California
Paddler

Magazine

Always Free					 Summer 2013

Inside:Your First SUP
Blending Strokes
Paddling With Kids
Big Bear
Chumash Tomol+ morePhoto: John HydeFIND YOUR FIT IN A

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Summer 2013

California
Paddler

Summer 2013

Issue 11

Magazine

Contents

Editor/PublisherPeter Donohue
Assistant Editors
Karen Lapinski, Laura Ramos, Elizabeth
Rowell, and Sylvia Wu
California Paddler
Elizabeth Rowell

Symbol Design

Design & Layout
Laura Ramos
www.portalcm.com
Contributing Writers
Krista Fechner, Meade Fischer, Scotto
Galbreath, Chuck Graham, Karen Lapinski,
Sean Morley, Lisa Ouellette, Marna Powell,
Joseph Carr Ritchie, and California Paddler Magazine
Contributing Photographers
Elinor Anderson, Tom Andrews, Chris
Bensch, Meade Fischer, Scotto Galbreath,
Chuck Graham, Dominick Lemarie, Tom
Meckfessel, Joseph Carr Ritchie, Neil
Schulman, Bill Vonnegut, and California
Paddler Magazine

10

		

13

Features

In Every Issue

6 Getting Started:
Your First SUP

4 Editor’s Note

10 Skills: Blending
Strokes for Kayaks

Legal Support
Karen A. Lapinski, Attorney
www.LapinskiLaw.com

13 Paddling With Kids

Chief Bootie Washer
Peter Donohue

18 Destination: Big Bear

Find Us
P.O. Box 282004
San Francisco, CA 94128
Phone: 650-868-8653
Fax: 650-560-6526
Email: editor@calpaddlermag.com
www.calpaddlermag.com
www.facebook.com/CalPaddlerMag
Copyright © 2013 by California Paddler
Magazine, a publication of California Kayaker
Magazine. All rights reserved. Duplicationor copying of any portion of this magazine
in any form is strictly prohibited. Letters to
the editor should be sent to the editor at theaddress listed above. The opinions foundin California Paddler Magazine are those of
its writers and do not necessarily reflect theopinion of management or advertisers.
California Paddler Magazine is an independent magazine available for free at paddlingshops, sports retailers, outdoor stores, fitness
clubs, marinas, and events, available free on
the web, or individual copies can be mailed
for a nominal charge to cover postage andhandling.
Paddling can be a dangerous sport. Dressappropriately, always wear your PFD, andpaddle within your skill level.

21

21 Crossing to Limuw
24 Review: This Is The
Sea 5

5 News
5 Calendar of Events
16 Center Hatch Photo
Spread30 Intellectual Section:
Wet Exit
30 List of Advertisers

26 Review: Rock the Boat
28 Review: BC Coast
Explorer

Cover Photo - a woman prepares
herself to try out a SUP at a shop’s
demo dayPhoto by Neil Schulman
Camera: Nikon D300
California Paddler Magazine

3

Editor’s Note
What difference can one word make? Depending on the word, it can either be a lot or
nothing. If you are into stand up paddle boarding (SUPing), the changing of the name from
California Kayaker Magazine to California Paddler Magazine means that we now cover yoursport. To kayakers, it means very little, as the magazine will still have lots of kayaking content.
The change was made specifically to allow the magazine to cover SUPing. We found thatkayaking was a bit too limiting a subject, and the magazine was not able to grow to where
we wanted it to. SUP is the big growth area in paddle sports, so including them will hopefully
allow the magazine to grow.
And what better way to start than to have an article to help people navigate the types of
paddleboards on the market?
This change has actually been in the works for a couple of years. The big thing holding itback was that I needed to spend some time myself on a SUP to see what the big deal was. I
don’t claim to be a SUP expert, but I am now comfortable around a board. And I agree there
is an attraction to them.
There are some changes that you need to do to keep up with the magazine, though. We
were able to forward the old URL to the new for our web site, so that is fine. But we couldn’t
do that for Facebook. So if you want to follow us on Facebook, please go to www.facebook.
com/CalPaddlerMag and “Like” the new page.
See you on the water!
Peter Donohue
Editoreditor@calpaddlermag.com

4

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Summer 2013

wNewswEvents
Jay Moriarty Memorial Paddleboard Race
Capitola, CA
June 22, 2013
jayrace.surftech.com

Ventura Paddle Surfing Championships & US Waveski Championship
Ventura, CA
October 11-12, 2013www.uswaveski.com

AquanFestSan Mateo, CA
June 22-23, 2013www.aquansports.com

Cal Burn Fest
Burnt Ranch, CA
October 12, 2013
caliproduct.blogspot.com

Big Bear Paddlefest
Big Bear Lake, CA
June 29, 2013www.bigbearpaddlefest.com

Lumpy Waters
Pacific City, OR
October 18-20, 2013www.lumpywaters.com

Eppies Great Race
Sacramento, CA
July 20, 2013www.eppiesgreatrace.org

Sea Trek Regatta and E.T.C.
Paddleathon
Sausalito, CA
October 26
www.etctrips.org

US Surf Ski Championships
South San Francisco, CA
Aug 3-4, 2013www.ussurfski.com
Battle of the Bay
San Rafael, CA
Aug 17-18, 2013www.battleofthebay.com
American River Festival
Coloma, CA
September 7-8, 2013www.americanriverfestival.org
California Coastal Cleanup Day
throughout CA
September 21, 2013www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html
Moke Races
Jackson, CA
September 21, 2013
lp.sierraclub.org/lpp/mokeraces/

Davenport Paddle Surf Classic
Davenport, CA
November 9-10, 2013www.davenportpaddlesurf.com
Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium
Sausalito, CA
Jan 31-Feb 2, 2014www.ggsks.com
Wavechaser Paddle Series
Various NorCal locations
Various dates
www.wavechaser.com
SoCalOceanRacing Series
Various SoCal locations
Various dates
www.eteamz.com/socaloceanracing/To submit news or an event for consideration to California Paddler Magazine,
please send basic information to editor@calpaddlermag.com.

L.A. River Opens to the Public
For the first time since the Los Angeles (LA) River was channelized in the
1930s, the public will be welcomed
to walk, fish, and kayak along a 2.5
mile portion of the LA River in ElysianValley. The Mountains Recreation andConservation Authority (MRCA) willadminister the LA River Recreation
pilot program to increase safe publicaccess to the LA River and to promote the goal of river revitalization.
The program runs from Memorial
Day to Labor Day and from sunrise
to sunset daily, during safe conditions. During this time, any memberof the public can access the Recreation Zone free of charge. Organizedgroups and fee-based groups mustobtain special use permits from the
MRCA for which there is a fee. Moreinformation can be found at www.
lariverrecreation.com.
There is also a 1.5 mile stretch open
in the Sepulveda Basin. That program
has been going for a few years and ismuch more restrictive. For example,
you must go with a guide, you can’t
use your own boat and gear, and soon. Because that program was successful (that is, no safety incidents),
this new program gained support andfortunately carries fewer restrictions.
Hopefully the rules for the Sepulveda
Basin program will be relaxed morein the future, as all slots on theseguided paddles have been claimed
for 2013 already. Information about
this program is available at www.paddlethelariver.org.
If this summer’s Elysian Valley pilot
program is successful, there areplans to open more of the river to kayaking and eventually to return muchof the river bottom to its natural state.
For more background info on theprocess of gaining access to the LA

Continued on Page 30

California Paddler Magazine

5Getting Started
Your First Stand Up Paddleboard:
What to Get? What to Get? What to Get?
By Scotto GalbreathP

re-article factoids to keep in mind: length of
the board on the water equates to speed;
speed becomes glide & inertia; glide &inertia mean you paddle less and go farther.
Beam (or width) becomes drag, slowing you down
and making you work harder. On the water, every
inch in length is an advantage. Off the water, thosesame inches are a hindrance. Keep these basic
facts in mind and read on.

