Brian Nystrom

I put heavy cardboard protectors on the bow and stern, wrapped the rest of the boat in bubble wrap, then "entombed" the whole mess in pallet wrap.

Although it seems that most people have good luck with Forward Air, I have heard a few horror stories like Jason's, particularly in the past year or two.

I shipped an 18' boat from Boston to Denver for $84.

...which work fine in a sea kayak. Some finish on the foredeck, as it the link you posted, while others finish on the aft deck. The "standard" aft deck roll that's taught for Euro paddles is the "Steyr Roll". There are multiple Greenland variations which can be done with a Euro paddle as well.

After several years of outstanding service, our club registrars, Jay and Monika McGillicuddy are "retiring". On behalf of the membership of the NSPN, the Board of Directors would like to offer its sincere thanks for all the work they have put in. You definitely went above and beyond the call of duty!

We now need to find someone to take over their responsibilities, which entail:

1) Accepting membership applications and forwarding them to the ACA.

1) Depositing the checks to the NSPN account.

2) Keeping track of names, addresses. ACA#s, etc. on a spreadsheet

3) Sending this spreadsheet to Cathy Foley, ACA & the Treasurer.

4) Maintaining the membership file.

This function is critical to the smooth operation of the club and it's ideal for someone who is well organized and good with paperwork.

Who would like to step up to the plate? Here's your chance to give back to the club that has given you so much.

Interested members can reply here or to me directly via email.

>I thought -- not that much personal experience -- that a

>good snug hood which lets in only a trickle around the

>temples would prevent the gasp reflex. It's the gasp reflex

>aspect of cold shock that is the problem remaining even in a

>dry suit, and cold water on the temples is what causes it,

>or so I've heard.

Actually, neck or chest exposure to cold water can also trigger gasp reflex. I hadn't heard about the temples being an issue, but I'll take your word for it.

While gasp reflex is the most critical problem, "ice cream headaches" can still occur from repeated immersion, even when you're properly protected from gasp reflex. We saw that at the recent cold water workshop. AFAIK, nobody gasped, but everyone moaned about ice cream headaches after holding their faces underwater for as long as possible.

What is it made of? It looks like latex.

OS Systems makes a latex hood that covers the neck as well and can be glued to a dry suit in lieu of a neck seal. It's a bit spooky looking, as it doesn't come with any cutouts for nose or mouth; you have to make them yourself, presumably after you put it on, but before you suffocate. ;-)

http://ossystems.com/repair/dls-8.gif

John,

I've got a pair of Nokian carbide-studded tires (Extreme 296) on my mountain bike and they provide amazing traction. I was out riding on Xmas eve and the people who were out walking kept stopping me to ask how I was managing to get around on the slippery trails. I've tested them on glare ice on parking lots and they allow for a surprising level of accelleration, braking and cornering. Nokian also makes 700c studded tires for road bikes. They're heavy and expensive, but cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. I highly recommend them.

BTW, there are cheaper studded tires available, but they have steel studs that dull and wear quickly when ridden on pavement. Nokian's carbide studs stay sharp, regardless of where you ride them.

The most basic is an overhand hitch, which is simply an overhand knot with a slip loop on the bitter end. A mooring hitch, halter hitch or highwayman's hitch will also work.

As Ralph said, bicycle patches will work to repair the rip, though they will make the torn area stiffer. You'll need to clean it well if you've applied any 303 or other preservatives to the latex. MEK and toluene are good for this.

As for patches, don't bother with the stick-on variety. They don't work well on bicycle tubes and they won't work on your neck seal. If you have a Pep Boys store near you, they carry the "Monkey Grip" line of patching materials which are excellent. I use the 1 1/4" round patches on my mountain bike. They hold well, have some stretch to them and have nicely tapered edges. If you can find it, buy the glue in the can, as opposed to the tube. The canned stuff will last forever if you keep it tightly sealed. The tubes have a tendency to dry up once opened, usually when you need them most.

