Suz

Count me in! Suzanne

Zip Wax (which is bees wax - least mine is) - believe you can buy it at NESC. Probably on line too. Yes, I would think that PAM wouldn't be a pretty sight! Don't forget to 303 your seals and one other thing that I recently learned, hang your suit using wooden hangers NOT plastic one. Some kind of chemical reaction between the plastic hangar and the neck seals causes them to degrade. Suz

Some skills are more important than others to learn. The story is that there is a certain bar in Wales that the challenge for all the 5* paddlers is to sit in the kayak while it is hanging on a rack... upside down. It is a skill that for some comes easier than others. Our very own Paula has been working hard at her 5* skills and has somehow acquired this one very easily. [http://www.kayakpics.com/gallery/paula/paula] Here she is practicing raising her arm to drink a pint... she will add that to the equation at the next trial, in Wales. Suzanne

Here is a link for the drysuit: http://www.chillcheater.com/products/shop....95&p=1&pid=1511 For their home page: http://www.chillcheater.com/index.htm

Bob, There are many reasons for trip reports. One is to inspire but I believe that the more important reason is to educate. The original trip reports started as a means of working through issues that came up. People would discuss alternative means of handling difficult situations that arose on the water. Go back and read the old ones - they are an education. People can also read the trip reports and use them as a starting point on planning their own trips. The danger in posting inaccurate navigational information is that it is misleading. People read what NOMAN has written and may expect to be able to find the same when they recreate the trip. The flaws or inaccuracies that were pointed out are basic tenents of navigation. Things such as how far can you see an object that is a particular distance off the water when you are 2.5' off the water. Inaccuracies like that need to be pointed out. Ability to see particular places from a given point are knowns - not up to poetic license. If NOMAN didn't REALLY see what he says he saw, perhaps there should be some sort of disclaimer on the trip report that says that it is really a story about a trip and not an actual trip report with accurate information. Suzanne

As some of you know, Christopher, Paula and I were practicing quite hard for our 3* assessment before Georgia. We scheduled a test date for the three of us but due to a scheduling conflict we were unable to test prior to going to Georgia. Paula and I came back with 4*. This leaves Christopher on his own for the assessment. He is very disappointed with suddenly not having anyone to assess with him. So, I am asking anyone who is interested in assessing for the 3* in the next month to send me an e-mail so that I can line up an assessment so that he gets out of his deep depression. edit- 11/7/04 - As of now, there are two people - any other takers? Thanks, Suzanne suzanne dot pritchett at comcast dot net

The cup was filled with soup and while giggling I was having a hard time keeping it from tipping. I think that Turner figured it was a good way to keep my paddle quiet or was that me quiet? Thanks for all the pics Carl. Really a good day on the water - can't believe it was October. Will need to do this again next season! Suzanne

Good for you for getting 10 years out of the dry suit. I think that is really remarkable and shows that you took proper care of it. I believe that the material itself has gone through a few evolutions since your original purchase. Kokatat has also done a tremendous amount of R & D into the dry suits and are tops in the business for a reason. While the Ravenspring is a breathable fabric, it isn't as breathable as the Kokatat. Last year when paddling with friends,my clothes would be more damp than theirs. Hard to compare that way though. Really needs to be the same person in the different suits. After losing weight last year, I was in need of a new suit and ended up replacing with a Kokatat. I am much drier this year than last - excluding yesterday's episode of the chest zip being left open about an inch during the required 50 meter swim during Canoe Safety. Latex socks versus goretex - latex socks in my Ravenspring were huge - although listed as a small on the suit. Not sure why they make them so big - the goretex socks allow me to put on up to 2 pairs of socks and still stuff them in my NRS kickers rather than having to wear my Chota Mukluks. I think that they were going to be offering cloth socks at some point. The folds in the latex socks gave me blisters at times. Sizing - this is the real bonus of a suit from Ravenspring - they make to measure so if you are of an odd proportion and don't fit in standard sizes, for the same cost of their regular suit, they will size to fit. Some of that is due to the elastic waist that they use and the looser legs and arms. Basically, one suit will end up fitting someone who is wide and short as it will fit someone taller and less wide. The excess material ends up being used differently for each of them. My Ravenspring is showing signs of wear after one season - not sure if that is common or not. The wear is on the inside of the suit under the arm holes and in the crotch area. Probably wore it about 20+ times last season. I found the Ravenspring front relief zipper to be too high to use easily with the "Freshette" (a urine director). Perhaps they can lower it a bit. As of last year, they were not making the drop seat option. Not sure if they are now. In my dealings with Ravenspring last year, I found them to be very responsive and helpful. Very willing to work with the club as group. I have heard of a couple incidences where Ravenspring replaced suits due to delamination of the fabric. Check the exchange rate before you make a decision - a change in the pound one way or another changes the suit price dramatically. Suzanne

