cfolster

I'm in!!!

Josko, I'm sorry I do not know of any articles, but I'm going to give you expert advice from someone who knows fear while paddling. The thing I want most when I'm frozen in place from fear is CONTROL. I've lost control when I've reached that point. I feel as if the environment has the better of me and I feel helpless to overcome my fear. Some of the climbing suggestions above resonated with me. A strong voice grounding me, reminding me of the basics (because, as you've said, they're gone too), and then seeking my input on the path forward. This puts me in control and gives my mind a problem to work on. For instance when I encounter surf, I freeze in my tracks (Robert, Lorrie, Phil, others have seen this). If I'm given the opportunity in a safe area to study it, analyze it and look for a way through, I often feel better about it. What absolutely does not work is someone saying, just follow me, you'll be fine. I don't care if you're John Carmody, I won't follow you until I have figured a situation out for myself. But once I do, a strong paddler by my side helps a lot. The fear makes it hard to think and hard to remember the skills. Someone calling out reminders in a tricky spot - like edge left!, don't stop paddling!, is very helpful. If it's not an option to get a fearful person's assistance with the path forward, then you need to be crystal clear about what the path is, what to expect, when, how long, how high, how fast, etc. Fear is (for me) a big, amorphous, non-specific, heavy bank of fog, and those specifics are like buoys, beacons and lighthouses by which I can mark my progress as I make my way through. Many times, I've turned back instead of facing scary conditions. Sometimes that was a reaction to, 'it's fine, just follow me' and sometimes it was simply fear I was unable to overcome (I guess both are the same). In all cases, I've regretted turning back and wish with all my being I could go back and try again (I have a list in my head of places I need to go back to conquer), so please don't give up on the fearful (I know you're not). Try several different ways to reach them if you have the ability and luxury of time and safe area to do so.

Good Morning L3 Solstice Paddlers! Looking forward to tomorrow! We meet at Riverhead Beach in Marblehead. Slight change from the originally posted info: Beach Briefing at 9:30am, LAUNCH at 9:45am (we don't need a 1/2 hour for a beach briefing!) Please be there and ready to paddle by 9:30am. Weather still looks good: Zone: NE winds 5 to 10 kt...becoming SE 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt in the afternoon. Seas around 2 ft Point between Children's and the Miseries: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming SE around 6 kt in the afternoon. Sunny. Seas 1 to 2 ft. Tides (Salem Harbor): L 8:39am H 2:57pm We could not have planned this any better - no slog upon our return! I will collect emergency contact info at the beach. We will split into at least two pods, as we are 12 with just the folks who have signed up here (more may appear tomorrow). Parking at Riverhead can be tight - there is also $5 parking across the street at Devereux Beach where the potluck is held. There are also bathrooms across the street at Devereux that are usually open by the time we arrive.

Ginger, Glad to have you join us! Nick and Ali, Welcome as well. We are meeting at Riverhead Beach in Marblehead: https://www.google.com/#q=riverhead+beach+marblehead+ma

Weather for Saturday is looking good!!!

Hey mike, Thanks for adding the Y chromosome! I hope others will follow suit. Cathy

Paul,Yes it is. They announced the new meetup just recently.

Dan, Sounds like another incredible Jewell trip - and you got rain too! There's nothing better than the sound of rain on a tent. I was sorry to miss this one. Cathy

Solstice Paddle Potluck Join us after the paddle around 3 or 3:30pm at Devereaux Beach under the pavilions. Bring a dish to share with the group. NSPN will have plates, bowls, napkins, utensils and some extra serving utensils and serving bowls on hand as well as bottled water. Please bring your own preferred beverage if you would like. Please come by and join us even if you are unable to paddle with us that day!

2015 NSPN Solstice Paddle Saturday June 20th - Riverhead Beach Marblehead, MA L3 Pod Initiated by: Cathy Folster Beach Briefing at 9:30am Launch at 10:00am Most likely we will head out to Bakers Island. More information to follow as we get closer to the date. There will also be L2 and L2+ pods from the same put-in (please see separate posts for those trips). Please post below if you are interested in joining the L3 pod.

Thank you both! I do know that but got the tide times kerbobbled in my head!

Why do you think so? On the 23d, you will catch the flood and the ebb if you launch around 9:30 or 10am. On the 16th/17th, you can launch later, but only catch the ebb.

