enjoying what I can't share with you on film.

Paddling on Clouds

I'll try to describe the incredible effect that certain water and weather conditions can have on your paddling and wonder if you've ever experienced it yourself - because it's a rare moment when the mirror like reflection of the sky on a big stretch of perfectly flat water gives you an out of the world feeling that your boat is no longer on the water. You feel like you are paddling above the water in the clouds that you see both above and below you. You don't even feel your paddle moving through the cold dense water. It's a mind game played with you by the optical illusion of the environmental conditions, and it's offered to you, if you want to go there.  

Been there yet?

When I looked to my right, all I could see was the muddy brown colour of the Ottawa River in its full spring glory. When I looked to my left, the water was the sky. It was the same beautiful blue, the clouds and the sun were there. It was a perfect and surreal reflection of the sky gleaming on the water. Wow!

When you are surrounded in this odd effect, it is an amazing experience. You could call it an "Out of this World" feeling. You don't want to stay there too long as it gets eerie, yet at the same time, you want to stay in it for a while longer, as it is only a temporary experience brought on by those rare moments when there is nothing disturbing the water: no wind, no boats, no big current, or any debris floating on the water, the sun is just right, and so is your position on the water. And you still wish your camera battery had juice!

The Blackberry 

Later down river, my patient paddle mate offered to take a pic from his Blackberry to appease me a bit. "OK, it's better than nothing," I pouted. And this blog post pic is from a Blackberry taken in the glaring sunlight so bright that I could not even see without my sunglasses. Pretty amazing for a cell phone pic I think! Two thumbs up for Blackberry.

The ice shelf I'm leaning on in the pic in this little bay to show off what I think is the best side of the Boreal Baffin was still about five inches thick in spots. It's April in Canada. We still have some snow and ice here in the woods and along some shorelines.  

Rules not to forget

I broke a bunch of my own paddle rules today that I won't do again. But the first paddle of the season always sees me forgetting or neglecting something important. 

One year it was the paddles! I arrived at the launch, unloaded all the boats and gear - and no paddles! That only happened once. Now I check! Are the paddles in the car? 

Today I didn't check everything in my gear bag. I just assumed everything I needed was in there from last year's paddling season - my neo skirt wasn't. That's an important item but not a deal breaker on a calm day in flat water. I didn't check the camera battery - it was dead. No harm done, I'll just kick myself forever for that one. I didn't bring an energy bar and later wished I did. I needed it. I didn't throw my paddle jacket or any other warm gear into a hatch to put on when the sun dropped and the beautiful day fell into something about 10 degrees colder as I paddled back in what was "way too warm neoprene" when I started. 

No harm came for any of my broken rules today and it was still a great day, but I need to remember to pack and plan better for those short two hour paddles close to home, especially in the spring. The distance I normally breeze through in the warmer summer, was more effort than I expected to paddle through in the colder denser water of spring thaw. Surprise, surprise! How easily some of us, like me, forget things over the long winter.

Gear Testing - Gul 4mm Flexor Liquidseam Neoprene Gloves

Spring is my favorite time of year to test gear. Especially gloves. My fingers freeze easily and this keeps me off the water - especially in winter, and sometimes in the fall, and usually in the early spring.

Every pair of gloves I've tested over the past 4 years have failed in late fall and early spring. They were either too thin, leaky, and cold, or too big and bulky that you couldn't feel the paddle. Why bother?

But this year success! I paddled for two hours in spring conditions with new gloves that I love and can recommend: Gul 4mm Flexor Liquidseam Neoprene Gloves.

I found the Gul 4mm Flexor Liquidseam Gloves very comfortable, finger and hand flexibility is excellent, no slip on my skinny Greenland paddle, the seams really are waterproof and don't leak or rub, they were warm but not hot, and fit just long enough past my wrists to prevent water from running down in to my hand while padding. When my fingers or hand glanced the water on some paddle strokes, I didn't feel the icy cold. I bought them big enough so that I could add an insulating layer if needed on colder days.

