Love at first site

It's a common bit of advice that you hear all the time in kayaking when people are shopping for a boat: demo, demo, demo. Everyone advises you to try a bunch of different boats out to really see what you like. Sounds logical enough, but the truth is quite so simple. If you had unlimited time, access to every boat in the world, and a myriad of conditions to paddle in, then demos work great. But for most paddlers, especially new ones, demo's have a limited value that people need to understand.

For instance, I had a customer on the phone the other day who was asking about a couple different boats. His list of boats to explore was given to him by an outfitter and only had about four names on it. After asking him a couple questions I could easily expand his list of possibilities to a dozen boats that fit his criteria and a dozen more that might actually work great for him. When I mentioned one of those boats he said he had tried it and dismissed it. He had 'sat in it' and it was 'too big'. That particular boat has a composite seat that is designed to be outfitted by the end purchaser - it actually creates a stronger seat platform and allows customization that ultimately makes the boat more comfortable than any off the shelf seat. So he never bothered to try the boat on the water and missed the whole point by his 'demo'.

Working at a shop we have people demo-ing boats all the time, and talking to them afterward most don't have a clear understanding of boat design characteristics and how those things translate in different environments. I honestly think that if you do a fair bit of research into general boat design styles, try out a few of vastly different design, understand what you really want out of a boat - then you can really narrow things down and actually make a good decision without ever paddling the boat. But that's not how most people approach it - they do tons of research on specifications but not the analysis of what it means, of how those numbers connect to them. They go by a much more vague criteria - what 'feels' good. Which often means what is comfortable and what is not. And in the end, if you find the boat comfortable, that is enough for most paddlers. Performance is actually an afterthought. (look at the boat reviews at Paddling.net and you'll see what I mean)

For me, it's all about performance. I can make any boat comfortable if I take a little time (on my Ikkuma 17 I put in a Jackson Sweet Cheeks, glued in some foam hip pads and a little more foam on the knees - took about 15 minutes). But I want to know how it handles and what it can do. And I've paddled enough boats with different characteristics in different conditions to have a pretty good idea of what to expect. When I saw the first picture of the Valley Gemini, I knew I would like it. When I got to paddle it for five minutes on flat water I knew I loved it. You see, I know what I like and what I'm looking for in a play sea kayak: hard chines, lots of rocker, volume in the nose, symmetrical design. That's the Gemini SP. It also happens to have a comfortable cockpit, but that's just a bonus.

Feeling a little rusty

Well, our river season is finally here in California. It was a dry, slow winter but we finally ended up with a little bit of a snowpack and temperatures rising to melt it. I taught my first beginner whitewater class of the season last weekend and to follow that up I got out for a little paddling on my day off. We did the N Stanislaus, a nice 7 mile run a couple hours from Sacramento. I've done the run before (at a higher level), and it's only a class IV, but it's the first significant run I've done in about six months. I felt relaxed and really enjoyed myself for the day, but my paddling was definitely a little rusty. It's curious as to exactly what that means, 'rusty', and exactly why it happens.

When you're 'off' on the river, it's the little things that get you. In general I was in the right place and moving in the right direction, but I could feel that my timing wasn't perfect on some strokes - I'd be a little late or little early. The very first rapid I got spun out above the crux because I hung on to a bow draw a little long and clipped an eddy. Then I was too slow reacting with a counter stroke that could have corrected me fine. So I went down backwards - but not a problem since I was in the right place. Another time you had to charge right to avoid the hole. But I went too soon and too hard and ended up driving into some rocks and bouncing back into the hole. whoops.

Other than timing, my water reading wasn't as sharp as it should be, either. Actually, I could read the water fine, but I just couldn't properly judge its affect on my boat. I think a lot of that comes from spending my time teaching on easier water. When I get on harder stuff it looks so much bigger and faster that I expect it to push me around. But it generally doesn't. I would plow through curlers just fine, or punch holes that I expected to stop me. It's just a matter of calibration that takes some time to get used to.

