Janet Robinson

The Cold Water Safety presentation has been posted to the SMSKN webpage. See smskn.net under Club Documents. Enjoy!

Glad they were helpful! Moulton's presentation will be going up soon. Safe paddling!

Certainly! Safe paddling-

Yes it was, and the recording should be available on our open-access website in a week or so. Just check back: smskn.net under Club Documents. Moulton did a good job.

Because winter is just around the corner and many of us want to keep paddling, the Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network is revisiting the important topic of cold water safety and is opening our program to our friends at NSPN. This time our instructor is Moulton Avery, founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety.In this class, Moulton will discuss cold shock, swimming failure, and incapacitation, – physical responses that frequently lead to sudden drowning long before hypothermia becomes an issue. He'll also explain the Center's Five Golden Rules – guidelines that any paddler can use to build a strong cold water safety net.In addition, he'll bust some cold water myths and share insights on cold water paddling gear. If you’re thinking about paddling anytime after about now this is a critically important topic to understand fully, Come learn from an internationally recognized expert about how to stay comfortable and safe when the water temperatures drop.Moulton Avery is an expert on heat and cold stress and an internationally recognized authority on cold water safety. He served as Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years and has been a key figure in promoting cold water safety for over thirty years. His work on heat and cold stress prevention has been nationally featured in hundreds of newspaper articles, radio programs, and television shows. including The Washington Post, All Things Considered, and Oprah. He is the author of numerous journal and magazine articles on the subject of heat and cold stress and his writing has appeared in many scientific and popular journals. He is also an avid sea kayaker with over 50 years of experience and is a certified canoeing and kayaking instructor and trainer. This Zoom show is on Thursday, October 28 at 7 pm. You may join using the link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8325449372?pwd=aWdXbDA0U1RYelQ3YnRaNVAxY3pOQT09

Many of you by now have seen the dramatic footage of the sea kayaking accident that occurred while a group of local Portland paddlers were rock gardening on the outside of Cushing Island in Casco Bay. A well-known and highly experienced kayaker was seriously injured in the event, which culminated in a Mayday call and at-sea rescue. In this presentation, members of the paddling group will discuss the incident and share their thoughts and reactions as the drama unfolded. Come learn what to do right when things go wrong on an ordinary morning of rock play. The group suggests that attendees view the video before the presentation. It can be seen here: https://youtu.be/qFEKcYyNGkM You can watch presentation on during our regular September SMSKN meeting on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 7 pm via the following zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8325449372?pwd=aWdXbDA0U1RYelQ3YnRaNVAxY3pOQT09 We will also be recording this presentation and posting it to our open-access website (smskn.net, under Club Documents) where it will be viewable by members and non-members alike.

You know all those maneuvers we’re supposed to know as sea kayakers? All those safety things, rescue skills, expensive clothing and gadgetry that the books say we should have before dipping toes into the ocean? Well, sometimes you need them. On a recent SMSKN trip from Bailey Point to Jewell Island, five paddlers learned the importance of all of these elements when dealing with capsizes, cold water, and exhaustion on a windy afternoon in April. Come hear what happened and what we all learned as we candidly share our analysis of the situations and decisions during this ordinary-turned-epic trip. This is a program of the Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network, and all NSPN members are welcome. Showtime is 7 pm on Thursday, July 1. Click here for the link.