After two hours of paddling spring water with very happy hands and fingers I asked my paddle mate, "How are your hands in YOUR gloves?" They were a different Gul model: His response, "Terrible, wet, and cold!"

So, if you're not happy with your fall or spring paddling gloves, you may want to give the Gul 4mm Flexor Liquidseam Gloves a try. I love them!

Happy spring paddles.
Stay warm and safe.
The BaffinPaddler

Plan a Paddle from a Tree! Petite Nation River, Ripon, Quebec, Canada

I did a little Spring paddle planning from a tree today. Spring for those of us in colder climes, like Canada,  means we start getting major paddle itch when we see open water and start dreaming about where that first paddle is going to be after a long cold winter. Finding new water to paddle, meaning water you haven't paddled before, is always more exciting than thinking about plopping your sea kayak in the same old beautiful river, lake, or stretch of ocean you've paddled time and time again. Right!

On my way back home from a visit up to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada, my GPS Tom Tom One "Lori" suggested a small highway I didn't normally travel, and I had the great pleasure of discovering a much better route that took me along beautiful stretches of the Petite Nation River through the little town of Ripon, Quebec.

When you stop and fall in love with a spot, it's a great day. Especially when you vow to come back with your boat. I was wishing my Maelstrom Vital 166 or Boreal Baffin was with me. But the Vital was still in bubble wrap at home waiting to be unravelled after spending most of the winter with its maker, Boreal Design, to fix all its leaky hatches and repair the gel coat that I busted on some nasty lake rocks.

 Finding new stretches of river to paddle are my thing right now. I'm thrilled to have discovered more stretches of rivers close to home that I want to paddle: Parts of the Petite Nation River (at Ripon, Quebec), and long stretches of the Riviere Rouge/Red River in the Mont Tremblant, Quebec area. I'll be posting more on this later in the paddling season.

Today, I had to dream of paddling this stretch of the Petite Nation River from a tree suspended over the water. Trying a little yoga in a tree over the icy water was the best I could do to tease the water and hope I didn't fall in. And it rocked. But I'm not suggesting anyone else try this.

Where will your first spring paddle be?

Happy spring paddles.
Stay warm and safe.
Find a new river to paddle!
The BaffinPaddler

Sunscreen your kayak! 303 Aerospace Protectant, time to think about it!

To sunscreen your kayak or not to sunscreen your kayak. That is the question.

It may sound like a modified quote from William Shakespeare, "To be, or not to be . . . that is the question." And it is. An opening line from Shakespeare's play Hamlet. That's about as much of Shakespeare as I can comprehend. And it's a big question. To be or not to be? To sunscreen your kayak, or not to sunscreen your kayak?

We know that we have to protect ourselves from the sun, either with sunscreen, shelter, or clothing. In Florida, cycling the long stretch of white sandy beach along the Barrier Islands in the Gulf of Mexico, I use SPF 60, a hat and sunglasses, along with common sense. I don't stay out there too long.

We expect that the factory paint jobs on our cars protect their finishes from the ravishes of the sun, but I didn't know that I needed to think about sunscreen for my kayak.

I owned two plastic sea kayaks for a few years before someone told me that you could sunscreen your kayak to protect it from fading by using a product like 303 Aerospace Protectant.  By then, the red Current Designs Storm was much less than its original red, and my eye-glaring yellow Boreal Baffin, was still pretty yellow! It was hard for me to decide if I wanted to take the time to make the Baffin brighter than it already was, even after a year of fading.

Sometimes I think (and know) that we just like to spend time with our kayaks when we can't get out and paddle, and this is just another way to do it - spending time with them in the garage sunscreening them and bringing back a little lustre before we show up with them at an event. But, when you've seen what the sun can do to a kayak and its hatches, you start to think about protecting it at the beginning of the paddling season.

We sunscreen ourselves to guard against skin cancer. With kayaks, it's about keeping them looking pretty and protecting the finish. Let's call it vanity or the pleasure of looking at your beautiful boat gliding on the water in front of you.

There is no before or after picture of sunscreening my kayaks here. I learned the lesson with my plastic sea kayaks. I 303'd them after they faded from some time in the sun and was happy with the results after using the product.