The other aspect of teaching that throws off your paddling is the nature of running rapids. When leading beginners down a simple rapid you become aware of every possible hazard, every tiny ripple or seam, and do your best to avoid or minimize them. You get very skilled at the finding the easy way, but that isn't what you always want to do when having fun. Once you know what you're doing it's fun to boof the hole instead of avoiding it, to surf the wave instead of pointing straight down through it. It's a different mindset that takes an adjustment.

But, in spite of  being rusty, I did have a great time. I nailed some lines perfectly, I survived all my mistakes and did some quick corrections. I felt much more comfortable and aware of my boat and the river by the end of the day. I'm ready for the season to begin.

Rejuvenation

Well, it's been a while since I posted because it's been a while since I've paddled. I have been on the water - a few workout paddles, a quick river trip to try out a new boat - but nothing to write home about (I guess that makes this blog my home...). Partly it's due to the incredibly dry winter we are having in California, leaving the normal rivers too low to boat. Partly it's the high gas prices that make trips to the coast a little expensive for just an ordinary paddle. Partly it's been work - winter means covering the retail floor and planning the season ahead. But mostly I just haven't been incredibly motivated to paddle.

Everyone goes through lulls and I've been focused on a lot of other things in my life. It's not that I don't enjoy paddling anymore but it just moved down the list of priorities for a little. And sometimes once you step away it's easy to forget why you used to put so much effort into getting out on the water. But if you're lucky you have some friends there to remind you.

So this past weekend I taught at the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium. It's an awesome event with great coaches from around the world and students from up and down the west coast (and beyond). This was the fourth year and it now feels like old home week. But it actually started out a little rough for me. I was leading the coastal tour on Saturday and we made the bold decision to launch from Rodeo beach and paddle one way around Pt. Bonita and in under the Golden Gate bridge. It's always a little nerve-wracking to take students through the dumpy surf and into such an exposed location, especially when the forecast is for 9'-12' swells and winds to 25 kts. But I had help (Deb Volturno was teaching with me) and the students were eager. We all got off the beach fine and I decided to roll to cool down in the warm sunshine. But on my way up I hurt my knee (subluxed kneecap) and flailed trying to complete my roll without my leg. I swam and I was in pain. But we got me back into my boat and I could paddle, if not walk, so we continued on.

Things went smooth around Pt. Diablo and we stopped at black sands beach for a nice lunch. Getting out of the boat was more painful than sitting still but at least I could still limp around. As we ate the wind picked up and after a little excitement on the launch we tried to head in past Pt. Diablo. But the ebb was early and strong, and the big swells had arrived, creating some really challenging conditions. One of the students flipped just short of the point and we did a quick rescue to get him back in his boat. But in the confused seas he flipped again before he could really get going. Luckily the safety boat was nearby and I waved them over - we loaded him up and they took him around the corner where we all regrouped in the shelter of the point. It was the first time I've ever used a safety boat but it was the right call - there wasn't any real danger and we could have gotten him back in his boat and headed back to black sands to wait out the current. But the safety boat saved the time and hassle and allowed that student and the entire group to continue on with the trip and get the most out of the day. By the time we got back everyone was happy and excited about the successful day but I was exhausted - it wasn't exactly a smooth return to paddling and I was worried I had spent all my energy when I had another day of teaching ahead.

So I took the evening off - I skipped the presentation by Jon Turk (I heard it was great) and I got a warm shower and some pleasant conversation. The next day I was teaching Advanced Rock Gardening though I didn't know if I was going to be working with Roger Schuman or Jeff Laxier. The forecast was worse and the uncertainty of it all weighed on me that evening. But I was second chair for the day and I trusted that either Jeff or Roger could carry the load if necessary.

