Photo: balanced brace

Adveturetess just floating and stretching her back.
The balanced brace is the foundation to many Greenland rolls.
Once a paddler masters the balance brace he/she can roll with so much more grace using the body to turn the boat, not the resistance or momentum offered by the paddle or hand.
Unfortunately I am not flexible enough to balance brace and  my Butterfly rolls are performed with force and momentum with plenty of support from the paddle.

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GEAR: Greenland spare paddle on rear deck

With the recent shipment from Northern Light  I now have a high quality spare paddle on the rear deck of my kayaks.
I paddle exclusively with traditional style paddles and so far I have been forced to carry a Euro paddle as a spare.
I rarely had to use my spare but it would be unwise to venture out at sea without one; after all if I lost/broke my main paddle I would be left using just my hands or having to be towed.
My DIY split Aleut paddle was never tested in rough waters but I am not sure if it would have held up.
Some paddlers (Greg Schwarz for example) carry a full size GP on the front deck of their kayak.
I tried to configure a way to carry a full size on my kayak but the deck is shaped differently and just would not work. A full size paddle would not sit flat and would protrude too far outside the deck risking to catch a wave in heavy seas and possibly dislodge.
My Zegul 520 doesn't lend itself to have a split paddle up front either; really the best place it the rear deck.
Northern Light sectional carbon paddles seem to almost have been designed in conjunction with that kayak; the split NLP sits incredibly well in the recess of the deck.




No other paddle that I have tried sits as secure and has such a low profile.
Retrieving the NLP is much easier than my Euro paddles, that must be secured by a tight bungee wrapped around the shaft to prevent dislodging in heavy seas.
While the carbon Greenland is a real strong paddle I was wondering what would happen if I had to retrieve and assemble one in bumpy conditions.
Would the inserted shaft really fit tightly enough to paddle for a while and, without being screwed together, not come apart?
Well, I never really tried it but I didn't want to find out by accident.
I kind of like things to be really secure and after discussing the idea with Paul from Northern Light I sourced a little plastic plug that can be just pushed into the metalthread instead of having to use the Allen key stainless steel screw.

Of course I will remember to have a few of those nifty plugs handy in my PFD.



After some testing, the plastic plug seems to really secure the paddle together and no amount of pulling managed to separate it.
The NLP approach to positively assemble the sections with fasteners instead of a snap-together style joiner is in my experience a better solution.
On my carbon Euro paddles the so beautiful tight joiner, that would fit perfectly together when new, soon developed a bit of slop; eventually the paddle would wobble so bad that it needed to be replaced, luckily under warranty.

An alternative to a full size paddle it to carry a Northern Light paddle in the "storm" format.
Every NLP comes with a joiner that transforms a full size paddle into a short one that has a very short loom. A storm paddle sits perfectly fully assembled on the back of my deck without much protrusion past the stern.

NLP on rear deck in "storm" configuration
 A storm paddle is a fully functional alternative to a full size GP but it takes a bit of practice to develop a solid sliding stroke.
A skilled paddler can use a storm GP as efficiently as a full sized one but for now I am not confident to use a storm paddle in the surf; my rolling however seems to be unaffected.

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Weather: dodging bullets

Outings planned for the last two Saturdays had to be amended because the spring weather that has been rather erratic.
Usually a bit of wind or rain does not bother me but the recent thunderstorms have been intense, so I pay attention when they are forecasted.


Lightening should be avoided when on the water since the tallest object often happens to be myself.
A carbon paddle is very conductive and, as pointed out to me by Paul at Northern Light, I did not want to become the guy who "Put another kayak on the barbie" (quoting Paul Hogan's Australiana).

A careful assessment of the forecast indicated that I had enough time for a quick outing to my favorite destination (Peel Island) and back in time before the afternoon storm.

Notice the sudden increase of wind speed!
I kept a watchful eye on the distant horizon to see if any mushroom clouds were forming but the storm only hit once I was back at home with kayaks stored in the shed :-)
A change in weather against the forecast would see me sit out the brief storm on the shore of the island to then resume my paddle once the storm had passed (it only lasted 1/2 hour).


