Running Out to Rum

Even though we still have lots to do in preparation for our upcoming 16-day trip to Hesquiat, Robyn and I decided to join Kari and her friend Rhea for a paddle out to Rum Island today that we put together late last night.

Perfect conditions consisting of sun with a few clouds, light winds until later in the day and just a bit of current to contend with on the way back in. Launching out of Amherst Beach at 8:30am our route took us past Dock Island, between Sheep and Domville Islands and over to Gooch Island where Robyn and I rolled to cool off a bit. We did manage to spot several flocks of Heermann's Gulls, a family of Oyster Catchers with two young (no orange bills yet), Cormorants, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, Rhinocerus Aulets and lots of Canada Geese.

It was just after 10:00am when we arrived at Rum Island seeing another couple just departing with them commenting that we had the whole island to ourselves. Nice but we didn’t bring our camping gear…. again!

Love Rhea's color coordination!!

Kari, Mark and Rhea on the east side of Domville

We decided to check out the camping area and the first thing I noticed was how rough the 3 tent pad areas looked. After just coming back from the pristine San Juan Islands, the Parks Canada Gulf Island National Park Reserve (GINPR) on Rum Island sure could use a little maintenance especially around the tent pads, trails and the picnic tables that need to be repaired or replaced. It’s really sad that our federal government doesn’t allocate enough funds to maintain the GINPR properly yet they promote the National Park system as being one of the best in the world.

Looking a little worn out ... the camp area could use some attention.

Since it was too early in the day to have lunch we hiked around the small island finding it difficult to locate the rough trail at times but never the less we made it to Tom Point and watched a couple of huge container ships rounding Turn Point towards Vancouver. In the distance, the San Juan Islands no longer looked like some uncharted land since we recently paddled and camped throughout the islands.

Big freaking cargo ships passing between Rum Island and the San Juan Islands.

Checking the tide and current data we thought about making a run towards Mandarte Island to check out some of the many bird species that nest there and then over to Sidney Island. However, with an increasing ebb flow we decided that trying to make it around Sidney Spit might be difficult and opted for a return route via Dock Island where we would have lunch.

Lots of laughs today and a few jabs at Kari to keep her smiling LOL

The ebb flow was beginning to build as we hugged the south shoreline of Gooch Island and west shoreline of Domville Island letting a back eddy pull us along. We did have to do a little ferry angle paddling to reach Dock Island but once there enjoyed lunch in the sun and watched how the currents changed by the minute through the little islets.

Dock Island lunch stop.

Paddling back towards Little Shell Island was uneventful but the crossing back over towards Amherst Beach became a bit lumpy as unpredicted SE winds came up fast to interact with the ebb flow creating small white caps. Still, it was another great day to be on the water in our kayaking playground close to home.

Next up …. Off to Tofino on Thursday to go off the grid for 16 days paddling on the west coast.

2016 Paddle #26 - Rum Island
Distance: 11.19 nm (20.72 km)
YTD: 238.91 nm (442.32 km)

Something Borrowed

We are spending the BC Family Day long weekend at Pedder Bay Marina & RV Park and yesterday we headed out for a little paddle to try out  a few things borrowed. I was using a borrowed PFD (thanks Gary J.) while I am waiting for my warranty replacement to arrive from Astral. Robyn borrowed Morley's Wilderness Systems 15.5 Zephyr while he is recovering from a skiing injury. 

Somebody looks haaaappppy!

Although Robyn likes her P&H 155 Delphin she doesn't love it. Her main issue is that when paddling in flat water conditions she finds it uncomfortable and I have to agree with her (just a little bit). I on the other hand love my Delphin in dynamic water so I can work around the the minor comfort issues.

Since the water was so calm it was a good test for Robyn to get the feel of the Zephyr and after working through some seat adjustments she reported that the kayak felt good. One thing that she did notice was that the Delphin does have a tighter turning radius but the Zephyr tracks better even without the skeg down. Is there a perfect kayak out there?? :-)

As usual our cameras were documenting our paddle and we were particularity interested in the birds we might see on this paddle. Following the shoreline out towards Bentinck Island we spotted more deer than we have ever seen in the area but that could also be because we haven't paddle this route in early February before.

Lots and lots and lots of deer watching us.

Good conditions and forecast were in our favor so we circumnavigated Bentinck and had a little flood current to paddle through on the Race Island side. Another good test of how the Zephyr handled for Robyn in a little bit of dynamic water.

