billvoss

I will need to know the expected start and end times before I can confirm my attendance.

Perhaps.

I've owned a total of six Kokatat Gore-Tex suits.  Three of which were delamination warranty replacements.

All of them have had relief zippers and Gore-Tex socks.  (Consider socks mandatory.)

Three of them were Front Entry.  If price is important that is the model I would recommend.

One was a Meridian which basically adds an overskirt and neoprene "punch through" collars and cuffs.  I did not find the other added features very useful.

Now I own two Icon Dry Suits which move the zipper to the shoulder, which also makes the overskirt even drier than the Meridian's overskirt.  Because I wear my Dry Suit year round on the ocean, the additional Cordura fabric is a mixed blessing.  It should breath even better and be more resistant to damage than the lighter shell fabric.  However, on very hot days it seems a bit hotter than the lighter Gore-Tex shell fabric.  Other than that hot weather nit, I really like my Icon suits.  Of course my paddling always includes rolling, and often includes surf or other rough water.  Your needs might be different.

Add-ons:

I had a pocket added to the sleeve of a front-entry and liked that.  I never used the chest-pocket on the Meridian because it was under my PFD and not a a dry pocket.

I have never had a built-in hood.  Their reputation is great in the rain.  However, a neoprene surfer's hood has a much better reputation for rolling in cold water.

Some people swear by "Coast Guard Gaskets" which are heavier and designed to be trimmed.  Regular gaskets are designed to be trimmed at the neck, but stretched at the wrists.

Check the Kokatat "Gizmo Custom Suit Configurator" and compare your measurements with stock suit measurements.  I was close enough that I went with stock sizes.  However, some people benefit greatly from custom sizing.  Playing around with add-ons and custom colors can also be fun.

On 2/21/2017 at 10:08 PM, dcycleman said:

Is it difficult to fish out of your sea kayak? how is it reeling in something big ?

I don't know from personal experience, but this account "Catching a huge fall Chinook from my F1 kayak" by the guy who designed and taught me to build my F1 skin-on-frame might give you some idea.

Correction, the pool session fee is going to be $75 to cover all five sessions.

I will be accepting TWO sea kayak students who really want to learn to roll. Intended for the kayaker who still wants someone standing next to them as they learn to roll. Part of each session will be spent learning to roll, the rest of the session students will work on assisted and self rescue skills with the NH AMC Sea Kayak Training and Paddling Practice general class.

Rolling focused students must commit to attend all five Saturday evening 6:30pm-8:00pm practice sessions at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua in New Hampshire.

• Saturday, March 11 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• Saturday, March 18 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• Saturday, March 25 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• no session April 2
• Saturday April 8 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• Saturday April 15 Nashua 6:30-8:00 [Easter weekend]

Rolling focused students will need to bring a sea kayak, neoprene spray skirt, PFD, helmet, paddle (European or Greenland style), and a desire to repeatedly capsize. All equipment must be clean (hosed down at home) to keep the indoor pool area clean. Kayaker's nose plugs (has a cord unlike swimmer's nose plugs) and goggles or swim mask are also strongly suggested.

The rolling instruction is offered on a “pay if forward” basis. However access to the pool sessions is $80 paid via the Merrimack Valley Paddlers white water group.

All participants will be required to sign the AMC waiver.

If you want to be a “Rolling Focused” student, go to this Meetup page, scroll down to “join the conversation” post “I want to ROLL!” then register for NH AMC Sea Kayak Training and Paddling Practice as usual.

The two students who show up March 11th with the oldest “I want to ROLL!” comments and all required equipment will be my rolling focused students.

NH AMC will be offering pool training sessions for beginning to intermediate paddlers at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua.

• Saturday, March 11 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• Saturday, March 18 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• Saturday, March 25 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• no session April 2
• Saturday April 8 Nashua 6:30-8:00
• Saturday April 15 Nashua 6:30-8:00 [Easter weekend]

Registered Maine Sea Kayaking Guide Jerry Smith (SeaAndSkiDog) will be teaching. The main focus will be assisted rescues (T Rescue) and solo rescues. “These rescue procedures will be our mantra and practiced throughout the spring/summer outdoor development program.”   Last year the summer program was held after work on the ocean in the Portsmouth area.

Dessert

8 minutes ago, BethS said:

Sadly preliminary testing indicates that pogies are incompatible w/ greenland sticks; has anyone else tried this? Looks like I'll be using my usual glove/mitten combo..

I could not get that combination to work either.

On 11/26/2016 at 11:29 PM, billvoss said:

Wonder if I should ask for a white paddle for X-mas?

Guess what I'm getting for X-mas!

I received a Gearlab Akiak size 225, color carbon black, tip color orange, tip shape round last X-mas (no shoulders).  It quickly became my favorite paddle for rolling and paddling this year. 

Personally I somewhat despise Greenland paddles with shoulders, and Euro paddles with bent shafts.  I find both tend to "lock" my hands in one position, which unless I am paddling totally flat water with no wind is probably not the position I want.

On 11/24/2016 at 0:02 PM, Brian Nystrom said:

Many paddlers like the ease of sliding the paddle without shoulder

I'm definitely in the group of paddlers who constantly adjust their hand position to best suit the conditions.  I rarely consciously think about it anymore.