I’m not gonna start this little “How To” article by saying
stand up paddleboarding (SUPing) is so easy anyone cando it. That would be a lie. But I can in good consciencesay SUPing is so easy almost everyone can do it. And
using the basic law of averages, chances are pretty
good this means you. Also, I’d like to start this with a little
disclosure: The first photo I ever saw of someone SUPing
happened to be of Laird Hamilton on the Colorado River,heading through the Grand Canyon. I instantly thought
to myself, what a nut. And then, within a year, I started
to see more people in more photos on more stand up
paddleboards and I thought, this is the dumbest thing I’ve
ever seen. And then I went to the Outdoor Retailer show
in Salt Lake City where there were one or two companies
hawking these overgrown surfboards and I thought, thisfad’ll be dead in five years.
And then I finally tried it. Now I’m singing a different song.
Today I’m of the opinion that SUPing is similar to sex in acouple of ways. There are those who are doing it and those
who wish they were doing it. And for those who don’t wish
they were doing it, it’s only because they’ve never done it.
6www.calpaddlermag.com

Now, I’ve been a kayaker for more than twenty years. A
lot of my best memories involve a kayak. I make my living
selling kayaks. Heck, I even met my wife when I sold her
a kayak. But when I get on the water today, nine times
out of ten, I’m on a SUP. Why? Well, for one reason,
the Stand Up Paddleboard eliminates inconvenience as
my excuse for not getting on the water. Board, paddle,
lifejacket, go. And the fact that a SUP weighs at least halfof what a kayak weighs is a big portion of convenience.
That means my wife, who weighs half of what I do, caneasily put the board on the car as well. Next, the dogs
like it, and anything we can do with the dogs is a bonus(feel free to substitute children for dogs if that’s your cupof tea). I’m also a big fan of seeing what’s going on in thewater around me. When you’re standing five to six feetabove the water you get a much better view of all thosecool things happening below you – bat rays, leopard
sharks, otters, sea lions, etcetera. But enough about why,
let’s get to what.
Types of Stand Up Paddleboards (in a nutshell)*Caveat – All rules have exceptions. But in an effort tokeep this article short, I’ll be focusing on rules, not exceptions.
Basically, there are two general types of SUPs. You’ve
got your Displacement Hull and you’ve got your Planing
Hull. In the simplest of terms, a displacement hull slices
through the water (like a kayak). A planing hull travels
over the water (like a surfboard). Typically, the displacement hull is faster and more efficient while the planinghull is more stable.
Summer 2013

The displacement hull offers two subspecies: The Race
Board and the Touring Board. The race board is usually
12’6” or 14’ in length (because of race class) and is as
narrow as they can go without tossing all but the pro into
the drink. The touring board is anywhere between 12’
and 14’ and has greater width for general stability ‒ thinkof it like going on a tour with your bicycle. It wouldn’t be
too much fun if you kept falling off. The Sub-sub-speciesof all this is the Trainer Board which is typically 10’6” to11’6” and not something I would recommend to most people for their first board, so that’ll be something to discuss
another time.
The planing hull also offers two subspecies with a lovechild resting gently between them. I give you the Recreational SUP, the Surf SUP and the crossbreed of the two,
aptly called the Crossover SUP. The recreational (or rec)
SUP, is wide, stable and not too terribly fast. The surf
SUP has more rocker, less volume and is designed for,oddly enough, surfing. And the crossover can easily be
used for both but may not be absolutely great for either.
Sizes are all over the place. Length can range anywherefrom under 9’ for the smaller surfer who knows how to rip
it up, to a hair past 12’ for the, shall we say, larger paddler. Width and thickness help considerably with volume
and volume is what makes the board float. So, if you’re
98 lbs with your sunglasses on, there’s not many boards
that won’t float you just fine. But if you’re 298 lbs, you’regonna want the widest, thickest SUP you can lay yourhands on.

Front view showing the difference between adisplacement board (top) and planing board.

KAYAK • SUP • SALES • RENTALS • LESSONS • TOURS

New or Used?
Let’s move past that for now. Let’s talk about the basicsof the purchase itself. It’s your first board and maybe
you’re not even sure if you’re really gonna like it all thatmuch. Should your first board be used?
Well, when you purchase a used board from someone
off of a Craigslist ad, you’ve really got three ways to go.
First, you might get super lucky and fall into a sweet deal
with the perfect board. It’s brand new, there was a divorce, and bingo, they practically give you the board andthey throw in a top of the line paddle that just happens tobe your size, for free. Not a terribly realistic scenario, but
it could happen. Second scenario involves you getting a
SUP that maybe doesn’t look so great but it’s cheap andit gets you out on the water. It’s not the perfect board foryou, but now at least you’ll know more about what you’relooking for on the second go around. Lastly, you get aused board that looks new for less than half of what you’dhave to pay in the store. Maybe it looks a little small but
you can’t believe there are suckers paying retail prices
out there in the world. You take it out to the bay andspend more time in the water than you do on the board(the board made for someone 75lbs lighter than you).
You got a great deal on a total pain in the butt and now
the only thing you can actually do with it is to sell it tosomebody else.

Paddlesports

www.CLAVEY.com • PETALUMA, CA • 707-766-8070

California Paddler Magazine7Or you could buy used from yourlocal SUP shop. They’re probably
not going to tell you what you want tohear (you know, the line about how
they were just gonna throw it away,
so you can have it if you want it). In
fact, what they think the used board
should cost and what you think theused board should cost are probably
two very different numbers. However,they probably want you to be a satisfied customer who comes back to theshop to buy something else. So your
big advantage of buying from these
M

o re

Good

Well if that’s the case, why would
you want to buy new? That’s a goodquestion. I knew you’d be paying
attention. To begin, I don’t know asingle retail paddle shop that carries a remarkable selection of usedboards. We’re all focused on newboards. We’ve got dozens of new!!!

Mo r esi
F unguys is they’re most likely not going
to sell you something that’s not going
to work for you. At our shop, we’regoing to guarantee your satisfaction and chances are your local SUP
shop will too.

Guided Tours
Kayak & Paddleboard Rentals
Family Fun!

707 498-1130
in Humboldt County

www.kayakzak.com
8

www.calpaddlermag.com

boards in stock and only a handful ofused. That is, of course, the long way
to say, that while we’ve probably got
your perfect new stand up paddleboard in stock, we are less than likely
to have a used one that’s comparable. And again, when you buy a SUP
from us we’re gonna guarantee it’s
the right board for you. Wouldn’t you
rather pay a little more to get exactly
what you want? That was a rhetoricalquestion. Of course you would.
Now, of course, you can buy online
or from some massive chain as well.
I’m not going to tell you not to. But
you’d better be sure of what you
want. No box store or online discountwarehouse is gonna make sure you
get the perfect board. And they’re notgonna let you demo a board so you
know it’s the right board for you. Nor
are they gonna have stand up paddle
classes so you can get a little knowledge and a little experience under
your belt either before or after yourbig purchase. And I doubt they’regonna have a dozen ways to transport your SUP on top of your vehicle
Summer 2013

Man’s best friend may not get as excited about this asyou, but you can see a lot more when standing on a
SUP as compared to sitting in a kayak

or store it properly back at your house. Also, when you
support your local paddle shop, your local paddle shop
supports you. Resources like local knowledge, spareparts, board repairs, classes, tours—even just the basics
like showing you how to properly tie down your SUP toyour car—are the things we, your local paddle shop, canoffer you that the online warehouse or the national chain
can’t.
So you’re looking at buying your first stand up paddleboard and maybe you don’t even know if you’re gonna
like it. Hey, it’s the fastest growing new sport in the world
for a reason, and that reason is: it’s a bucket of fun. So
don’t sabotage what should be a lifetime of great times
over a couple bucks. That’s all I’m saying.
Scotto Galbreath is co-owner of Clavey Paddlesports in
Petaluma.
Photos by Scotto Galbreath and Tom Meckfessel

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9

6/7/12 12:22 PM

Skills

Blending Strokes for Sea Kayaking
by Sean Morley

D

The author using a low brace turn in challenging conditions
Photo by Dominick Lemarieo you want to learn to control your sea kayakwith power, precision and grace whatever theconditions?

