New to Kayaking but..........

[JBLT4]

Hello All,

Well I won't bore you all but my wife and I have taken up kayaking and have been having a wonderful time on the flat waters around the north shore(ponds, lakes and rivers). We are very much up to exploring the harbors around Salem, Marblehead etc....but being novices we, we are a bit concerned about ocean kayaking.

So here's the questions:

Where can we get information about Ocean kayaking(tides, charts)

How stupid would we be if we went out of Dead Horse Beach from the Salem Willows and followed the shore line around to Winter Island and back.

And are there any trips planned in the near future with NSPN that would be good for people like us?

Thanks for your time and I do hope to meet some of you out on the water.

You can either reply to this list or hit me with an email at: jdionne@sleepmed.md

Jim

[rick stoehrer]

maine harbors (http://www.maineharbors.com/) is a good source of info on tides and weather.

noaa (http://www.noaa.gov/) is the best source for weather forecasts and patterns we have. it gives you whats going on where with and give specific info reports from local buoys. wind speed, gusts, direction, pressure, wave height, period, water temp...

and speaking of water temp....the water temp is such that you need to make sure to be dressed for immersion or you run the real risk of hypothermia if you go in the drink. this means that it's pretty much dry suit weather....regardless of the air temp, it's the water temp that is so dangerous and any length of time spent immersed is dangerous.

word to the wise and welcome aboard.

[Suz]

Season is too short isn't it? Things are winding down now for most kayakers and just kicking in for the addicted:) Fall is my favorite time of year or is it winter... they both rate above summer for kayaking now with fewer boats. OK, I will admit it ANY time on the water is a good time.

Rick is right - with water temps in the low 50's and air temps too, in some ways, it makes it much easier to dress for kayaking now. You wear a drysuit and long undies underneath. From here on in, you just keep on adding to the layers. BUT adding a drysuit to your kit is not necessarily a good thing if you don't have the skills for winter paddling.

You don't mention what you are paddling. If you are paddling sea kayaks, boats with adequate front and rear hatches or flotation and with five points of contact, you BOATS are good to explore the ocean. (The five points of contact are: both feet, both thighs and your butt.) I would caution you that the best way to start exploring the ocean though is with others who are more experienced. Either with a club or an organized trip or a class. There are just so many things to consider when going out as a beginner that I would hardly know where to begin to explain them all.

Take a look at the website and read the info about skills necessary for the different trips. Buy a few good books and read about all the places you would like to go next summer.

In addition, keep an eye open for the upcoming pool sessions that begin in December or January. They are good places to make friends with other kayakers, learn bracing and rolling skills and just mess around in boats.

Suzanne