Race Rocks Lighthouse selfie

Entering Eemdyk Passage we caught the flood going back towards Pedder Bay and we just let it carry us along while we watched the seals and many birds in the area. It was a good day of bird sightings with the following confirmed. Mature Bald Eagle, Juvenile Bald Eagle, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Brandt's Cormorant, Mute Swan, Canada Goose and Turkey Vultures.

Robyn photographing more wildlife

Pedder Bay in the past has been home to a pair of Mute Swans and rounding what we call Killer Whale Point (just past the 6 nm mark on our track) we came across a single swan. Both of us wondered where his or her mate was?? Maybe further out to sea feeding?? Who knows but we hope to see it again later in the summer.

It was a good day to test ride the Wilderness Systems 15.5 Zephyr and I think I know what Robyn has in mind. The question is .... what color?? 

2016 Paddle #4 - Pedder Bay
Distance: 7.12 nm (13.18 km)
YTD: 31.37 nm (58.09 km)

Rocking Port Renfrew

All winter I've been wanting to go back to Port Renfrew and do some rock gardening and since Kari was in town on vacation I sent out an email to a few friends throughout the week before. The plan was simple, meet up at the Pacheedaht Campground located near the Gordon River and to be on the water by 10:00am. The rest was up to each person to have fun in their own way.

The forecast was just about perfect for last Sunday with a mix of cloud but mostly sun, around 8 degrees C, 5-10 kt cross-off winds, surf waves of just over 1 meter and not much swell energy coming from offshore. High tide was just after lunch which has its pros and cons in terms of playing in the rocks or surfing a bit at beachfront. Every day at Port Renfrew is always different so you take what it gives you to play with. That's one of the things that brings you back here and of course it's a beautiful place to paddle.

Make it a baker's dozen with Morley taking the group picture before launching.

The great thing about Port Renfrew is that there are lots of on-line resources to plan a paddle and commit to it before making the 2 hour drive from Victoria or Nanaimo. Using a combination of forecasting tools from Environment Canada Marine Weather, Sailflow and the popular Port Renfrew Surf Forecast, paddling at Port Renfrew has a lot to offer for all levels of sea kayakers.

Today was a prime example as there wasn't much swell energy but just enough for those who wanted to venture deep into the rocks or through the many sea arches. For those who simply wanted to have a relaxing paddle along the shoreline while watching those in the "soup" this was also possible.

Rocks and sea arches are a great play zone to work on developing kayak maneuvering skills 

While the sightseers broke off and headed further up towards Thrasher Rock a small group of 6 of us took on almost every rock feature or sea arch on the way out. Some of the arches we just a little "iffy" due to a combination wave energy and head clearance but we managed to get through those on the way back as the tide started to drop.

One sea arch in particular only had a couple of feet of head clearance when the water receded out but when a set of swells arrived the arch was completely engulfed by wall of water. It was all timing and a little bit of luck but our small adventurous group of 6 each made it through.

Sea stacks and stunning views

The beauty of the area is magical and on this late January day with the warm sun shining on the NW side of the Port Renfrew inlet it seemed more like a late March or April paddle.

I took the time to look around when I wasn't playing in the features as there were many bald and juvenile eagles, mink, seals and other water fowl to look at.














The higher tide made finding a suitable spot to stop for lunch a little harder but we did spot this location just beyond the Thrasher Cove site. This location also gave the group an opportunity to practice our surf landings and launches. :-)

Beach lunch is always good !! Just pull up a log or rock and refuel the body for the paddle back.

After lunch we went back to playing in the rocks or anything that was generating some sort of action. Personally for me I think this might have been my best "play day" since I started kayaking. It was nice to hear comments from kayakers that I look up like Gerhardt, Walter, Yves and Patty of Go Kayak as they noticed my progression of skills in handling the tougher situations. :) Thanks guys!!

I think that's Gerhardt in the middle of a surge. He sure knows how to handle a Greenland paddle in the rocks!

Of course just the simple task of getting out of my kayak back at the beach bust that "pat myself on the back" bubble. LOL

"Help me! I've fallen and can't get up!" LOL 

Kari all fogged up after her roll 

It's was Kari's first time paddling at Port Renfrew and yes she swam in the rocks and managed to get back into her kayak with a little help from some friends. That's why you go to Port Renfrew with friends of all skill levels. ;-)

She even rolled back at the beach in the cold river water and as a proud coach I had to do likewise. Holy head freeze Batman!!!

