“Thou Shalt Go On Quests” (10 Commandments of Sea Kayaking #9 – Eric Soares) The first thing you’ll say is, “Why a post about the desert in a blog about sea kayaking?” Here’s why: the ocean and the desert are not so different. Try getting lost on or in either one without food or water […]
Sea Kayaking Philosophy
Moseying Down The Coast – Sea Kayaking In The Slow Lane
Tuning in to the Beauty and Magic of Sea and Land by Steve King One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Tsunami Rangers’ annual retreats or any quest (see #9 in Eric’s previous post 10 Commandments of Sea Kayaking) is meandering along the coasts of Northern California, Oregon, Washington or anywhere. One cannot truly […]
Every Adventure Begins With A Dream
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on And our little lives are rounded with a sleep.” Prospero/The Tempest William Shakespeare Eric Soares was a great dreamer. That is why he accomplished so much. Eric and his great friend Jim Kakuk spent hours daydreaming about life and coming up with ideas and plans for […]
The Ten Commandments of Sea Kayaking
What is most important in adventure sea kayaking? For fun and convenience, I’ve ordered my list, beginning with the most essential and progressing from there. Here are my Ten Commandments of Sea Kayaking: 1-Thou shalt not turn thy back on the sea. Give the sea the reverence it is due. Make the sea a lifelong […]
Are you a True Man?
A nautical adage: “In olden times, ships were made of wood, and men were made of iron. In these times, ships are made of iron, and men are made of wood.” Is this true? Are we in the era of metro men made of wood and plastic? Are you a metro man or a True […]
Recovery from Injury and Illness–a Sea Kayaker’s Story
We know that if you get sick while paddling (sea sick, hypothermia, etc.) you go right in to shore and deal with it. Likewise, you paddle in if you get injured (wrist strain, shoulder trauma, etc.). These are acute situations that require that you get off the water ASAP and recover. But what if you […]
World Citizenship–a sea kayaker’s perspective
Be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi To join the UFP (United Federation of Planets), a world’s peoples must be civil with each other and be scientifically evolved enough to have warp power (faster than light) space vehicles. The Federation’s Prime Directive forbids advanced worlds to interfere with less developed […]
The Best Sea Kayak
A pod of paddlers stood next to their well-crafted carbon-fiber sea kayaks, disdaining the plastic sit-on-top fishing kayak taking off from the beach. “Do you call that a sea kayak?” one tittered. Another chimed in: “Ha! Looks more like a kiddie wading pool.” Still another said, “I bet that cost under $500—brand new!” They sniggered […]
Is Sea Kayak Certification Needed?
Deb Volturno is a certified sea kayaking instructor and instructor-trainer. She recently taught an American Canoe Association (ACA) certified kayak surfing class at Hoebuck Beach in Washington State. Students who learn from her are fortunate indeed, as she is a consummate instructor, with multiple certifications, and most important, myriad skills. I’ve known Deb and kayaked […]
Confessions of an Aging Mariner: a more-or-less true tale of loss and redemption on the low seas
By Moulton Avery (editor’s note: This week, east coast paddling legend Moulton Avery, aka Captain Cold Shock, for his expertise on cold water ailments and what to do about them, reflects on sea kayaking and the joys of aging. Enjoy!) Ah, personal image, that great deceiver. A decade and a half seems like a hell […]
Camo Your Camp
How Sea Kayakers Can Blend in at the Beach Dayglo orange is the color to wear when camping at 14,000 feet on Mt. McKinley. You want to be highly visible against the snow should you need rescue. And it’s legal to camp in the mountains, so there is no problem with bright colors. But on […]
Sea Kayaking as a Martial Art?
Sea kayaking is a lot like martial arts. The judo principles of “balance, leverage, and momentum” are needed in ocean adventure kayaking. In judo, you want to keep your balance while your opponent loses his. While kayaking, you definitely want to stay up and not fall over. Right? Leverage is used in judo to obtain […]
The Real Tsunami
When Jim Kakuk and I formed the Tsunami Rangers kayak team 25 years ago, we thought the word tsunami was cool. Most Americans couldn’t spell the word or even pronounce it. The only actual tsunami we knew anything about was the one that hit Crescent City in northern California back in March, 1964 after the […]