In this article, we will first consider the fundamental concepts of paddling, the building blocks of effective technique. We will also consider how to modify some strokes
for rough water conditions.
A subsequent article will attempt to develop blade awareness and a feel for the water by practicing some fun drills
that you can use on flat water and then take into moreadvanced conditions. We will also look at some stroke
combinations that can greatly enhance your ability tocontrol your craft in wind and waves.
Paddling Concepts
There are some fundamental concepts to consider for
many of the strokes in our skill set. By keeping these concepts in mind as we perform our strokes we can greatly
enhance the effectiveness of the strokes and improve our
performance on the water, allowing us to paddle with lesseffort and enjoy the day more.

knee should be doing is keeping enough pressure on thethigh brace to keep us from falling out of the boat!
• Edge versus Lean: When we edge our kayak we aretrying to keep our head and torso over the centerline of
the kayak and our weight on the sit bone on the side weare edging towards. It is sometimes referred to as the JLean. We are creating a letter J with our head, torso andpelvis. Think of edging as something you can do whilst
remaining in balance without using your paddle. Once wemove our head and torso away from the centerline weare most definitely leaning and if we don’t do somethingwith the paddle we will capsize. When moving slowly weshould only edge and thus stay in balance. The faster weare moving the more we can lean, using the paddle bladeon the surface of the water for support. As we lose speed
we need to bring our head and torso back over the centerof the kayak and equalize the weight on our sit bones toget back into a balanced position.

• Paddler’s Box: By keeping both arms almost straight
during the power phase of a propulsion stroke you will
utilize the large muscles of the torso. Look to keep the
paddle shaft away from the body – imagine a beach ballbetween your body and the paddle shaft.
• Edge by weighting the Sit Bone (NOT lifting the knee):
We edge the kayak to help us turn by reducing the waterline length of the kayak, releasing the keel and utilizing the increased rocker when the boat is tilted to one
side. If we edge the kayak by lifting the knee it ties up thetummy muscles and reduces our ability to rotate. Focusing on weighting the sit bone on the side we want to edge
towards and relaxing the tummy muscles allows us morerotation and thus a more effective stroke. All the opposite
10

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Edging involves keeping
your head close to above
the centerline of the boat,
so you can maintainbalance.

Leaning will cause you tofall over unless you braceor are using a climbing
angle on your paddle blade.
Summer 2013

• Control Blade Face with Elbow: The wrists are the‘Achilles Heel’ of the kayaker. Imagine all the force weare applying to the paddle blade going through the tinymuscles, tendons and ligaments of the wrist. Keep thewrists straight to avoid over-use and repetitive strain injuries such as tendonitis. Control the blade face by keeping
the wrist locked and guiding the blade angle with yourelbow.
• Force Arrow perpendicular to Back of Blade: Newton’s
Third Law (every action has an equal and opposite reaction) applies to the paddle stroke. Whenever we pull on
the paddle blade the force generated by the resistanceof the water is in the opposite direction, roughly perpendicular to the back of the blade. For example, if we arepaddling forward we should try to keep our imaginary
force arrow pointing in the direction we want to go by orientating the blade so that it remains perpendicular to ourdirection of travel for as long as possible. Try holding onto
the paddle normally but pointing with your index finger inthe direction you want to go. See how that affects how
you orientate the blade, the position of your top hand, theamount of torso rotation you might need and the effective
length of the stroke.
• Climbing Angle for Support: A vertical blade, perpendicular to our direction of travel might be the most powerful
position for the paddle blade but often we need to use theblade for support as well as propulsion. During a propulsion stroke, by angling the top of the blade slightly (about
twenty degrees) in the direction we are pulling or pushing, we can put weight onto the paddle blade and get atremendous amount of support from the blade, so long as
the blade is moving through the water. Try skimming theback of the blade across the surface of the water. Thentry lifting the leading edge of the blade, just as if you werespreading butter on toast. Start putting some weight onto
the paddle blade and feel the support you get in return.
Try doing the same thing with the power face. Keep inmind, this only works as long as the blade is moving!

A vertical blade provides a
lot of propulsion power. But
sometimes you need yourblade to do other things foryou...

By angling the bladeslightly in the direction you
are pulling the paddle, thepaddle will both provide
propulsion and support so long as the paddle ismoving!

• Move the Boat not the Water: When performing any
strokes, try to minimize the amount of splash and bubbles that you generate from the paddle. The boat will only
move as quickly as its design allows. By creating lotsof splash and bubbles you will not be making the kayak
move any more quickly. Instead, focus on anchoring thepaddle blade in the water and moving the boat aroundthe paddle using your whole body to do so. Imagine
you are moving the boat through thick treacle, so thickthat the paddle blade will not budge. The only way you
can move the boat is by pushing with your foot during aforward stroke or pulling with your knee during a reverse
stroke.
By the way, most of these fundamental paddling concepts
apply to any paddle craft whether it is a sea kayak, whitewater kayak, canoe or SUP (except substitute foot bones
for sit bones!)
Stroke Modifications
Maintaining the sea kayak on edge is the key to an effective turn. Try doing a sweep stroke, edging towards
the working blade then immediately bringing the kayak
upright. See how quickly the kayak stops turning. Thendo the same sweep stroke but keep the kayak on edge.
The kayak will keep turning. It is easy enough to remain
in balance utilizing the secondary stability of the kayak
on flat water. It is necessary to modify some strokes inbouncy water so that you can maintain the kayak on edge
without losing your balance and potentially capsizing. Try
these techniques to help you stay on edge:
Forward Sweep Stroke with Low Brace Recovery
Shorten the stroke to just do the first two thirds of theforward sweep with a climbing angle on the blade. At thefinish of the sweep, skim the blade forwards for the next
catch in the LOW brace position (backside of the bladeon surface of the water; elbows high), controlling theangle of the blade face with the elbow.

This paddler is demonstrating the low brace recovery.
After finishing his modified sweep stroke, he skims his
blade back to the front of his boat in a low brace position.
California Paddler Magazine

11Reverse Sweep with High Brace
Recovery
Again, shorten the stroke to just do
the first two thirds of the reverse
sweep with a climbing angle to blade.
At the finish of the sweep, skim theblade backwards for the next catch in
the HIGH brace position (power faceof the blade on the surface of thewater, elbows tucked in), controllingthe angle of the blade face with theelbow.
With both the low brace and highbrace recovery techniques, the key
is to keep the blade moving with aclimbing angle, where the leadingedge of the blade is angled up to
keep the blade on the surface of thewater, thus giving you support.
Bow Rudder Initiated with Forward
Sweep
The Bow Rudder is a stylish stroke
but in a sea kayak, particularly inbouncy water, it needs to be combined with speed, a modified Forward
Sweep stroke and lots of edge to beeffective. Having generated enoughmomentum to carry you through theturn, you initiate the turn with aneffective modified Forward Sweep
stroke; edging towards the working
blade by weighting the sit bone on
the side away from the direction you
wish to turn.
In relatively calm water remain onthat outside edge and place theblade in the water between the knee
and foot on side you want to turntowards in a neutral (slicing) position.
Ensure the paddle shaft is near vertical with your top hand in front of yourforehead and your control hand elbow bent tucked into your life jacket.
Progressively open up the power
face of blade towards your directionof travel. Feel the pressure of wateron the power face of the blade. If you
fix the paddle in that position, thekayak will turn around it. Close down
the blade angle as you lose speed
and bring the kayak upright by equalizing the weight on both sit bones.
Go immediately into a forward stroke
to maintain your momentum.
Low Brace Turn Initiated with Forward Sweep
The Low Brace Turn is a very effective and stable stroke in a sea kayak,
but again needs to be combined withspeed, a forward sweep stroke andlots of edge to be effective. Having
generated enough momentum tocarry you through the turn, you needto initiate the turn with an effective
forward sweep stroke; edging towards the working blade by weighting
the sit bone on the side away fromthe direction you wish to turn.
In relatively calm water remain onthat outside edge and place the backof the blade on the surface of thewater on the side you want to turntowards in a neutral (slicing) position. Ensure the paddle shaft is nearhorizontal with your elbows high.
Increase the climbing angle of theblade and feel the pressure of wateron the back of the blade. If you fix
the paddle in that position, the kayak
will turn around it. Close down theblade angle as you lose speed and12www.calpaddlermag.com