2016 Paddle #3 - Port Renfrew
Distance: 8.00 nm (14.81 km)
YTD: 24.25 nm (44.91 km)

Working Through The Hand Of God

A couple weeks back we headed out to the beach at Esquimalt Lagoon with Kari Challenger to work on a rescue that we all hope that we will never have to do for real. Kari is a paramedic in Vancouver and recently we have had many discussions about providing CPR while on the water and how to perform the Hand of God rescue. 

For those of you who might not know what the Hand of God is, it simply is rescuing an upside down kayaker who might be unconscious or simply is trapped inside the cockpit which I have seen happen a few times. Thankfully in both cases another paddler was close by and righted the paddler with the Hand of God rescue. Could you perform a Hand of God rescue if that happend?

Kari and I spent some time watching videos on the internet prior to attempting it for the first time and we talked through the steps that needed to happen for it to be successful. For our scenario we had Robyn close by for me to use a T-Rescue as an option instead of wet exiting my kayak if the Hand of God didn't work out. She also was able to video how Kari managed both attempts allowing for review later. Robyn and I video all of our training sessions when working on new techniques and even when refining some of the basics.

A few comments about what happened. On the first attempt Kari did a really good job in getting me upright in a continuous motion. On the second attempt you'll notice that my kayak gets caught on hers which prevented her from continuously rolling me. The difference was that on the second attempt her lower hand didn't stay on the cockpit combing pushing my kayak down and away from hers. She then had to resort to using a lot of muscle power to finish off the rescue. In both cases then end result was the same but the little technical things make so much difference.

At lot of you are probably heading to pool sessions over the winter. Why not try and figure out the Hand of God rescue?

2015 Paddle #41 - Rescue Training
Distance: 0 nm (0 km)
YTD: 256.15 nm (474.39 km) Needs editing once Nuchatlitz blogs are complete.

Port Renfrew Playtime!!

Yeah I know .... I haven't blogged in a few months (shamelessly holding my head low). So a quick update on our adventures.

Our September Nuchatlitz trip tracks

Since our last post in August (really??) we went on a multi day trip to the Nuchatlitz in September with four other paddlers which was so amazing in every aspect that I will blog the adventure for you now that the rainy winter season is upon us.

I managed to get out on to the ocean once with Kari Challenger who was with us on the Nuchatlitz trip for a day of rescue refreshers while on a paddle to Rum Island. More about rescues with Kari in a future blog post :-)


Since then Robyn and I have been in the pool a couple of times working on things like the other side or if you prefer the offside roll. ;-) Surprisingly I figured it out during our first pool night which is cool so now I can spend the rest of the winter pool sessions refining it.

Other than that we haven't been on the water at all as our other life stuff (volunteering and work) has taken up a lot of our time. Refocusing our energy we have decided to step back from a few volunteer obligations and focus ourselves to a couple causes that are dear to our hearts. This will leave us time to do what we love best .... go play on the water!!!

A couple of weeks ago we managed to join up with Patti and Yves of Go Kayak who were camped out at the Pacheedaht Campground in Port Renfrew for a day of rock gardening. Shortly after arriving fellow paddlers Gene, Reale, Michel and Gerhardt joined the group to do some rough water play paddling.

Launching at the mouth of the Gordon River

The campground is situated right at the mouth of the Gordon River which makes for easy launching of our kayaks especially on this day when the surf was a gnarly mess of 5 foot cresting waves pounding the beach. Great conditions for the mass of surfers present but there was no way a kayak could launch from the main beach without basically getting the crap beaten out of you.

Lots of moving water today :-)

Our group paddled out of the river and explored the many sea arches, slots and other rock formations on the north side of the inlet on our way out towards Thrasher Cove. With no wind we only had to contend with big sets of swells arriving in a cycle of every 7th or 8th wave which challenged us every time we went into a play zone.

A BIG 'boomer' at Hammond Rocks

The wave energy was pretty amazing and it was the most we have experienced at Port Renfrew creating some interesting timing issues as I found out quickly a few times when the "big ones" exploded around me (us) while in the middle of a feature. A little unnerving at first but only a few close calls of nearly capsizing with some colorful language got me pretty stoked quickly. Ya!! I loved every minute of it!!

