Kayaking the Pacific Ocean Coast of California and Oregon
A few months ago I promised to run a column on scouting. So here it is. Scouting is one of the most crucial sea kayaking activities; and ironically, it is often done perfunctorily or not at all. For logical convenience, let’s place scouting into … [Continue reading] about Scouting the Sea
HOW TO SURVIVE A CRASH IN WAVES AND ROCKS WHILE KAYAKING IN AN OCEAN ROCK GARDENWhy do most sea kayakers stay away from waves and rocks? They don’t want to die! Any paddler with a lick of sense dreads the scenario of getting smashed head first … [Continue reading] about Between a Rock and a Hard Wave
by Steve King(editor’s note) Aloha! All islands in the state of Hawaii offer volcanic vistas and wonderful water. Hawaii, the Big Island, features active lava flows and superb underwater opportunities. This week, Tsunami Ranger Steve King … [Continue reading] about Paddling in the Shadow of Captain Cook
Mayday! Midday! Miramar! That’s right. You’re not crazy. The ravens squawked that at midday on May Day at Miramar Beach the Reef Madness Kayak Race will take place. At high noon an explosion will signal a passel of kayak racers to burst … [Continue reading] about Reef Madness Kayak Race Coming Up
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 … [Continue reading] about Sea Kayaking as a Martial Art?
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 … [Continue reading] about The Real Tsunami
NOTICE: The Tsunami Rangers are looking for new members. Ideal candidates will be strong, bold, courageous, fun-loving, adventurous and love water, kayak well, be proficient at many outdoor activities, be individualistic and a team player, a fast … [Continue reading] about How to Become a Tsunami Ranger
Can you judge a book by its cover? No. You can’t. Gazing at the cover of sea kayaking adventurer Jon Turk’s The Raven’s Gift (2009), I envisioned a tale of an arduous sea trek along the icy coast of Kamchatka. And Jon did kayak there. But that’s … [Continue reading] about THE RAVEN’S GIFT, by Jon Turk – A Review
When I left my house in Oregon to drive down to the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium last week it was snowing—all the way to Shasta Lake. Bad omen. Then it rained cats and dogs all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the Bay Area. Frankly, I was … [Continue reading] about Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium 2011 BRAVO!
At this time next week I’ll be setting up to speak at the GGSKS on the shores of San Francisco Bay. I’ll be giving a multimedia show titled Tsunami Rangers Retrospective. It will cover 25 years of our adventures exploring the microcosms of surf … [Continue reading] about Golden Gate Sea Kayaking Symposium 2011
Fact: Most kayakers who die at sea do so because they get cold then drown. From what I have read and experienced, there are two main types of cold water immersion problems. Here is my layman's non-medical understanding of these phenomena.Cold … [Continue reading] about Kayaking and Cold Water Immersion
(Special blog post from Don Kiesling, Tsunami Rangers officer)Once you’ve decided to get your feet wet with surfski racing, you’ll need more info about training and races to achieve maximum fun and success. Many paddlers choose a specific race … [Continue reading] about Surf Ski Racing Part 2
(Special blog post from Don Kiesling, Tsunami Rangers officer)Racing is a fun and effective way to improve your paddling skills. In order to go fast, you must hone both your technique and your fitness. Your improved stroke and athleticism will … [Continue reading] about Surf Ski Racing Part 1
