5

Always Free							Spring 2011

inside:Duane StrosakerCommon Murres
Boat Outfitting
Draw Strokes
and more...

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Spring 2011
Issue 5

Contents

Publisher/EditorPeter Donohue
Design & Layout
Laura Ramos
www.portalcm.com
Contributing Writers
Gregg Berman, Richard Golightly, Roger
Schumann, Steven Smith, Duane Strosaker, and California Kayaker Magazine
Contributing Photographers
Daniel Arbuckle, Gregg Berman, Amy
Byers, Rick Flavin, Chuck Graham, Lisa
Ouellette, Sandy Rintoul-Schumann,
Duane Strosaker, Nicole Strosaker,
David Thyberg, USFWS/Humbolt State
University, and California Kayaker
Magazine
Legal Support
Karen A. Lapinski, Attorney
www.LapinskiLaw.com
Find Us
P.O. Box 282004
San Francisco, CA 94128
Phone: 650-868-8653
Fax: 650-560-2783
Email: editor@calkayakermag.com
www.calkayakermag.com
Copyright © 2011 by 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 found in
California Kayaker Magazine are those of
its writers and do not necessarily reflect theopinion of management or advertisers.
California Kayaker 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.

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18

Features

In Every Issue

6 Skills - Draw Strokes

4 Editor’s Note

10 Critters from Kayaks:
Common Murres

5 News, Results,
and Calendar

18 Interview: Duane
Strosaker

16 Center Hatch

22 Boat Fit - Feet

30 Intellectual Section:
King Tide & Wet
Exit

26 Review: Advanced
Elements AirFusion

30 List of Advertisers

Cover Photo - the beauty of Lake Tahoein the winter—calm water, snow cappedpeaks, and no power boats.
Photo by Lisa OuelletteCamera: Casio Exilim

Kayaking can be a dangerous sport. Dressappropriately, always wear your PFD, andpaddle within your skill level.

California Kayaker Magazine

3

Editor’s Note
I am writing this just after getting back from the Golden Gate
Sea Kayak Symposium (GGSKS). It was a great event, and alarge reminder that we get to paddle year round. Much of therest of the country is waiting for the ice to melt, but not us. Even
paddling Lake Tahoe, as the cover photo shows, is possible
year round. There are also lots of lower altitude options in theCentral Valley, along the coast, and beyond. And the rivers andcreeks have great runoff flows from our winter storms to provide plenty of flow for the whitewaterruns.
GGSKS may have been one of the first events of the year, but it’s just a lead off for many different kayaking events for us to take part in. Check out the very full calendar on the next page.
California Kayaker Magazine is now available to be sent by mail. This is meant to help those whoaren’t local to a shop that carries it and prefer printed version to online version. We do charge asmall amount to cover postage and handling. See www.calkayakermag.com/magazine.html for
more info.
Happy Paddling!
Peter Donohue
Editor4

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Spring 2011

w

w

25th Santa Cruz Paddlefest
Santa Cruz, CA
March 17-20, 2011www.asudoit.com/paddle_fest

South Coast Marine Life Protection Act
On December 15, 2010, the California Fish and Game Commission
adopted regulations to create a setof marine protected areas (MPAs) inSouthern California. After a two-year
public planning process, the regulations will create or modify 36 MPAs
encompassing approximately 187
square miles (8 percent) of state waters in the study region ranging from
Point Conception to Mexico border.
Approximately 116 square miles
have been designated as no-takestate marine reserves and no-takestate marine conservation areas,
with the remainder designated asstate marine conservation areas withdifferent take allowances and varying
levels of protection.

Southwest Sea Kayak Symposium
San Diego, CA
March 25-27
www.aqua-adventures.com/symposium index.html
Kern River Festival
Kernville, CA
April 16-17
www.kernfestival.com
Reno River Festival
Reno, NVMay 6-8
www.renoriverfestival.com
Paddle to the Sea
Yosemite to San Francisco, CA
May 7-June 4
www.paddletothesea.org
Bay Area Paddlefest
Fremont, CA
May 21-22
www.bayareapaddlefest.org
See ad on page 4
AquanFestSan Mateo, CA
June 11-12
www.aquansports.com
See ad on page 24
Eppies Great Race 38
Rancho Cordova & Sacramento, CA
July 23
www.thegreatrace.org
See ad on back coverTo submit news or an event forconsideration to California Kayaker
Magazine, please send basic
information to
editor@calkayakermag.com.