Notes on Edging

During the Bow Rudder or Low
Brace phase of the turn you canedge away from or into the turn(inside or outside). Edging awayfrom the turn is very effective
but can feel a little awkward inbouncy water. Try doing a modified
forward sweep stroke and thentransferring to your inside edge
for the Bow Rudder/Low Brace.
See how this affects the radius of
the turn and how stable you feel.
If you are moving really fast you
can lean onto the paddle blade if
you use a slight climbing angle on
the blade. Be sure to get back intobalance as you lose speed throughthe turn.
Outside edge: maintains momentum for slow speed turn and isgood for full length sea kayak and/or relatively calm water.
Inside edge: faster turn but kills
your speed and is good for shortersea kayak or whitewater kayak
and/or rough water conditions.
Edging into the turn is more stable
but does mean you need to switch
edge from the sweep stroke side.
bring the kayak upright by equalizing the weight on both sit bones. Go
immediately into a forward stroke tomaintain your momentum.
Remember, you need speed to makethese strokes effective. Dependingon the kayak design, each technique should turn you approximately
90 degrees. Practice them in calm
conditions and then put them to use
in more realistic conditions and see
how they work for you. Like any
new skill it takes time and practiceto achieve muscle memory and feel
confident.
Sean is an ACA Level 5 Advanced Open
Water Instructor and is supported by
P&H Sea Kayaks, Werner Paddles andKokatat Watersports Wear. Sean teaches
for California Canoe & Kayak and is coorganizer of the Golden Gate Sea Kayak
Symposium.
Photos not otherwise attributed are by
California Paddler.
Summer 2013

Paddling with Kids
Care, Comfort, and Confidence:First Strokes for a Lifetime of Paddlingby Joseph Carr Ritchie

The author paddlingwith his son in
Half Moon BayI

didn’t paddle regularly until I took a job teaching science lessons in canoes. I was hired formy educational abilities, not my paddling skills.
Fortunately, my stepfather had taken me on a
handful of canoe fishing trips in my youth. Those
positive paddling experiences and fond memories of
stepfather-and-son time on the water gave me theconfidence to get back in a canoe after more than adecade off the water.

By that time, I had a son of my own: Jack. Hoping toenjoy decades on the water with my growing family, I
introduced Jack to paddling as soon as I could trust him
to stay in a boat. With proper caution and attention to his
comfort, I have helped my son develop the confidence heneeds to launch a lifetime of canoeing and kayaking. I
hope our story can help you begin your own journey.
It always helps to start something new with a spark, andwe first kindled our collective paddling passion at a family reunion on the Guadalupe River in Texas just before
Jack’s fourth birthday. Between meeting new people
and exploring a new place, trying a new activity seemed
perfectly natural. Jack had splashed in the river enoughto feel comfortable in the warm water, and he had alreadygrown accustomed to using pool floats, so it didn’t takemuch convincing to have him put on a personal flotation
device (PFD) and hop in the middle of a canoe for a quick
paddle.

Such a lazy, shallow river on a calm day didn’t seemthreatening, but I still felt safer heading out with proper
training in paddling and rescue techniques along with asecond boat full of cousins. We did end up getting wet,but only because we chose to step out of the boat andsplash when we reached water too shallow for paddling.
We kept our trip short and playful, and must have included enough in the way of fish, birds, trees, clouds, andsplashing to keep it interesting, because Jack wanted totake the canoe up the river again and again during ourtime in Texas. We returned to California with hopes ofmaking paddling a regular part of our family life.
We retained our fond memories of paddling in Texas; wejust needed a new spark to get us kayaking our home waters.
The spark for getting us back paddling would come twoyears later like a flaming arrow from the time of our Scandinavian ancestors, when I suggested to Jack that westart taking our imaginary Viking adventures on the water.
It worked. With his toy axe and sword in hand, he eagerly
donned his “paddling armor”—warm clothes and a PFD—
and eased into the front seat of the sit-on-top tandem
I’d chosen for its solid primary stability and comfortableseating. I paddled from the center position with him at myfeet. This helped him feel secure, gave me best control
the craft, and helped us both hear each other without
having to shout. A bit like Leif Eiriksson more than a millennium before, we set out to see whatever we could find.
California Paddler Magazine

13

Red Buddy

Spotting wildlife with three
generations of the family
By this time he had started first grade and I had started
kayaking regularly. In addition to learning new paddlingand rescue techniques, I began learning as much as I
could about different types of kayaks, paddles, and PFDs.

and looping around flocks of floating water birds, wereturned to shore with both our battle and paddle bladesraised in triumph. We’d found a way to make our fatherson bond even deeper.

Jack may have left shore heavily armed, but the peace of
paddling quickly calmed him. Even as car alarms brayedand jets roared over the lagoon by San Francisco International Airport, he remarked that paddling “feels quiet.”
After about half an hour of inspecting docks and boats

We didn’t take long to lure Jack’s stepmother, aunt, uncles, and grandfather onto the water with us. Comfortable
Type III PFDs and stable, sit-on-top double and triple kayaks helped three generations at once feel secure on thewater, while the kind of close encounters with the gulls,
pelicans, and harbor seals of Pillar Point Harbor that we
could never get on land have kept us coming back to kayaking week after week. On our last paddle, Jack felt so
comfortable and confident that after an hour on the water,
he wanted to go back out on the water to save a red rockcrab—he named it “Red Buddy”—we’d seen trapped on
an abandoned fishing line. One borrowed knife and thirty
extra minutes of paddling later, and we were no longer
just paddlers; we were “heroes!”

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Releasing our inner Viking
Summer 2013

A Checklist for Paddling with Kids
Must-haves:•

Personal flotation device (PFD) rated for the weightof your child. Many Type III child- and youth-specific
PFDs feature pockets for binoculars, cameras,
snacks, or cold hands!

•

Sun protection appropriate for conditions. Sunscreen(applied correctly and reapplied as necessary), hat,sunglasses (with eyewear retainers), rash guard shirt.

•

Change of clothes and towel. Even if everything
goes great, your child will still probably get at least alittle wet. You don’t want them to stay that way.

•

Tow line (if your child will paddle his or her own boat)

Nice-to-haves:

All sorts of paddle craft can appeal to kids.
Photo provided by Advanced Elements
With care, our family has become comfortable in canoes
and kayaks. We are developing the confidence we’ll needfor longer, more adventurous paddles. Jack has evenstarted talking about which kayaks have “lots of rocker”
and what rudders and skegs do. So while he does not yet
feel confident enough to paddle his own boat, it seems
like it’s only a matter of time. And his baby brother, Rune,can just about sit up on his own...
The journey begins with care, comfort, and confidence.
Take care, get comfortable, and start with small, shorttrips to develop your child’s confidence. You’ll have thewhole brood on the water before you know it.
Joseph Carr Ritchie paddled his first canoe on a lake in Wisconsin and his first kayak off Maui, but he does most of his paddling, selling, renting, tour guiding, educating, living, and breathing of canoes and kayaks closer to his home in Half Moon Bay,
where he lives with his wife and his two young sons.
Photos not otherwise attributed are by Joseph or his wife, Elinor
Anderson•

Water bottle or hydration pack•Dry bag with snacks•

Paddling jacket and/or wetsuit. Nothing will turn yourchild off from the sport faster than associating paddling with feeling cold.

