Lallen

You can count me in too.

Thanks for being such a good sport and Scoop Dummy. Upcoming session's task for me-to master the Hand of God. Preferably without drowning my victims in the process! Have fun in Canada. Lorrie aka "The Bambi of Boat Control" P.S. Les is definitely "The Black Duck."

Pru, the power of positive thinking! This will be a great opportunity for you to truly test that roll in conditions! And if a swim happens, well it is a water sport after all...

Won't have Peter to act as my "Scoop Dummy" but Thursday is a possiblity for me. And Cathy was gracious enough to volunteer to be my victim as well this week despite turning blue from all the times Pru and I dunked her!

Based on the turnout we've seen on both this trio and the one Les posted a couple years ago, there certainly seems to be interest. I would be happy to assist with some additional trips, schedule permitting.

Katherine, thank you for posting the trip and organizing-great job! Beautiful day on the water with good company. Special thanks also to Kate for assisting our group and setting the pace with her Greenland paddle. And thanks for all the treats the ladies brought-especially the awesome rhubarb squares baked by Gay.

Gotta admit it's a little freaky seeing another Phil post that he and Lori will be meeting you to paddle....

Katherine, if we're off the water around 2:30ish that will work just fine. Count me in

Katherine, what time do you estimate we'll be off the water? Pru, thank you for the offer-Julie has been kind enough to offer the same. I would like to join you all so once I know what time we're likely to be back, I'll let you know if I need to coordinate rides with either of you!

Phil is teaching down in Cohasset that day. So, depending on timing of your launch, destination and estimated time off the water, might be able to join you if he and I can coordinate transportation timing.

Rick, thanks for sharing. Really great trip report and sobering reminder of how tempting it can be to test one's limits by going to play in conditions nobody has any business being in-and how quickly one can get Into trouble. Good story to remember as we're making decisions about when and where to play/not play when storms are kicking up those waves we so desire...

Good point, Tyson! Guess that's when we could all use another boat, eh? The glass one for many conditions, and the plastic for rock play! Then again, glass boats are made so they can be repaired, right?

Ken, as others have mentioned, there are quite a few NSPN folks who love to play in surf, tide races, and other rough waters. Also several Tide Race owners in our midst. The reason so many L2 trips are posted so early this year may be because NSPN is sometimes perceived as typically doing more L3 type trips. And we want to be inclusive and encourage skill development among new and old members alike. You'll also likely discover many gear geeks and those who practice rescues of all types regularly among us. While many of us love adventure on the high seas, good decision making skills, safety gear and multiple rescue techniques are essential ingredients for safe paddling in those rougher conditions. Totally agree there are some situations such as surf where self rescues and rolls are the best rescues. Then again, "we are all in between swims.". Welcome to NSPN-hope you enjoy some of the surf sessions and paddles!

It is a great deal indeed. In the interest of full disclosure I now do some guiding for them. But, long before when we first began paddling, Phil and I started with a season's pass. It was a fabulous way to test boats and when we ultimately ended up buying boats we were confident our choices were a good match.

Seacliff Kayakers schedule is not set in stone, so if there were offerings that sounded of interest, your best bet is to reach out to John Carmody directly by email or phone and let him know what your goals are. While he'll likely be updating the calendar for 2012 soon, he tends to tailor the classes he has based on needs of students. it is a bit of a drive up to Boothbay, and most easily done as a weekend trip vs a day trip but there are a range of options in terms of where to stay-from a decent inexpensive motel to camping at Hermit Island which is lovely. There are a variety of playgrounds as well-surfing at Popham is a treat, as well as Tideraces at various places. So the trip to Boothbay is worthwhile and likely to leave you wanting for more! I haven't paddled the CT waters where Kayakwaveology is located, but am told there are lots of fun places to be found there as well. Good luck with your journey!

The boat lust got e best of you, eh? You'll not regret having the glass boat once and will not look back. You're a redhead and it isn't Irish, but the "Blonde Bombshell" would be fun!

Check out Seacliffkayakers.com in Boothbay. John Carmody is a fabulous coach and offers classes in all of the areas you mention. Surf skills, tide races, etc... He's helped me and many others in the club improve their skills immensely.

I am also willing to post some trips this summer, as well as actively assist.

I don't know if they still make them but Phil and I have net shirts that are fabulous. They have a hood that covers your face and net mitts attached to the sleeves you can cover your hands with. We got them from H2O Outfitters a number of years ago. You might try doing an online search to see if you can find them.

Best photo ever of creative ways to warm up on the beach! Can the puppy be our new NSPN mascot?

Al, check out Gordon Brown in Skye. Have not paddled there yet, but have heard good things. Other NSPNers have paddled there with him, and can undoubtedly give you more details/personal experience.

My hands and feet both get cold easily. I'm a fan of the Glacier gloves and reinforced the seams with Aquaseal which has held up reasonably well. When the weather gets colder, I wear Smartwool ski socks. And I bring my ski gloves to put on at lunch time. I also like having two pairs of paddling gloves with me-it's really nice after lunch to take my hands out of my ski gloves and put on a dry pair of paddling gloves instead of the wet ones from the morning.

If you live close to Charles River Canoe and Kayak, they also have a great season's pass rental program. That allows you to take any boat in their rental fleet out you want, anytime you want on the river. And they also have an option that includes a certain number of takeaway days where you can test the boat on the ocean (at least they used to). This is a great program because you can really take your time finding a boat that suits you. All of their rental boats go on sale at the end of the season too. Another good resource for finding a used boat is paddling.net. You've probably already checked out the classifieds board on the NSPN site-there are some good deals available right now, and I'll bet most of the members posting them would be willing to let you try the boats out on the water. Good luck with your search and let us know what you end up with!

Pru, are you sure you witnessed it? I've no doubt it was an AWESOME roll, but you MAY have been delirious after someone bonked you on the head with your paddle.

O.k., see you there. Phil is going to join us, too.