This process is part of the Marine
Life Protection Act (MLPA), which
requires California to reexamine andredesign its system of MPAs withthe primary goal of increasing theeffectiveness of MPAs in protecting
the state’s marine life and habitats,marine ecosystems and marine natural heritage.
The map of the South Coast MPAs
can be seen at www.dfg.ca.gov/
mlpa/pdfs/scmpas121510.pdf. Description of the geographic boundaries of the new MPAs and their GPS
coordinates can be found at www.
dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/pdfs/sc_boundaries.pdf. Description of the specificrequirements for each MPA can befound at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/pdfs/
sc_regulations.pdf. There is a process that still needs to be completed
before they can set when these rules
go into effect, but the earliest they
could go into effect is May 15 (andit may be held until later this year oreven until 2012 – California Kayaker
will report on this as soon as theyknow the date).
The new regulations for the MLPA for
the Central Coast and North-Central

Coast regions have already been
implemented. They still are working
on this process for the North Coast(which will likely be voted on at theend of this year and implemented
in 2012 or 2013) and determining if
they will perform these same processes for the San Francisco Bay region. For information on all regions,please view www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/
newsroommain.asp.
River Flow Information by Text
Message
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors
thousands of rivers for stage (depth)
and flow in real time, and now provides a service called “StreaMail”.
StreaMail lets you use your cell
phone or email to request stage andflow information of any USGS realtime monitoring site. Within a few
minutes you will get a reply with themost recent stage and flow.
To request this information, senda text message or email to streamail@usgs.gov. In the “subject”
line (or possibly the first body line,
depending on cell phone type) put
in the USGS site number (usuallyan 8 digit number - for CA, the listof sites is at: waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/
nwis?program=rt&office=ca).
Coast Guard Asking for Help in
Search and Rescue
The Coast Guard is looking for help
from paddle sports enthusiasts in aneffort to help save lives and taxpayers’ dollars. They have started acampaign that encourages kayakers
and canoeists to label their boats,paddles and safety gear with theirnames and contact information. This
campaign helps the Coast Guard
to determine if gear was accidentally lost when it is found adrift, or if
someone is in real danger.
“If there is a chance that someone
is out there and in danger, we’relaunching. We want Coast Guardeyes on scene. We’re going to figureout what happened and look for people in the water. Unfortunately, thismeans that we often spend a lot ofNews Continued on Page 14
California Kayaker Magazine

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Draw Yourself Into the Picture:
Using Draw Strokes for Better Maneuveringby Roger Schumann

Whitewater kayaker using a draw stroke to catch an eddy
behind a mid-stream rockP

icture yourself paddling—perhaps throughdappled sunlight down some serene coastal
stream or along the shore of a High Sierra lake to your favorite fishing spot; or if
adrenaline is more your appetite, how about dodging boulders down a steep whitewater creek in thefoothills or into the surge channels of a remoteocean rock garden toward the mouth of an alluring
sea cave. However you prefer to draw your scene,chances are if you’re like most paddlers, your main
focus is likely all about going forward, churning out
the strokes to get from point A (where you are) topoint B (where you’re headed.) Next you probably
focus on turning strokes, assuming that your point
B isn’t often in a direct line from point A; and finallystopping strokes, so you can stop at point B insteadof blowing on past. Going sideways rarely enters the
picture. Kayaks are long and sleek, and they don’t
do sideways particularly well.
But knowing how to make your kayak move sideways
efficiently can be super handy at times. Whether you’repulling over to the bank of your serene coastal stream,
Sierra Lake, or steep creek, or pulling yourself away fromthe low, overhanging wall of your sea cave before thenext swell arrives and drives your head into the ceiling.
Or maybe you just want to pull up alongside your paddling partner to share a snack, check the chart or stabilize his/her kayak for a rescue. Whatever your reasons,the ability to move your kayak where and when you
want—in whatever direction you choose—is one mark ofa skilled paddler.
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Termed “draw strokes,” these under appreciated sideways strokes are actually the largest family of strokes inkayaking with all sorts of fancy maneuvering applications.
Sideways in a kayak is not the most efficient way to crossthe stream, lake or ocean, and if you need to move much
more than a boat length or so to the side, there are generally better ways to get there. But when skilled paddlers
need to move directly sideways within a boat length, adraw stroke is their typical tool of choice.
Standard Draw
The basic or “standard” draw stroke, also known as the“beam draw” (since you are pulling to the beam or sideof your boat) and the “draw to the hip,” is a good place tostart. The standard draw comes in a variety of versions
from the crude-but-effective to the smooth-and-efficient.
In its crudest form, simply turn your paddle blade 90-degrees from normal paddling position until it is parallel tothe side of your boat. Reach out, put the blade in the water and pull it toward the side of the boat. In this caveman
move, changing your grip with the top hand is optional,
as is pulling your blade against the side of your boat, tripping over it and capsizing. A slightly more elegant version
involves lifting the paddle out of the water before it runs
into the side of your craft and tips you, also not botheringwith the wasted effort of changing your grip with your top
hand. More refined still would be to practice what instructors term the “in-water recovery” version. This does
not mean that you are in the water, but that your blade
remains submerged throughout the entire stroke, using
a seemingly mysterious slight of hand that, like a lot ofthings, is all in the wrists.
Spring 2011