The Gearlab site is currently holding a "White Sale" from Nov 25 to Dec 4th.  The AKIAK paddle is $278.40 instead of the usual $348.00 if you purchase it during the sale in "glossy white."  

On 11/24/2016 at 0:02 PM, Brian Nystrom said:

Looking at the Gearlab site, they only have the shoulderless paddle in the shortest (205cm / 80.7") and longest (230cm / 90.5") size

As of 11:15pm on November 26th, 2016 the "White Sale" Akiak is available in 205, 210, 215, 225, and 230 (the 220 shows out-of-stock)  Akiak in carbon black is sold out in all sizes but 205, 225, and 230.  However, pick different bright colors and you will also see in-stock options for 210, 215, and 220.

Wonder if I should ask for a white paddle for X-mas?

I guess I can do BIB around 12:30 this Wednesday.

OK, Twist my arm.  I'll plan to be there Wednesday. (BIB 1pm)

Congratulations!

2:00pm it is.  See you there Nancy. (Sorry Pru.)

Should we expect anyone else?

Sorry, I want to scratch my rolling addiction again before the hiatus between pond rolling and pool sessions.

NOAA currently predicts "mostly sunny, with a high near 80."  If someone else will also commit to be there, I plan to drag myself to Walden for some rolling despite such a dismal forecast. :-)

I would suggest we either arrive around 2pm and leave around 5pm if we want steady air temperatures, or arrive around 3pm and depart around 6pm if we want less traffic on the way home.  I'll let the first person who commits to join me pick between the 2pm and 3pm arrival times.

Excellent!  I will plan to arrive around 2:00pm as well.

I'm back in town, and looking forward to Walden again this Wednesday afternoon.  I plan to be there assuming someone else also posts that they are going.

I can be flexible about time, getting there around 2pm, 3pm, 4pm,...  Next person to post can pick.

I believe the Walden boat ramp gate is now locked at 6:30pm.  So plan on getting off the water by 6pm at the latest.

By now drysuits are definitely recommended for comfort.  Though we will probably still see a few swimmers without even a wetsuit.

6 hours ago, Dan Foster said:

Another balmy Wednesday awaits, and the surf report is showing perfect conditions at Walden Pond ahead of Hurricane Matthew.

Have fun folks.  I'm heading down to Lewes, Delaware to get closer to Matthew. :-)

I still plan to go.

I expect to enjoy Walden again this Wednesday, Sept 28th, 2016.

Quote

Do you really need liability insurance for helping someone learn to roll, even if you're not charging any money for it?

In the legal sense, I'm not a lawyer so I cannot answer that question.

We know that repeatedly telling someone "now capsize" carries some amount of drowning risk.  Even as a layman, I would expect doing that as a formal rolling instructor must carry some liability risk.  Especially when I am not "certified as a rolling instructor" by some organization like the ACA or BCU.

In the financial sense, nobody can afford to insure against all possible risks.  It is generally not worth insuring against small risks which do not significantly endanger your standard of living.  So generally you should carry high deductibles, and should not buy extended warranties.  Liability insurance covers a very unlikely but potentially huge risk.  So I do like to have liability insurance when I can get it cheaply.

In practice, I don't feel much need for specific liability insurance when I am helping people I know with their rolling.  Even when I am helping absolute beginners who wander into a pool session not knowing how to roll my concerns are minimal with a life guard present and a bunch of witnesses.  However, this summer I was posting AMC "trips" promising to teach people how to roll.  I had never met half of my students before their first lesson.  Though the lessons were on a public pond, there wasn't necessarily anyone else around to act as an independent witness if something went horribly wrong.  So yes, having the students sign a liability waiver, and knowing I had AMC liability insurance was to me worth the AMC bureaucracy and my annual AMC membership fee.

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That aside, it does present an interesting opportunity for someone interested in developing a jewel of a sea kayaking program without having to raise funds on their own.  One essentially has resources at their fingertips, and a huge base from which to build a community.  But you do have to play by the AMC's rules if you're going to do it, because the club holds the purse strings.

The strength and weakness of AMC sea kayaking, at least in NH, is all trips are led, and while the leader can screen participants, most participants are in NSPN terms L2 paddlers.  There are relatively few people qualified to lead trips who want to lead a bunch of AMC L2 trips.  However, for those that do, AMC membership and AMC leader status is a very inexpensive way to get liability insurance for the free trips you lead.  Lack of leaders seems to be the main constraint on AMC NH sea kayak trips.

I wrapped myself in the AMC liability umbrella to teach some beginners rolling this summer, and all it cost me was my annual AMC membership fee plus following the AMC process for trip approval and liability waivers.  For me that was a lot easier and cheaper than getting an ACA rolling certification and paying for ACA insurance.  Of course as an AMC volunteer leader you must volunteer your time, not try to make money.  If you want to make money as an independent, as far as I know ACA and maybe BCU are the only viable games around here.

Snap Dragon support told me aqua seal might work for "temporary" repairs.  They warned me to stretch the spray skirt over the coaming before applying the aqua seal because unlike the neoprene the aqua seal would NOT stretch.

I ended up replacing my skirt before trying the aqua seal approach.