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Yucking it up....


subaruguru

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A quick Google-search of nspn and/or seakayak and Yucatan yielded nothing, so I ask if paddlers have any L2-3 experience (an arthritic flare precludes L4 right now) between Cancun and Playa del Carmen on the north-east side of the peninsula?

All I could find were rec trips among mangroves. It'd be great to enjoy some warm ocean after this 28" dumper.

Thanks.

Ern

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<...the Baja, there's a place F Scott Fitzgerald liked to go...>

Oh, come on: that's hardly a recommendation, is it? Was the aforementioned gentleman (and patent social-climber) a kayaker, I wonder? No, thought not! Now, if you had mentioned D.H. Lawrence, who <lived in> Mexico, I might have understood more... ;^)

Ernie, the problem with these flares is that they reach their time-expiration date, let-alone anything to do with arthritis!

Yes, I'm ribbing you and I do know what you meant -- "a flare of arthritis" Commiserations, old bean.

Re paddling in Mexico (note my impeccable pronunciation of that "x"), contact Mr. Berg, of course: he knows the place well, from a paddling point-of-view, even guiding trips there himself. Tom's your man (always)!

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Hi Ernie,

A couple of years ago, Karen Gladstone and I went to the Yucatan on a paddling trip with an outfitter from the States - I think in Michigan or Wisconsin. We chose this outfitter because they had real boats (NDKs, neckys, P&H) and not the plastic lumpy sit on top boats that you get with most outfitters. This outfitter brings the boats down from their base operation.

Our guide was BCU 5* named Leslie who worked with NOLS. She is active in the west coast "leave no trace" community. She will offer to help you with skills development.

You stay at this beautiful but not finicky compound, on the beach. It is rugged in that the location is isolated down this long dirt road - no walks to the corner store. The compound is often used for other purposes like yoga retreats and pottery week long courses.

The food is freshly prepared, the rooms are comfortable and the paddling, while not challenging, is never boring due to the mangroves and bird life. You snorkle off your kayaks or a small power boat. There is this one crazy fish (can't recall its name) that is small, you barely notice it while snorkeling. It will sneak up on you, chase you so it can attach to your body. I don't remember if it leeches, I just know that it likes to attach to your body. So you got to be somewhat aware of that fish. As I recall, one of them chased me for quite a distance but never attached.

You also spend a day at mayan ruins and swim in caves.

Their price range for a week is not cheap but it is not outrageous. With our group, there was a nice mix of singles and couples.

If you want, I can try to find their name or ask Karen. They are one of the distributers for NDKs in North America.

Hope this information is helpful.

Les

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Ginni Callahan on the West Coast runs tours in Baja and can be reached at www.columbiariverkayaking.com

She's one of four BCU 5* women paddlers in the US, Shawna Franklin in WA, Jen Kleck in CA and the newest one, Bonnie Perry in IL being the others.

She's a cool lady, a great coach and lots of fun.

Deb

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...there's one more woman waiting in the wings before the year is out...she's certainly waited long enough and her skills are sharp as hell. no pressure there you....but freakin' get it done already.

4 women? talk about your rarefied air.

seriously, with so few women having hit that mark, we men have a veritable cornucopia of 5*'s...and i am not sure there are all that many of us in the US! dozen? 2 dozen? dunno.

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I think I know the lady waiting in the wings and I've been waiting for the day she joins the ranks of the other four US women holding 5*....:).

Yep, only 4 and, yes, a lot more men. I m only counting the men who are also coaches and listed on the BCU NA website, but then, I also personally know a few who've made the grade, four who live here in NE:).

And I have no idea why there are so few female 5*s, too. There are a lot more in the UK, I think...

Deb

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Ern, not to hijack this thread, but do you have a trip planned for the Cancun area, or are you open to other areas of Mexico?

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Ed Lawson

Who knows someone in Maine who wishes to stay below the radar who is a former SEAL and 5* paddler.

so there's a name that's not eluding me...i just don't know him! i think i may have forgotten pete casson on that list above too....that one eluded me.

and please..hijack a thread...i've seen people wandering around like feral cats on paddles and whole trips have been hijacked...i don't wanna hear any malarkey about hijacked threads!

never been to the yucatan or to baja...i know that jen kleck has some contacts down in baja...you may give her a ring and see if she can give you a referral. as for the yuckytan...no se.

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Hmm, now that it’s permitted to change topics how bout this new topic:

What should an efficient paddle cadence be for cruising and sprinting?

Assuming a good stroke, I think there are two (possibly conflicting) variables that determine an efficient paddle cadence: 1. Blade size and 2. Your own body’s peak power cadence.

Blade Size: The blade size needs to match the force/speed that you apply so that it does not slip.
When it does not slip, it is efficient.

Peak Power Cadence: For a given person there exists a kayak-paddling curve; i.e. maximum power you can generate vs. cadence. The peak of this curve is the hot spot.

As a side note, Oscar's cadence in a very long race looks to be about 100 strokes per minute.

Hmm, on second thought, I think that this is way too far off topic, even for Sir Christopher and Rick. So someone please delete what I’ve typed in here and I’ll re-post it as a totally new topic.

PS

Sorry Ern

PPS

I like Jen too. She dug up an old wing paddle when I rented from her place in San Diego.




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It's alright, Leon: have this one on me, good Sir! In fact, I was going to tell a story about hiking the Otter Trail in the Tsitsikama forest; but I think I don't have the time for it now (you know: I can go on, when I set my mind to it!), so I shall refrain.

Howzit, Ernie: you feel you've had your money's worth of responses? I hope so... ;^)

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Temps off our dear Cape Ann are 40F, but a full 80F off Playa del Carmen, and I've already broken both snow shovels.

Hence I don't need another zetz to get on that plane!

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Temps off our dear Cape Ann are 40F, but a full 80F off Playa del Carmen, and I've already broken both snow shovels.

Hence I don't need another zetz to get on that plane!

It looks like John will be at Baja Kayak Fest April 11th-15th.

http://www.seacliffkayakers.com/Calendar.html

http://www.bajakayakfest.com/

-Jason

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It looks like John will be at Baja Kayak Fest April 11th-15th.

http://www.seacliffkayakers.com/Calendar.html

http://www.bajakayakfest.com/

-Jason

Not good for Ern. Playa del Carmen is ~ 2,000 miles from Baja. By comparison, Boston is ~ 2,500 from Baja.

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Not good for Ern. Playa del Carmen is ~ 2,000 miles from Baja. By comparison, Boston is ~ 2,500 from Baja.

I guess I should have paid more attention. I recalled this thread from when it started and when I noticed that John was teaching in Mexico posted my reply.

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