Doug

Looks like a great product. I'm surprised someone hasn't put it on the shelves yet. Doug

I'm pretty sure I'm going. Waiting for confirmation on the coaches first. Doug

I hope to make it as well. Doug

I never carry one as I paddle with others most of the time and the paddles I do on my own are within short reach of the shoreline 99% of the time. I tend to keep things as simple as possible yet comforted by the fact that many others are overly prepared. On the other hand, if your a solo paddler doing open water crossings and similar, etc. the paddle float is a must. Doug

There really is a method to my madness... If it's a rock, surf or rough water day I carry 2 Ikelos blades with me or replace one of them with a Lendal Storm. Long trips, Ikelos and Greenland Calm conditions, Lendal Storm and Greenland Also on very long trips I have the luxury of stowing an extra euro in the rear hatch of my Cetus and bring the Ikelos, Storm and Greenland. On the ocean I use a carbon fiber Greenland exclusively and enjoy Western Red cedar Greenland paddles in fresh water. But that's just me. Each to his own but I would never get a shorter euro or cheap heavy one for a spare. One day you will need to use it or it may need to replace a broken main paddle permanently. That happens to me on an average of once per year. Doug

I always trim my gaskets until absolutely comfortable. If they feel tight, I can't handle it because my hands freeze up. I probably over trim them for comfort but my glacier gloves with wrap around straps provide me with an additional water tight seal. I also found that " Coast Guard Gaskets" from Kokatat are much more comfortable than traditional stock gaskets. Doug

I throughly enjoyed the recap of your wet kayak misadventures at last nights XMAS party. Congrats! Sorry you had to retire "Speed Bump" Doug

Ditto with what Jason suggests. To add one more element to the equation, are you able to engage your thighs easy enough to brace yourself in the cockpit. I have the same Cetus as Jason and find no need to add foam but my ROMANY Excell on the other hand needed to be foamed at the thigh braces. I believe Greg P likes to create a knee hole under his deck. It may pay off to give him a call. Tom B at Maine Island Kayak will spend time with you customizing out your boat to fit your body as well. Feel free to call be if you want to discuss options Doug

I also stretch the gasket over a round object and cut with a single edge razor blade. Keep the cut continuous being careful not to make any burrs. Doug

Bring it to Carl

I may be wrong but I recall in the past, these nominations were sent quietly by PM to Peter then voted upon by the BOD. I also recall the nominations were given to others rather than paddlers nominating themselves. This is a strange morph of events. Perhaps we should post on Facebook (NOT) and award the person with the most "Likes". Haha! Doug

Additional research found the following add on: GLOVE DRYING ATTACHMENT http://t.basspro.com/PEETGlove-DryPorts/product/99741/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT Doug

After cold weather paddling trips, I consider drying my GLACIER GLOVES the biggest pain in the phalanges. I had been turning them inside out to dry after cleaning and rinsing. The drying process would sometimes take days. I was also concerned and convinced that turning them inside out was damaging the stitching that held them together. When "Bass Pro Shop" opened in Hooksett NH last Spring, I noticed this Peet Dryer (shown below) and thought it could potentially dry kayaking gloves and booties but as the weather became nicer the need for glove drying faded away. On a return trip to BPS yesterday, I picked up my new Peet Dryer for $39.95. I set up this contraption in seconds and followed the instructions to run the device for 15 minutes to burn off any factory coatings on the drying element. I throughly washed my Glacier Gloves with a few drops of Dawn DW liquid at the kitchen sink without turning them inside out, squeezed out the excess water and placed the soaked gloves on my new Peet Dryer at 5:30 pm last night. At 8:30am, just 15 hours later I checked the progress and was happy to discover bone dry gloves. I imagine some of you have discovered other successful methods of drying gloves and booties but I couldn't wait to share my discovery. See pics below. (Cat not included) Doug

Thanks for posting this trip Pru. Nice trip report. More pixels below. Doug

See you in the morning. Doug

I may join you next weekend as well. Doug

Just replaced my lost Lendal "Storm" with another one. I compared the new "Storm" with the XRANGE 700 and found that they were in fact the same size but the "Storm" was lighter and more refined in design. My suspicion is the "Storm" replaced the XRANGE 700. As an added note, I got 30% off this paddle at Charles Rover Canoe and Kayak. They still have a good number of paddles but an unofficial source said the 30% sale may end very soon because the Newton Boathouse may not have the need to liquidate because they found a new location down the street. This is good news. I hope it is true. Doug

