There is nothing I would rather do on a cold January day than teach a class about kayaking, especially kayak navigation. We limited attendance due to Covid, but the class went on as scheduled. I could not have asked for a better group. Everyone was engaged, participated, and asked…
Covid-19 is not gone, it will be around us for a long time. We have been through the lock-down where paddling solo or with one or two others, separated by at least 6 feet was an acceptable. We are making progress though. Vaccinations are available and have been a great…
Sometimes I wonder why I’m so close when a paddler in our group capsizes. I think it’s because I see signs before it happens. When paddling in a group, I try to be aware of how others are doing. Most kayaks want to stay upright, it’s the actions of the…
Chesapeake Paddlers Association sponsored a free cold water workshop featuring Moulton Avery Director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety (http://www.coldwatersafety.org/). Several other CPA members also presented topics including dressing for cold water and care and maintenance of your dry suit. The day was highlighted by a brave group…
On Water Navigation class, had perfect conditions for real navigation. We were paddling in the fog, in some places with almost zero visibility. There was a real exercise where the class calculated a course across part of Annapolis Harbor where we were out of sight of shore for about 20…
What makes a class great is great participants. Yesterday’s Navigation classroom was a lot of fun. Everyone seemed engaged, asked lots of questions and I learned something new. That’s why I teach. The presentations are available here: • Charts • Tides and Currents • Weather…
The 2019 Navigation Classroom has been scheduled. This will be a one day introduction to the concepts of kayak navigation. We include using charts to plan trips, identify hazards, and determine where we are. We also discuss tides and currents, weather, wind and waves; all things that can have an…
Mid Winter – and I’m already thinking about the kayaking season ahead. There will be a few winter paddles, but much shorter and calmer than the play we can do in the summer. I’m taking the time to go through and organize my gear, make repairs, and essentially get ready…
The trip was wonderful in spite of the rain. Janes Island State Park is an area where there is protected marshland, and open water within a short distance of the campground. There were 2 paddles on Saturday, we did a longer 13 mile paddle around Janes Island while another group…
There has been a lot of debate regarding the use of the paddlefloat in self rescues. I continue to teach the paddlefloat reentry and consider it a valuable addition to my toolkit. For beginners, learning a paddlefloat reentry is a valuable confidence builder. When I was a beginner, discovering that…