Now that I own a new fibreglass Malestrom Vital 166, I contacted the 303 product people for more information and advice. "Can I use it on a fibreglass boat?" Yes, the product can be safely applied to the gelcoat - the outer protective coating of the fibreglass boat. Hey, I didn't know if I could 303 my fibreglass sea kayak.  I'm not fond of pulling out my glasses and reading the tiny fine print on product labels, I'd rather call someone.

But with any new kayak you buy, (plastic, fibreglass, thermoform, etc.) you may want to ask the manufacturer if protection from sun fade is a built in feature or not.

303 Aerospace Protectant - SPF 40: Is it environmentally friendly?

A good question. And I'm not the only one to ask. According to 303 Products Inc, as I contacted them last week, the product is environmentally friendly and passes American, Canadian and Euro regulations.

However, if you do not apply the product properly, some of the unbonded product can wash off into the water you paddle. So if you do use this product, make sure to apply it properly. The product bonds with the surface of your boat and does not soak in. People have seen excess product wash off into the water. And that means that the product was not applied properly.  

How do you apply 303 Aerospace Protectant to your kayak?

According to 303 Products Inc., proper application is:  Spray on, wipe COMPLETELY dry. Wiping completely dry, which requires finishing with a DRY cloth, not a damp cloth, removes all excess un-bonded 303 and makes the bonded 303 bond better and become more repellent, which also means better longer lasting performance. 

At what temperature should you apply the 303 Aerospace Protectant to your plastic kayak or gelcoat of your fibreglass kayak?

According to 303 Products Inc, this product uses distilled water as the carrier, so you have to use it above freezing.  This product is destroyed by freezing (when in liquid form in the bottle). So you have to store the 303 Aerospace Protectant and other topical treatment products such as wax and specialty cleaners at room temperature. 

Uh, oh! I left my bottle of 303 Protectant in my freezing garage all winter!  Now I'll have to buy more, and store any leftover product in the house next winter. 

As for applying it, "it doesn't matter if the surface being treated is in the sun, but it DOES matter if the surface is hot to the touch. Don't use on surfaces which are hot to the touch. Warm to the touch when applying 303 to the surface of your boat is good." 

Thanks to the 303 product people for getting back to me so quickly and answering all the questions I had. Hopefully, this post can save you some time and money as well by using and storing the product properly if you purchase it.

To sunscreen your kayak, or not to sunscreen your kayak . . . that is the question!

Even though I'm still waxing my skis and enjoying hitting the snow where I live in Canada, I'm thinking about sunscreening my kayaks for the upcoming paddling season. Are you?

Happy preps for your upcoming paddling season!
The BaffinPaddler

Paddlers who don't know they love cross-country skiing yet . . . but will!

Trust me. You may be a paddler who doesn't know you love cross-country skiing! How do I know? That was me a few years back.

What are the signs of a paddler who does not know they love cross-country skiing . . . yet?

• You are a paddler (OK, that one is obvious.)

• You tried cross-country skiing once and hated it! (That was me too. I tried it in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let's call it Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada! I love you Manitobans but it was flat, too cold, windy, uncut trails with crappy rental equipment across a somewhat frozen lake that went "crack" in spots, zero amenities, and I had no knowledge of technique. It wasn't my idea, someone invited me.)

• You hate winter and how long it lasts! (That used to be me too. I immigrated to Canada from California. Yes, I know that Canada is a country and that California is a state in the U.S., despite being a true blue-eyed blond with a few highlights. No, I was not thinking when I did it - meaning immigrating to Canada! And I had no clue how to dress for winter.)

• You lament the sight of your beautiful sea kayaks, Greenland and Werner paddles, and other sweet gear packed up for 6 months each year. (It means deep regret and sorrow! I still go there sometimes too when I look at my Boreal Baffin and Maelstrom Vital 166 sitting in the garage. The sight of them gives me comfort, good memories, and a sense of wonder where they'll take me next.)

