Instructional Video: Canoeing by Reg Blomfield

This is a fantastic video from the mid-1930's demonstrating some amazing paddling skills. Toward the end there is a shot that is hard to imagine being taken with the technology that pre-dated GoPros by about  70 years. Whoever paddles near me when I'm solo in an empty canoe better be ready to duck because I'm going to be trying out the "technique" demonstrated at 10 minutes in!

Codette Lake Ice Surge

This was filmed by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (formerly Sask Watershed Authority) on Codette Lake, about 250 km northeast of here. Unbelievable.

Chris Hadfield & Music Monday

I'm a science guy and I love music, so this is pretty awesome.
(p.s. Chris Hadfield is a paddler, and it was his brother's stove plans that I used when we built ours a few years ago. Chris & Dave have been referred to in this blog a few times over the years.)

Monday, May 6th is Music Monday

Parapalegic Kayaking

This is pretty cool in my books...

Adaptive Paddling

This summer I had the privilege of paddling with a fellow that is a c5-6 quadriplegic. It was a 2 hour parent + kid class and he was there along with his wife and daughter. I surely learned more that day from that family than they did for me. I look forward to continuing that learning for both of us and hope that we get to paddle together again.

He had a kayak that was adapted with a seat and outriggers much like the one that is shown in this video. In addition, he had special connectors that connected his hands (wrists, actually) to the paddle. He mentioned that the new connectors he was using were a great improvement over what he used to do, which was to duct tape his hands to the paddle.

The video, featuring a paraplegic paddler and his adapted cedar-strip kayak is very inspiring.

Enjoy!

From Kodiak to Homer Alaska by Kayak

Thanks to Philip.AK who posted on the westcoastpaddler.com forum a link to the stunning video he made from his recent paddle from Kodiak to Homer in Alaska this past July. It looks like it was a stunning trip, and he put together a brilliant video that I wanted to share with you here.

The video is 21.5 minutes long and worth every second. Watch it in HD and full screen if you can.


Sea Kayaking from Kodiak to Homer from Philip Tschersich on Vimeo.

For some reason I suddenly have a strong desire to head to south central Alaska to paddle!

Cold Water Boot Camp

This evening I read the updated story about a paddler that died on April 1st in a lake in Washington state. In the article, one of the people interviewed mentioned a "Cold Water Boot Camp" video that they make their paddling students watch. A little googling brought me to http://www.coldwaterbootcamp.com. Wow, what a great website. Watch the video contained in the download section (for me, it worked best to download a high quality version and watch it offline), it's a 10 minute program that delivers the message. There is also a 30 minute version on DVD which I am considering ordering.

The video program features Winnipeg professor, Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, aka "Dr. Popsicle." Dr. Giesbrecht has been informing outdoors people like me on the dangers of cold water for quite a number of years. I've seen several of his videos on YouTube and even on the Rick Mercer Report (this video is hilarious). However, this is the first time I've seen his Cold Water Boot Camp program.

Be sure to also watch some of the individual videos under the Boot Campers section. They are very informative. There are a number of things I took away from those individual videos and interviews - for one thing, the messages coming directly from the individuals really hits home. Another thing I noticed, is just how much effort it takes the rescuers to get the swimmers out of the water. Watch as they pull the swimmers in and imagine how it would be for another boater (canoe, kayak, motorboat - take your pick) to assist you if you were in the water. And in this case it was trained rescuers pulling a swimmer up onto a very stable boat with a low, smooth rounded gunwale. Doing the same thing into a canoe, or a fishing boat - good luck. Also, when the swimmers are pulled from the water and interviewed on the boat, note how bloody cold they are, and how they actually get colder than they were in the water.

There are a couple of important take home messages that I'll be better incorporating into my own paddling lessons after watching this video, some of it I knew already and all of it has been reinforced:

1. It's not hypothermia you need to worry about, it's cold shock, then incapacitation.
2. You will never live long enough for hypothermia to be a concern without a life jacket or PFD on.
3. It's ALWAYS cold water season in this part of the world.
4. Swimming in cold water is very, very hard.