Here's a little video of our fun and it's "G" rated with the music replacing the odd &$#@(&%!!!

2015 Paddle #40 - Port Renfrew Rocks!!
Distance: 8.50 nm (15.74 km)
YTD: 256.15 nm (474.39 km) Needs editing once Nuchatlitz blogs are complete.

In The Right Place at the Right Time - Tillicum Narrows

On Saturday it was our pleasure to take Salt Spring Island paddler Lisa Stafford on a little tour of the Victoria Inner Harbor which included playing in the Tillicum Narrows. Lisa is in town for a couple of days while her son Lukas is being mentored by James Manke on how to build a skin on frame Greenland rolling kayak. Nice!!

The Tillicum Narrows at -10 knots. About a 4 foot difference in water height today under the bridge

We launched out of Songhees Road near the Delta Victoria Hotel and headed north to Tillicum Narrows where it was ebbing 10.2 knots. Although we could have just worn our wetsuits we optioned to put on our drysuits closer to our destination and then spend an hour or so playing in the rapids. Having been here a couple of weekends ago when it was running at about 7 knots, the feature was quite a bit different today.

Robyn with all her suds in the washing machine. LOL

Lisa's turn playing in Jamie Sharpe's Reflection. 

Lots of suds today

It was a boiling foaming madness with a rock exposed at the bottom of the trough in the center of the feature and a very fast section of rapids running along the north wall. Paddling out of the foamy back eddy on the south side we  played in the turbulence experiencing some unplanned capsizes and some that resulted just from pushing the envelope a bit too far while we tried some interesting ferrying without bracing. Yeah .... that didn't work so well for both Lisa and I. LOL



 

Too much fun ... let's rescue someone now!

It was good times at the rapids supporting one another just in case we might need a hand. BTW ... thanks Lisa for chasing me down  ;-)

Sometimes when you think all is good something happens that brings you back to reality and makes you think "what the heck"!!!! Well we got to experience that today as we noticed a paddler heading towards the narrows from the upstream side. Now we have seen this before and in those cases the paddler turns around and heads back before reaching the waterfall.

This time however this paddler kept coming and we all noticed that he didn't have a PFD or helmet on. Pardon my language but it was one of those WTF moments as he dropped over the waterfall into the trough and although it looked like he was going to make it he capsized right next to the rock right in the middle and then all we saw was his kayak hull and no sight of him.


By that time we were already moving towards him and I thought for a moment that this could possibly be an extraction or hand-of-God scenario as he was somehow trapped in the feature. Thankfully his head popped up out of the water as he managed to wet exit from the kayak. Lisa and I reached him as he was floating towards the back eddy on the north side. Having giving up on the PFD he decided he was going to swim to shore with his kayak and so we escorted him and his kayak into shallow water until he was able to stand up and haul his butt and kayak out of the water.

"Let me see .... if I wear this it might save my life next time I do something that stupid" LOL

It all happened so fast but it seemed like time stood still as the whole scenario played itself out. The first thing I asked him was where was his PFD which he reached down and picked up. At this point he decided that maybe it was a good time to wear it and even though it only took 3 attempts to get it on he finally did. He was pretty apologetic for what happened and noted that "maybe he used up one of his 9 lives today" and thanked us for assisting him. Robyn tracked down his other gear floating nearby and had a little wisdom discussion with him before he set off towards the inner harbor.

One of the new Sterlings Kayaks Progession's in stock

That was enough excitement for the day for us so we paddled down to the Ocean River Sports dock and got out of drysuits before heading into the store to check out the new Sterlings Kayaks Progression. We think Lisa just might have her eye on the lime green one that is begging for her to test paddle. LOL

Robyn and Lisa checking out the menu

We finished the afternoon off with lunch at Barb's Fish & Chips located at Fisherman's Wharf before heading back across the harbour to the put in location. OK, that was a pretty good tour of our wonderful waterway that makes up the inner harbour of Victoria. Rescuing a kayaker ...... priceless. Tip please!!!!

2015 Paddle #23 - Tillicum Narrows Rescue
Distance: 5.5 nm (10.18 km)
YTD: 189.40 nm (‪350.77 km)

Happy Seat To Cattle Point

Last Saturday (February 21st) Robyn and I went for an early spring paddle from Gyro Park in Cadboro Bay to Cattle Point. Nothing but sunshine and 13C temperatures to greet us as we explored the coastline while Robyn worked on some of her maneuvering skills.

