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  1. #121
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    3,853

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    I miss kayaking so much! We sold ours because the only mud puddle we had to paddle in was 45 minutes away and it was crowded and kinda gross. We do rent when we go to other, more beautiful places.

    Electra Townie 7D

  2. #122
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Posts
    4,066
    From this summers kayaking
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin

    1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
    2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
    2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett

  3. #123
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    6,034
    Wow, lph. That is stunning. Where were you?

    These kayaking photos really make me want to live somewhere with lots of kayaking opportunities. Indiana isn't the place for it. It just looks like a lovely way to see the world.
    Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

    --Mary Anne Radmacher

  4. #124
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Posts
    4,066
    Oh, just a short drive away

    Nah, this is from Nærøyfjorden on the west coast, the narrowest and one of most scenic fjords in Norway. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a wonderful place to kayak. The whole fjord only takes maybe 4 hours to paddle, but it's just stunning. Did it last summer and again this summer. It's about 5 hours drive away from here, but it was a convenient stop between our in-laws cabin and visiting friend in Bergen.
    Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin

    1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
    2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
    2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett

  5. #125
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    127
    Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
    From this summers kayaking
    Wow!! Norway is such a beautiful country.

  6. #126
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hillsboro, OR
    Posts
    5,023
    Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
    From this summers kayaking
    Gorgeous!!

    I actually have been hooked on this sport this summer. We've taken three excursions (two small 'training' trips and one bigger multi-day trip) and I am already pushing to plan more for next year!

    Here are a few from our trip. These were taken with my husbands older point-&-shoot waterproof camera, so the quality isn't great.

    Heading out (I'm on the left)


    The women (by luck, all the women on the trip had red boats!)


    A shot from the island where we camped


    Me, attempting a roll (no, I was not successful )
    My new non-farm blog: Finding Freedom

  7. #127
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Posts
    4,066
    Re rolling, just had to report:

    I've managed a fairly consistent roll - indoors in a heated pool, in a junior kayak, wearing a swimsuit, diving mask and nose clip... - but outdoors I've concentrated on getting good at a wet exit self-rescue, since I paddle a lot alone. Felt I had a pretty good handle on it, until the other day when a friend and were going to practice. Took my dh's kayak thinking I should practice with that one too since it has a very small cockpit, freaked out a little at the thought of a wet exit, failed at an assisted roll (where you grab the other persons kayak to flip up again), did a wet exit and came up with my head completely stuffed with water and uncontrollably gasping for breath... dammit At the same time my friend who had just bought her first kayak almost completed a roll But then she's an old river kayaker.

    Not sure what went wrong. I can't always practice with a mask and nose clip, because I'm not gonna be paddling with them on. And why on earth do I have this urge to inhale under water!

    Argh. Back to practicing a whole lot more.
    Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin

    1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
    2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
    2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett

  8. #128
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hillsboro, OR
    Posts
    5,023
    Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
    Re rolling, just had to report:

    I've managed a fairly consistent roll - indoors in a heated pool, in a junior kayak, wearing a swimsuit, diving mask and nose clip... - but outdoors I've concentrated on getting good at a wet exit self-rescue, since I paddle a lot alone. Felt I had a pretty good handle on it, until the other day when a friend and were going to practice. Took my dh's kayak thinking I should practice with that one too since it has a very small cockpit, freaked out a little at the thought of a wet exit, failed at an assisted roll (where you grab the other persons kayak to flip up again), did a wet exit and came up with my head completely stuffed with water and uncontrollably gasping for breath... dammit At the same time my friend who had just bought her first kayak almost completed a roll But then she's an old river kayaker.

    Not sure what went wrong. I can't always practice with a mask and nose clip, because I'm not gonna be paddling with them on. And why on earth do I have this urge to inhale under water!

    Argh. Back to practicing a whole lot more.
    Maybe try the roll in a pool without the mask and nose clip first?

