NPSheehan

I think the product Gerry was talking about was Plasti Dip Home Depot - Plasti Dip Neil

Not a problem! Your welcome to join in you when you move to Kittery. Although our calendar doesn't show them we do have more advanced events which are typically advertised to members through our Message Board Trips & Events Forum. It's difficult to rate a Level 3+ event far in advance on the calendar as there is no advance way of knowing what the sea state will be. A Level 2 event on the calendar may be changed to Level 3+ if the sea state at the time for the event warrants it. I've posted dozens of ocean paddles on the through the winter months up to current date which were what I would consider at least Level 3. So we're not just flat water paddlers Neil

Never thought much about the resistance of hip rotation on a padded or foam seat until now. I removed the seat pad in my Avocet and noticed a big difference in the ability to slide my bottom and twist on the seat while paddling. I do get bit of an extra twist when fully rotating without any resistance. I guess Ben Lawry was right when he told me to take that seat pad and back band out of there Neil

First off I'd like to state that the "Group up north, Meetup Group and other references to New England Seacoast Paddlers should be clarified. This group although using Meetup.com for it's fancy schmancy web site is far from the typical Meetup mentality and focus. We started off as a paddling group 7+ years ago with a goal of organizing trips for experienced and novice kayakers to interact and have a safe and enjoyable time in kayaks. http://NESeacoastPaddlers.org/about/ Our calendar has events for all paddling abilities and we promote advancement via pool sessions, skill sessions as well as professional instruction. Our organizers and members are of all levels and abilities. I think the major difference between NE Seacoast Paddlers and NSPN other than a Board of Directors is that we have regularly scheduled events on our calendar for all kayaker levels. Similar to NSPN, we as a group encourage people to advance their skills if they have a desire to and offer opportunities for them to do so. I think in many ways NSPN & NE Seacoast Paddlers can be complimentary towards one another and can be mutually beneficial to each other. We'd love for NSPN folks to post events on our Calendar as well as NSPN folks to offer to be assistant organizers on any of our events. We also welcome all NSPN members to join us anytime. http://neseacoastpaddlers.org/calendar/list/ Neil

Maybe the Who Are We needs to be updated if NSPN is only targeting members above Level 2. "NSPN HOME "Who we are" We are a friendly network of paddlers based on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Our common love of sea kayaking brings together members hailing from Connecticut to Southern Maine and beyond. We range from casual paddlers to racers, bird watchers to surfers, day-trippers to expedition adventurers and everything in between. Whether you are a novice to the sport or a “hard-core†veteran, we have activities for you. Our volunteer trip initiators post dozens of trips every year, offering different: • Challenges - From a leisurely flat-water paddle to open ocean thrills • Locations - From Cape Cod to Casco Bay and beyond • Themes. Summer solstice, fall foliage, seal watching, skill building" It's true that there are other groups out there and I'm sure these other groups will gladly welcome the NSPN Level 1 & 2 fallout due to no events posted for their skill level. However be aware that some of these other groups are also promoting skill advancement and do have a strong desire to help those who want to advance their skill levels and grow with the organization not only as paddlers but also as event organizers. Neil

Hi Phil, You may want to post to the NE Seacoast Paddlers group as well as most of us are from the NH/ME Seacoast area. I will also be doing the Greenland thing with Lorrie, Doug and others on Saturday. Neil

Sweep strokes are not efficient and do not work very well when turning a sea kayak around in strong winds. Back paddling as Peter mentioned works because you are locking in the stern by placing more lateral resistance at the rear of the kayak and the bow moves downwind "leecock" a stern rudder/draw could be used as well. Same type of technique works if you lock the bow with a bow rudder on the windy side if you want to turn into the wind "weathercock" using a bit of edging will shorten the water line and make the kayak turn quicker. You can use your skeg to help in turning downwind or upwind Here is a good article on the subject http://kayak-skills.kayaklakemead.com/skeg.html Neil

Wow that's a big honkin bag!! Their Turtle bag looks pretty cool though and this might be in my to get list for keeping a few things on deck. North Water Turtle Back Deck Bag Neil

Maybe someone should bring a Pungo

Here is a good review of the North Water Paddle Britches. Gear Review: North Water Paddle Britches by David Johnston One thing to consider about this product is if it will fit well on the bow of your kayak without partially covering the front hatch or compass. I found with my Valley Avocet and Aquanaut which have large oval hatches that the britches did not appear to have enough room on the bow to allow the compass and oval hatch to be clear if installed as recommended. I haven't seen a kayak with a front oval hatch with these installed yet. Maybe someone who has them and also has front oval can shed some light on this. My other concern was their attachment to the perimeter lines and the potential stress on the RDFs if a big wave got under them. So far I haven't heard any horror stories with them. Peter's story from Leon Somme brings up that concern. Neil