All good things to be thinking about and let's hope that when the proverbial s*** hits the fan, we will have thought out the ins/outs and have a plan. I think that proper planning and advance communication is what I am hearing the most from you. Thanks for sharing the thought process that you would go through should something like this happen. 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

Roger, Try the suit again in the water and this time make sure that your sleeves are pulled up past the latex wrist seals. Sometimes you can get a bit of cloth that is just inside the seal and it will wick up the water and create a wet arm. The suit that you bought is a different suit than the one that Rick bought. You have the one with the zippers that are not YKK metal tooth zips. I believe they are plastic and are not of the same quality. Do you think that it leaked through the relief zip rather than along the seams? That seems likely to me. I have a feeling that the suit is more than adequate for a light duty suit. Perhaps for the average touring kayaker who doesn't get out more than once a month in the winter if they are lucky. Probably not the suit for someone who is going to spend the day in surf or rolling. All depends on what you want to do with it. Give the rep a chance to work it out, especially if you can use the suit while you wait for the replacement. Suzanne

It was tough billing for Cheri on Saturday night up against the Red Sox but she held her own quite well! We had a great night with slide shows, discussions and pool side demos, and AMAZING photographs from Greenland (which BTW would make wonderful Christmas pressies for all your kayak friends). Donated prizes: Cheri Perry gave away the winner's choice photo, Keith Attenborough donated a GP paddle and our friends at New England Small Craft [www.nesmallcraft.com]donated: North Water Rivers tow rope Signal Light T-shirts key chains and water bottles Portsmouth Rent and Ride [www.portsmouthrentandride.com]donated: Two NRS Rash Guards Two Nalgene Bottles Sunday morning came altogether too quickly with a slight drizzle in the air. I was worried about attendance of both the participants and the mentors. We showed up at Walden Pond only to find people already upside down in the water! My worries soon ceased as the cars kept on coming in! At one point, we had over 40 boats in the water! People were ready to get wet. The Walden Qajaq Society [waldenqajaqsociety.org] also affectionately called "the pond scum" pulled together and in true mentoring style came together to teach us about traditional paddling with a Greenland paddle. There were many beautiful boats to try and warm and cozy tuliq's to put on top of the drysuits to keep you warm. It was a great play day on the water! My thanks to all who hauled my soup and hot chocolate pots out to the picnic area and to those who attended the pots while I played in the water! Sean Kimball surprised us by bringing the new Impex Outer Island from Charles River Canoe and Kayak and made it available for people to demo. Many thanks also to all the participants who came from as far away as Vermont's Northern Kingdom and the coast of Maine and from our southern neighbors from Connecticut and Martha's Vineyard. This weekend was truly a coming together of people to share their love of kayaking. I have already received e-mails asking when we will do this again! How about we plan for a warm sunny day in June and we will make this happen all over again! Suzanne

Correction ... RICK C was the one who actually paddled in to the beach with the swimmer on his deck. I had the easy job of paddling in the empty boat. Must get some sleep.... More later - Suz

