rfolster Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Over the past several years, different groups of hardy NSPN members have gotten together for what first started out as a cold water practice session on Easter morning. While it was short, they had great fun and promised to get together the following years and make it an annual event. Thus began the Annual Easter Plunge. This year, we are looking at the day before Easter to see if we get more interest (or get scolded by the die-hard Plungers), so let me know your thoughts on that. This will be a combination discussion/paddle/cold water practice event tailored to the wants and needs of the group. You’ll have the opportunity to review tips and techniques for dealing with cold weather and water, test out your gear while we do some cold water rescues, or just have a paddle! LOTS of hypo kits and chocolate will be on hand and careful attention will be paid to all paddlers’ condition and well-being. Come join us for this CAM (Chocolate Adventure Model?) event. You must bring the following: - Food and a hot beverage - Drysuit with proper footwear and appropriate under layers (if you don't have a drysuit, inquire about borrowing or renting) - Neoprene cap or hood - Neoprene gloves (bring poggies if you use them, but gloves are always recommended) - Wool or fleece hat - Wool or fleece gloves or mittens - Down or synthetic jacket that fits over your PFD If you have the following, you should also bring them: - Storm cag - Warm outer pant layer (worn at launch to unload and pack boat) - Spare under-layers (in case your primary set gets wet) - Padding to sit on (camp chair, carpet square, piece of foam, etc) - Hypo kit - Group shelter We recommend that everyone put together a hypo kit – if you want more information on what to include, see this post: http://www.nspn.org/forum/topic/9825-hypo-kit/. Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the gear. The start of a good hypo kit is a thermos of hot tea/chocolate/soup/water and a warm jacket/blanket/tarp. Do you have any hand or feet warmers from skiing? An old yoga mat is a great ground pad. A tent fly would work as a wind shelter. Don’t worry about packability if it’s just a day paddle – you have plenty of room in your boat. Put together what you can and we will compare different ideas. If you would like to attend but don’t have a particular piece of kit, just let us know. We should have plenty of extra stuff on hand to care for everyone. So bring your bunny ears (really!) and join us for some cold water fun! We will even have extra ears on hand for those who don't have them. Details are as follows: Location: Salem Sound - launch from Marblehead/Salem/Beverly area (TBD) Time: "Launch" at 10am, so arrive early enough to get ready Return: Around 2pm-4pm depending on group commitments and energy levels Sign-Up: Post interest here and/or send me a Private Message with float plan info: Cell phone # Emergency contact name and # Boat make and color Vehicle make, model, color, and plate # Anyone wishing to attend must let me know in advance so that we can include your information in the float plan. Looking forward to yet another great start to the paddling season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prudenceb Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I'm in! While prefer having an Easter plunge on Easter, I recognize that folks who actually celebrate the day, either alone or with family/friends, might prefer Saturday. Whatever you decide, make it super clear so that those who have gotten used to the Sunday tradition won't skim over a posting that says it will be Saturday! pru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfolster Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 I'm in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhabich Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Found my ears. I'll be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethS Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I'm in, still looking for my ears! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 We have extras if you can't find them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted March 22, 2016 Author Share Posted March 22, 2016 First glimpse of the weather forecast for Saturday looks really good, with little wind (6 knots), little seas (1 foot), mostly sunny, and a little chilly as always with overnight lows in the low 30's and daytime highs in the mid 40's. Water temps are still hovering on top of the 40 degree mark, so water and air temps are pretty well matched. If you ask me, it looks like a really good day to test out immersion gear, work on cold-water rescues, do some paddling, goof around a bit, and generally have a really good time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I"m in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Foster Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 I'm planning to attend. See you all on Saturday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 Float plan has been sent out via PM. If you are planning on going and haven't received it yet, let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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