So, where are we as inland sea kayakers? This could be some eye-opening revelations, some ruffled feathers, or some calls-to-action for some by the time they finish reading this entry.
I have to admit that while I sit and peck at the keyboard, I could both lavish and lash, so I'll just do what I do best ... speak and hope it sinks in.
To me, we as inland sea kayakers need a bit of a wake-up. There are far too many paddling our inland placid waters with a chip riding on their stern cleverly disguised as the status quo. I'll not mince words, so read along and see if you fit the mold. If you do, then let it sink in and return for more as my goal is to kick some paradigms squarely in the ass.
Our whitewater brothers and sisters should teach us all something: that Class II begins to become a little monotonous after learning eddy turns, how to ferry, and how to draw stroke on the face of a wave. I mean, really, how much of that can any rookie take before they are ready to shed that moniker and head for some Class III with their new-found knowledge? I mean, they want to improve! God forbid we as sea kayakers should desire the same!
We as sea kayakers already face the burden of being "the guys that don't want to paddle the tough stuff," so why on earth do so many of our longboat brethren go out of their way to perpetuate that ideology? We are inundated with those that won't go out when it's cold, windy, not between the hours of 11am and 2pm, and wouldn't learn rescue techniques if our lives (or sadly, the lives of those we paddle with) depended on it. We paddle in jeans, we get a quarter of a mile behind after a quarter of mile of paddling, we have to stop and rest after the second quarter mile, and we drop off the radar if an overnight trip is planned and we have to (gasp) sleep on the ground. We paddle boats as wide as they are long, wear lifejackets made for wakeboarders, and have car racks made out of swimming pool noodles. We couldn't turn a kayak without a rudder, we've never bothered to attend a roll class, and we damned sure won't subscribe to 'Sea Kayaker' Magazine to gain the slightest amount of knowledge as to why the above is just flat-out wrong! It's time to wake up, y'all.
I can't fathom going into a pursuit and just thinking to myself, "I'm doing as little as required and maybe I'll make it thru unscathed. I mean, maybe things like sprayskirts, rolls, rescues, quality gear, and sleek sea kayaks are just for those who circumnavigate Iceland before breakfast and us mortals should just sneak by with whatever they tell us to buy at the local mass-merchant." WAKE UP! Why get involved in anything if you aren't seeking every opportunity and every shred of advanced thinking? Why paddle two miles and not think to yourself, "What would it be like to paddle six, eight, TEN miles?" Why flounder along in a rec boat struggling to keep up when there are these really cool things available to the public called "sea kayaks?"
This is where I - or your consciousness - will kick in. I freaking hate the status quo. I believe in a sunnier side to everything and if there's a better, more efficient, more comfortable, or safer way to go about something, then I'll damned sure be the one to crack a beer and champion the cause. I hate being led to believe that just 'cause something is the way it is, that it has to remain that way just because some ill-informed moron has led me to believe it HAS to be that way.
I'm not one to circumnavigate Iceland before breakfast, by the way, but if the phone rings and I get the invite, you'd better bet your best piece of drygear that I'd like my chances to hang with those animals and I'd be tying the North Shore on the Jeep before you even got out of bed. I'm not afraid of anything in my kayak and it becomes the great equalizer when dealing with less-than-desirable conditions. I like my chances, period. Why? Because I don't subscribe to the staus quo, I always desire to learn, and pushing myself has only taught me more and with each opportunity to push further, comes another chance to learn.
Sadly, I'm the minority. So many others bought a boat because it was a good deal, wore paddling what they wore to work the day previous, and believed they couldn't get hurt because it was only "flat water." I don't begrudge you or judge you and I'll definitely paddle with you under ideal conditions for your skill-set, but when things get dicey, this big dog's jumping off the porch to play and you'd be better to just keep your seat. The fact remains - and I'll pull no punches - that I have no room for incompetence and if your very presence on the water compromises my ability to come home to Sally and Parker, then by all means, stay on the porch.
What irks me, and I've said it before, is that so many around here just 'float' along and if they were on the coast where REAL sea kayakers dwell, they'd still be like that Class II whitewater paddler fumbling with peel-outs and they'd be relegated to only the perfectly sublime paddling conditions because no real coastal paddler is taking you along for the ride (i.e. ... you'd never go paddling). Is that where you want to be? Really??
Just because we're holed-up in a reservoir or rivers wider than a football field doesn't mean we can't learn and improve our circumstances. It doesn't mean we can't outfit ourselves with the very best boats and gear we can afford. And last but not least, it surely doesn't mean we can stop learning or want to improve our abilities as paddlers. We aren't dealing with tidal currents and tides, but we are dealing with TVA releases and yacht traffic, so why not do yourself a favor and educate yourself on this? Learn to roll, learn to rescue a swimming kayaker, and learn how stroke X affects boat position Y.
Feelin' like I touched a nerve? Did I hurt your fee-weeings? Suck it up and educate yourself, because if you read all of this and you aren't the least bit concerned about improving your abilities as a sea kayaker - even one who paddles on a lake - then take up something else, 'cause I don't want you on the water with me.
-rob
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sea Kayaks in a Freshwater Sea
In a territory dominated by whitewater, what makes some of us choose to paddle our long, skinny boats on inland waterways? The reasons are as varied as each of us, but some similarities lurk below the proverbial surface. I'll throw out some scenarios and then give you my own reasons, but ultimately it's no one's business why you paddle, what you paddle, or for what reasons.
Many sought out whitewater kayaking as their first option, and then quickly realized that freezing water and sharp rocks weren't their cup of tea. Still others took up sea kayaking because they discovered our two-bladed sport later in life and simply felt that whitewater wasn't even a viable option. Others still just desire a sport that is less complicated, less demanding, and less life-threatening.
