Lallen

Of all the coves on the Eastern Seaboard, she had to paddle into mine... Mother Duckling keeps eyes on her chicks...

Phil and I were taking a semi-private whitewater on a river in Vermont a few years ago. It was our first formal whitewater river instruction. Phil capsized, and being a little stressed in the new environment immediately resorted to an extended paddle roll. A college student who was a skilled whitewater paddler was assisting our coach-an L5 ACA and BCU Level 5 Coach. when Phil came up, the college kid looked a bit perplexed. The coach commented to the whitewater paddler (who also had a bit of experience sea kayaking). "You've never seen that move, have you? It's called a Pawlata Roll, and you might want to add it to your toolbox." We both laughed. 'Nuff said.

Congrats, Cathy!

Let me know what you think of it! I am saddened the zipper on that other one rusted out since I loved that design otherwise!

Sounds like fun and I wish I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Green Peeps before his untimely demise or illness. Seems Pirate Devil Ducky is better equipped for a rogue life at sea though!

Thanks, Scott! Good trick to know!

I was the one who gifted Phil with said Bday gift of a family day paddle with ERBA. The next part-Intro lessons with CRCK-was actually something we signed up for via Brookline Community Ed. Spending 3 evenings on the Charles River after work messing around in boats seemed like a good activity to do as a couple. Now I thank my stars our first experience (or ever for that matter) was not in a tandem! Who knew what a journey those first few trials would take us on, or how much of a shared passion it would become...

HA! Katherine, you did not need to edit your original post-that's funny! You and the other paddling babes can get away with using that term. But only because you are female. Phil is also correct, the term might not go over so well otherwise. ;-)

I also had the pleasure of working with him briefly at CRCK. He was creative and seemed like a very kind man who genuinely cared about people.

Thanks for the explanation, Brian. I figured it must be something like that-just never saw it and so the mental image on how to is useful.

Michael, how do you use the paddle float to stabilize a paddler who is being towed? I've not seen that one before so curious on the set up.

I moved from a Cyprus 215 to a Cyprus 205 in the past few years since I found the shorter length a better fit for me. Since I carry the spare just for emergency purposes, it was a simple solution to turn my 215 into my spare. While it isn't as comfortable for me, it would get me home if I needed it to.

Overly tight wrist gaskets sometimes cause numbness and tingling in my fingers. Stretching the gaskets out over a glass can help loosen them just a bit. I have had some issues with carpal tunnel and when it was at its worst I definitely noticed the pressure from the wrist gaskets exacerbated it. In terms of prevention from a paddling perspective, maintaining a neutral wrist position (as opposed to cranking) throughout strokes is recommended. Also improving my ergonomics at my desk job made a difference for me.

Planning to come and bring an appetizer.

Josko, just curious, what kind of conditions are you referring to in which you noticed the paddlers using strokes farther forward than you were used to? Current? Rock play? Or are you talking about surf?

1. Outer Hebrides 2. Skye 3. Greenland 4. Alaska 5. Pacific Northwest 6. Baja And I could return to both Wales and Newfoundland again and again...

Rob, I too admire your willingness to be so open and honest about your experience and to share it in a public forum. And while I am sure the sting of disappointment was there when you heard you didn't pass, you also went into the assessment with exactly the right attitude. You were pretty certain ahead of time you weren't ready to pass this time around but saw it as a good learning opportunity, which it proved to be. If you combine pea soup fog with large refracting swells, a little nav work, and no Bonine ahead of time, I can give you a 100% guarantee that I'll be hurling over the side off my deck in no time. Happy to simulate. And, as you know, I am also happy to throw myself into the rocks to be rescued. In return, perhaps you'll be a guinea pig for me if I plan some trips? I am contemplating my next steps on my BCU path. IF I decide to reach for the next star, it's going to require my stepping up and initiating more trips. So perhaps we can help each other on the path to becoming better leaders and the next assessment-should we take that leap-to become just another day on the water?

Congratulations, Dave! For those of you who may know her, Caroline Zeiss assessed along with Dave and passed too. Huge accomplishment for both!

I also put the blade in close to the boat but move away from the boat on the exit.

Agree it is a personal preference. I started with a 215, demoed a 210, and found that 205 is actually the most comfortable for me. Where I find it makes a difference is in my ability to get the blade out of the water. With the longer length it seemed like it was harder for me to get the blade out of the water soon enough so I was lifting more water.

Thanks so much for your kind words, Cathy. I am glad I was able to be helpful. Different students do best with different types of instruction, so I'm happy I struck a chord that worked for you. Pru, it would indeed be intimidating to come face to face with that shark upside down while rolling. But, it would be far worse to come out of your boat and face it! Might provide a strong incentive to nail that roll... Phil and I did comment that Duxbury is not so far from where we like to surf in Scituate, too!

Nice report, Pru. It makes me smile to see Cathy initiating trips to Cohasset and saying she intends to return again and again. It was just a year ago when I vividly recall her asking in that very location, "Now what, exactly, do you find FUN about this standing wave?!"

Also, to state what may be obvious, if you are challenging yourself and growing your skill set, "unanticipated water landings" are a predictable outcome. I have heard people say, I don't anticipate going for a swim because I only paddle in calm conditions. Sometimes there is also a perception that if you never come out of your boat, your skills must be rock solid. The truth is that most experienced paddlers comfortable in conditions are "advanced swimmers" by virtue of multiple capsizes. Even for those with a roll, I personally don't know very many advanced paddlers who haven't also earned the honorary distinction of "expert swimmer". :-)

Warren, congratulations on your latest achievement. Should you decide in the future that you DO actually want to be a guide, your participants will have the good fortune of being on the most well-thought out, carefully planned trip ever. Of this, I am certain.

Congratulations to all of you-not only for passing the assessment, but more importantly for all of the hard work you put in acquiring those skills.