Kayaking the Pacific Ocean Coast of California and Oregon
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. … [Continue reading] about Seal Landings in Ocean Rock Gardens
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 … [Continue reading] about Are you a True Man?
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 … [Continue reading] about Recovery from Injury and Illness–a Sea Kayaker’s Story
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 … [Continue reading] about How to Teach a Beginner to Sea Kayak
What should a wave warrior wear when in wind and waves—and rocks? Armor, of course. But if you look through the websites of kayaking gear manufacturers such as Kokatat, NRS, Astral, Stohlquist, and the like, you won’t find any. That’s because the … [Continue reading] about Armor for Extreme Sea Kayakers
Aloha! I’ve been incommunicado for the last couple of weeks. My wife Nancy and I went to Maui on a secret mission—to recon the highest sea cliffs in the world, located on Molokai, the Hawaiian island visible from our perch on the northwestern end of … [Continue reading] about My Mission in Maui
ENCHANTED VAGABONDS is my favorite expedition sea kayaking book, packed full of bold action and exciting mishaps. If you enjoy the early 20th century writing of Richard Halliburton, which is rollicking adventure coupled with a light, almost cavalier … [Continue reading] about ENCHANTED VAGABONDS – A Review
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 … [Continue reading] about Risk Assessment for Kayaking on the Exposed Coast
by John Lull Editor’s Note: This week, Tsunami Ranger and earth scientist John Lull ‘splains the difference between river hydraulics and water dynamics present in ocean rock gardens.At first glance the whitewater in ocean rock gardens looks … [Continue reading] about Whitewater River vs Ocean Whitewater
“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 … [Continue reading] about How to Rescue a Swimmer who has Lost his Kayak in Surf
Be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma GandhiTo 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 … [Continue reading] about World Citizenship–a sea kayaker’s perspective
Six months ago I issued the BIG SUR CHALLENGE, which entailed a paddle on the beautiful Big Sur coast to find a mysterious islet, scale it, and leave proof that you completed the quest. The Tsunami Rangers promised a boon to the first team to … [Continue reading] about Neptune’s Rangers complete the Big Sur Challenge
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 … [Continue reading] about The Best Sea Kayak