Do:•

Do get lessons (for you, the parent) if you don’t
already know basic paddling and rescues.

•

Do have your child try on his or her PFD (andwetsuit, if applicable) ahead of time. You don’t wantyour trip cancelled right before you launch because
your child “hates” the feeling of a PFD.

•

Do plan on keeping trips short, especially at first,
and make sure you can land quickly if your child’s
energy or interest drops.

•

Do start with flat water destinations such as protected harbors, lagoons, lakes, or calm stretches of rivers.

•

Do scout destinations ahead of time for possible
hazards as well as points of interest. Sites that
reliably provide encounters with swimming seals,
swooping pelicans, or sunning turtles will pique yourchild’s interest.

•

Do keep cramps away and extremities awake by
stretching before you launch and after you land.

Don’t:•

Don’t set yourself up for disappointment with firmplans and grand ambitions. Getting on the water andcoming off counts as a success!

•Don’t lean out of, or stand in, a boat. If your childdoesn’t understand that they shouldn’t do this now, it
will be worth it to wait until they can.
California Paddler Magazine

15

CenterHave a photo that shows the beauty of paddling or otherwise makes people think?
We’d love to see it. Send submissions to editor@calpaddlermag.com.
Include the background story and what camera was used.
16

www.calpaddlermag.com

Summer 2013

HatchNow that we are adding stand up paddleboards and other paddle craft to a
magazine that started out as kayaks-only, we wanted to show that kayakers
know how to paddle standing up.
Left: Fletcher Burton has a specially modified wave ski (a sit-on-top surf kayak)that allows him to also stand and surf, as this picture shows from the 2013 Santa
Cruz Paddlefest. Photo by Chris Bensch. Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Below: Photographer Bill Vonnegut captured this picture of Gregg Berman
standing up and paddling in his white water kayak on the South Fork of theAmerican River. Camera: Pentax Optio W30

California Paddler Magazine

17Destinations

Big Bear: a World Apart
by Meade FischerA

t 6,700 feet, Big Bear is an island in the sky:cool, green and wet, surrounded by a sea ofhot, brown, dusty desert. While only 99 miles
east of LA, it’s a world apart, one of the few true
mountain lake resorts in Southern California.
For the paddler, particularly from the northern part of thestate, it’s easy to overlook Big Bear, a man-made, sevenmile long lake (and 2.5 miles wide at its widest), often justthought of as a place to fish or ski. This erroneous image
arises because you don’t really get this lake when driving
along the shore, catching views between the buildings
and trees. Once you’re on the water, the scenery opens
up and takes you in. The lake is surrounded by high ridges, and on the south, by the snow-capped San Gorgornio
Wilderness. The shoreline is a series of points and bays,

along with intricate, often cathedral-like patterns of granite boulders on the west end. The blue sky often has big,
puffy clouds sailing by, and paddling can seem remarkably
warm, even when the day’s high is 55oF, as it was in May.
I got lucky on May 8, a sunny morning sandwiched between rainy days. Early in the morning I met up with Jim
and Janet Dooley at their North Shore Trading Company,
the only full service paddling store on the lake. Joining us
was Dan McKernan of the Big Bear Lake Resort Association. Serena Saunders, manager of Captain John’s
Fawn Harbor & Marina and the daughter of CaptainJohn, joined us, along with her friend, Tammy Ardigo,a stand up paddle and yoga instructor. Another local
couple, Ernst Mueller and Susan Maya rounded out thegroup. Ernst has the distinction of paddling the lake ineach of the last twelve months, even when the lake wasalmost frozen over in January. It rained near the end of
the month, opening up a channel in the ice, enough for ashort paddle. Maya is a ski instructor in winter. Apparently
a sign of the times, five of the eight of us were on standup paddleboards (SUPs).
While we explored the western end of the lake, the mostscenic end, Jim and Janet filled me in on the Big Bear
PaddleFest, which has been steadily growing over theyears. The 2012 event had 180 participants, and this year
they hope for 300. Some big corporate sponsors provide
prizes for this event. The longer race, the 20K, aroundthe perimeter of the lake has a $500 prize, and for theother events, the prizes would be schwag from the sponsors. These events include a 10K, 5K along with relays,
sprints and events for kids. And after the daytime races18

www.calpaddlermag.com

Summer 2013

and events wind down, the after party
will start up, running into the evening.
This will be a beach party Big Bear style.
While there are many places tolaunch, including the marinas, Swim
Beach Park and the parks at Boulder
Bay and Grout Bay, we launched at
Mursick Beach, a locals-only spot
on the north shore. Since the night’s
low was in the 30s, I was dressedin layers. However, by the time wegot on the water, at about 8:45 am,
the air felt warmer than indicated on
the thermometer. Even after peeling down to two layers, by the time
we returned it still felt like I wore
too much. The two young ladies on
SUPs were wearing shorty wet suits
and seemed comfortable.
May is a transition month in Big Bear.
It can rain or be sunny, and it can occasionally snow. The days can be in
the fifties or the seventies. By June,
the summer weather kicks in, withdays in the seventies or even the low
eighties. It was hard to believe that
only three months earlier the lake
was almost covered by a layer of ice.
The normal paddle season, except
for hard core paddlers like Ernst, is
mid-April through Oct. A few otherpaddlers were out on the lake, but
the real season was still a month away.
We paddled west almost to the dam,and I learned that when the first dam
was built in the 1880s, Big Bear Lakebecame the largest man-made lakein the world, touted by many as theeighth wonder of the world. It was
built to water the expanding citrus
industry in Riverside County. Then
we turned and headed up the southwestern shore, to my mind the mostscenic part of the lake.
We passed a rocky island the locals
call China Island because of theoriental style pagodas. This is a
housing complex owned by CaptainJohn’s family. The entire island, likemost of the south-western shoreline,
looked like a huge stack of outsizedboulders, many the size of a cabin.
Another house, high on the shore,
seemed to be growing right out of therocks. Dan explained that much of the
housing is on National Forest leased
land, and when the builder wanted toremove the rocks to make way for thehouse, he was told “no way”.
Then we paddled into Boulder Bay,
which looks like something you’dfind on a picture postcard, with twolarge boulder islands and many small
rocks jutting out of the calm water.
We wound between the rocks andislands for a while, looking down into
the clear water or up at the fancy
homes high on the rocky shore, before heading back toward the middleof the lake, where we hit the beginning of what would be the afternoon
breeze. My 14-foot sit-on-top kayak
normally tracks well, but today it
started to yawl with the side wind,reminding me to buy a rudder. It
seems that, like so many places, thewind almost always comes up in theafternoon. The only surprise is how
windy it will get.

Big Bear

have to wait for another day, as theothers had to work.
For the person who prefers kayak
angling to racing, Big Bear is a greatfishing destination, and many of thelocal businesses have pictures ofpeople proudly holding up some sizable fish. There is also a money prize
fishing event in June.
Swim Beach, the launch and partysite for Big Bear PaddleFest, is ina cove near the eastern end of thesouth shore at Meadow Park withrestrooms and plenty of parking. The
wide sandy beach has lots of roomfor kayaks.
From Boulder Bay, headed toward
Swim Beach, you paddle past theone big town, Big Bear Lake. The
deep Metcalf Bay is next, home toHalloways and Pleasure Point marinas. Then you round Gilner Point,
extending half way across the lake.
Here the shore is comprised of gentle

As we pushed through the light chop,
Jim was excited about the PaddleFest, telling me that last year’s best
time was achieved on a SUP, a 20
foot by 24 inch speed monster. The
year before, a 19’ Kevlar sea kayak
turned in the best time. It seems thatin Big Bear, like most places, SUP is
the wave of the future.
When we arrived back at Mursick
Beach, I was wishing we had time to
explore the entire lake, but that would
California Paddler Magazine

19View of the East end of Big Bear Lakehills with some beautiful old homes from the early daysof Big Bear. Then after Lagonita Point, you paddle south
toward the Village and two more marinas, Big Bear andPine Knot. This is the heart of town. Swim Beach is thenext indentation in the shoreline.
The north shore is less convoluted, with Grout Bay the
only bay and the home of Captain John’s Marina andanother day use picnic area. This bay also has an islandthat’s home to waterfowl, such as Mallards, Mud Hens,
Wood Ducks, Great Blue Herons, and White Pelicans.
You can see these birds in the marshy areas along theshore. And yes, Grout Bay is named for the grout material
once mined there. There is also a solar observatory at theend of a jetty on the north shore that you can paddle up to.