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VIDEO: true artist

I have come across this video of Warren Williamson Greenland rolling the new Pygmy Murrelet.
This guy really has incredible skills.



Warren is a true artist at his craft and can execute Greenland rolls with finesse that is just jaw dropping.
As well as being such a smooth roller Warren can also rip it up in tidal races, not to forget him trailing just behind Wayne Horodowich in speed races, all done with a GP.

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DIY: nose clip for rolling

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As my sea kayaking advanced I realized that rolling was going to become a necessary skill.
I started to venture into the surf zone and inevitably I was getting tipped over.
"Cowboy" self recoveries in the bumpy seas didn't work for me and assisted rescues became tiring.
I had to learn to roll.
For my first rolling lessons I used a snorkeling mask that allowed me to see what I was doing underwater. I didn't like the feel of the mask but I guess it was necessary, as a novice, to be able to orient myself underwater.
Once I got the basic roll down I realized that to become proficient I had to practice my rolling regularly, not just twice a year or so. I wanted to roll every time I would be on the water but I didn't always pack my mask with me. If I did, it was a pain the get it out of the dayhatch and put it on my face.
I tried rolling without a mask but water seems to get into my nostrils and sinuses when hanging upside down. It was OK for a fast few "combat" rolls but I could not do it for an extended rolling session.

I noticed that good experienced rollers were using nose clips and the diving mask was more kind of a "beginner" tool, I thought. Unfortunately the common nose clips sold at sports stores (used for swimming) did not do the trick: they were too small and didn't stay on when rolling repeatedly.
I purchased specialized white water nose clips that honestly are way overpriced.
Those noseclips finally sealed my nostrils but the bridge is made of rather too soft metal that seems too loosen up and bend open again. I had to squeeze that clip again and again to reposition it too frequently. I knew I could make better nose clips than the commercially available ones. The key was sourcing the right materials.
For my nose clip's spring I found that bicycle spokes would offer just the right amount of resistance, could be bent into shape and above all, they are made of stainless steel so the clip would not rust.















I use pliers to shape the spoke into a gentle even curve making sure it's wide enough to go over the nose.
















I add a couple of loops at the end of the clip to create a platform for the pad material.































I use diagonal cutters to trim the excess spoke off to close the loop neatly.















These noseclips would be rather spartan and probably would hurt if they didn't have some cushioning pads that spread the load over a wider area and create a better  squeeze on the nose.
Steavatron found this incredibly nifty material: Sugru.
It feels like putty but cures to a rubbery silicon.
I shape the material with my fingers over the end loop on the nose clip and smooth it out to a pleasant surface.































I let the finished noseclips air cure for 24 hours and the putty becomes solid but not hard. Sugru is indeed  a great material that could be used in so many DIY projects.
I attach a clip with a thin string to each of my PFDs and tuck it away in a pocket to have it ready to use at any time I plan to bust out a couple of rolls.
The clip is compact and very effective. I no longer have a stream of water run out of my nose at the least opportune moment hours after I have finished rolling (like ruining my lunch :-) )
And the snorkel mask?
These days I feel that is best used for finding out hidden treasures under the seas.


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VIDEO: Tidal Race Surfing with hard chined kayaks

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We can only watch and envy the brilliant conditions that some sea kayakers have. Where I live there are no tidal races worth playing on with a sea kayak: there are no decent standing waves to surf.
What we have to content ourselves with is a medium tidal flow (up to 3 knots) over a flat sea bed that produces just ripples.

But not all is lost: given the right conditions one can find a mock tidal race.
If a strong wind opposes fast flowing water moderate size waves are created and caught on the right day one can dream to be at the Skooks (not really).
The waves are generally short and not really standing: they form and peak for a short time and then fall again.
The flow is there but the waves are not constant; getting a ride on one of those waves requires a bit of effort (furious paddling) that is rewarded with a short glide.
It is similar to short wave surfing but the waves generally don’t crest and break.
The weather forecast was indicating that Sunday was going to be rather windy (20-30knots) and touring onthe Bay would have been hard work (unless we decide to kayak sail).
Since the tide was flooding to midday and the wind would be pushing against the flow, in the morning we hoped to find a spot that would produce waves to play in.
It was weird to be pointing the bow out to sea to surf our kayaks, usually one would be coming in with the waves onto shore.