To summarise the effects of cold water and the time you have to deal with the situation, Geisbrecht coined the phrase "1-10-1"

1 - 10 - 1

1-10-1 is a simple way to remember the first three phases of cold water immersion and the approximate time each phase takes.

1 - Cold Shock. An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as 600-1000% greater than normal breathing. You must keep your airway clear or run the risk of drowning. Cold Shock will pass in about 1 minute. During that time concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket during this phase is critically important to keep you afloat and breathing. 

10 - Cold Incapacitation. Over approximately the next 10 minutes you will lose the effective use of your fingers, arms and legs for any meaningful movement. Concentrate on self rescue initially, and if that isn’t possible, prepare to have a way to keep your airway clear to wait for rescue. Swim failure will occur within these critical minutes and if you are in the water without a lifejacket, drowning will likely occur. 

1 - HYPOTHERMIA. Even in ice water it could take approximately 1 hour before becoming unconscious due to hypothermia. If you understand the aspects of hypothermia, techniques of how to delay it, self rescue and calling for help, your chances of survival and rescue will be dramatically increased. 

For more on my own experimentation with cold water, see my post from last month.

Stuff That Works

I heard this Guy Clark song again this morning played by Glenn on CFCR.  It's a great song and I love the sentiment. (I've mentioned Guy Clark and his album Boats to Build before on this blog.)  The song appears on his recently released live album, Songs and Stories.

p.s. This is my 300th published post!

Solo, Vancouver to Alaska and Part Way Back

This is the video diary of a novice paddler that kayaked from Vancouver heading for Alaska. It's about 2 1/4 hours longer than I knew a youtube video could be, but it's well worth it if, like me, you enjoy living vicariously through the grand adventures of others. It's an epic video to document an epic trip. I really enjoyed listening to his reflections and tales of his journey.



Watch it in HD if you can.

p.s. You don't have to watch it all at once!

Derek Hutchinson on Modern Sea Kayaking

This video recently turned up on westcoastpaddler.com or via Twitter. It's Derek Hutchinson being interviewed on the beach during the 2007 West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium. He provides some pretty interesting perspectives on a variety of aspects of sea kayaking in Britain versus North America, and the 40 years ago versus now. Arrogant and out to lunch, or a genius and visionary pioneer? Some of each, I suppose.



Not coincidentally, here is an article from Adventure Kayak Magazine from 2008 that was posted today on the Adventure Kayak blog.

The Fat Paddler Talks About His Book And Depression

In the video below, Sean Smith, author of the recently released book, The Fat Paddler, talks about some of his motivations for creating his blog and for writing the book.  I have been an occasional reader of the blog for years and so this book is high on my "to read" list.  It has been getting great reviews from around the paddling world (here's one and here's another).

Dave Learns About Boatbuilding

David Letterman learns about boatbuilding and woodworking from "Parks and Recreation" actor, Nick Offerman. OK, I had no idea who that was, or what Parks and Recreation was, so I had to look it up.

Soggy Bottom Boys And Their Constant Sorrows

(I posted this also over on the NSE blog, but it's so good I thought it deserved the re-posting.)

Great idea for a video, but their execution could use some work. ;)



What a great finish!

Thanks to Paddling.net for bringing this video to my attention.

My Kayak Is Defective, It Won't Go Straight!

This is a funny animated video about two ladies discussing why the one can't paddle her kayak straight.

Defective Kayak
by: Firstfoundation


Having similar problems? Contact Coldspring Paddling Instruction and we can help!

Paddling in Lightning?

Here is a great article that was published today on Paddling.net by Tamia Nelson: Lessons Learned. Thunder? I Wonder… More Thoughts on Seeking Shelter From the Storm

The article discusses the danger of lightning storms in a very practical way.  It considers the actions of some paddlers who reacted to the storm in a way that is familiar to many of us that have been in a similar situation, and provides thoughtful analysis.  It also provides some sound advice which should be heeded by paddlers. Here's a brief excerpt as an example.

