rcohn

I sat in one out of curiosity at the paddle sports show. I fit in ok (6’ 1”, 175 lb), but don’t remember just how tight it was. While the boat has been described by CD as follows, “The snug fit and slim profile also make it an excellent rolling kayak.” The high rear deck would only allow someone with excellent back flexibility to use it for advanced rolls. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I use Malone cradles and have found our kayaks can shift quite a bit even when the straps are as tight as possible. I always use bow and stern tie downs with the Malone cradles, even for non-highway driving. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

>The boat ramp at Walden opens in April. Note that to the best of my understnding, the boat ramp closes, but Walden is open during the usual hours. So I think you are allowed to park in the main lot and carry boats down. I haven't heard of anyone doing this. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

There are some new rolls on the list this past year which some may find harder such as the forward finishing rolls with an 8 kg brick or stone in your hand. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

>While in the pool with the mask, concentrate on following >your paddle blade with your eyes as you sweep. (Especially >after you are coming up) try to do the same with your eyes. >I think this helps get the body into the sweep versus >concentrating on the arm motion. Hi Bob, I think it is useful to sometimes look at the paddle blade to check its angle and position in the water. but I don't believe making it a habit is a good idea. You should be facing upward during a sweep roll (at least for a Greenland sweep). Turning to look at the blade would tend to twist the body out of optimum position making it harder to roll. If you watch some of the videos online of good Greenland rollers you will see their faces break the surface around the midpoint of the roll, facing upwards. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I've sent another email. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

Bob, Miriam and I would like to sign up for both the February 24th and March 24th Beverly pool sessions. I sent an email a few days ago but have not yet received a response. Thanks, Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

With so many hands you would have to be very careful to read it correctly. It's not a watch most could quickly glance at to check the time Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

>Keeping track of water temperature is often a curiosity, and >more necessary as the season progresses. Using a tethered >pool thermo has proved cumbersome to me, and any pocketable >devices with tiny coarse indicators are either inaccurate or >too difficult to read, so I added a Timex "reef" digital >watch WITH thermometer and tide-calc sliding bezel (reduced >from $50 to $20!) to the Campmor order. >Apparently has a long strap for attaching OUTSIDE drysuit >sleeve, etc. We'll see. They have the same watch with tiny >strap-mounted compass for $30.... You will probably need to keep that watch underwater for at least 5 minutes to take a temperature reading, easy in scuba, not so easy when kayaking. Also temperature readings in dive watches/computers are notoriously inaccurate, you may want to test it. >That one-piece nylon-outer 300 Polarmax-inner, with pockets >and nicely cuffed "suit" that kept me so warm is made by >Andie's Undies, apparently an outfit in NY. Found it on eBay >for $50, as it unfortunately sells new nearer $200. >Full-length double zipper allowed reasonble cooling. Scuba weight underwear is great for rolling practice, but it is usually too warm for paddling (I know I can't wear mine). Andie's is a highly rated brand. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

> >Would you also say you don't need tight contact at the hips >as well? >Often that is mentioned in outfitting and rolling hints, but >I notice Greenland folks and some others don't seem so >concerned with getting a solid hip fit. > >Ed Lawson I don't have a tight hip fit, many believe there is an advantage in getting your mass as low as possible when the kayak is on it's side. Of course with a 19 or 20 inch outside dimension on a SOF (inside space is less with 3/4" thick wood frame and flare, there isn't a large amount of hip room. If you watch Greenland rolling demos or contests you may see the person shifting their weight after each roll, recentering themselves in the cockpit. On the other hand, I've heard Cheri recommend good hip contact, but she was talking more about a narrow hull rather than padding. With a narrow hull you can have both hip contact and a low mass, at the cost of some stability. One advantage of loose hips when paddling is the ability to shift your weight a bit to the side to easily heel the kayak without having to continually tense your leg muscles. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I've only paddled a Currituck once several years ago, I thought the back might be lower. It may not be the height that is really the issue. In a SOF I can't lean back well unless the back board is less than 4 inches high and the coming is extended back. Those hard wooden edges are very unforgiving. Therefore, most advanced layback rolls aren't possible from the "normal" seated position. Slide forward and they become easy. One more note, many of the Greenland instructors like Turner and Cheri follow the general philosophy that when learning to roll, make it as easy as possible kayakwise, then work up to harder boats. Sliding forward in the seat will make it easier to learn a sweep (screw) or extended paddle (Pawlata) roll. This would particularly apply to anyone who is having difficulty learning. Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need foot pegs to roll a kayak, just good contact with the thighs. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