    What was funny was that I was the only paddler to attempt it! There were three experienced people on our trip (two were the leaders) and 5 novices. I was the only one who would even consider it (presumably because of the water temp, but really, I think a lot of people just have open water issues). I've never been in a kayak in a pool before, but I prefer open water to pools anyway, so I figured it was worth a shot. My problem was that I just couldn't transpose what I was being told above the water into what was happening below the water and I just couldn't get it to work. I didn't have any panic feelings when I was under and while I did get water up my nose and in my sinuses, that's nothing new to me so it wasn't a big deal. It was just too confusing upside down!

    I attempted it three times. One time one of the leaders helped me with a rescue, the second time, I *almost* managed to self-rescue but failed. My H decided he would help me rescue and I managed to dump him. Ooops! He doesn't handle cold water well and was quite a bit pissed at me.

    Oh well - next time! In fact, I'd be interested in trying it in a local lake as the salt water was getting to me after awhile.
    My new non-farm blog: Finding Freedom

  9. #129
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    2,841
    I've been playing a lot in the surf this summer and a couple times in whitewater. I was surprised to find my roll pretty bombproof everytime I've inadvertently gone over (if I don't get it the first time, the 2nd works). Yes, it does suck if you don't have your noseplugs in & get a nose douche. I just concentrate on starting to hum or blow out of your nose when you're going in... If you hum, water can't go up your nose. Close your eyes as well.

    If I'm playing in the surf, I just keep my nose plugs in - Even paddling into the waves, when they break in your face, you get a ton of salt water in your eyes/nose. They get pulled off & i get enough salt water nose douches like that. I lost a pair of prescription sunglasses in the surf, so now I've started tethering my sunglass tether to the back of my pfd & my hat. I can't tell you how many times I've had to grab my hat while underwater & roll up holding it.


    I've never practiced with a mask on, so I'm not use to that.

    Oregon looks gorgeous to paddle in, as does Norway. I've been doing a ton of paddling this season, but mostly east coast of the US - midatlantic states & Florida. I got some paddling in over in Scotland back in June.

    pics as always are over on picasaweb.google.com/immunogirl (I'd spam you guys if I tried to post pics)

    GLC - generally it's easiest to learn a roll in a pool or somewhere where it's about 4 feet deep, with someone helping you or not. But next time you try it - put a paddle float on the end of your paddle, and use that to get the hip snap motion and the sweep motion with your paddle... It's actually pretty easy to roll up with a paddle float on your paddle, so if you do blow the roll, just climb into your kayak upside down, and roll up with the paddle float on your paddle... The paddle float will keep the paddle on the surface and you just have to pull upwards on it.

    And given the water temps in Oregon, I wouldn't get myself wet for the fun of it. I roll all the time here, but the water temp is like 80 degrees & the air temp is 90-100 degrees. I'm usually wearing dry gear or neoprene when paddling in water temps like you guys have. I've had the cold water safety & hypothermia safety routines completely drilled into me. Which is somewhat funny, because I know I can do at least 5 self rescue techniques and another god knows how many group rescue techniques.
    Last edited by Cataboo; 08-23-2011 at 08:18 AM.

  10. #130
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Hillsboro, OR
    Posts
    5,023
    One of the other experienced folks mentioned using a paddle float. I'll have to try that the next time. As I was working on it, another guy came over to offer tips. His tips were EXCELLENT for helping me get the idea of what it would feel like, so I was thankful for that. I think he might have been an instructor when not on vacation because he was really good at explaining things and helping me do little things while upright to kind of learn. Oh, and I was doing this in a sheltered bay, so the water was very calm and less than 5 ft deep (I could just barely touch with my head above water once I'd exited).

    The water was pretty cold, but I swim in water that cold all the time and it doesn't bother me. I was wearing a sleeveless tri wetsuit and a pfd that day, so I was plenty warm enough. I think the water temps were mid 50's in that bay so it wasn't that bad. Honestly, 80F water would probably kill me. I don't even like pools that warm!
    My new non-farm blog: Finding Freedom

  11. #131
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    2,841
    There is nothing in life that I hate more than a soggy wetsuit. I avoid it all costs Especially if i'm on a multi-day trip, 'cause there's nothing worse than waking up in the morning to put on a cold wet wetsuit & have to paddle around in it all day and to repeat the next day.