If you're paddling on inland waters, however, you should begin casting about for a refuge ASAP. Since buildings and vehicles are likely to be in short supply, you'll have to make the most of whatever the country affords. Give tall, solitary trees a wide berth. Avoid clearings, hilltops, and ridgelines, too. You don't want a room with a view, after all. You'll get the best odds when you hunker down among a uniform stand of not‑too‑tall trees. Are there no such trees to be seen? Then look for a sheltering valley.

In the excerpt above they mention finding shelter amongst trees that are not among the taller trees.  At a SCC talk I once attended, the Environment Canada fellow that was talking to us mentioned that willows might be a good bet for waiting out a storm.  They are low so as not to attract lightning, have many branches to protect you from being blown away, are well rooted, are not large enough to blow down and hurt you in a wind, and have no large branches to fall off.  However, the willows aren't going to do much to improve your comfort level.

I would add a piece of my own advice to the article that was not mentioned.  That would be to prepare for the storm before you ever head out for a paddle and bring with you day tripping gear. Day tripping gear should include a tarp and a number of other amenities that will make pulling to shore away from camp and waiting out a storm much more comfortable.  By having a bit of gear with you (for example a day pack, tarp, rain gear, survival kit, food, small stove, fire kit) it releases you of the pressure to push to get back to camp.  If you have left other people behind at a camp, they should know that you are going to seek refuge under the threat of a storm and they'll know you are OK and that they not need to worry while you are out in it and have not returned right away. With a few supplies with you, you can even spend a safe (but perhaps uncomfortable) night away from camp while you await safe conditions.

Here is a video from NOLS about lighting for those active in the outdoors.

Kayak Roll Practice in Pike Lake

This is my first ever edited video where I spliced together a few videos and a handful of photos, then added a title page and credits pages. The videos and photos are of me practicing rolling my kayak at Pike Lake this past weekend. It was rather breezy as can be seen and heard in the videos.

To learn to paddle a kayak from a guy that can get back upright in his kayak most of the time, visit ColdspringPaddling.com.

Update: I've been getting some great feedback on my mashed up technique from the folks over on WestCoastPadller.com. Click here to see the discussion.  An important point is that the above is NOT a how-to video. This is just me practising, and apparently my technique is a bit mixed up. 

Dark Matters

I might be a science geek, but this is pretty damn cool (from PhD comics)...

Dark Matters from PHD Comics on Vimeo.

NYC Bike Lanes

Here's an interesting video illustrating some of the hazards of riding in the bike lane. Man, this guy is dedicated to his cause.

Goepel Passage Rolling and Rescues

Here is a video from the recent kayaking course that I was on. This was filmed at the outflow of Goepel Passage, near Surge Narrows Provincial Park and the east side of Quadra Island, BC. We were practicing rescues, with one paddler heading out into the current across the eddy line, attempting to roll, then "wet exiting". The partner in another kayak was supposed to head out into the current and TX rescue the first paddler, emptying their kayak of water and helping them to get back in their kayak, all while floating down current in the tidal rapid. In the video here, you see the first paddler, Dave, head out into the current, perform two rolls, then flip a third time in order to wet exit the kayak. Meanwhile the second paddler, Mark (on the left side of the video), heads out to rescue Dave. Unfortunately, Mark may have got his edging wrong as he crossed the eddy line because he too flipped, but unintentionally. That meant that I had to stop filming and go rescue one of the paddlers (Dave) while one of the instructors (Doug) went to retrieve Mark. That is, after all, why I was positioned downstream from the others. It turned out to be an excellent practice of real-world dumps!



For pictures from the course, see my earlier post.

Paddle Canada Kayak Course in the Broken Group Islands

Here is a video I came across recently while checking out the SKILS web site. It's a film by The Hurricane Riders of Vancouver while the group was taking a Paddle Canada Level 3 kayak course in the Broken Group Islands. The Broken Group is where I paddled last summer with my family (what a great experience) - trip report forthcoming! Watching this video makes me want to rush out and take an advanced sea kayaking course, especially one that's situated in the Broken Group. Featured in the group is Michael Pardy, the instructor trainer that helped to teach my instructor's course last spring.



p.s. The lost kayaker was part of scenario training, not a real situation.