Robyn and I paddling through the Royal Victoria Yacht Club marina. Photo by Gary Jacek

The Happy Seat fitted into the cockpit of my P&H Delphin

For me it was an opportunity to try a Jackson Kayak's Happy Seat that I installed in my cockpit earlier in the day. Recently I have been having some hip and knee issues while paddling my P&H Delphin on long flat water paddles and I saw this device in kayak at our local club (South Island Sea Kayaking Association) meeting last month. Since then I have been improvising by using my blow up paddle float partially inflated under my thighs to allow me to relax my legs a bit. It made a huge difference in the pool and on our last paddle over to Discovery Island, so I decided to get the real thing.

The Jackson Kayak website describes this device best. The Happy Seat is an inflatable bladder that goes under your legs just in front of your existing seat. It has two purposes. 1. It gives you more control in the boat. 2. It makes your legs more comfortable, taking some of the pressure off of your knees, hips, and butt. The Happy Seat comes with a cord to attach the front of it to your floor support, and the back end attaches by Velcro straps around your seat.  You should make sure it doesn't impede exit from your boat in case of emergency.

GoPro adhesive mount works great to tie down the Happy Seat

Installation was quick and easy and since I don't have a front tie down post like a whitewater boat might have I just used a spare GoPro adhesive mount that I stuck to the floor of my cockpit. Once on the water I inflated the bladder with the nice long air line and made sure that I could exit the kayak very easily. One of the features that I love about the Happy Seat is that when you drop one knee the air transfers from one bladder side to the other allowing the lower knee to be removed from under the cockpit thigh braces.





As we paddled towards Cattle Point I spotted someone in a sheltered cove taking pictures of what I thought was wildlife but soon figured out that it was our paddling friend Gary Jacek. Gary was out on a bike ride and he managed to spot us from Beach Drive as we paddled through the Royal Victoria Yacht Club just after leaving the beach.

Gary spotted me coming through the islets just as I spotted him taking pictures of us.

We landed our kayaks in the little cove to talk with Gary for a while and Robyn noticed on her GPS that there was a Geocache very close by. So off she went to make the find before we continued on our way. That's a pretty good selfie of Robyn with our kayaks, Gary and myself in the background. :-)

It's not often that we get photos of both of us together. Thanks Gary!

While the rest of Canada is frozen in winter at this time of year we sure have it tough on the west coast. They say that April showers bring May flowers but for us it's more like January's showers (no snow) bring February's flowers. Yes.... spring has arrived in Victoria!

Oak Bay and Willows Beach (right) in the sunshine

2015 Paddle # 8 - Caddy to Cattle Point

Distance: 3.96 nm (7.33 km)

YTD: 54.33 nm (‪91.34 km)

Practice Time For Robyn

Ever since we got back from our Paddle Canada Level 3 / 2 course in the fall Robyn has been working very hard to get ready for her Level 3 Assessment in April. In fact her skills advancement has been amazing to watch in the pool over the winter and now it's time to transfer those skills to the ocean.

A couple weeks ago Robyn asked me what she should work on and I said "Let's work on paddle strokes". So off we went to Cadboro Bay just to work on edging and paddle strokes with a focus on core rotation. For this paddle I put the GoPro on her kayak so we could analyse the session later at home. This is just a sample of her paddling for the day. :-)

2015 Paddle # 6 - Cadboro Bay

Distance: 3.85 nm ( 7.13 km)

YTD: 40.87 nm (‪66.42 km)

East Sooke Rock Gardening ... The Video

After 3 plus years of writing about our kayak adventures I have to admit that I kind of lost the "mojo" to hammer away on the keyboard after a long day or weekend on the water. Inspired by The Hurricane Riders' Rowan Gloag and Marty Perry I decided to try and tell the story of our latest adventure out to East Sooke by creating this video. Enjoy!  

        If you want to watch it in HD click on the YouTube link.

2015 Paddle # 5 - East Sooke

Distance: 9.31 nm ( 17.24 km)

YTD: 32.02 nm (‪59.29 km)

Robyn On A Roll by Robyn Byrne

A belated Happy New Year Everyone!