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback. Yes, your correct about Lendal NA going through growing pains with production and minor cosmetic resin imperfections. I have been happy with the Lendal Storm thus far. Strong construction and extremely smooth feel. Love the overall design but looking for a light larger volume paddle to replace the performance of the Werner Ikelos. I break too many of them to remain brand loyal. Doug

Lost a paddle in the surf zone Saturday. Need a replacement. Has anyone had any experience with the Lendal XRANGE 700 paddle made by Lendal NA? I'd be curious on how it compared perhaps to the Werner Ikelos. Doug

Most likely, no. They are only making the pool available Sunday nights. That doesn't work for most people. It's a shame because Portsmouth is my favorite pool. Doug

Scott, Perhaps the law has changed since you visited last. The crescent beach on Roque Island, Great Waas, can in fact be landed upon and enjoyed up to the tree line where signs are clearly posted not to enter beyond that point. That area is patrolled my men in golf carts. The local lobsterman and their families routinely race to this jewel of a destination on Sunday's for R&R. Great Waas is one of my favorite paddling destinations. I particularly love Halifax Island and The Brothers island. I've been the twice in the past 3 years and hope to get back next year. I prefer this area in mid to high tide due to the dark sub-arctic vegetation between tide lines. Doug Roque (2 pics) notice the signs at the tree line. Halifax (2 pics) The Brothers (1 pic)

POOL SESSIONS for 2014-2015 Open to paid members only. HAVERHILL pool sessions will be $26 for 2.5 hr sessions, Saturdays or Sundays _______________________________________________________________________________ HAVERHILL (1:00-3:30 SATURDAYS) or (3:00-5:30 SUNDAYS) 137 Monument Street. Haverhill, MA. Haverhill High School 10 boat limit $26 per session SATURDAY: 12/13/2014...PAST 1/3/2015.......PAST SUNDAY: 1/11/2015.....PAST SATURDAY: 1/24/2015....."CANCELLED due to SNOW" 1/31/2015.....PAST 2/14/2015.....PAST SUNDAY: 2/15/2015....."CANCELLED due to SNOW" SATURDAY: 2/21/2015.....PAST 2/28/2015.....PAST 3/7/2015.......PAST 3/14/2015.....PAST SUNDAY: 3/15/2014.....PAST 3/22/2014....3 spots left "New Location" Location: "Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 N River Rd, Hooksett NH 4:00-6:30 pm SATURDAY: 3/28/2015.....1 spot left SUNDAY: 3/29/2015.....FULL ________________________________________________________________________________ "To be announced" "NEW TO KAYAKING WORKSHOP" Not open for reservations. ________________________________________________________________________________ *Those of you interested in locking in dates can do so by contacting me via "instant message" followed by sending in a check to cover that pool session(s). *You will not be confirmed until payment is received. *Please add the date of the session(s) in the "memo" section of your check. INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR CHECK IN THE EVENT OF A CANCELLATION. Checks are to be made out to NSPN, not to me. Please mail payments to: Doug Mogill P.O. Box 341 Derry, NH 03038 CANCELLATIONS: . Under most circumstances, " paid" pool session reservations are non-refundable. . If there is a wait list, someone can take your spot and you could switch to another available date. (contact Registrar) . You have the option to advertise on the NSPN website to sell or give away your paid reservation to an interested party but keep in mind the person must be an NSPN member and the.pool registrar must be notified of any change prior to the venue. Any second party money transactions are not the responsibility of NSPN. PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT reply on this thread. I will be making numerous edits/updates throughout the season. Should you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact me via Instant Message or by email at Doug@NEBM.net I look forward to seeing you all soon. Doug Mogill Registrar

Hey Rob, so sorry you have been tormented by this whole thing. I think this thread has helped you work things out in your head and made you accept that the 4* award is not something you should or even can rush. It will happen for you soon enough. Sometimes the "fast track" is not the best route to take. You simply tried to learn too many things in too short a time. It seems like just yesterday I was coaxing you to dunk your head at a cold water workshop. You have come a long way since that day. Your physical setbacks didn't help the cause nor did your work related issues. Life just has a habit of getting in the way. When it happens for you, and it will happen for you soon enough, you will savor the acheivement that much more and your confidence level will be satiated as well. Many accomplished paddlers have been passed over on their first attempt so don't beat yourself up over it. While its a landmark achievment, it's only a title. Enjoy the journey. Sometimes it's fun to relax and simply enjoy being on the water. Doug

Way to go Dave! This is a BIG news! Doug

Didn't Dee see a giant sturgeon on one of the paddles last year? I love fish stories! She's lucky like that. Good thing it had a floppy dorsal fin!