prudenceb

Wow - what a great way to spend the night! Much better than hanging with the relatives and sweating at home (my situation)!

pru

is there much concern about weather for tonight? I have a long drive (esp in Friday traffic), so I may need to make an early decision about whether or not to chance it. Any thoughts?

I don't know about the weather, but when I joined one of the wonderful moonlight paddles last year - also on a Friday - the traffic was a true horror. It took over two hours to get to Lane's Cove from Rte 128. So if you go, allow plenty of time! (BTW, it was completely worth it - the paddle was lovely, phosphorescence dripping off of paddles etc...)

pru

I guess next week it will be... Bummer indeed! pru

Looked at the local forecast and they're calling for thunderstorm at 5 pm... Hmmm. What to do? pru

Just wanted to make sure that others are planning to be at Walden tonight for the regular session - I know lots of people are on vacation or planning big trips to Jonesport etc!

pru

I usually overheat sooner than most people who I paddle with and In my experience there is no need to 'ventilate on hot days' when using a neoprene spray skirt. Maybe if we were paddling in Florida in the summer but in general the ocean water is cold or cooling and any issues with being hot occur above the waist line and not below the waist line.

And, Rob, you'll be so proficient at rolling that when you get toasty, you'll just roll over and up - just like Rene! So go with all neoprene! pru

Wow- very cool indeed! Does this make all of us famous?!?

But I guess there might be times we wouldn't want to be captured by satellite!

Pru

Congratulations are in order for two NSPN paddlers who came in first in their divisions in the Blackburn Challenge on Saturday: Matt and Lisa! Congrats! Sure was a hot day for a long paddle!

pru

yes!

pru

Thanks to everyone for thoughts on this - and Suz, I really like the idea of working to do an S curve to know you've mastered it.

pru

Although I wear a PFD out of habit (and for the nice pockets), I think it’s a reasonable risk for a swimmer to paddle sans PFD if she stays close to shore on a calm summer day.

And when you fall out of your boat because you don't know how to paddle it and you're being chased by a shark, you can probably swim faster without a pfd....

pru

And now the Boston Globe is referring to the Cape Cod guy in the little blue kayak being chased by the shark as "the most famous kayaker in New England." His first time ever in a kayak - and note that he is not wearing a pfd!

pru

Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to be able to join you on Saturday. However, I note that you are not launching til 11 am. When an nspn group launched from Lane's a week ago, it was pretty zooey there even though we got on the water a bit earlier - there were paddleboarders and recreational double kayaks with little kids and etc. Parking was already tight when I arrived at 9:45 am. Just something to be aware of if there's a big crowd of people showing up for the paddle. (I don't know if that's business as usual for Lane's in the summer, and no need to worry because everyone is always able to find a place to park.)

pru

A lovely mellow paddle. Thanks to Bob for organizing, and for insisting that I do bearings and back bearings. High point of the day was the circumnavigation (hey, it counts!) of Coney Island. A beautiful spot on such a soft and calm day.

pru

With the crazy amount of people out for the fourth of July my friend and I were forced to stay overnight on mosquito hell island. It was as bad as described. My friend renamed it to West Nile Island. He's certain that the mosquitos were biting him through his wetsuit.

We were covered with blood there. Nice to see that some things never change! My sympathies - and may none of us ever have to camp there again!

pru

Sounds like a great night as always! We're sorry we missed it - we really wanted to come, but just couldn't get the scheudle to work. We were busy packing for our camping trip to the Sheepscot River area this weekend. Awesome (hopefully) trip report to come . . .

Have fun on your trip this wknd! It should be a beauty! (well, except for maybe thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon...) -pru

When you're doing a hanging draw, do you edge toward the paddle side or away? I've heard it said both ways, but makes sense to me only in one direction (which I won't say for fear of documenting how flat-out wrong I can be!)

pru

I'll come prepared with 10 bucks. I dont think there was a sign about paying for parking at Riverhead, but maybe that's the difference between solstice and post fourth of july! A small price to pay for an anticipated great day on the water - see everyone there!

pru

A lovely evening on the pond - calm and warm with a strangely uncrowded parking lot given the beauty of the evening. Four of us - Les, Bill, Eric and I - practiced rolls and strokes that some of us are trying to perfect from our currents workshop last week. Les impressed us with hand rolls. We missed Pink Paddler and the Bearded Recluse - where were you guys?! And Lorrie, I came prepared in hydroskin for as much time in the water as you needed to work on scoops and hands of god rescues. Maybe next week?!

pru

If this is where we launched for the solstice paddle, on one side of the road (where the covered pavilion is) it was paid parking, on the other side, with the boat launch (to the left if you're approaching from Salem) it was free - although some space was taken up by movie trailers for the Adam Sandler movie filming in town. None of us had to pay anything that day for parking on the boat launch side. So the $10 fee - are you talking about left/boat launch side of the street or the other/covered pavilion parking lot?

pru

I have a project on deadline Thursday so will depend on if I can get that done in time. If so, Eric I will likely take you up on your offer to be my victim. And Pru, I do seem to recall an instance in Maine where a certain someone was rescuing me during practice and I was most grateful. I had dressed accordingly ;-)

oh yes, indeed....that you lived to tell the tale!

(but as for Eric only meant that if you were around, you would surely take him up on his offer!)

pru

I'll be there if work releases me. And Eric, if Lorrie is around, I'd dress accordingly!

pru

I'll be there -

pru

Leon, I would be honored to tow you back early if worst comes to worse! (or is worse comes to worst....?)

pru

Les - looking forward! - and I've eaten at Portsmouth Brewery, which would be just the ticket after a day of swimming....er....kayaking!

pru