Me? I actually began as a whitewater junky. Fueled by adrenaline, a slight ego, and Rob Zombie; I ran as many Southeastern favorites as I could. The notion of sea kayaking actually drew criticism from me; "Why on earth would anyone paddle one of those things when they could be running drops and swapping ends?" It was purely by happenstance that I one day found myself in a sea kayak and you wanna know what ... it was damned fun! Sure, it wasn't twelve-point-cartwheeled-fun, but it was fun in a subdued way - a DIFFERENT way. Soon, my whitewater kayaks were collecting dust and I was putting miles and miles under the hull of my sea kayak. There was something about the gentle glide of the hull and the more serene environment that seemed to really agree with me.
Before long, I was going about paddling sea kayaks with the same gusto that I once reserved for my whitewater kayaking. I desired to learn everything about it that I could - hull design, paddling technique, destinations, like-minded friends, and more challenging conditions all became my focus as more and more miles passed beneath my smooth, displacement hulled boat. Not only did I not even miss barreling down rapids, but I didn't even think about it any longer. My only desire was to paddle longer distances, paddle them in less time, and paddle them better than I had in previous outings. I've got nothing to prove. I've run big waterfalls, Class V whitewater, and I've surf kayaked 12' swells in an Atlantic tropical storm. I don't paddle sea kayaks because I'm looking for an easier solution to get my feet wet - I paddle them for other reasons ... MY reasons.
I love the connection I feel to the water in my sea kayak. Whether it's a perfectly placed stroke or a well-executed edge to carve a turn, I learn from what my blades and my boat teach me. That may well be the ultimate sea kayak experience for me; the interaction between myself, my equipment, and the water. I also love the exercise. Kayaking is a portable sport and taking my sea kayak to work with me is a regular occurrence so that I can get a few miles in at the end of the day to clear the noggin. Paddling sea kayaks seems to clear my head as well as anything, so to call it therapeutic would be an understatement. As a backpacker, I love loading my camping gear into my sea kayak and going on overnight excursions. This helps to feed my exploratory and expedition-like personality. Another reason is 'The Test.' As mentioned, I have nothing to prove, but going out to paddle when everyone else is on the couch or in bed is something I feed off of (big bites, too). Pouring rain, howling wind, snow, and the dark of night - these are the conditions that make me want to paddle even more. If we aren't constantly testing ourselves and our resolve, then we die ... it's that simple. Lastly, I paddle sea kayaks for the simple pleasure of sharing all of the above with others. In fact, it's a passion just helping others experience all that makes sea kayaking the wonderful sport that is.
Bottom line: paddle for your reasons and embrace all that the sport has to offer, but don't ever let the excuse of not living BY the sea prevent you from paddling these magnificent craft.
-rob
Many sought out whitewater kayaking as their first option, and then quickly realized that freezing water and sharp rocks weren't their cup of tea. Still others took up sea kayaking because they discovered our two-bladed sport later in life and simply felt that whitewater wasn't even a viable option. Others still just desire a sport that is less complicated, less demanding, and less life-threatening.
Me? I actually began as a whitewater junky. Fueled by adrenaline, a slight ego, and Rob Zombie; I ran as many Southeastern favorites as I could. The notion of sea kayaking actually drew criticism from me; "Why on earth would anyone paddle one of those things when they could be running drops and swapping ends?" It was purely by happenstance that I one day found myself in a sea kayak and you wanna know what ... it was damned fun! Sure, it wasn't twelve-point-cartwheeled-fun, but it was fun in a subdued way - a DIFFERENT way. Soon, my whitewater kayaks were collecting dust and I was putting miles and miles under the hull of my sea kayak. There was something about the gentle glide of the hull and the more serene environment that seemed to really agree with me.
Before long, I was going about paddling sea kayaks with the same gusto that I once reserved for my whitewater kayaking. I desired to learn everything about it that I could - hull design, paddling technique, destinations, like-minded friends, and more challenging conditions all became my focus as more and more miles passed beneath my smooth, displacement hulled boat. Not only did I not even miss barreling down rapids, but I didn't even think about it any longer. My only desire was to paddle longer distances, paddle them in less time, and paddle them better than I had in previous outings. I've got nothing to prove. I've run big waterfalls, Class V whitewater, and I've surf kayaked 12' swells in an Atlantic tropical storm. I don't paddle sea kayaks because I'm looking for an easier solution to get my feet wet - I paddle them for other reasons ... MY reasons.
I love the connection I feel to the water in my sea kayak. Whether it's a perfectly placed stroke or a well-executed edge to carve a turn, I learn from what my blades and my boat teach me. That may well be the ultimate sea kayak experience for me; the interaction between myself, my equipment, and the water. I also love the exercise. Kayaking is a portable sport and taking my sea kayak to work with me is a regular occurrence so that I can get a few miles in at the end of the day to clear the noggin. Paddling sea kayaks seems to clear my head as well as anything, so to call it therapeutic would be an understatement. As a backpacker, I love loading my camping gear into my sea kayak and going on overnight excursions. This helps to feed my exploratory and expedition-like personality. Another reason is 'The Test.' As mentioned, I have nothing to prove, but going out to paddle when everyone else is on the couch or in bed is something I feed off of (big bites, too). Pouring rain, howling wind, snow, and the dark of night - these are the conditions that make me want to paddle even more. If we aren't constantly testing ourselves and our resolve, then we die ... it's that simple. Lastly, I paddle sea kayaks for the simple pleasure of sharing all of the above with others. In fact, it's a passion just helping others experience all that makes sea kayaking the wonderful sport that is.
Bottom line: paddle for your reasons and embrace all that the sport has to offer, but don't ever let the excuse of not living BY the sea prevent you from paddling these magnificent craft.
-rob
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