jdkilroy

Its been a great few days on the NH coast. Paddled to Salisbury from Rye Harbor Saturday; every beach had great surf. No one else on the water but tons of fun to be had. Jon

Also check out: Feurer Lumber on 121 in Atkinson, NH. (800-427-5304) Great folks to deal with and they will get you what you want. Jon

Drowning or hypothermia... ? That water is still really cold.

Thanks for the detailed response Johny, very helpful. I am in the habit of wearing wet clothes until they dry unless I HAVE to get warm. Even with the drysuit on and zipped up you can dry base layers if moving about without a pfd. My hope for this discussion was to get ideas from others about dealing with the sweat/overheating issue while paddling and I got some great feed back; thanks to all. Jon

Well heck, If I'm with a bunch of paddlers (peers) then I can just do away with the damn pfd which is the primary cause of the loss of breathe-ability anyway. We're on to something here...

Hi John, Here's a picture of one Sticky Pod set-up. I can move it about. (always a tether). Using extension rods of different lengths and available knuckles, you can position camera any way you want. (The camera is the GoPro Hero) There is another system that looks pretty good but you need to have a mounting fixture on your deck and you would need one everywhere you want to mount this; a good solution for someone that wants to mount in the same place all the time. http://www.kayalu.com/index.php Best of luck, Jon

Thanks for replies so far: I roll all the time to cool and that's just fine when water temps are reasonable .... Its also just fine when the boat is unladen; or just your day gear. A fully loaded boat is another matter. Not a big deal to do but preference is not to be doing that. In addition, a quick roll provides momentary respite at best if the level of exertion is unchanged. I am going to trial using a inflatable PFD to reduce that effect and I am going to try various synthetics. So far no specifics on what gear works for folks; ie what brand of synthetic are you using? PS: laundering will not be an available option so fabrics that don't accumulate stink are good.

Starting this topic to see if I can get some feedback regarding dressing beneath a "dry" suit for someone that tends to sweat a lot and needs to paddle at a high output all day long. I have been using multiple thin wool layers recently in an attempt to get away from the wet synthetic feel but now I just get the all natural wet feel. I am soaked beneath my dry suit after the first 30 ~ 45 min of any paddle. I paddle year 'round so this is a safety issue as well as comfort. So... any thoughts? I am planning to trial Kokatat's underlayers in a return to synthetics and see how that goes. Appreciate any feedback, especially from those folks that "glow" more than most during exertion. Thanks, Jon

So I am paddling on a lake in afternoons and I paddled last week. Warm air but water as cold as you can imagine on bare hands. I wore 3mm farmer john, 2 wool under layers and a dry top; bare minimum and I can get back in my boat pretty quick. I observed a couple guys paddling kayaks in tank tops (no pfd's) and I don't know what beneath. It got pretty windy toward the end of the paddle. There is no way to teach common sense to some one but I have to think that these guys received little if any advice from the point of sale regarding kayaking and appropriate dress. On the other hand, it is pretty expensive to outfit ourselves the way we do. Many simply can't afford the whole package. Many of us who can, loose sight of the money we spend to keep ourselves saf(er) on the water... add it up sometime, if you dare. Just a reality check. So... "Lets be safe out there." Jon

Soooo.... ... about those inflatable PFD's.

The question is not about whether a PFD retains its CG approval, the question is whether there is a law prohibiting modification of a personal PFD that could result in my being fined. I am not aware of any such laws. Technically, just the act of seizing a knife sheath to your PFD shoulder strap voids its CG approval; these articles are approved only in the form that they were initially presented to the Coast Guard for such approval... if that makes sense.

".... you could be fined if the CG determines you modified your PFD in any way." As a non-commercial user of a personal PFD, I am not aware of any laws regarding modifying my PFD. Obviously, different rules apply if I am a commercial enterprise providing flotation devices to others who are paying me for a service on the water. Jon

Something else to consider: The SeaO2 offers little if any protection to the torso from impact. I would rather tear my PFD than my dry suit if getting tossed on the rocks not to mention being spared a rib fx or worse...

