By Moulton Avery Editor’s note: Moulton Avery is an expert on heat and cold stress. He gave his first public lecture on hypothermia in 1974. He was executive director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years, and is the founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety. He […]
Search Results for: cold water safety
Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule Number 5: Imagine the Worst That Can Happen and Plan for It
by Moulton Avery Editor’s note: Moulton Avery is founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety. He started out paddling canoes in the early 70’s and transitioned to sea kayaking in 1984. His pioneering article Cold Shock appeared in the Spring 1991 issue of Sea Kayaker. “Risk assessment is a key safety […]
Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule Number Four: Swim-Test Your Gear Every Time You Go Out
by Moulton Avery On January 15th, 2011, a very experienced and skilled whitewater paddler by the name of Ian Walsh drowned while paddling the Ogwen River in Wales, UK. The UK Rivers Guidebook describes the Ogwen as a “true classic Grade 4 trip”, one best undertaken at high water after a heavy rain. Walsh was […]
Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule Number 3: Field-Test Your Gear
by Moulton Avery Editor’s note: This is the second in a 4 part series on cold water safety by Moulton Avery. Moulton is an expert on heat and cold stress. He gave his first public lecture on hypothermia in 1974. He was executive director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years, and […]
The Golden Rules of Cold Water Safety
by Moulton Avery Editor’s note: Moulton Avery is an expert on heat and cold stress. He gave his first public lecture on hypothermia in 1974. He was executive director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years, and is the founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety. […]
The Value of Rescue Practice – Cold Water Rescue Rodeo With NSSKA
By Moulton Avery and Nancy Soares Editor’s note: This March I was privileged to join the North Sound Sea Kayak Association (NSSKA) for a rescue rodeo in 42-degree water at Lake Stevens in Washington State. It was awesome! Robert Nissenbaum, Chief Instigator, led the hour-long introduction on land. There were lots of good questions and an […]
Rolling on the Rogue! A Women’s Whitewater Clinic
Editor’s Note: This post covers the Womxn’s Holistic Paddling Clinic offered by California Women’s Watersport Collective in tandem with Sundance Kayak School of Galice in the Rogue Valley of Oregon that took place on June 18 – 21 this year. 2020 is my third year attending this event, and I’m so glad I showed up! […]
Towing for Sea Kayakers
This is a controversial topic. There’s a lot to know and a lot to learn about towing. Kayakers have varying opinions about what system to use and why, and their opinions are often quite strong. At the end of the day, you need knowledge and practice to tow effectively. You never know when it might […]
SCRS – The Sea Conditions Rating System
My good friend Moulton Avery of the National Center for Cold Water Safety mentioned recently that perhaps it was time to revisit the Sea Conditions Rating System (SCRS) on this website. Since the sea is dangerous and unpredictable, I think he’s right, so here’s a post introducing the Sea Conditions Rating System. River kayakers have […]
Rhode Island – The Ocean State: Personal Reflections of a Sea Kayaker
by Tony Moore Editor’s note: Tony Moore lives in Jamestown, R.I. with his wife Aline. He has been diving and spearfishing for almost 50 years and has been kayaking since 1997. Tony is also a certified Water Safety Instructor (American Red Cross). He coordinates several RICKA (Rhode Island Canoe & Kayaking Association) paddles every year, usually rock garden trips. He is a […]
Scouting Part 1 – When In Doubt, Scout!
Editor’s Note: This is one of a two part series on scouting by me and Jim. Scouting is the act of exploring an area or a situation to gather information and assess conditions. Here, I cover a scouting mission TR Scott Becklund and I undertook in order to get a visual on a section of the […]
Mendo is a Feeling!
by Alan Marshall Editor’s Note: Though the Tsunami Rangers went their own wild way, the Bay Area Sea Kayakers and the Rangers have cross-pollenated. One of the founders of BASK, Penny Wells, is a friend, as is past BASK president Barbara Kossy, who is married to TR John Dixon. BASKers attended the Tsunami Sea Gypsy […]
Salish Sea Adventure – The Pleasant Isle
To be silent the whole day, see no newspaper, hear no radio, listen to no gossip, be thoroughly and completely lazy, thoroughly and completely indifferent to the fate of the world is the finest medicine a man can give himself. – Henry Miller Jones Island Marine State Park is located in the San Juan Island […]