I've asked this question myself and the more I hear the pros and cons of both ways the more I feel it comes down to a personal choice. I've seen photos of expedition kayakers with paddles on the fore deck as well as aft. I've seen many people with skinny sticks on the foredeck as backups as well. I personally keep my spare on the aft deck and have no problem reaching back and pulling one out. With that said I've never broken a paddle and had to do that. I've also done self rescues in the standard paddle float re-entry as well as ladder/cowboy with the paddles on the aft deck and didn't have a problem. With that said I doubt I'd ever do one of these methods if I capsized and had to wet exit as a re-enter and roll is my preferred methodology for getting back upright non-assisted after a swim. I also carry a foam paddle float on my aft deck. It does cover the day hatch but I could never get into the day hatch anyway so I don't keep anything in there that I need while on the water. If by some chance I do need something from the day hatch I ask a paddling buddy to get it for me. I'm not a solo paddler and thus very very seldom paddle alone and if I do it's never on an expedition or rough water. If I was to do more solo trips I would probably consider a deck bag on my fore deck. Neil

Great shots! That new camera takes awesome photos. A good mix of conditions made for a great day on the sea. Wish we coulda stayed out longer Neil

Different float plans and Maps/Charts make things easier for groups heading in different directions. We've had as many as 40 people out on the water during our annual Boothbay Trip and everyone knows ahead of time when they will be departing and what route they will be taking. I print out a slew of small charts with a predetermined route and label them with a difficulty level. People then choose the chart for the route and difficulty level they want to do. The difficulty level is based on whether they will experience currents en-route or open water etc. The easy "least difficult" are routes in protected areas and close to shore. Typically there are 3 levels. Each group member has a chart and thus "should" know where they are going and the estimated time and mileage. I also ask them to fill out a float plan with name, boat type and color, contact info. and chart they will be following. People will choose a departure time based on their group and then head out. Most go in groups of 6-10 people some less. Bottom line is if they have a chart they should know where they are going. Often groups grow or shrink on the water based on some people wanting to go faster or a slower pace. Since the mini charts are printed on paper I provide one quart zip-lock bags to put the mini chart in that they can place on their deck. I do the same type of thing for the folks doing a bike ride and this methodology has worked very well Neil

I think Ed was right on with his statement "I think as club members the more experienced paddlers should not put on the mantel of L whatever advanced paddlers and go bounce around the same rocks they can bounce around any time, but should willingly and affirmatively go out with the least experienced folks and chat, mentor, and aid as needed. " One of the stigmas about NSPN from many folks in the NE Seacoast Paddlers group who had at one point or another paddled with an NSPN group is that there is a condescending attitude by some NSPN folks and not one of mentorship if they are not at a certain experience level. I feel NSPN and it's seasoned experienced members have a lot to offer novice or intermediate sea kayakers looking to challenge themselves and increase their skill level but many are shy from joining in on a trip as they feel it is beyond their ability and don't want to to feel inferior. Maybe an idea for a joint club paddle is one that offers mentorship and seamanship instruction as well as a general paddle for the folks who want a challenge. I see on the calendar a New to Sea Kayaking workshop but then very seldom if ever see a organized paddle for the new to sea kayaking folks. Neil

My solution is two fold. First: I wear a long sleeve EMS Bergelene shirt close to my skin then another short sleeve shirt over it or if it's very cold a polartec 100 long sleeve. For the bottoms I wear Ragged Mountain Power Tech stretch pants http://www.hike-nh.com/gear/review.shtml?EMSBerg http://raggedmountain.com/index.php/clothi...rtec-tight.html Second: When stopping for an extended break/lunch I strip off the dry suit down to the waist and let my undergarment top air dry as well as turn the drysuit top inside out to let it dry. If it's too cold to air dry wearing I always carry extra fleece layers and change out of the wet into the warm dry clothes and let the moist sweaty clothing air dry on a rock or my boat. If it's completely dry I put it back on again if not I keep the warn spare layer on. You'll get a lot colder with wet clothes on even under the drysuit if it gets chilly later so I find it best to dry the wet under-layers when you can. Surprisingly my lower body in the Polartech power stretch pants never get very sweaty I guess I perspire more in the upper body than the lower which I guess makes sense as my arms and torso are moving much more than my but and legs Neil

Pepperell Cove has limited parking for non residents "maybe 4 spots" but there is a school yard down the road a bit "Mitchell School" which you can park at after unloading then walk back. Note Mitchell School Lane is one way but you can get there driving a little further and walk back from Mitchell Ln. Map to Mitchell School Parking Lot Neil PS Seas today are very calm with wave height 1-2ft at best. I suspect tomorrow will be similar to start. Although winds are predicted to build out of the south in the afternoon tomorrow so Pepperell Cove may actually be a better choice.