I have not had the opportunity to play with one of these myself but have discussed this same thing with a couple of experienced paddlers that use them. (Jeff Allen is a big fan of these) Given the reduced bulk, they tend to stay out of your way and let you get those normal (short time in the water) activities done a bit easier. I guess the down side is, once you put a hole in the bladder, no more added flotation. Becomes a peace-of-mind thing. Great topic Peter. Jon

Don, I contacted Kajaksport directly. All the info is on their website: Kayaksport contact info They were very helpful. There was an omision in my order of a couple of retaining clips for the skeg control unit; they apologised and sent by express the next day. Be mindful of the time difference between here and Finland if you call... Jon

We tried everything to make the skeg operable with one hand. It was a no-go in the end so this was the only option. Laura is VERY happy. Jon.

I have recently replaced the skeg system on a Cetus LV. It is a rather long post so if this is something that interests you, the full post can be found at: http://www.reenterandroll.com Jon

Hi Bill, Congrats on your new suit; I think you will love it. It is generally not recommended to try to stretch the gasket to fit unless it is already VERY close to desired size and then just wearing it for a while will get you where you need to be. If the gasket is just plain to tight then trimming with really sharp scissors, a little at a time, is best. See you on the water, Jon

It is my understanding that the local government requires a support vessel to be attending any trip such as this. This has to be set up and documented appropriately before a visa will be provided. You can't do this trip on the cheap even if you wanted to. Jon

The problem when warming extremities before the core is stabilized is that an already unstable electrical system (in the heart) is now encountering an increased load (perfusing the extremities) and lower temp blood is returning to the heart. The result is often fatal arrhythmia. Jon

I sent the message above to Ellen, the author of the article. I did not understand initially, that the author and the paddler were one and the same. She has replied and asked that I post this response as she is getting a lot of mail from other NSPN folks. I get the impression she is feeling a little assaulted right now. I think Ed had it right when he observed that this piece was written for a specific audience. At any rate; it goes like this... Ellen writes: Dear Mr. Kilroy, The nincompoops in question were myself and my husband, I'm afraid. We had paddled this particular bit of seacoast so often over the years, that we had become complacent--and, yes, stupid. You mention that you have been paddling for three years--well, after only three years of paddling, we--like you--were much more cautious--but after nearly a decade of no problems, we had grown over-confident and stupid--much like an experienced driver rushing out for a bottle of milk might neglect to wear a seatbelt (also stupid.) So, we were tested, got lucky, survived. None of this will happen again to us, and hopefully, readers will take note-and avoid making similar mistakes--whether kayaking or hiking or whatever. Thanks for the link to your site. Sounds like a great group--but perhaps you'd prefer not to have nicompoops join? Best, Ellen Jon writes back: Dear Ellen; It was only after rereading your piece that I realized the paddler and author were one and the same. I apologize but.... you were still nincompoops. My frustration was actually in thinking that you were writing about paddlers in a way that failed, once again, to mention the missing components that led to the accident. Written in a way that leaves readers with the impression that those people that go kayaking are just plain fools. I also think, if your account is accurate, that you did a bit of a disservice to those folks that hauled you out of the drink and very likely saved your lives. The lobster dealer with one good eye...? That seems pretty identifying given that you also specify where you were paddling. Just a thought. Nincompoops are every bit as welcome as seasoned veterans at NSPN; join in and start having fun with a great bunch of people who have one thing in common.... we love to paddle. Take care and be well, Jon Ellen replied: Jon, Just one final note... I'm being deluged by well meaning folks from your site, who are basically echoing you. Feel free to post this response if you like... Of course we made incredibly foolish mistakes based on sheer hubris--we had paddled this little stretch of ocean so many times, and never had a mishap--even a minor one. Still, we were foolish to take our safety for granted--very foolish--and my hope is that the essay will remind everyone that nature is quixotic and unforgiving and that we forget this at our peril. But this is not a piece for Kayaker Magazine (and yes, we do subscribe.) It is for general readers who may bike or hike or kayak or--maybe just drive to work--all of which pose dangers. We should ALWAYS be prepared, but sometimes we are not--or cannot--be, and are forced to come face to face with things about ourselves we were unaware of...did not know, maybe did not want to know. The theme of this piece was not kayaking and its dangers. Its purpose goes much deeper than that.to a place that the editors at the New York Times--and many readers who have written me--understand and appreciate. And I am more than happy to listen and learn from your membership---I will join your group, and suggest that my husband do the same. Best, Ellen Jon