Protect Your Favorite Place.
Protect Your Favorite Pastime.
CLEAN

DRAIN

There is a small piece of the lake east of the Stanfield
Cutoff, but that’s a waterfowl preserve and off limits forboats, kayaks, and swimming.
From the lake, the surrounding views are impressive,
particularly at sunrise and dusk, so plan your paddlingaccordingly. Also, these are good times to catch sight ofsome of the Bald Eagles that breed here in the winter.
If you go, you’ll need to stay at least one night, and I canrecommend two excellent and reasonably priced places.
Cabins 4 Less has units in several south shore locations,
all on or near the lake. Plus they have kayaks for yourfamily to enjoy while you compete. On the north shore in
Fawnskin, the Quail Cove Lakeside Lodge has charming,
recently remodelled cabins with a kitchen and separate
bedroom, along with an outside patio with a barbecue. It’s
walking distance to the North Shore Cafe, a great breakfast place.
For lunch, try BLT on Big Bear Blvd. They have a fivebuck burger special every day. For dinner try either the
Himalayan Restaurant in the village, the best northern Indian food I’ve ever tasted, or the Captain’s Anchorage on
Big Bear Boulevard near Moonridge for outstanding steak
and seafood meals, along with real old fashion service.

DRY

photo: peterspain.com

I discovered, bringing my own kayak, that Big Bear has
a $20 inspection for Quagga and Zebra mussel. The
inspections are at the East Public Boat Ramp on North
Shore Drive near the Stanfield Cutoff. You can always
just rent from Captain John’s or any of the other four
marinas, which rent kayaks, canoes, boats, and SUPs.

Become a Tahoe Keeper and learn how
to self-inspect for invasive species.
TahoeKeepers.org • 888-824-6267
20

www.calpaddlermag.com

TAHOE KEEPERS

After you get your paddle fix on the lake, it would be
worth sticking around for a couple of extra days. Big Bear
offers off-road adventures, zipline tours, charter fishing,miles of mountain biking, parasailing and hiking—thePacific Crest Trail runs just outside of town. Also the San
Gorgonio Wilderness has many miles of great hiking
and contains San Gorgonio Mountain, the tallest peak inSouthern California.
Meade Fischer is a freelance writer, radio commentator, parttime educator, artist and environmental activist.
Photos by Meade Fischer.
Summer 2013

Paddling History & Culture

Crossing To Limuw
By Chuck Graham‘E

lye’wun sliced through the ink-black water with relative ease. Phosphorescenceglowed beneath the surface as four
Chumash Indian paddlers navigated their
24-foot long plank canoe under the cover of darkness, 22 miles to their ancestral homeland, Limuw,
now known as Santa Cruz Island.

‘Elye’wun (pronounced “El-E-ah-woon”) means swordfish in Chumash. It’s the only functional Chumash plankcanoe, or tomol, in North America.
I followed the Chumash on their historic path, paddlingmy sit-on-top kayak across the Santa Barbara Channel
while photographing their incredible journey. At 3 a.m.
Chumash paddlers gathered on a quiet dock in the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. A plume of smoke billowedfrom an abalone shell, the strong scent of sage signifying
another day to be spent at sea.
By 5 a.m. the tomol was at the harbor mouth, the four
paddlers gradually stroking into open ocean, somewhere
out there Limuw beckoned. Another 90 minutes passed
and the first rays of light brightened overcast skies. Oil
platform Gail loomed on the immediate horizon, but it
was the soft pink hues on Anacapa and Santa Cruz thatgreeted the four silhouetted paddlers.
With the first light of a new dawn, other Chumash paddlers situated on a support boat called out to their brothers, sounds of encouragement bellowing across the sea.
In The Sea
Limuw—part of the Channel Islands National Park—was
home to the largest Chumash village, Swaxil, with apopulation varying between 500 to 2,000 villagers. The
Chumash have now made several successful crossingsto the site in their traditional canoe since 2001, revitalizing a historic journey frequented by their distant ances-

tors. Before that first crossing in 2001, the last Chumash
tomols were reportedly used for fishing around 1850. The
Chumash once thrived throughout their traditional region
from San Luis Obispo to Malibu, and were one of thelargest Native American populations on the west coastof North America. They also inhabited the four northern
Channel Islands with 11 villages on Santa Cruz, eight on
Santa Rosa and two on San Miguel. Due to the lack of areliable water source on Anacapa, the narrow islet was
inhabited seasonally.
The Chumash were a true maritime culture, hunting,fishing and reaping the natural resources provided by
the ocean and the coastal mountains. Historically, thetomol was made from redwood trees found floating in
the ocean, anywhere from eight to 30-feet long. It wasconstructed of a single piece of wood for the floor, withthree or four rows of planks. Milkweed, yucca, dogbane,or sinew from mule deer was used as cordage to bindthe tomol together. Yop, a glue consisting of a mixtureof pine pitch and asphaltum (a natural tar-like substancethat washes ashore from oil seepages) was used to seal
the space between planks. “It’s our super glue,” said
Chumash elder, Marcus Lopez. Sharkskin was used forsanding, red ochre for staining, and abalone for inlay andembellishment. A swordfish of inlayed shells was on oneof the ears of the ‘Elye’wun.
The tomol linked the islanders with the mainland villages
that numbered well over 100. Michumash is the wordfrom which Chumash is derived. Translated, it means“makers of shell bead money,” and is the term mainland
Chumash used to refer to those inhabiting the islands.
‘Achum, or shell bead money was “minted” by the islanders using small discs shaped from Olivella shell and drills
manufactured from Santa Cruz Island chert. Shell beadmoney was exchanged with mainland villages for resources
and manufactured goods that were unavailable on the island.
California Paddler Magazine

21

‘Elye’wun (swordfish) on the bow of
the Chumash tomolSongs For The Journey
Reggie Pagaling, a member of the
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, sang a melodious tune as theyreached the center of the channel.
As he steered the tomol his words
inspired a steady rhythm, the four
paddlers worked in unison toward
their historic quest.
“They’re just happy songs,” explained
Pagaling, a Chumash tribal elder. “Itmakes the crossing more enjoyable
and takes the paddlers’ mind off thetask at hand, while unifying them.”
It worked with me as well, the mo-notony of the crossing washed away
as I observed their heavy paddles
pulling through capping seas asthey paddled on their knees leaning
forward into swell and wind.
With six more miles left in their wake,
the Chumash made another transition of paddlers from the support
boat. Four new paddlers forgedahead into the shipping lanes. As
large as these cargo ships are, it’s aclassic case of “now you see them,
now you don’t.” It seemed like they
weren’t moving fast until we got fairly
close to one, a steep wave cresting
off its bow.