Mark is correct that you can try trimming away just the torn section. Make sure you remove all of the tear, or it will just tear again. I suggest a long, gradual taper (~3" long). That will help distribute the stresses on the trimmed seal better.

Neck seals are not terribly difficult to replace. Kokatat has excellent instructions on their website and I've got some pics at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom-reg

The pics are in my "Drysuit Repair" album on the second page. It just takes some simple forms you can make at home, some double-sided carpet tape and a bunch of inexpensive spring clamps.

We had a few yearsj ('99-'02) with relatively mild winters and got spoiled. There was a lot of paddling going on back then, but it's tapered off the past couple of years due to colder temps and more snow. I plan to be out whenever the conditions are reasonable (above freezing, moderate wind).

I accidently left with a bag containing a couple of spray skirts that were apparently meant to be returned to Sir Godfrey (I thought it was Linda's bag). Sorry about that. :-(

Anyway, they are safe and I'm not demanding a ransom for their return. Please give me a shout and I'll make arrangements to return them.

>UPDATE 1: Our "outfitting maven" Brian Nystrom will be on

>hand to help with gasket trimming and other modifications.

Sorry to post this so late, but if anyone needs any foam, pump mounting blocks, bungee or deck line, let me know and I'll bring it with me.

It just ain't the same without Bob...

Besides I.N.S.A.N.E. was probably the biggest misnomer in the history of paddling. Every I.N.S.A.N.E. trip I went on was incredibly safe. I've done a lot more insane things on my own or in the company of others of equally dubious judgement.

There are always seals around Monomoy. When we were there last month, we must have seen upward of 300. Prior to that, there were a few seals around when we paddled the north shore of the Cape, east of Sandwich.

Where are your new digs?

Have you ever gotten a telemarketing call on your cell phone? I occasionally get wrong numbers from people calling a place named "Pizza Man", but that's the extent of it.

Sooting can also be caused by not pre-heating the stove enough, depending on the type of stove in question. However, that only occurs during startup and it's not a problem once the stove heats up. If you're getting a yellow, sooty flame once the stove is hot, it indicates either clogging or a leak somewhere.

Typically, old gas causes clogging, an uneven flame and smoking/soot.

I guess it depends on how it's stored. I've used white gas successfully that was over ten years old, but it was stored tightly and both the container and the fuel appeared clean. If there's water in the gas, it and the inside of the can (assuming it's in its original container) will typically appear rusty. If that's the case, throw it out, as it will be nothing but problems. If you must burn it, run it through a coffee filter first to remove particulates that may clog a stove. If the gas was stored in anything other than the original can or a sealed aluminum fuel bottle, I assume that it's contaminated and get rid of it.

FWIW, white gas is a good degreaser - as long as you use it safely - so old fuel can at least be used for something like cleaning bicycle chains.

I assumed that you had one of the newer ProTec helmet with the adjustable yoke. With the helmet you have, there are still adjustment options, though they require a bit of work.

If the helmet is rocking back on your head, it's because the point of the yoke (the plastic "D" on your helmet) is too far back and doesn't exert enough downward pull on the front of the helmet. To remedy this, you need to shorten the front strap or lengthen the rear one. If the current front strap is long enough that the yoke is well below your earlobes, shortening it should work and it's relatively easy. Here's how.

1 - Drill out the rivets that attach the front straps. You will replace them either with pop rivets or with stainless/brass screw posts, available from leather/craft stores or hockey shops (they're commonly used on hockey helmets). Here's an example:

http://tandyleather.com/images/1290-01-L.JPG

The best ones are stainless that have Nyloc inserts in the screw to prevent them from loosening in use. If you can't find them, use Loctite on regular threaded post screws.

2 - Once you've removed the rivets, you can shorten the straps by making new holes in them. Initially, I prefer to spread the webbing with an awl (or a nail), rather than melting holes through it, since it doesn't damage the webbing and it allows me to relocate the hole. Once the hole position is established, you can melt permanent holes in the webbing using a hot nail.