On quiet water, the 90 clearly has better support than the 45. I've already experienced that. The question I have is whether moving water allows you to move that angle back to 45. Oooo, I like the idea of trying out the different lean positions, especially the forward. Will try all of this! I do wonder about sloppiness/bad habits contributing to the 45 degree angle. And thank you for reminding me of a word I haven't used in a while! (cogitating)

Thank you everyone for your input. I know the best way to learn is get out and paddle, but for me, I learn best when I pre-learn with ideas and images to think about and test. So here's what I think: I know how to do a low brace turn and can demonstrate it reasonably well at the perpendicular position. I think Ed is right in that there's a difference between the isolated maneuver as it's demonstrated and how it's put into practice as functional craftsmanship. I think the rearward 45 degree angle (and moving the paddle forward as Leon suggests and the video shows), works and has merit. I wonder if this difference of opinion is simply a matter of the 'preferred' style being taught changing over time as Ed alluded to. I have nowhere near as much experience on moving water as Phil, but I still like the low brace turn Andy showed me to use opposing current to turn yourself around. It's fast (and fun), and I think uses the environment to best effect. Where you put the paddle is somewhere between the 45 and 90 degrees depending on the situation. If you simply edge to cross an eddy line, and let the opposing current catch your bow, that works, but this method is faster and I think provides better stability and control. I do imagine there are situations where it might not work well, such as unclear eddy lines with lots of whirlpools or foamy air-filled water. I do know I'm going to get out and play around with it and will report back if I have any change of heart. Anyone up for Cohasset on May 23 or June 7? Cathy

This past weekend, I was asked to demonstrate a low brace turn and I put my paddle in the water where I would in moving water (and in my head, I think I was thinking about turning on an eddy line to face the other direction). That is, not straight out perpendicular to the boat, but back further at about a 45% angle. Here's a picture to illustrate at least the starting position: I was told by the coaches that it is not as effective as perpendicular to the boat. And if you try it on flat water, you can feel that back at 45 degrees is not as supportive as perpendicular. One of the coaches also felt that in very strong current, that back positioning would fail me (and he just came from Deception Pass, so has some experience with current). So what I want to know is what do folks think - have I just been getting away with the rearward angle due to the support of the current and my boat shape? Would stronger current cause that position to not work? Are there times, like crossing an eddy line, that you would put it in a different place than if you're just on flat water? Does putting the paddle straight out slow the boat down more than the rearward angle? I'm going to spend some more time playing with this, but would like input from others . . .

Dan, Great report! It sounds like it was a great first trip. I hope it's the first of many!

Many times over the course of the weekend as I was learning and practicing, I thought about the many people who have taught me along the way. As I was doing a rescue I thought about the people I practiced it with and as I was doing an particular stroke, I thought about the person who helped me refine it. I am so grateful to those who have taken the time and effort to come play with me or provide instruction. We are a pay it forward club, and I am a perfect example of how successful that can be. I am certainly going to add the instructor Karen Knight, Marshall and Dorothy Seddon of The River Connection and the other assistant instructors, Joe Galloway and Rick Taylor to the list of people who have made me a better paddler! I cannot say enough about Karen. If you get a chance to learn from her, take it because it will change the way you kayak. At least google her and watch some of the videos of her competing in freestyle canoe. She looks the same in a kayak. I know they're a bit far away, but The River Connection is an incredible shop with all the best kayak gear and boats backed by two of the most knowledgeable, friendly and talented kayakers I've met. It would be great if more of the local kayak shops were like The River Connection. Sorry to sound like an effusive acceptance speech, but honestly the coaching and thoughts for future improvement the coaches gave me this weekend are more valuable to me than the instructor certification!

Couple pics of the press yesterday.

This trip was a lot of fun! Thank you to my fellow EBPs for a great day and thank you Pru for convincing me to get past my laziness and desire to curl up on my couch!

For the simple-minded, like myself, I found the following explanation most helpful (and all I really need): http://host.madison.com/news/local/ask/weather-guys/ask-the-weather-guys-what-causes-wind-gusts/article_3c4ccc46-37db-11e1-ae38-001871e3ce6c.html I also found the following poem in my search, which I found quite delightful: Big whorls have little whorls That feed on their velocity, And little whorls have lesser whorls And so on to viscosity. -- Lewis F Richardson

Moved!

Ed, this made me laugh, because it's so true. The club continually struggles with this issue - but at least we are trying! :-) If you search on google for meetup and then type in North Shore Paddlers Network to find it - you'll see the Meetup Site. As mentioned it is frozen right now to additional members until we determine if it's right for NSPN and the best way to implement. If folks want to discuss this topic in more detail, I encourage them to take the discussion to the NSPN business forum.

So true - don't cancel just because only 1 or 2 people responded. They're the 1 or 2 that were brave enough to move beyond their fears and intimidation and will be most open to learning. Ed - this is so true - and you live this. I remember one specific trip from Portsmouth to Rye during which you took me in hand (paddle) and encouraged me to paddle where I was uncomfortable, providing advice along the way to show me that I would not die if I paddled there. It was a great example of a more learned paddler offering some support and advice to a newer paddler on a regular trip (one not posted as a 'training'). So thank you!