>Other than improvements with >comfort (which is not a problem with my Impex), does the >change help with edging or rolling or being able to maneuver >or accelerate the kayak better? Few paddlers will have reason to care, but I'll mention this anyway, If anyone wants to attempt more advanced rolls, the padded bulkhead will be a hindrance. You need to take your feet off the foot pegs and slide forward to execute the more advanced layback rolls. For example, I can only do a hand roll in my Elaho if I slide forward, the coaming doesn’t allow a sufficient layback from the normal seat position. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

Thanks Bob. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

>Do I understand that opposing swell, wind, waves etc. is an >essential ingredient in the creation of standing waves? >So, that race next to Pond Island at Popham , at max >current on a full moon, could conceivably be inactive, with >no standing waves if there were no incoming swell or >opposing wind waves . If so, in that case, I would imagine >just a swiftly moving current, like a river. No, water flowing over obstacles is sufficient to create standing waves. Surfing standing waves on rivers is an aspect of whitewater kayaking where no wind, swells, or traveling waves are involved. I don't know anything about the race next to Pond Island or how conditions there would change there based on local wind and sea conditions. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

Hi Bob, Could you tell us what the workshop will involve/include this year? Thanks, Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

> >> It would seem that tidal races and standing waves would >>tend to be more pronounced on the ebbing tide, > >And as a related question, would they also be more >pronounced on the from half to the lower third of the ebb >tide as well? I believe that would be caused by a combination of the velocity of the current and the depth of the water. Current velocities are highest during the middle of the flood or ebb tides. Standing waves are a function of the water flowing over the local topography, which has greater influence as the local depth decreases. Shallow water waves (swells) are also affected by the decreasing depth (velocity = sqrt(gravity depth)) as the wave slows down, the height increases until the breaking point is reached. Ralph Cohn Black rolling SOF White (Mark Starr) SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I noticed Greg Skomal replied to the post. He is a (the?) leading shark researcher in this area. It will be interesting to see what data he is compiling with the increased GWS activity in the area. If you get a chance to catch one of his talks, they are quite interesting. He occasionally speaks at the local scuba clubs or shows. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

Scuba drysuit wisdom is to trim latex seals and stretch neoprene ones. A few days or weeks stretched over a larger diameter object such as a scuba tank is supposed to do the trick. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

It would be rather easy for us to get to the MIT pool, so we would be very interested. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

> Threading long boats through that small >lobby was not the easiest, but compared to some places, I >guess it wasn't that bad. > >John Gamel I getting the boats in was certainly not any harder than Chinatown, Beverly, or Ipswich, and may have been the easiest. Inside there is more pool room (more kayakers can fit) than these other three pools. We just need to find enough members who want to come to Brookline to fill the session. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I'll toss in a vote for the Brookline High School pools (only ~6 minutes from our house). Very nice pools -- a normal 25 yd, 5 or 6 lane lap pool, a smaller 12 ft deep diving well, and a shallow pool that would be good for teaching. The only drawback was limited parking if you hit a student activity night, last year's session was a school dance. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

>Even in warmer water... you can actually get hypothermia >from 70 degree waters. I was always a little curious as to >why I'd watch shows on the Discovery channel and divers >would be wearing full wet suits in what I'd consider to be >warm water but that's the reason The art to diving is to use the minimum amount of (feasible) exertion at all times. Less exertion = better air consumption (also issues with CO2 build up). Also, cold diver = bad air consumption. You'd be surprised how cold you can get when immersed for an hour or more and barely (or not) moving. ;-) Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I haven't kayaked with the harbor seals, but I have been diving with them several times. They are quite timid and non-aggressive. It is rare that they will directly approach you, they swim by on the edge of visibility and sometimes sneak up behind you. The only times I would be concerned are - If I had caught fish, possibly some might be a bit aggressive trying to steal them. - At mating season, or if very young pups are in the water. - If the seals were cornered and you were blocking their escape. Otherwise, I would have no fear of them. Note all my experience is with the more common harbor seals, not sure how grey seals might behave. One thing to know. Seal bites, even the most minor ones, are very bad news. The bacteria in their mouths cause very serious infections. You will need a specific antibiotic regimen for even the most minor scratch. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

Parking is $5 or a $35 season pass, also good in a number of other state parks. Not sure how often the ranger will be checking cars in the fall. Ralph Cohn Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim

I'll keep going until they close the boat ramp, usually in November. But with the short days, weekdays will probably be too difficult, so mostly weekends, except Arctic Boat Weekend and Delmarva of course. Ralph Cohn new black rolling SOF white SOF Elaho DS, blue & white with yellow trim