The launch site at the wooden bridge at Odiorne "Pioneer Road" has very limited parking and the boat launch parking lot is ""Closed for the Season" My suggestion, if you have more than 4 cars, is to launch from Pierce Island Portsmouth or you can also launch from the beach at New Castle Commons. New Castle is a nice protected beach launch but you need to carry the boats a bit from the parking lot to the beach. The beach is between Beach Hill Rd & Tabbut Memorial Way Map View of Great Island Commons New Castle NH Neil

I felt like an outcast not having a yellow boat as well. If I knew the color for the day beforehand I would've brought my yellow Avocet instead of the Mango one Neil

Very Funny For that price you could purchase a Pungo 100 and tow it We all know the Pungo is the bestest kayak ever made Neil

Personaly I prefer to stay in compliance with the CG and other local Marine Patrol regulations and thus not have to worry about anything if stopped for an inspection. The Coast Guard has routinely stopped kayakers and has done safety inspections similar to stopping recreational power boats. Why they choose to stop one group of kayakers over another may be totally random or they see something that they consider worth checking out. I know of one kayaker friend who was given a hard time by the Coast Guard for a very minor permanent modification to their PFD. Fortunately they were not fined but that could've very likely been the case as well. With that said I do attach things to my PFD such as knife, strobe light etc. but all are not permanent and attached with velcro strips or clips. This is probably why PFD manufacturers have D-Ring tethers in pockets and lash tabs so that people won't have a need to add their own modifications to attach these things. Neil

The Tributary may work on other PFDs if the shoulder adjustment buckles as well as the side adjustment straps are located close to where they are on the Kokatat PFDs it is designed to work with. I tried attaching the Tributary to Cyndi's MTI Discovery and although the waist adjustment straps were in the correct place to attach the Tributary the shoulder adjustment buckles were below the shoulder strap sleave and hence the Tributary could not be mounted to that PFD as designed. It could be jury rigged but then you run into the problem that the jury rigged PFD no-longer meets Coast Guard approval and you could be fined if the CG determines you modified your PFD in any way. http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg5214/pfdselection.asp#faq Modifying a PFD, such as (permanently) adding additional body strap webbing, voids the device's approval, no matter who does the modification. Neil

I agree Peter but I already made the investment in the Tributary and it would've been a big selling point for me if I could mount it to the SeaO2. I haven't checked out the Lotus but other systems I've seen and tried beside the Tributary were not in my opinion as well designed for attaching to the PFD. I'll decide further after trying it at the pool. Neil

I've used a Platypus Kayak Hydrator on my deck but found it less useful in surf as it woud get torn off and the hose full of sand. In winter the hose would freeze up. So the Kokatak Tributary with added neoprene sleeve over the hose has worked very well for me. With the cost of the Kokatat Tributary I would not give it up just to purchase a new PFD. I think those who have the Tributary can also vouch for it's great design in attaching to the PFD and it's functionality. As far as C of G while wearing it, it has not impacted me in any way in stability or while rolling, although I never fill it to max capacity and only carry enough water in it for the amount I expect to consume while underway. On a camping trip or extended paddle I carry extra water in my kayak. If the SeaO2 had been designed with the Tributary in mind I probably would already have one as it looks like a great product. I think T.E. Lawrence might have worn a hydration pack if they had them back in the 1930s. hydration back packs have become common gear in land based as well as kayaking expeditions. Neil

My first roll was done with a Greenland stick and it seemed effortless compared to the many many tries with a Euro blade. I haven't paddled with one extensively and heard they are not as good in the surf as a euro but many folks now carry both on their kayaks. After taking a class with Cheri Perry I realized how easy rolling with a Greenland stick can be. When I tried the same technique with my Werner Cyprus it felt bulky and odd. Neil

The Kokatat SeaO2 looks like a great product. A friend has one and we plan to put it through the test on April 3rd at the YMCA pool skill session. The oral inflation would allow fine tuning to the amount of inflation you would require for additional buoyancy. I only wish that the Kokatat Tributary Hydration System would attach to it. Currently it does not so I'm not giving up on my MSFit Tour yet. Neil