OPTION: If you have a sewing maching that can handle heavy nylon or polyester thread, you can make new harnesses rather than using the old ones. I had to do this for my ancient ProTec helmet when the original plastic yokes broke. All it takes is some webbing and a Fastex buckle as shown here (if the pic isn't visible, right click on it and select "view image"):

http://image55.webshots.com/155/9/95/26/48...26GSWokx_ph.jpg

Here's how:

1 - Start by making a couple of "V's" out of folded webbing, then sew the chin strap parts onto them.

2 - Position the front straps so that the point of the yoke is below your earlobes, then mark the webbing.

3 - Make holes in the front straps, then attach them to the helmet.

4 - Put the helmet on, attach the chin strap and snug it comfortably.

5 - Position the rear straps where they need to be, then mark the webbing at the hole locations.

6 - Make holes in the rear straps, then attach them to the helmet.

7 - Test the fit and security, then adjust the yokes if necessary.

IMPORTANT NOTE AND DISCLAIMER: Making modifications like this will void any warranty on your helmet and I'm sure that helmet manufacturers would tell you not to do it. I assume no responsibility for the consequences if you modify your helmet. If you do this, you're on your own. My opinion is that the risk of an ill-fitting helmet outweighs the risk of making these modifications, provided that reasonable care is used in the modification process and fabrication of any parts. Use your best judgement as to whether you're up to the task of not.

FYI, the ProTec helmet that Turner is complaining about is the "Classic Full Cut" model that has only a single strap with no adjustment, not the helmet you have. I'm not sure why ProTec still makes it that way, as it would be a simple matter to add another strap mounting hole or two to correct the problem, but I digress...

Use the adjustments at the points where the straps combine to improve the fit. Specifically, shorten the front straps and lengthen the rear straps. That will move the chin strap forward, which will pull down more on the front of the helmet, preventing the helmet from rotating backward. Adjust it in small increments making sure that you don't go too far and allow the helmet to pivot forward. You want to find the best balance between the front and rear straps, that will keep the helmet in place.

There should have been instructions with the helmet that explain how to fit it properly, but this is the same method that's used to adjust the fit of most types of sports helmets. Shame on you for not reading the instructions first! ;-)

>It looks as simple as you suggest.

Well, it's really just a big sawhorse.

...to accommodate your fleet, I've got pics of a simple, inexpensive covered rack in a Webshots album at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom-reg

>Brian:

>

>These days, many watersport helmets come with adjustable

>liners:

>In the past three years, I've bought helmets from Shred

>Ready, Bell and, yes, Protec that have a kit of foam shims

>of various thicknesses that velcro to the liner.

>

>It comes in handy when I loan them out during trip leader

>training or trips with surf involved: people can adjust to

>fit.

>

>Also does what you asked about: switch between no hood and

>or hat and having wearing either one.

>

>Scott

Well, it's probably about time that I replace my early 80's vintage Pro-Tec with something better. I'll be checking out their new models as well as other brands.

I wasn't aware that Bell makes anything suitable for paddling, thought they do make one BMX/skateboard model (the Faction) that's similar to the Pro-Tec. Is that what you have? I really like the adjustability of my Bell road helmet (Sweep) and would love to have that in a paddling helmet.

Who around here carries a decent selection of helmets?

...the use of a double shell. I'm not aware of any other helmets that incorporate that design. I don't see anything in their literature or on the site that explains the advantages, but it would appear to help spread impact forces. There are no details on their "superior retention system", which looks similar to what many companies use. The WRSI helmet is "one size fits all" from 6 3/4 to 7 3/8, which raises serious questions about the fit in my mind, since most other helmets come in multiple sizes. There's no explanation of the fitting process on the site, either. It's also not big enough for many people when worn with a hood underneath.

I guess it's going to take a few people to plunk down their money and buy one so the rest of us can get a look. With what I've learned from fitting cycling helmets, I'm hesitant to buy any paddling helmet that I can't try on first.