I sent the author a note inviting her to join this group and ask questions. Copy of the e-mail follows: "Dear Ms Ruppel Shell: As someone who kayaks upon the oceans of New England all year 'round, I was disappointed that the two kayakers in your "Capsized" story were not better identified as the complete nincompoops that they were and NOT representative of ocean kayakers in general. I have always maintained that there is a big difference between poor judgment and a complete absence of it. The two kayakers in your story are described as having "... nearly a decade of experience." What does that mean? I can tell you how it is perceived by your readers. It gives the impression that these folks knew what they were doing but that despite their ten years of "experience" they got into trouble. I have only been kayaking for about three years now but when I head out on the water (as my wife and I did this past weekend), I am aware of what the tides and currents are doing and what is expected weather-wise. I carry with me: a VHF radio, spare clothing as indicated by the season, food, a thermos of hot tea, spare paddles, a chart of the area... the list goes on. I am dressed in dry suit (there are only a few weeks of the year that the minimum of a wetsuit is suitable for Maine waters and none of those weeks are in November). To further my skills, I work with other paddlers more experienced than I am, I spend time training with professional coaches when I can. I attend symposiums where there is a concentration of coaches and intensive learning environments are created to further skills in rough conditions, rescue training, surf etc. It seems that the only articles getting written about kayakers are of the idiots who literally don't know their butt from a hot rock but are described as being "experienced" and who go out and get into newsworthy trouble. How about an analysis at the end of your article that describes how ignorance of basic water safety and a lack of common sense led to these folks near demise beginning with their decision to launch in the first place; how doing something badly for ten years only makes you experienced in doing that thing badly. There is so much more that I could say but I refer you instead to the North Shore Paddler's Network web site to get an idea of what responsible kayakers are doing to stay safe. <www.nspn.org> Go to "General Message Board" under the "Message Boards" drop down menu. Its free to join and I assure you that were you to identify yourself and begin asking questions you will get many responses from folks who are interested and informed (and passionate) about ocean kayaking. Fear not, we are a friendly bunch. Regards, Jonathan Kilroy" So we'll see if this leads to the education of one news writer anyway. Jon

Ed! Using the "she made me do it" ruse is a clever cover-up for your true nature. You loved it, it was a blast and the fact is, you wouldn't have chosen to spend the day any other way... once you did it. See you soon in the nice warm pool. best for these Holidays and beyond, Jon

It is definitely a matter of preference. There are plenty of very experienced paddlers out there that go either way and most of them that I have had the opportunity to chat with feel the same way; what ever works and feels comfortable. Racing is a completely different ballgame and it is pointless to say that if racers do it one way that must be the best. The notion that there is only one right way to do something when the human body is involved is naieve at best. Jon

You were actually quoting me Paul... This past weekend was actually a perfect opportunity to get out and deal with advanced conditions in a safe setting (Portsmouth). To be able to get out and figure out how to manage yourself, your boat and your paddle in high winds is essential to advancing your confidence to deal with these things as a paddler. Safely within the confines of Little Harbour or to bump it up a notch, Portsmouth Harbour, one can experience the demands and challenges of high winds without the risk of getting blown out to sea. The paddlers in CT this weekend experienced Force 8 I am told. These conditions can come up unexpectedly in less protected settings so why not try to get a handle on it. Jon