Mark is always pestering me to contribute to his blog but because we almost always paddle together he always writes it.  I mentioned that he hasn't blogged about our activities in the pool this winter and his response was “You do it!”  My pool experience this year has revolved around rolling and I thought there may be some paddlers out there that were going through some of the same trials and errors as I was so maybe a blog about learning to roll wasn't such a bad idea!

Mark and I both had our Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Skills Level 1 certification but last fall we had the opportunity to join Dave Nichols from Cowichan Bay Kayaks and Richard Alexander from the Newfoundland Kayak Company on a Level 3 course.  No problem for Mark but a definite problem for me. Even though it was a Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Skills Level 3 course I knew I could only get my Level 2 because I couldn't roll!  I was the only one on the course that couldn't roll so I made it my mission to learn how to roll in the pool this winter. I've been attempting to roll in my Delphin for the past year even though somebody said my Delphin would be easier to roll than my Delta. Hmmmm.

Mark's comment: Robyn has never backed down from trying anything in her short kayaking adventure. Anytime that I have pushed the envelope a bit she has been right behind me giving it a try. However ... her self confidence in her own ability I think allows her to talk herself out of being successful. After acquiring her PC Level 2 certification and Conditional PC Level 3 I noticed a change in her attitude towards taking on new challenges.  

I have actually rolled on occasion!  I’ve had a lessons from Yves from Go Kayak, James Manke in a Greenland kayak, Dave Nichols and recently Richard Alexander on the Level 3 course but I still couldn't get it.  There are so many things to remember – get out from under your kayak, keep your paddle on the surface of the water, use your core to sweep, don’t rush, follow your paddle with your eyes, try to get your head on your back deck. I always have an excuse why I don't practice too – I’m petrified of coming out of my kayak, the water is cold, I wear contact lenses and don't want to lose them, I don't want someone to have to rescue me, I've got too much stuff on my deck, I forgot my goggles.  I’m not sure why I’m afraid of coming out of my kayak because when I’m practicing rescues it’s actually quite fun!  

Everyone tells me rolling is all about muscle memory.  Repetition is key to learning.  That becomes a problem for me.  When I’m practicing my roll, I almost always have to do a wet exit because I blow the roll and then I have to have someone rescue me and empty my kayak, climb back in and get all sorted out, try it again, blow it again, repeat.  After the 4th or 5th time climbing back into my kayak I’m so exhausted that I have to take a break!  When I've had lessons, my instructor has helped me right my kayak when I blow the roll so I do get to try rolling over and over but then I get dizzy and have to stop!

Mark's Comment: See what I mean ... mentally Robyn was setting herself up for failure without even knowing that she was doing it. As Yoda would say“You must unlearn what you have learned.” and so the journey began during our first fall pool session. There was a determination that I have never seen before in Robyn and less verbal thinking about all the things to remember when rolling.

So, at my first pool session last fall, I was determined to get my roll.  I took a Gravol, put on my mask and started practicing .  .  .  and blowing it.  Super frustrating!  My friend Beverely watched me for a while and said “Why don’t you try extending your paddle?”  So I tried that and guess what?  I rolled! All the way around this time......Halleluiah!  So I tried it again and Bingo!  Easy-Peasy!  Now I couldn’t be stopped!  Everyone else was out of the pool and getting ready to go home and I was still in the deep end rolling with my extended paddle! I left a very happy girl.

It's looking good from under water. Paddle diving a bit but who cares ... I got out of the water!

Mark's Comment: Up to this point I have always watched and assisted Robyn in her attempts to roll. I was there to perform assisted rescues and try to keep her positive that she was so close to completion, which she was. It has always been a 50/50 thing and usually it was her head and paddle position that were her greatest enemies. That night she completed her first extended paddle roll we went to work on refining some of the mechanical things that would smoothen the roll sequence and the rest was history. Every second I looked at her that night she was rolling on her own .... over and over again!  She was kinda possessed that night but I wasn't going to stop her. LOL  

Since that revelation I haven’t had to do a wet exit (so far).  I’m a rolling machine!  I spent half of pool session number two confirming that I could indeed roll with an extended paddle and concentrating on following my paddle with my eyes and keeping my head on my back deck.  Then I started moving my hands up the paddle shaft so I wasn't using the extended paddle any longer.  The thing that pleased me the most was knowing that if I missed my roll (which I did quite often) I could just extend my paddle for my second attempt and up I came!  Practice, repeat, practice, repeat.  And oddly, I don’t get dizzy anymore!  I think that’s because I’m in control instead of someone else rolling my kayak for me.