I ended up with Jeff, a good friend of mine who runs Liquid Fusion Kayaking out of Ft. Bragg, CA. As always, he brought enough energy for the entire group and he chose an ambitious plan of heading out to Pt. Diablo and working our way back in. It would mean trying to come in under the bridge against a major 4.8 kt ebb at the end of the day. But once again the students were eager and we hit the water. My knee was fine once in a boat but my shoulder was hurting (trying to roll without my legs was a bad idea). It was a fair bit of work getting the class to cover the distance while still teaching skills and concepts - a very dynamic and challenging teaching environment. But we made it around the point and found some good features to push the students without creating too much carnage. We came back around the point for lunch and after a full day of playing we were ready to head in. The safety boat warned us that the earlier class had a couple swims fighting the ebb and we prepared for the worst. But the current was fading quickly and it was a piece of cake. Some folks even went back out to try it a second time. Once again when we got to shore it was smiles all around. The weekend was a success and I had even gotten a little energy back.

While in the parking lot cleaning up I finally got the chance to talk with my friend Paul Kuthe. We had said hi earlier, but as is often the case at such symposiums there was no time to talk since we weren't teaching together. But Paul and the rest of the Portland crew were going to stick around California to paddle for a few days. And I had conveniently arranged to take a couple extra days off work. So the plan was formed to head up to Ft. Bragg and meet up with Jeff's partner Cate (Jeff was staying to do the BCU Five Star training) for a couple of day of rock gardening on the Mendocino coast.

After a couple of days of teaching that were fun but hard work, it was great to get out on the water just for fun. On Monday Cate took us to Noyo Habor, a two minute drive from her house (where she kindly put us all up). We didn't launch until noon and we didn't paddle more than half a mile. It was a mellow and relaxing afternoon (that still cracked two boats and ripped a drysuit) and we topped it off with a nice dinner overlooking the harbor and some ice cream and beer back at Cate's. The next day we drove a little further and launched from Van Damme for some cave and tunnel exploration (with no damage of any kind). My shoulder was still hurting and my limp still noticeable, but as we sat on the beach and watched the sunset before driving home, I had remembered what was so great about paddling. It was the people and the place, the bounce of the waves and the splash of the sea, the sense of belonging and the fun without effort. This is what I had been missing.

We still have no rain and my schedule is more office than paddling. I may not get the chance to boat with friends again in the near future. But I won't forget the past four days anytime soon. And I know I'll be back to have more good times sometime in the future. And when I do I'll be happy to share them with y'all.

Enjoy the video and some pictures.

Higher levels

Leading the group in for a landing

I've said before that my favorite people to teach are other teachers. Some people like to teach beginners - it's hard to match the joy of introducing a new sport, one that can be life changing, to eager students. Some folks like to teach advanced courses - the chance to do some paddling that is truly fun and exciting while welcoming some new blood into the brotherhood. For me, instructor training is the highest level of coaching. It's more involved, more complicated, and more rewarding than any other class. At its best it delves into the minutia of how to transfer information from one person to another; it dissects the human psyche to develop systems and stratagems to help students learn as quickly and efficiently as possible. It's down right complicated and that's what makes it fun.

Apparently purple isn't visible enough

So this past weekend was a special treat as I assisted teaching an advanced open water ACA instructor certification course in Half Moon Bay. The advanced level cranks everything up a notch - the candidates are more experienced and motivated, the coaching is at a higher level, the conditions and locations are more challenging, overall it's just more fun! It was also a chance to work with Roger Schumann who I've known for years but never gotten to teach with before. And in addition, everyone in the class was a friend and paddling buddy. So it was really about workshopping with peers, where everyone is contributing ideas and sharing experiences.

Flat water fun

This being an advanced course we also got to go play in some fun conditions: a day of surfing 4-6' waves at Pillar Point; playing at Yellow Bluff and under the Golden Gate with4.5 knot currents; and a little rock gardening out at Pt. Diablo. The only disappointing thing about the weekend was the lack of wind - we needed at least 15 knots to create the proper conditions for the certification but in the three days of the course the wind never once reached that speed anywhere we could find. It's a sad day when December in San Francisco can't manage to stir up at least a little winter weather. But we made do with what we had and even at the end of a long weekend people were still playing around on the way back to CCK's classroom and the Princeton Boat Yard.

Pt. Bonita Rock Garden video

Don't have a lot to say, it was just a nice day of paddling on the coast with friends. Waves were a little big, but I'll let the video do the talking on that.