select 720p if you have fast Internet connection

 
I find that an ideal boat for such conditions is a shorter sea kayak with rounded chines that can be edged well and that is responsive to the paddler’s input.
A short British style boat comes to mind where one does not rely on the rudder to manoeuvre the boat but uses the hull shape turned on its edge to carve a turn.
My Zegul 520 is not exactly a boat that fits that description; it’s a bit on the long side (at the waterline) with not a lot of rocker and it’s hard to turn since I find that with my weight the extended keel does not released when edged. A lighter person would find the same kayak perform way differently.
I have kayaks that would surf those conditions way easier than this hard chined, low rocker narrow low volume boat.
So why do I use it? Because it’s challenging and makes me a better kayaker.


I assume it must be the same reason why some motor enthusiasts disable the auto traction control to have “more fun” when driving their cars aggressively :-)
Probably why some mountain bikers choose to run a single speed on steep and rough terrain instead of a cluster of gears.
I have to work hard not to fall in the water; hard chined boats are less forgiving as rounded ones. I am heavy and I push the hull deeper into the water; edging the narrow hull does have less effect on manoeuvrability compared to my higher volume British style kayak. I have to sweep stroke aggressively to make that kayak turn.
The kayak does bury her bow into the water when surfed down a steep short wave and gives me a few moments of mild panic hoping it won’t pitch me over.
Hard work but more fun since it keeps me on my toes.


Greg Schwarz also likes his hard chined low profile/low volume kayak for surfing small waves. His kayak is maybe  a bit shorter than mine (at waterline) and has less volume, it's more manoeuvrable but requires good technique to keep it upright in textured water. He finds the Tahe Greenland an excellent kayak for rough waters but Greg is a very skilled kayaker.
With a shorter waterline that helps quickly accellerate the kayak down the wave, the flat bottom puts it on the plane to allow fast runs. Turning that kayak is a real breeze. Carved turns are very effective but sloppy technique would make using that kayak in rough water a handful.
I feel that hard chined kayaks seem to surf better than round hulled ones as long as I concentrate and handle the grabby nature of hard chines.
In the meantime I am learning on how to become more relaxed in bumpy conditions trying to gain better balance.

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Photo: fun surfing on a tidal race

This is the closest I can get to enjoy a "standing wave" on a tidal race: surfing wind formed waves on a fast tidal flow.


hard chined kayak with Northern Light Greenland paddle


Video coming soon
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The chauvinistic paddling society

It appears that some members of the local paddling community still live in the dark ages.
I am not alluding to the half hearted bickering that’s going on between the virtues of rudders over skegs, or wing paddles versus old school traditional paddles.
I am talking about the attitude that some old fashioned men have towards women.

While I have rarely noticed a direct hostile attitude towards women (luckily only one individual has been so far a total pig) some guys just have not been able to embrace women as valid companions (and occasionally competitors) on the water.
I might console myself with the notion that majority of sea kayakers are (statistically) old and that most still bear old fashioned attitudes ingrained at an early age.
I have a hard time understanding that. And I didn’t necessarily grow up in a hippie environment or a women only household, far from it.
My environment (I was schooled in Italy) was probably just as chauvinistic as the local one, however I have tried to treat women with the respect that modern society has evolved to.
Way too often I have heard denigrating comments around fellow paddlers and I no longer seek the company of those individuals.