    My hair is long and takes a couple hours to dry and won't dry if it's braided or in a bun... So if I'm in a drysuit or a dry top, I'll roll if i know I'm getting off the water before the sun goes down or the wind picks up. 'cause it's freezing being out with wet hair in cold water.

    80 degree water is quite refreshing when it's 100 degrees outside.

    They probably should have started you off with doing hip snaps off the front of someone's boat, and then moving to doing those with a paddle float... let's you get the hip snap motion & the coming up with your head up last motion (that trips up a lot of people)

  12. #132
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    2,841
    Quote Originally Posted by lph View Post
    Re rolling, just had to report:

    I've managed a fairly consistent roll - indoors in a heated pool, in a junior kayak, wearing a swimsuit, diving mask and nose clip... - but outdoors I've concentrated on getting good at a wet exit self-rescue, since I paddle a lot alone. Felt I had a pretty good handle on it, until the other day when a friend and were going to practice. Took my dh's kayak thinking I should practice with that one too since it has a very small cockpit, freaked out a little at the thought of a wet exit, failed at an assisted roll (where you grab the other persons kayak to flip up again), did a wet exit and came up with my head completely stuffed with water and uncontrollably gasping for breath... dammit At the same time my friend who had just bought her first kayak almost completed a roll But then she's an old river kayaker.

    Not sure what went wrong. I can't always practice with a mask and nose clip, because I'm not gonna be paddling with them on. And why on earth do I have this urge to inhale under water!

    Argh. Back to practicing a whole lot more.
    the gasping for breath might be a reaction to the cold water - cold water gasp reflex.

    Since you paddle alone most - Practice reentering & rolling - with a paddle float at first, and then without. That's a lot easier than a paddle float reentry or a cowboy.

  13. #133
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Oslo, Norway
    Posts
    4,066
    Quote Originally Posted by Cataboo View Post
    the gasping for breath might be a reaction to the cold water - cold water gasp reflex.

    Since you paddle alone most - Practice reentering & rolling - with a paddle float at first, and then without. That's a lot easier than a paddle float reentry or a cowboy.
    Will do! I haven't tried rolling with a paddle float yet.

    Funny thing about the gasping is that I've spent plenty of time under water in temps just like these, and a lot colder, practicing in spring. I think I may have held my breath or forgotten to take an extra breath before going round, and hanging upside down waiting for her to bump into my kayak I suddenly ran out of air fast. Which is useful to have experienced of course anyway, because there's no certainty I'd have time for an extra breath if I were thrown around by a wave for real.
    Winter riding is much less about badassery and much more about bundle-uppery. - malkin

    1995 Kona Cinder Cone commuterFrankenbike/Selle Italia SLR Lady Gel Flow
    2008 white Nakamura Summit Custom mtb/Terry Falcon X
    2000 Schwinn Fastback Comp road bike/Specialized Jett

  14. #134
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    2,841
    Yeah, but you generally know you're in a wave and potentially going over and probably are prepared to grab an extra breath... I will say that a few times this summer, I've been reaching to do the next stroke and all the sudden I'm upside down doing the next stroke... But my current kayaks are a lot more "lively" in waves than the one I used to use... It shoots off down one or something and I haven't caught up with what's going on.

    I usually take a breath when I fail a roll, go under, get reset up, try the roll again... repeat. repeat.

    But I spent most of last summer upside down, till I got to the point that I was comfortable upside down. Not freaking out because you're upside down helps a lot. I know a lot of people who have beautiful rolls, but will freak and wet exit when they accidently end up upside down. I also practiced flipping over, waiting however long, and then rolling back up, since it's easier to do it in all one motion and let your momentum help you carry back up.

  15. #135
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Mid Missouri
    Posts
    41
    WooHoo!!! A paddling thread!! Who knew??

    I just moved back to the midwest after living out west where there were lots of wonderful places to paddle. I havent been out since I got back though. Not sure where there is to paddle here other then muddy lakes. But I couldnt give up the 'yaks,' so they moved with me.

    Anyway.. just excited to see this here!

    Sorry to interrupt... carry on.

 

 

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