• You think you'd rather "stay in" and build more and more beautifully crafted Guillemot Kayaks and Greenland paddles. (I'll admit I could lose my argument here! I have never been to this place in time myself. But you know who you are, and you still have the potential to be a paddler who loves cross-country skiing, but doesn't know it yet, so stay with me for a bit longer. It gets better.)

• You'd rather "stay in" and read endless sea kayaker magazines, watch paddle videos, and hit up every good paddle blog you know. (You can still indulge in this behavior in between cross-country ski bouts. It's allowed, even recommended, and great for paddle blog Web stats!)

There are a lot of us "converts", paddlers who live in winter climes with frozen water that seems to last forever. We gave in (sorry diehard paddlers, forgive us) and decided to make peace with winter by hanging out on the other side of water - in the snow on land.

I'd never be one to say to anyone to spend time on snow that is on top of a frozen waterway. I don't go there. At least, not knowingly. If you've ever skied across a lake that goes "crack" in spots, I can tell you it's not a happy sound or a good feeling.

When the third person who tells you that you should get out and cross-country ski (if you are able), is a paddler - you might just listen, and do it.

That's what happened to me. Third time's the charm?

So, if you still need that third person who is a paddler to tell you that you should take up cross-country skiing, let it be me.

Here's a tribute to the paddler who did it for me. 

Thanks to you paddler! 

And thanks to Gatineau Park, Quebec, Canada for being a world class cross-country ski destination close to home!

Just one more thing: Taking up cross-country skiing in optimal conditions, in a beautiful place, with good equipment (maybe even a lesson or two) is the best way to start in my opinion! You'll have to decide if you prefer skate skiing, classic or both. I started with classic and still like it. I've tried skate skiing. It is hard! But I haven't given up . . . yet.

Winter 2011 is looking like a great year for paddle buddies to give cross-country skiing a try.
Go for it!

Join us! Be a "convert" to the other side of water in winter: SNOW!
A few reasons why:

Wide open spaces, fresh air, nature, athletic activity, requires technique, trail maps, weather checking, planning, water, energy food, and gear. Lots of smiling faces on the trail. Just like kayaking. And the "after ski" feeling is just as great as the "after kayaking" feeling or better. There is less gear to put away and it doesn't weigh as much!

If you must find virgin snow, it is there.

A Hairy Woodpecker and more Chickadees than you can count. The Chickadees don't sit still for a minute, and love to tease your camera by taking off just before you click, so use your imagination here.

Fresh cut trails. You are the first to hit them after the grooming machine passes by and doesn't run you over. I'm sure they wouldn't.

Romantic amenities. His and Hers.

Exciting trails you'd like to explore. Is a Black Diamond equivalent to white water?

Day and overnight cabins you can ski to. Are you converted yet?

A closer look inside heaven.

Steaming mint tea and honey, and a spot for candle light at night.

Back out to catch the view before sunset . . .

And dodge the grooming machine again.

Kudos to the makers of these tractors! They don't disturb you in the park. The engines purr and murmur . . . like the gentle waves lapping the shore as you kayak camp. (Not really, I'm stretching the metaphor a bit here.)

I don't think the next picture needs a comment. You can make up your own and imagine yourself here.

Red squirrels look friendly, but I think he just wants my sandwich.

Oh come on, this is such a cheesy squirrel pose, but they really do this.

A little more wide open spaces, then it's time to head for home, the cabin, yurt, or the tent.

Lots of room to improve your technique and fitness level . . . just like paddling.

So when will we see you out there too!

Happy and safe winter travels wherever you go with them!
The BaffinPaddler

Newfound Lake, New Hampshire. But the tourist brochure said pristine and no commercial development!

Maelstrom Vital 166, Newfound Lake, New Hampshire, USA

 I should have known not to believe it when the tourist brochure said "Newfound Lake is pristine and has no commercial development." I came through the city of Bristol, to the southern-most beach and said, "Oh s*#t!"

All around me and as far as the eye could see were wall-to-wall cottages and rows of docks packed with hundreds of ski boats, those ultra-expensive mega party boats with the monster speakers and lights. Of course you don't see them in the photo. I made sure to hide them from the view.