I can roll, I can roll, I can roll!!!

Back in the pool for session number three.  Mark is pretty happy with me at this point.  Reconfirm I can still roll .  .  check.   I tried a re-entry and roll (extended) .  .  no problem. Practice and repeat.  I tried a tow, release and roll.  I put on my tow belt and Mark stood on the pool deck holding onto the tow rope as I paddled away.  Then he gave the rope a yank, pulling me over in my kayak.  Once under the water I released my tow belt from around my waist, got my paddle in position (extended) and rolled up.  Piece of cake! Practice and repeat.  Both the re-entry and roll and the tow, release and roll elements are a requirement for Level 3. 

Mark's Comment: The 3rd pool session was really the turning point in Robyn's rolling progression. She was nailing every one of them the first time and I actually sat on the pool deck coaching her through refining the roll by making sure she was set up right, don't rush, follow the paddle blade with her eyes instead of looking up through the pool skylights and spend more time sliding onto the back of her kayak. 

Roll after roll got better and better and I thought OK, let's try something different to see how she would adjust. Keep in mind that I was still sitting on the edge of the pool and simply explained what I wanted her to do and how to do it. How about a reentry roll? Heck ... No problem! How about a tow and release? Heck .... No problem even when I was pulling the tow rope from a 90 degree angle to her and aggressively pulled her into the pool. Whatever I threw at her that night she did it and did it well! I was all smiles just like she was! 

Pool session number four.  Mission:  Rolling with my eyes closed!  This is really important to me because I wear contact lenses and I’m afraid I’ll lose them.  When I’m in the ocean and I roll over in my kayak I won’t have goggles on like I do in the pool.  Plus, I don’t really want to see all that's waiting for me under the surface of the ocean!  If I ever saw a seal swim by while I was under there I’d probably freak!  So back at the pool my goggles are now in my day hatch.  Now I can’t see my paddle position. Yikes!  But I managed, and if I missed the roll I just extended my paddle and came up.  I even managed the re-entry and roll with my eyes closed!  Such a good feeling. I also tried paddling quickly down the length of the pool and capsizing my kayak.  It took me a while to organize my paddle position but I did it eventually and rolled up.

Mark's Comment: Now it's time to transfer these skills to the ocean where the water will be moving, it's cold and if you end up in the water the energy drains out of you pretty quickly. We'll see how this goes over the next few weeks but I'm pretty confident that Robyn's own confidence will allow her to succeed.

  

Mark says our next pool session mission is ‘extreme edging’ and combining paddle strokes. He's says I will end up in the water as I push the envelope a bit more but edging is a big part of Level 3 as well. Because I was afraid of coming out of my kayak I was always very timid about edging my kayak over too far, but now that I know I can roll back up I’m feeling much more confident!  Now I know what you’re all thinking .  .  .  it’s going to be a whole different story doing all of this in the ocean. That will definitely be another scary moment for me.  But at least now I know I can roll back up! Once I do it the first time and experience the ‘brain freeze’ I think I’ll be OK.  I’ll let you know how it turns out!  Stay tuned.

SKILS Rock Gardening

Last Saturday I went on a SKILS Rock Gardening course with coaches Rowan Gloag and Costain Leonard of The Hurricane Riders (THR). The rest of our group was made up of keeners like myself who probably were drawn to the course by the opportunity to learn from a couple of the best dynamic water paddlers around here.

Al, Lisa and Micah (self-appointed guinea pig for the day .  .  . I'm not kidding) LOL

The interesting part of our group was that although from different parts of the country we are all connected in the kayaking community through Facebook. We all have many mutual friends on the social media site and some of us have unknowingly crossed paths before. Al is originally from Ontario but recently moved to Victoria while Lisa and Micah are from Saltspring Island.

Our small group met in the parking lot at Whiffin Spit at 8;30am for the course briefing which outlined our objectives for the day. Our on-the-water classroom would be in the area between Company Point and Possession Point near East Sooke Park.

Costain talks us through the objectives for the day. A well prepared plan!

It was a perfect day for our one-day orientation to rock gardening with no wind and clear skies but would there be any conditions for us to play in the rocks? One thing for sure, I'm glad the wind and rain storm that came through the area a few days ago passed. One of my goals for the course was to work through a bit of a mental block. When in my kayak I just don't want to end up in the water and because of this I feel that I hold back a fair bit. Funny thing is - when I do end up in the water I actually don't mind it and even like the self and assisted rescues. Weird!