Liz brings up many good points in her post. I would like to address another aspect. Most of my kayaking of late has been with a really close group of friends. We are all aware of each other’s skills; it makes for safe enjoyable paddling most of the time. Let me be the first to admit that with them I have pushed my limits many times and they were always there to bail me out but at times endangering themselves. (Special note to ADLV mea culpa... I will try and do better.) SNG’s (show n go’s) are the other end of the spectrum. You post and then end up paddling with whomever shows. That’s not a bad thing and can be a lot of fun. I find that the few times that I have done SNG’s this year, all but one had someone out of their element or unprepared for the EXPECTED conditions. One point that Liz didn’t address was individual preparedness for a trip. People need to review the trip levels and understand the implications. [http://www.nspn.org/play-trip-levels.html] Here are level 3 conditions: Wind- 15 knots Waves/Chop-2 feet Surf- 2 feet Current- 2 knots Distance- 15 miles Paddle-Level 2 skills.Correcting and boat handling strokes. Solid bracing. Rescue- Wet exit, paddle float self rescue, partner rescue (THIS SHOULD SAY IN LEVEL 3 CONDITIONS - THAT IS ASSUMED BUT NEEDS STATING) Pace- 2-3 knots Desirable Experience: Level 2 trips or equivalent. Class in rescues and tows Saturday’s conditions fell well within the boundaries of a level 3 trip. But not all of the 22 paddlers were comfortable in level 3 conditions. That might be fine if you are paddling with friends who are aware of your skill level and you theirs and both are prepared for the potential consequences. I don’t think that a SNG is the place for people to stretch their limits. You are dealing with too many unknowns. Consider this scenario: One paddler who is comfortable in level 3 conditions decides to post a SNG. Seven people show up but they all decide this is when they are going to push themselves and try paddling in level 3 conditions. How about an unexpected storm blows in with thunder and lightning and off-shore winds start blowing, waves pick up to 2’, winds up to 15 kts and the group of eight are now trying to paddle against a current that there were originally planning on riding with. The situation is a recipe for disaster. I originally felt that if I am comfortable with the possible outcome/risk, why shouldn't the people I am with be OK with that? Here is what they told me... They don't want to be the one to tell Ashley that they left her mother in the rocks, floating to Portugal so, no matter what, they would risk themselves to try and bring me home safely. Are we being fair putting others in that position? So, here are questions that should be addressed: How do we get trips on the calendar so that with planning, a group can be organized that ends up taking one or two people that are stretching their limits rather than a whole group stretching their limits with someone not much stronger than them (yes - that would be me)? What are other ways that individuals can ramp up their skills so that they can prepare themselves for conditions? Suzanne (Note that I am unable to respond until I get back from Georgia)

The garage will be available but will fill up quickly. There is on street parking all around the building though, especially on a saturday night. Most of the parking is on Marginal Road which runs parallel to the building and the Mass Turnpike. Please car pool if you can. Hope to see you there! Suzanne

Yes, that Cirokit is a handy one to have. Not only can he do an on water repair to a boat with a two fist hole in it, he is like a bull dog on the other end of a tow. I have to say, I have never paddled as fast as when I was BEING TOWED by the Cirokit. In some ways that isn't saying much (me being slow and all) but still, going faster when being towed is a bit of an embarrassment. Glad that Ciro was with you two and that the rest of the trip was uneventful. Suz

Paula/Christopher and I are hoping to squeeze in an assessment prior to leaving for Georgia for 4* training. We are hoping for this coming weekend but if it doesn't work out, we will need to do it when we come back. My congratulations to all for their hard work! I have found that the more I practice, the more value I see in striving for the "perfect" strokes on flat water. The work in flat water continues to build the comfort level with the strokes in the bumpy water. When I first started practicing, I saw the 3* as a necessary evil, something I had to do before I could do the fun stuff of the 4*. Now I have a better understanding that a mastery of the strokes in flat water builds the confidence you need in the bigger water to execute the same strokes in more challenging conditions. Suzanne

Roger - e-mail to Linda your details - name, emergency contact name/number, ACA# and boat description and she will put you on the list for Sunday - on the water. Just show up at the slide show and bring your family! Suzanne

(edited to note that the participant/mentor ratio has been changed to 3/1) The following information has been added to the calendar. October 24 -Walden Pond- Cheri Peri and the Walden Qajaq Society Sunday 9:30-2:30 (see put in's for directions [http://www.nspn.org/play-put-ins.html]) Walden Pond - We will meet over at the pond for an opportunity to work in the water with Cheri and others. This free event is open to all to come and watch but if you want to be in the water, you will need to RSVP to Linda Shelburne at capewavedancer at yahoo dot com. INCLUDE YOUR ACA#, EMERGENCY CONTACT INFO AND BOAT DESCRIPTION. This will be limited to 3 participants per instructor/mentor and total numbers depend on how many volunteers there are. Currently 15 people will be accepted. There is no charge for this event and the Walden Qajaq Society - AKA Pond Scum will not accept donations for this. Things to keep in mind: Water is starting to cool off but still plenty warm enough if you dress for it. Dry suits are a great idea if you have them but if not, a wet suit with a dry top works too. Last year I practiced in a wetsuit with layers and a paddling jacket until Thanksgiving as I didn't yet have a dry suit. Never hurts to have gloves and a hood and a hat. Goggles and nose plugs or a divers mask that covers both can be handy. I like ear plugs when the water is cool to keep from getting the cold water in my ear as it makes me dizzy. Bring lots of warm clothes to change into and a big jacket that is windproof. Don't forget your lunch and a thermos of hot drink is especially nice. Note that I will be out of town between October 14-22. E-mail me prior if you have any questions about this. Suzanne dot pritchett at comcast dot net Suzanne