So what do they consider no commercial development around here I wondered? This looks way OVER DEVELOPED to me! And this is just the southern tip of the lake! It was the first thought running through my mind when the lake came into view.

The next thing running through my mind was making a decision. Do I get out and paddle this thing anyway or head somewhere else? I'm on vacation in a new place I don't know very well and I only have a few days left. Every day needs to bring something new.

I'd already paddled a section of the Connecticut River from the Comerford Dam and Reservoir, which had plenty of water in between dams. It wasn't on my list to do again.


Then there were the stretches of the Saco River I saw in the Crawford Notch area that looked more like rock beds.

So, rather than try to research and figure out where to paddle on another river I didn't know, I decided to paddle Newfound Lake. It was a weekday, early in September when most of the motor boat crowd was back at work.

There was plenty of water to swim in and Wellington State Park on the south west shore has a boat launch, or was just a short paddle west of the public beach I launched from . . . but wasn't supposed to.

When the temperature is going to hit 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), it's not a bad bet to be in a lake you can swim in more than paddle.

I was looking for a fair-sized lake that was pristine and swimable, no-motorboats, with views of the White Mountains within a hour's drive from my vacation basecamp near Lyman, NH.

Some of the larger lakes in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire are known motor boat tourist havens, so they were immediately off my list. According to the tourist brochure, Newfound Lake seemed to fit the bill . . . until I got there.

If you're someone like me with a paddle and a kayak, you may want to avoid this lake in the high vacation season when all the speed boats are out in full force.
  
Despite all the development, the water in Newfound Lake looks amazingly pristine. It's the third largest lake in New Hampshire at 4,450 acres, and its deepest parts reach 183 feet.

So be careful out there. People do drown in this lake and some have never been found because of its depth. See Newfound Lake news report: WMUR 9 Swimmer's Body Reecoverd in Newfound Lake.

Newfound Lake is fed and refreshed by underground springs. It really does have crystal clear waters and sandy bottoms in spots that make you think you might be paddling somewhere in the Caribbean. It is easy to fall in love with it.

But don't get too lost staring off at those distant mountains. There are also patches of large rocks that come upon you suddenly in between those sandy stretches, and they are just waiting to meet you and your kayak. And you can see them! Lots of them!

Awesome . . . when you glance down and see a big jagged rock a split second before you are about to run into it with the nose of your fiberglass boat and manage to miss it by a millimeter!

Without all the motor boats and cottages, Newfound Lake could be a little slice of heaven. But I guess that's exactly why everyone is there. It's a bit too nice. An affliction. Everyone wants a piece of it. Isn't that what happened to California?

As a paddler, I hate to give up water we want to paddle on just because the motor boats out number and out power us. And intimidate us, and threaten our safety.

In one of the crystal clear shallow spots of the lake, where the water was between two and three feet deep, some big-bellied motor boaters were hopping off their decks with their boats in tow. Leading them like pets on a short stretch of 8 foot long rope and wading in the water. Their beautiful 22 foot long, 4,000 pound docile pets floating behind them in calm water without wind or boat wakes.

I thought it was a funny habit, until I saw one looking back nervously to see where his big pet was. It wouldn't take much of a boat wake, or a moment of inattention to send it on top of you in a second.

Back at the launch, I asked a local how a lake that was only 2 1/2 miles wide and 6 miles long could stay so clear while supporting so many cottages and motor boats.

"God keeps it clean," he said.

"Oh, I guess he's doing a good job then," I replied. "But, I'm wondering if he might need some help."

He had no reply to that. Just a friendly chuckle and an offer of some lawn chairs to sit on to enjoy the views from the public beach I had just parked my boat on.

Seems having Canadian license plates and beautiful Maelstrom sea kayaks strapped onto the car makes you very welcome.

Everyone loves kayakers right? Well almost.

I keep forgetting that we are governed by rules just like other boaters with motors. Another local came over and kindly warned me that someone regularly calls the police when people launch from this stretch of public beach, and this visit could cost me $100 in fines.