Building Bridges“The crossing is meant to create
bridges for different communities,”
said Lopez, a Chumash Maritime
Association member, and along with
Pagaling, captain of ‘Elye’wun, “bothinternally and externally.”
However, the Chumash have beencrossing the channel for millenniums,
and according to Chumash lore thefirst Chumash people came from
Limuw. Hutash, the Earth Motherwas married to Alchupo’osh, Sky
Snake, the Milky Way. The Chumashwere created from a magic plant, andAlchupo’osh used his tongue to makelightning bolts, building fire to keep
the Chumash warm and to cook food.
Now introduced to fire, the Chumash
lived more comfortably and proliferated as their island villages grew.
Limuw became crowded and thenoise increased, annoying Hutash.
She decided to move some of the
Chumash off Limuw to the mainland
where no people lived.
Hutash created a rainbow, longand high stretching from the tallest
mountain on Limuw (Diablo Mountain) to the Tzchimoos, the peak22

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Summer 2013

CA Kayaker 1-4 page 20111207.ai 1 12/28/2012 9:10:53 AM

near Mishopshno (Carpinteria). She told the Chumash
to cross the rainbow bridge and proliferate the world.
As they made the journey, some made the mistake oflooking down to the fog swirling below. Some of the
Chumash got dizzy and fell into the ocean. Hutash
didn’t want anyone to drown, so she transformed theminto dolphins. The Chumash consider dolphins as theirbrothers and sisters.

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For a brief moment a small pod of common dolphins
greeted us with the sun directly overhead, breachingout of windblown waves toward our bows. Hoots andhollers followed coming from the support boat before
their pelagic siblings dove deep beneath our boats.
Coming Home
The ridge line from Cavern Point was clearly distinct,
running evenly toward the southeast end of Santa Cruz
before descending into Scorpion Anchorage. Two of
the next generation of Chumash were now paddlingthe tomol to Limuw, paddling in rhythm with Lopez at
the helm.
Several weeks prior, Lopez told me the crossing was
one way to involve the next generation into a richculture of boat building, artisans and fishermen. The
boat builders were in the upper echelon of Chumashsociety.
“We’re trying to train the younger generation,” said
Lopez, who has helped build five tomols, “so they cangain that balance and harmony.”

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I’ve never seen Scorpion Anchorage so alive. At least
200 Chumash and well wishers greeted the 19 Chumash paddlers as the tomol reached the cobbled
shore. The women sang ancient songs as the tomol
approached, and a throng of Chumash helped carry
the tomol up the beach.
“We’re part of that revitalization,” said Ray Ward, whowith his two sons and brother Matt were part of thepaddling contingent across the channel. “We really
don’t want to disappear.”
Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer living in Carpinteria, CA. He leads guided kayaking trips at
the Channel Islands National Park, and has been a beach
lifeguard for 18 years. His stories and photos have appearedin Backpacker, Canoe & Kayak, Paddler, Wavelength, Trail
Runner, Shutterbug and The Surfer’s Journal. He’s also theeditor of DEEP Magazine.
Photos by Chuck Graham.

Chumash paddles

California Paddler Magazine

23DVD Review (1)IThis Is The Sea 5

have the first 4 DVDs fromthe This Is The Sea series,
so I was excited to hear that
Justine Curgenven was coming out with a 5th edition. They
call these kayak documentaries,
but I call them kayak porn. I findthem inspirational to watch during
times when I can’t be out paddling. Did this 5th release meet
up to my expectations?

This DVD contains 8 adventure sea
kayaking films from Russia, Japan,
Spain, Hawaii, England, Wales,
Sardinia, Argentina, Chile, and Sicily.
It features Paul Kuthe surfing, Turner
Wilson rough water rolling, Harry
Whelan surfing ferry wakes on theRiver Thames and World Champions
Oscar Chalupsky and Greg Bartonsurf skiing.
The disk has some 3 hours of content to watch, and all was filmed inhigh definition.
The video’s trailer can be seenat www.youtube.com/
watch?v=sGfmUD8FHFI.
In general, Curgenven’s filming andediting have improved with eachrelease, with this one the mostprofessional. This is likely both fromher improved experience as a filmmaker, and also from advancements
in waterproof camera technology.
Both of our reviewers found that
all the segments were interesting
to watch. We both liked the long
voyage segments best, specificallySarah Outen’s round-the-world trek
and Curgenven’s circumnavigation
around Tierra del Fuego in SouthAmerica. This provided a kayaker’sview of a place we do not expect toever paddle. Though Outen is now
out of her kayak and in a rowboat forthe crossing from Japan to the U.S.,
her story is captivating enough that
we check her website (www.sarahouten.com) occasionally.
24

www.calpaddlermag.com

The one that most makes us want
to travel was the Islands of Fire in
Italy’s Aeolian Islands. Though there
were two segments on paddling in
Italy, the Sardinian downpours were
not as pleasant to watch as island
hopping, pumice rafts, lava geysers,
and sunny days shown in Islands ofFire.
This is not meant as an instructional

The Good• Great filming.
• Captivating content.
The Not So Good• Where is the West Coast U.S.
content?
• Defaults to Italian subtitles onsome DVD players.
Summer 2013

We did have a couple of minor complaints. First, oneof our reviewers had some sort of bug where the video
would start with Italian subtitles by default. Not a major
problem to either shut them off or to watch it with thesubtitles on. And of course, after watching the Islands ofFire segment, a little Italian language practice might begood as you prepare for your trip...
Also we wondered why there isn’t more west coast US
content? Paul Kuthe is based out of Portland, so he didprovide a little bit of a local connection (but the filmingof him was from the other side of the pond). Justine,
please keep in mind that we have lots to offer that is well
worth inclusion in future versions of this DVD series.

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DVD, but it is hard not to try to glean something usefulfrom watching these paddlers riding boat wakes, rolling,and surfing. Whelan’s segment may have been easiest
to connect his description with the video, though I doubt
I will ever want to get that close to a ferry. Kuthe’s segment showed him describing situations and maneuvers
between surf clips. Kuthe did give some pointers on
surfing, but the advice was unfortunately not well coordinated with the action clips. Too bad it wasn’t arranged
so that each tip was followed by a video clip example. It
was easier to follow Turner Wilson’s descriptions of using the wave energy where his description was followed
by a clip showing him doing just that. There’s a lot to get
out of what is not meant as an instructional video, but
only as kayak porn.

Overall, this video is well worth adding to your library.
One of the better kayak porn products out there. It has asuggested retail price of $29.95 and is available at yourlocal paddle sports shop or online from www.cackletv.
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California Paddler Magazine

25DVD Review (2)Rock The BoatL

et me start by saying that
this DVD is a bit different
from the ones we normallyreview in this magazine.
First it is on paddling a river in
Los Angeles, not a place you
would normally think of as apaddling destination (and a riverthat many Angelinos likely don’teven know exists). Second, it is adocumentary, where we normallydo reviews on kayak porn or
instructional DVDs. And lastly, thelevel of paddling skills displayed
is nowhere near what we normally review. But this one caught oureye as one with a good message,
presented humorously, and withpositive results for paddling, so
we decided to review it.
The story is based around some
paddlers who wanted to paddle theLos Angeles River to challenge theCorps of Engineers’ classificationof the river as non-navigable. This
classification exempts the river fromenvironmental protections and permits the Corps to control access to
the river and continue to restrain its
flow in concrete culverts. The navigability of the waterway was driven
home by the mix of boats that paddled the river. A trailer of the movie
can be seen at www.youtube.com/
watch?v=MqJKQnMhT28.
The film was enjoyable to watch. The

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www.calpaddlermag.com

filmmakers kept a story line going,from organizing the paddle, to recording the trip down the river and ending
with what they accomplished. Interspersed through the main story are
informative interviews with a numberof different individuals with different
connections to the river and narrated
background segments. There is alsoa bit of scandal in a side story abouta government whistleblower. The interviews and history segments help to
put the paddle into context and explain
why the paddle was important to theSummer 2013

The Good• Great use of humor.
• Good cause and results.
The Not So Good• Well worth watching, but not necessarily something that you’d wantto buy the DVD. Find a local showing on a big screen.

