subaruguru

Just the trip I was thinking about. Barry, let's talk to carpool. Ern

Happy Yeaster!

Rob, You responded at NOON Sat. Wasn't the paddle earlier in the morning? Or is it NEXT Saturday, April 16, Doug? Whhooopps! Now I see that we use a GMT clock. Forgot. Hope you'all had a fine one. I was stuck at a funeral. Ern

This is hilarious. I want one too!

Clearly a dry suit is a better choice if you can afford it, but from the point of view of comfort and convenience. Joe, although I'm not a huge fan of the thin neoprene neck of the Kokatat SuperNova drysuit, the fact that Suz has a sample for sale at 1/2 price ($225) would make a recommendation that you TRY it for a year and then see if your needs for a more bulletproof neck seal materialize. If so, you can always resell the SuperNova for $200+ on eBay and get a $500-1000 completely "dry"-suit. This is EXACTLY what I did a couple of years ago, finding that beard stubble abraded the neoprene neck easily, and that since I DO enjoy spring/late-fall paddling the purchase of a bullet-proof suit was warranted. The fact that the Supernova includes a relief zipper and decent fabric booties makes this a no-brainer compared to a comparably priced drytop. I'm surprised nobody bought this sample yet.

Beautiful day in the upper 40s, light winds offered little resistance to our crossing to Kettle, so Tom and I continued to lunch at Norman's Woe. A quick stop at Magnolia upon return proved a bit problematic when I just couldn't cleanly relaunch in surf without picking up 3" of water. The chop picked up as the wind shifted to SE, bringing in 2' rollers, so it became prudent to pump 'er out. The high tide allowed a quick corner into Manchester Harbor, ending a nice 12 mile run. Hope to get out there again soon! Oh...and next time I'll have to check the INSIDE of my drysuit for my tethered glasses instead of wasting 1/2 hour AFTER the paddle scouring the parking lot and beach looking for them. Ha!

Welcome Joe, I too am one who easily became nauseated on larger vessels, but never in a kayak. Nonetheless I found the first experience with swell quite unnerving, as my balance wasn't ever tested vertically in flat water. So I used a pair of those accupressure wrist cuffs the first week, but don't really believe they were useful. Large swell can still require short acclimation, but one learns quickly to "go with it"; it's probably made even more innocuous by the interactive activity with one's environment that paddling so richly provides. Certainly best that you NOT paddle alone (many of us never do), especially until you're sure of your reactions.

Hi Cathy, Distance and early launch on a Sunday probably leaves me out. Have fun! Gene, Tuesday (29th) looks even a bit warmer and winds only at 8 knots. A reprise at Tuck's? Will post later if weather holds. Ern

Congrats, indeed! So does 1+1 feel like three?

I can vouch for the Paddleboy; the newer wider version (large?) is wide enough to slide nearly up to the cockpit of 22" yaks, thus reducing the "tongue" weight on your hand/arm to a minimal amount. I have a two-year old one with metal axles and cotter pins; the latest version apparently has even easier to use plastic spin-off hubs. I prefer this design to under-mounted carts that require cinching straps. The tires work well in sand and over rocks. Spare inner tube is cheap at Home Depot et al.

Tyson's response might indicate that with this old joke you've pushed us onto the slippery slope wherein loss of control can occur. Dammit! "Most Buddhists refuse novocaine in dentistry in order to transcend dental medication."

HAVERHILL HIGH SCHOOL POOL SESSIONS: FEBRUARY 5th ... FULL 1 waiting FEBRUARY 26th ... 2 spots left APRIL 2nd ... 8 Spots left Six paddlers showed despite the sleet in Haverhill yesterday, so we had lots of room. Building was surprisingly warm, the water a bit cooler, the locker room nicely, dare I say, air conditioned! Brrrr. The pool was unmonitored, so we able to put in early, and all pooped enough to leave early too. Ern

I'm bringing pastries. I was going to grill chicken again, but there's a 4 ft wall of snow between me and the BBQ! See ya there. Ern

"In addition, if you take an intro level class with Charles River, they allow you to come and practice in between sessions using their boats for free. So I think the first class we took was 3 weekly sessions, and we had access to their boats for that time period." Welcome, Bob. I'm guessing that most of us have progressed through 2-4 kayaks in the first few years experience. Buying used or blems can be result in relatively painfree evolution. I too second CRCK's 3 session 3 week $150 program, allowing you unlimited daily rental of all in their fleet for practice. As well, Bryce, Dave, Mark, Kevin and Dan are all really good at recommending specific kayaks well-tailored to individuals' needs and tastes. As their income is predominantly from group rental programs they're not generally pushing specific makers nor needing to "sell" you. Last year I saw a couple of new Force 4 and 5 blems that were great deals, for example, and they have lots of rental boats selling heavily discounted in September, but you'll probably not be able to wait that long, as we're inherently an impatient lot!

Or at the very least try to stay fit indoors like my friend did. Noticing his exercise ball was sagging a bit from the holiday pies, he perhaps overinflated it a bit, and when attempting a precarious back stretch, rolled across the room head first into a wall, crashing off onto his elbow and cracking a rib. If only he'd thought to put on his PFD! And maybe a helmet. At least (unlike the aforementioned Seda) he's hoping for a no-cost self-repair!

Doug, Just left you a tel msg. Looks like I cracked a rib after falling off an exercise ball yesterday. So sell my 1/8 Haverhill, and reserve Feb 5 for both me and Tom Hershfeld. Sorry about the confusion. See you at the BoD. Thanks. Ern

Hi Doug, Per telcon I'm in for Haverhill 1/8. Check's mailed. Thanks. Ern

Oops! Sorry! It was a now-expired eBay auction for a Brunton 85 for only $50. I couldn't figure out how to "share" the eBay posting across to nspn, obviously.

http://sn126w.snt126.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0

Hey Leon, Trust you're having fun in those warmer waters. Pics yet? The ONE time I forgot to tether my paddle (NEVER to my wrist!) I capsized and YOU had to go fetch it, remember? And I remember you took your sweet time about it as Bob rescued me as we pushed towards the rocks. I've always wondered if you were letting us have the training exercise or whether my brightly-colored Ikelos really did swim that far away...? Happy Holidays to you and Claire. Ern

I dunno. For ten quid I bought the digital, vs. 30 quid for what I thought was snail mail. I suspect that maybe FOREIGN paper subscriptions are even more expensive, and may not include the digital back issues archive?

Received the following in my inbox today. Looks like a good deal. Anyone familiar with this magazine? http://www.oceanpaddlermagazine.com/subs-offer-email-dec08/sub-email-081210-web.html

Hey Phil, Sorry I couldn't join you. Look/s/ed like a good day. See you and Lorrie at the Party. Ern