My experience with women in sport has been an outstanding one. I have been involved on teams that have sponsored and helped women athletes to win national titles (NORBA). I have been part of mixed teams racing mountain bikes at amateur level and I have always participated in outings where women were part of the group. There has not been a single occasion that I wished I was out with the guys only, quite the opposite.
Women bring balance to a group of overdriven testosterone fuelled males and surprisingly enough often school them. The guys can learn so much from women involved in sports and outdoors. Above all women can teach the “army type” guy to be considered towards other; something that can occur in a group of males-only; where resentment towards the self appointed leader, that drives the group too hard, erupts.
Surprisingly enough however some women have grown to accept such behaviour from the old school thinking males.
It also appears that reportedly some women are condemning efforts to change this attitude; as it has been observed that often partners in abusive relationships are prone to actually defend the abuser even if knowing that they are dangerous.
Could a similar behaviour be happening here where women are actually OK with the sexist behaviour?
Could it be the cause of an education system that involuntarily supports chauvinism and alienates these individuals from really seeing the problem (they kind of got used to it and see nothing wrong with it)?
More on this later…

While it seems to be foreign to some individuals the attitude that they display towards to the “gentler sex”, it also seems that they feel threatened by the skills, knowledge and achievements that women are capable of.
I hear you saying: “but women suck at sports”!
That might be true for brute-force style sports but it is not the case with sea kayaking. With sea kayaking guys can be the disadvantaged ones. Sea kayaking is more often about finesse, flexibility and technique than power. I am taking about sea kayaking, not “who-gets-there-first-wins” paddling. Women have an advantage when rolling if nothing less.
It’s the attitude from these chauvinistic guys that often keeps the girls from not wanting to participate in some outings.
There have been a couple of on-water events held exclusively for women, not because women are chauvinist, quite the opposite, but because they feel often threatened by the behaviour that some guys display towards them.



Hands up who has not heard the denigrating comment towards high achieving sports women: “I think she must be a dyke”.
So, when called upon, the transgressor often acts hostile instead of apologetic; of course, their behaviour has been questioned…
Can it be that Australian males perpetuate this mentality because of the education system? I am led to believe so.

Same sex segregated schooling has been documented to foster bad attitude towards the opposite sex. There is a marked difference in behaviour between students that have been educated in schools that are mixed and others that have gone to same-sex schools. I come from a mixed-school education and I had the opportunity to witness first-hand a marked difference when same-sex schooled individuals interact with the opposite sex: often awkward and too many times wrong.
It might be called un-Australian to not behave that way but having lived in several different countries around the world I can say that I have never seen such poor attitude towards women as here.
There are very few western world nations that have such high percentage of same-sex schooling as Australia.
However it is refreshing to see that this chauvinistic attitude seems to be prevalent only with the older generation and it is not really displayed amongst the people I work with (younger crowd).
And just like when I blew the whistle on the Sexual Harassment case with Queensland Sea Kayak Club, members of the local paddling community were rather hostile when I brought to their attention a public sexist comment.
You can’t teach an old dog new trick (or change his behaviour).

Last but not least: the condescending behaviour that some retailers of sea kayaking equipment have towards women.
The automotive industry has managed to change its behaviour towards the increasing female buyer of cars (once an exclusive domain of "the Man"). I personally can attest that some women have resented from purchasing goods from retailers that were treating them chauvinistically.



References:
Queensland Sea Kayak Club, SEQSK forum, Qajaq Newsletter, Funtessea

Photo: camp at dusk

This is one of my favorite sea kayak camps.
A small tropical island (image taken in winter) with just enough vegetation to shelter me from the wind.
Too small to have fresh water and therefore no mosquitoes or even sandflies.
The only amenity provided is this improbable picnic table that almost feels out of place in such a remote spot.
Watching the sun go down over the ocean while cooking dinner, planning for the next day paddle...

Illumination on the table provided by a candlefire


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VIDEO: sailing in swell with Flat Earth Sails

This sea kayak trip was all about sailing.
We lucked out and had good sailing winds every day on the water.
Admittedly we had to launch a day later than scheduled since the winds reached 30 knots and we would have to paddle into it.


select 720P if you have high speed Internet connection
On the return leg the winds shifted in the opposite direction and blew on our stern again.
And while we did have some 25 knots periods the sails never felt overpowered and stability of the kayak felt always very solid.
The seas were not developed enough to be able to surf a loaded boat just by paddling ( I hear some naysayers commenting: use a proper paddle :-)... but with the sail deployed it was relatively easy to catch waves.
If you have not tried sea kayak sailing yet, I strongly recommend give it go; windy days will suddenly become a welcome diversion.
Sail details here

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