by Tsunami Ranger Steve King Forget about The Hunger Games and women’s Olympic beach volleyball! Here we describe the myriad beach games undertaken on most Tsunami Ranger retreats. One can train for these games anywhere and anytime but the true heat of competition and glorious victory only takes place when competing against one’s fellow paddlers […]
Sea Kayaking Skills
Kayak Navigation Part 3: Crossing Current; How to Calculate a Ferry Angle
by Tsunami Ranger John Lull Introduction Tidal currents form in inland marine waterways in response to the rise and fall of the tide; the water from the rising/falling ocean flows in and out of bays and estuaries. Stronger currents will form around the times of new and full moon when the gravitational pull of the […]
Kayak Navigation Part 2 – Compass Use and Dead Reckoning
by Tsunami Ranger John Lull In Part 1, I covered navigation by line-of-sight, using visual references, ranges, and no tools beyond a chart. This works fine until visibility is reduced by thick fog or when paddling in open water well offshore or on a long crossing. In those situations, you’ll need some other technique to […]
Kayak Navigation, Part 1 – Piloting (without tools)
by Tsunami Ranger John Lull Kayak navigation is the art of knowing (and keeping track of) where you are and following the best route to get where you want to go. The best route may or may not involve paddling on a straight course from point A to B. Sometimes when making a crossing in wind […]
For a Swell Time, Learn to Predict Surf
by Paul McHugh (Editor’s note: Paul McHugh was on the first U.S. Kayak Surfing Team that went to Ireland in 1988 and won top scores in the international kayak competition. He has published outdoor and adventure stories for many years, and currently writes fiction as well. His recent murder mystery “Deadlines” won regional and national […]
The Hazards of Sea Kayakers as Safety Boaters for Swim Races
by Wayne Horodowich (Editor’s note: Wayne Horodowich is the founder of the University of Sea Kayaking. USK was conceived in the 1980’s and officially founded in January of 2000 to enhance and promote sea kayaking. The USK website has 100’s of pages of information on sea kayaking. To check out the USK website, go to […]
Sea Kayakers and the Survival Instinct
by Will Nordby – Photo illustration by Will Nordby- The recent sinking of the Costa Concordia brought to mind a subject that has special relevance to those traveling on the sea: the survival instinct. When the cruise ship grounded, the captain, Francesco Schettino, chose […]
Sea Kayaking Seal Launches
by John Lull When sea kayak paddling in rock gardens it is very handy to be able to launch or land on a rock, an island, or the rocky shoreline, even in the absence of a nice sandy beach. In this situation you need to use a seal landing or launch. Eric covered seal landings […]
Deep Breathing for Kayakers
“Breathe.” Did you consciously take a refreshing breath or two or three just now? Okay, start reading to find out how proper breathing relates to sea kayaking. Numerous articles and a plethora of books tell us what to eat. One day they exhort: “Eat soy!” The next day they admonish: “Don’t eat soy!” I sometimes […]
Seal Landings in Ocean Rock Gardens
When you kayak in ocean rock gardens, you may want to land on a rock to exit the water to eat lunch, camp, evacuate the area, or check out an interesting feature. Derek Hutchinson, in his SEA CANOEING book called this maneuver a seal landing. Decades ago experienced sea kayakers told me to eschew seal […]
How to Teach a Beginner to Sea Kayak
Kudos to kayaking clubs, professional trainers, and organizations for introducing thousands of people to the wonders of sea kayaking each year. This essay centers on my opinions on how a seasoned kayaker can teach a greenhorn how to sea kayak. So here we go. First, I only teach beginners who are truly interested in learning. […]
Risk Assessment for Kayaking on the Exposed Coast
If you combine scouting the open coast with an analysis of each person’s capabilities, what have you got? Risk assessment—a key safety element of every sea kayaking endeavor, especially on the exposed coast, which by its nature is fraught with danger. And while we want to be exposed to some risk, as that is where […]
How to Rescue a Swimmer who has Lost his Kayak in Surf
“Where’s Haruo?” Jim Kakuk, lined up just outside the breakers and next to me, shrugged. I scanned the surf zone again at Pillar Point and counted the boaters…one, two, three, four, five. No Haruo. “We’ve got to find him.” We were surfing at Microwave on a blustery day with good-sized swells crashing through every few […]