This morning I answered a question of a friend who wanted to know what I wear under my dry suit... After the necessary silliness back and forth, I got serious and offered up the following information but extended it to offer info on my favorite pogies, gloves and stuff. Here is what I wrote: You vary the weight of your long underwear based on temps and wear nothing that interferes with going to the bathroom. Do you ski? I find that I tend to dress the same way but for skiing, I dress slightly warmer as it isn't as active and you have all that down time on the chair lift. I tend to wear heavy weight long undies on the bottom and lighter on the top. BUT, I have seen that others will put on a really heavy zip up fleece type jacket on top over the long underwear top. The most I have ever worn is a thin capilene on top and then a heavier expedition weight one. Some people buy the one piece liners from Kokatat - in the $100 range but the individual pieces are too. A quality top and bottom will run you about $50 each. My very favorite long undies are Patagonia's, you can buy them directly from Patagonia - their expedition weight are just gorgeous and plush and they last forever without piling. I have some that I have had for over 10 years skiing. I think that it is more practical to wear separates rather than a onesie as you can wear the separates doing just about anything. Patagonia's long undies: [http://www.patagonia.com/za/PDC/Pgonia/store/shop.jsp?cgrfnbr=366040&merchant_rn=7385] You should start looking at gloves, pogies and hoods. I usually have two pairs of gloves with me but traditionally only wear one. I like to have a dry back up in my hatch. My favorite is to wear a thin pair of neoprene gloves from NRS and then one pogie that I share between the two hands. These are my very favorite pogies: [http://www.bombergear.com/5070.html] I didn't think I would be able to wear them as I get claustrophobic and I was afraid of being trapped on the paddle but I find they are perfectly wonderful. Mine developed a small fray on the back of the hand after a couple of months of use - bomber gear sent me a new pair right away w/o waiting for me to send them back for their review - they did this w/o charging me for the replacement pair AND send me a return slip. MMmmm, I am thinking now that maybe it was NRS that did all that on behalf of Bomber Gear. I tend not to wear a hat unless it is really cold - like windy and below 20. I ALWAYS have it handy to put it on - I keep a wind stop fleece hat (has a gore tex layer inside) it is always shoved inside my pfd down my chest (yes, it makes me look like Mae West but is always there if I get cold. I also like a wind stop "neck up" which I made. I tend to put a hat on when we stop paddling. I also always have my ras dex handy to put on - in the winter I keep it in my day hatch. So, after I sent that off, I started looking at Patagonia's website and found that they have a specials section with LOTS of long undies on sale! They say they are all first quality and they have some that are $30. The downside is that the tops wouldn't match the bottoms but who cares about that?? [http://www.patagonia.com/store/specials/] If anyone has any cold weather favorites that they use or things that they do, post them here so we can all get ready for the cool weather. Suzanne

I bet the stories will be as big as the waves when they come back! Suzanne

Great idea. I really appreciated it when Scott et al did something similar last year, my first winter kayaking. It turned out to be a warmer Fall day but it was still effective as a learning tool. It was also good to see the kind of gear that people bring with them for winter gear from hoods to pogies and gloves. Suz

Maybe Paul... Yikes, I have never seen the man out of his boat. Conditions today are a little bigger, 5'every 5 seconds with a 14kts wind. Yesterday's on water report was a combination of WOW and big, rugged, no complete sentences, just complete awe! The 2-3' swells of yesterday brought 10' confused stuff in the race. What does 5' swells bring in the race? Is it proportionate? Suzanne

As some of you know, a few friends are doing BCU 5* training in Anglesey, Wales. They arrived safely on Sunday morning with all their gear. Today will be their first of five days on the water. The weather is 60 degrees and rainy with a 8 kts breeze. If you are interested, you can keep an eye on the Aberporth buoy: [http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=62301] I am sure that Rick will regale us all with the stories when they get back! The one I am waiting for is how they get through the first wave that is formed to get into the tidal race. Suzanne

Heard on the news that there were some crazy kayakers paddling near the shark. Fess up, who might that be? I want to hear all the details. Suzanne