With this news, you've never seen anyone pack up a boat and gear faster! So here's another pic of what not to do with your boat in this location.

 I never made it to the northern shores of Newfound Lake. Anyone with news about this section of the lake and where to launch from if I ever head back, please let me know.

I love New Hampshire!
Happy paddling and finding your way without fines when you are a tourist!
The BaffinPaddler

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Cowboy Scramble up the Maelstrom Vital 166 - Find its sweet spot!

Does a boat have a sweet spot? I think so. Especially when you are doing the cowboy scramble.

Ok, I'm in the water in a nice warm Canadian lake in July in my cute new Maelstrom Vital 166 that I bought in May without really testing if I could get back into it unassisted. I just assumed I could. "Of course I can, I can do it in my Boreal Baffin in 5 seconds." I count. It's a game in warm flatwater when I'm doing it for fun and rescue practice.

In the first pic above, look how far the nose is sticking out of the water. This boat has one very upturned kayak nose!

 The Malestrom Vital 166 is 21 inches at the beam and is 16 feet 6 inches long. The beam is the widest measurement across the kayak. That has to be at the cockpit. It's where we sit. Makes sense, especially after the Christmas holidays, we need to fit in there. Everything gets skinnier from there. Yes, after Christmas we work to get rid of what we gained, and from the cockpit, everything gets narrower. So when you think beam, think widest part. In a sea kayak, it's somewhere around the cockpit, the middle. On us, let's hope our middle is not our widest part!

The wider the kayak, the more stable it can feel. And, at 21 inches at the beam, the Maelstrom Vital 166 is starting to get skinny and very responsive. Which is what I wanted, and it is designed to be that way. But getting back into it from the water as a 5'6", 125 pound vertical being hanging low in the water and trying to hoist yourself up onto a light, floating, horizontally oriented sea kayak is starting to feel a little different! Like tippy and I have to think about it. I'm not complaining. I'm going to figure it out.

Let's see. Each time I try to get up on the back deck of the Malestrom Vital 166, I pull the kayak on top of myself. A common problem with a lot of people who try this manoeuvre with their kayaks. And a problem I got past with the Boreal Baffin with the help of an instructor.

Now what did he tell me? "Try it farther back on the back deck, away from the cockpit, over the back hatch." Well, I was trying to come up over the back hatch of the Vital, but I needed to find its sweet spot a little further back. And once I found that sweet spot, I could cowboy scramble up it each time (in calm water). If you can't do it easily in calm, warm water on a nice sunny day . . . it could be stressful in other conditions. Practice is fun.

So here we go, grab a breath, pull yourself up and kick those legs at the same time to get horizontal with your boat.

If you make it up and over the back deck, it's the first moment of truth in the cowboy scramble. Getting up on your boat without tipping it over. Not cute, but this is a skinny boat to balance over. Now all you have to do is swing your leg over your boat and ride it like a horse. That's why they call it the cowboy scramble, right?

This is a nice moment. Up on your boat. Wow. I'm a pretty light, small paddler at 5 foot 6 inches and about 125 pounds sitting on the back deck of the Vital. Look how high the nose is!

Next is what I call the "grunt work". Pulling yourself up the back deck of the boat to the cockpit. Normally I would be low pulling myself up from the decklines, but I'm finding I get stuck on the fiberglass and don't slide easily along it like I normally do on my plastic Boreal Baffin. And those skinny edges of the Maelstrom Vital 166 on my thighs feel very hard. I'm thinking "Ouch". I'm also thinking, this is so much easier and more comfortable in my Boreal Baffin. But I like the Vital, so I'd better get used to it and make it quick.

When you make it to the cockpit and slide yourself in, it's a great feeling! And before I do, I can't help but take a moment to claim victory with my beloved GP (Greenland paddle) and do some nice torso rotations and stretch out a bit.

Now it's time to play and do it all over again!

Happy cowboy scrambling and figuring out your boat!
The BaffinPaddler

And you can watch someone else do it in another boat on YouTube who will make it look easy, but nothing beats practice. It's all about you and the boat you are paddling!