organizers and their supporters and its significance not
only to the Los Angeles area but to the entire Southwest.
The film looked into the federal management policy forwaterways. The rules distinguish waterways that usually contain water from those that are frequently dry, withfewer environmental protections for the latter. The film
makes the point that in the Southwest, many tributaries
to important waterways are dry much of the year and thatthe policy would exempt many of these tributaries fromthe Clean Water Act, with possible harmful downstream
consequences.
The film tells the story of how the river came to be channelled. Without judging past decisions, the filmmakers
take the position that the decisions of a past century are
not appropriate for present-day Los Angeles. They go on
to share their vision of what a restored river could offer
the region in water management and recreation.
The activists succeeded in changing policy that governs
the management of the Los Angeles River. For an updateon the status of paddler access on the Los Angeles River,
see the News section starting on page 5 of this magazine.
This is not the type of DVD one would normally want toown, so it may be more cost effective to find a local showing of this movie on a big screen. The sound and video
quality were quite good, so it would look good on thatlarger screen. The audio seemed especially good considering most of it was filmed outside. There were one or two
wildlife shots that were of lower quality.
Then again, buying the DVD would support the cause ofriver access, so that could be a reason in itself to pick up
a copy.
The DVD has a 54-minute run time and can be purchased from www.rocktheboatfilm.com for $24.95.

Is this a river? Picture shows the paddlers proving
a point that the LA River is navigable. Hopefully thiswill work toward the concrete being removed andthe river being restored to a form that is more what
we think of as a river.
Photo by Tom Andrews

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California Paddler Magazine

27

Book Review

The BC Coast Explorer

I

and Marine Trail Guide Vol. 1

f you are looking for excellent
coastal paddling outside ofCalifornia or Oregon, Vancouver Island would be highon most anyone’s list. But wherewould you find the information
you need for a trip north?

One option is the new BC Coast
Explorer Volume 1. This guidebook
covers West and North Vancouver Island destinations, and is a rewrite of
the previous Volume 1 in the series“The Wild Coast,” published in 2005.
The same region is covered, but with
updated information and a new andimproved format.
The book names can be a little
confusing. The volume numbers referto regions, not revisions. Volume 2of the Wild Coast books covering
North and Central British Columbia
coast destinations (from north of
Vancouver Island to Alaskan border)
and Volume 3 covering south British
Columbia coast/eastern Vancouver
Island destinations.
The BC Coast Explorer Volume
1 contains high quality maps withsatellite imagery overlay. It has routedetails for many coastal explorations
between Port Hardy and Barkley
Sound. Areas include God’s Pocket,
North Coast Trail, Cape Scott,Quatsino Sound, Brooks Peninsula,
Kyuquot Sound, Nootka Sound andClayoquot Sound.
This guidebook is published by John
Kimantas, who is also the publisherof The Wild Coast Guidebook series and Coast & Kayak Magazine(formerly Wavelength Magazine), a
magazine focusing on kayaking in
the Pacific Northwest. You probably
couldn’t find a more knowledgeable
source of information for this area.
So how well does this guidebook
work? Since I have limited experi28

www.calpaddlermag.com

ence paddling the areas covered, I
enlisted the help of both a paddler
who is currently using the book as
she prepares for a trip this summer(but has not ever paddled there) andalso a paddler who used the priorWild Coast books for Vancouver
Island trips she took.
Our trip planner found that the bookprovided an incredible amount of detail and seemed far more useful for

The Good• Best guidebook for western Vancouver Island.
• New larger format is easier tophotocopy the sections you would
need for your trip.
The Not So Good
• If you don’t know the Island, get aroad map or atlas for reference.
Summer 2013

trip planning than the two other guidebooks she borrowed. It informed her
about what conditions she might expect to encounter in various areas, andcontained great information about beach orientation and potential difficultyof landing/launching. This is often very important information when planning
an expedition.
The one issue she had was figuring out where things are, as she is not yet
familiar with the layout of the island. To someone who lives there or has
visited before, it would probably make a lot of sense, but if you are new tothe area it can be initially confusing. Looking back at the overall map at thestart of the guide helped.
In comparing the previous Wild Coast guidebook to this new version, ourexperienced Vancouver Island expeditioner immediately noted that the newversion is a much larger format: 8.5”x11”x3/4” versus the 6”x9”x1” of theoriginal. Neither is a volume you’d be tempted to bring with you on a trip, as
they are too big. She photocopied the pages she needed and left the bookbehind. The new larger size would be easier to photocopy.
Our reviewer said “the maps in the new version are improved over the oldones. The old ones were purely graphical, and easy enough to read, but
the new ones overlay topographical information which helps with orientation. The maps are a bit busy for my taste, and I find myself having to reallylook hard to find a location while reading the trip write-ups. They aren’t
charts and they lack the detail for proper trip navigation planning. These are
overview maps.”
The BC Coast Explorer Volume 1 chapters are arranged similarly as theprior The Wild Coast book, with only one exception‒the new version omits
the chapter on the Juan de Fuca Strait. Perhaps this will be tucked into an
updated Volume 3?
The BC Coast Explorer Volume 1 breaks the north/west third of the island
into chapters, with suggested trips and suggested routes. A well seasoned
kayaker would be able to knit together a few sections and make a larger
trip, while newer expeditioners would likely be better off following the suggestions.
The BC Coast Explorer Volume 1 would be an excellent resource foranyone planning to paddle on western Vancouver Island. It balances tour
advice with historical and archeological perspectives, with enough wellorganized information to plan a trip and chart your course. But it is not a
one-stop book for all your planning needs… you’ll also have to take a tidelog, maybe detailed nautical charts and a street map or atlas of the island.
The BC Coast Explorer Volume 1 contains 192 pages in full color, andcosts $34.95 (plus tax & $8 shipping). It can be ordered online from www.
wavelengthmagazine.com/orderonline/index.html

California Paddler Magazine

29

News - continued from page 5River, check out the review in thisissue on page 26 of Don’t Rock The
Boat DVD.
Removing Klamath River Dams?
In April, the Department of Interior
recommended removing four damson the Klamath River, listing the action as the Preferred Alternative for along-term solution to address native
fishery and water resource issuesin Oregon and California’s Klamath
River Basin. The recommendation
was set forth in the Department’s Final Environmental Impact Statement(EIS), which provides a comprehensive review of whether partially or
fully removing four dams owned andoperated by PacifCorp will help torestore salmon runs to the Klamath
River. The document also examines
the impacts and benefits of multiple
scenarios to ecological, aesthetic,
historical, cultural, social and otherresource values, and how removal
will impact local communities andtribes. The EIS was completed aspart of the Klamath Hydroelectric
Settlement Agreement.
30

www.calpaddlermag.com

Three of the four dams are in
California north of Yreka (Siskiyou
County) and the fourth is in Oregon.
The study predicts dam removal
would employ 4,600 people during
15 years of work, and result in an
81 percent increase in chinook andsimilar increases in steelhead trout
and coho salmon.
The project includes habitat restoration and sediment removal, but even
at $1 billion it would cost less overtime than maintaining the reservoirs
and building federally mandated fish
ladders.
The next step requires the Secretaryof the Interior to make a determination about whether removing all fourdams is within public interest. Before
he can do this, Congressional action
is required. Bills to this effect havebeen introduced in the House andthe Senate in 2011, but were neverbrought to a vote.
More information can be found atwww.klamathrestoration.gov.

Advertisers Index
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Outback Adventures...................25
SEA-LECT Designs...................29
Shady Acres Park......................26
Sunrise Mountain Sports............14
Tahoe Keepers...........................20
WaterTreks EcoTours.................22
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Summer 2013

If you are reading this...
So are your customers!
Four benefits to advertising with California Paddler Magazine
1. California is one of the largest markets for paddle sports in theworld. California Paddler Magazine’s regional focus provides
the best vehicle to reach paddlers in California (and Oregon
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California Paddler Magazine

31