Start the standard draw byslicing stroke out to side

Turn wrist so blade is parallel to side of kayak then start
power phase by pulling blade
toward side of boat

Twist paddle blade perpendicular to slice it back out tothe side

The in-water recovery version is the most efficient and stylish incarnation of the standard
draw stroke, and it involves both wrist action
and body positioning. First the wrist action:
With blade held in the typical forward paddling position, put it in the water beside yourhip, more or less where it would be at theend of a forward stroke. But instead of lifting
it out of the water to reach out and start adraw stroke, simply slice it sideways, perpendicular to your kayak as far as you canreach. Then turn your palm forward until theface of your blade is facing the side of yourkayak. Now pull the blade back toward you;this is the power phase of the stroke. Just
before the flat blade crashes into the side ofyour boat and tips you, rotate your wrist 90
degrees back to normal paddling positionand slice it back out again as before; thisis the recovery phase. Repeat as necessary: Turn your blade and pull (for the power
phase), turn and slice (recovery).
While the wrist is doing its turn-pull, turnslice thing, the upper body— instead of justsitting there passively—can make thingseven more efficient by going along for the
ride. “For every action,” Newton discovered
long ago, “there is an equal and opposite reaction.” An intelligent paddler can apply thephysics of this third law of motion to his or
her advantage by turning the upper body to“face your work” as we instructor types arefond of saying. More importantly than simply
facing your direction of travel, you can reachyour top hand out over the water so that thepaddle shaft is more or less vertical (again,
without wasting the effort to change thegrip of your top hand). Now all the forces
are lined up properly, so that when you pullon your lower blade, it is pulling you more
directly in the direction you want to go. If you
stay facing forward, instead, and reach out
to the side, your paddle is at a 45-degree
angle, so about half of the force is wasted
pushing down against the water instead ofpulling yourself sideways. A final word on
your top hand: It stays in place, acting asa pivot point to your vertical paddle; all thepulling action happens with your bottom
hand.
At this point in learning the draw, it is fairly
common to wonder why your boat is wandering sideways at a diagonal and the bow
is spinning away from the stroke. Newton’s
third law in action again: if you are pulling
toward your thigh and your wrist is turnCalifornia Kayaker Magazine

7

Begin sculling by skimming the surface
with blade held flat to the watering at end of the draw into more of
a forward stroke—which it is much
more used to doing—you can expect
to move somewhat less than straightsideways. Try turning to face yourwork a little more and make sure you
are pulling straight in line with your
hip or even an inch or two behind,depending on your boat design.
Move more slowly and precisely, inthis case, slow and steady wins therace.
Sculling Draw
Once you’ve mastered the standard
draw with in-water recovery, perhaps
to the wonder and amazement of
your paddling friends, you are readyfor an even niftier trick: the scullingdraw. Sculling is the action of skimming the face of your blade smoothly
back and forth across the water likespreading peanut butter. In a scullingbrace (used to help support you), theblade angle is fairly flat, much lessthan 45 degrees to the surface. If you
start skimming your flat blade in thewater beside you in an arc of threefeet or so from about your knees toan equal distance behind you when
doing this sculling brace, you’ll probably start to notice a little sideways
motion.

