Kayaking the Pacific Ocean Coast of California and Oregon
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
A common New Year’s resolution goes something like, “I’ll stay fit this year.” As couch potatoes know, it’s easier said than done. But we kayakers really do keep physically active. Some paddlers kayak daily to stay in shape, which is a good idea … [Continue reading] about Cross Training for Sea Kayakers
Four years ago Marcus Choy paddled up to me when I was surfing at Pillar Point in northern California and said, “You guys have GOT to go to New Zealand. I told them all about you.” Sure enough, Coastbusters Sea Kayak Symposium organizer Paul … [Continue reading] about Sea Kayaking in New Zealand, part two
Our winter is New Zealand’s summer. After being invited to present a show at Coastbusters Kayaking Symposium in Auckland last year, Jim Kakuk and I could not resist. So, on February 15th, 2010, we hopped an Air New Zealand flight to Aotearoa, the … [Continue reading] about Sea Kayaking in New Zealand, part one
I learned how to sea kayak from a book. Written by Derek Hutchinson, it was called SEA CANOEING. From that book I learned how to roll, how to outfit a sea kayak, how to surf and seal land, and how to stay safe on the water. But that was not the … [Continue reading] about Four Ways to Learn Sea Kayaking
It’s solstice; so here’s a true winter sea kayaking tale that will make you glad to be in your toasty abode. Padre Jack Izzo, S.J., Tsunami Ranger Chaplain, shares his tale of swimming under the ice. Going with the Floe by Jack Izzo, S.J.The … [Continue reading] about Going with the Floe: a kayaking adventure under the ice
Exactly 25 years ago I wrote my first kayaking article called “Survival Swimming”, which was published in SEA KAYAKER Magazine. I thank editors Bea and John Dowd for having faith in me to write an article worthy of their magazine.I’ve … [Continue reading] about Swimmer First, Kayaker Second?
A few months ago Tsunami Ranger Michael Powers wrote an article in Sea Kayaker magazine about getting lost while paddling solo in big waves and fog. In the next issue, an irate reader railed at Michael for the very boo boos that he had already owned … [Continue reading] about Sea Kayaking Should be FUN not Serious