A perfect day to head out on the water. There were lots of GoPro cameras that would capture the good and the bad LOL

Launching on the north side of the spit we loosened cold muscles up as we made our way around the point and headed across the channel towards the training area. Our first lesson of the day was Rowan sharing a different forward stroke that I have seen him use when trying to catch a wave while surfing. I have to admit that it was a little awkward because it's all arms with very little core rotation but very effective in accelerating quickly.  

For the next couple of exercises we spent some time in the water wall-walking and performing a surge channel rescue scenario by assisting the swimmer, retrieving the kayak and recovering in a safe zone away from the surge area.

Just hanging around on Lisa's (THR) Delphin waiting for my kayak to be retrieved. Note to self .... It's cold, layer up next time.

There was a lot to absorb in this one-day course and Rowan and Costain kept it moving along at a good pace. Just the right amount of verbal instruction and lots of practical experience gained. Our next task was to try and figure out how to land on a rocky ledge that was exposed to the swells.

Lisa and Rowan wait for the rest of the group to make their way on top of the rocky ledge.

We quickly decided that the best course of action was to exit our kayak, hook onto the bow with our tow line and swim to the landing area. Once there we scrambled up the rocks and hauled up the kayak after emptying it of water. A fairly physical demanding skill which would be much harder in heavy swell conditions. One thing for sure, this is another item that can be added to my practice list throughout the winter.

After a short lunch break we went to work on navigating through and over some rock features taking advantage of the surge. Timing the sets of surge waves was key to the success which I got to experience first hand if my timing was off. In particular my mental block of not wanting to end up in the water actually caused me to end up in the water right at the edge of the rock feature being washed by surge waves. After getting back into my kayak I almost reached my "no go" point but convinced myself to get it done which for me was a huge hurdle to pass. This time I didn't end up in the water but completely out of the water! LOL

High and dry .... where did the water go?

Micah on the other hand was willing to try anything (guinea pig LOL) and he probably had the best runs over the rock feature when surges were just right.

Micah ... perfect timing!

Lisa showed the group how to recover from getting grounded by backing her way off the feature when the next surge came in. Impressive control of her Delphin.

Lisa .... full reverse!

Maneuvering around and through some of the features using a combination of paddle strokes was the key. One of the things that Rowan mentioned at the morning briefing was to always keep our paddles engaged with the water. Then of course .... being high and dry out of the water it didn't mater :-)

Costain watching Al as he makes his way through the rocks.

Myself and Rowan waaaay back inside this crevice. Not a place to be in big conditions but good today.

Before we headed back to Whiffin Spit we checked out a slot that we passed earlier in the day. Even from a distance I could see the surge waves running through the narrow gap like a moving wall. We're going through there?? Once again it really was all about timing to clear the submerged knuckle of rock at the exit. We all made it through with only a few more scrapes on our kayaks.

The "Slot", another good feature to play in.

Costain's view of  Micah in the slot.

Costain exited his kayak and climbed the rock on the right side in the picture above to capture some great pictures and video of the group going through the slot. I think Micah was the first to make the run and we all followed experiencing different surge conditions and for some  very interesting rides.

My first run was captured by Costain who was standing high above us at the mid-point of the slot. The video can be seen here on the SKILS Facebook page.

Rowan made a run back through the slot when the surge was pretty good making for a challenging run in tight conditions. You can check his video out here on the SKILS Facebook page.

Al also had a good run when the surge was a bit challenging. You can see Costain in the picture and see his complete video here.

Lisa probably had the most interesting run through the slot as a surge snuck up from behind her and lifted her kayak up several feet as it pushed her out the exit. I'm hoping Rowan caught it on video for a future SKILS video post.

It was starting to get late in the day as we headed back to Whiffin Spit. It didn't feel like we had been on the water for over 6 hours but I think it's fair to say that we all took home a huge amount knowledge. Thanks Rowan & Costain and SKILS for putting on the course and it was great to paddle with Al, Lisa and Micah for the first time. 

2014 Paddle # 53 - SKILS Rock Gardening

Distance: 7.31 nm (13.53 km)

YTD: 283.96 nm (525.89 km)