Begin raising the blade towardvertical (note finger pointing in
direction of force)

Sculling with paddle near vertical,
with both hands out over the sideof the kayak

To make this stroke really work,
however, you’ll have to get back to
Newton. Start raising your offside
hand and turning to face your work
until your top hand is out over thewater on the same side (as with thestandard draw) and your paddle shaft
is moving toward vertical (so that you
are bracing less and drawing more).
Go slowly, without splashing, andtry to maintain that same smooth,spreading-the-peanut-butter feel as
before. Give yourself some time towork it out. Subtle and tricky to master, sculling is at the core of more-advanced paddling technique. It is also
the base of a whole range of fancy,
precision-maneuvering draw strokes
used under way by skilled paddlers—such as bow rudders, side slips andcross bow techniques—that will haveto wait until a subsequent article.
For now, the sculling draw, you’ll

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Spring 2011

soon discover, is more efficientthan the standard draw since there
is no recovery phase. Every sculling motion, whether from your knee
back, or from back to your knee, is a
power phase, making it about twice
as effective as even the best standard draw. And once you get it dialed
you’ll likely ditch the standard draw
as a “beginners’ stroke.”
Like the standard draw, you might
notice yourself going a bit caddywhompus at first. Make sure thatyour unruly wrist is not turning yourpeanut-butter-spreading scullingstroke into a forward stroke again,
and also be sure that you are moving
your blade as far back behind your
hip as you are in front.

so use a buoy or paddling partner
or something to help judge yourprogress, and practice out of thewind at first. Without a point of reference, you can also look for the slickof flat water on the opposite side ofyour kayak that confirms you are indeed moving sideways (see photos).
Now picture yourself again, moving
not just forward and turning this time,
but also gliding sideways effortlessly,
for whatever reason, or simply justbecause you can. You are well on
your way to becoming a paddlingvirtuoso. v

Roger Schumann is award-winning
co-author of Guide to Sea Kayaking
Central and Northern California and Sea
Kayak Rescue and the owner and lead
instructor of Eskape Sea Kayaking (www.
eskapekayak.com) in Santa Cruz, CA.
As an ACA-Certified instructor-trainer,
he’s been teaching classes and leading
expeditions for over 20 years on our local
shores and beyond--from Alaska to the
Galapagos and from Baja to Brazil.
Photos by Sandy Rintoul-Schumann

It can be difficult to tell if you are
moving in a straight line (or evenmoving at all, especially if it is windy)
without some point of reference,

California Kayaker Magazine

9A Rocky Rest
Common Murres
By Richard Golightly and Steve Smith

Common Murres in a colony on rock ledges
Photo courtesy of USFWS/
Humboldt State University
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Spring 2011

On an early morning inlate May we launched
our kayaks and headedout around Trinidad
Head. The ocean was glassy
in the early morning hours. We
expected that later in the day thewinds would begin blowing fromthe northeast, as they often doin the afternoons over the waters
off the Humboldt County coast.
A raft of several hundred Common Murres (scientific name: Uria
aalge) bobbed with the oceanswell in the shoal between Flat
Iron Rock and Trinidad State
Beach, just north of the headland. As we paddled closer, thefresh aroma of the marine air wasinvaded by an overpowering andunmistakable stench of guano.

The raft of murres was actively vocalizing, diving amongst the brown kelp
and surfacing as long as a minute later with small silver fish firmly lockedin their bills. The fish were hard to
identify, but were probably some kindof smelt or juvenile rockfish. Some of
the birds flapped their small and narrow wings furiously as they attempted to take flight and return to theirnests on the rock in order to feed thefish to their chicks. It was not the raftof birds that smelled so pungent, butrather the white guano-stained Flat
Iron Rock.
Flat Iron is one of several sea
mounts along the northern California
coast that serve as critical nesting
habitat for a variety of sea birds likemurres and cormorants, as well as
being resting sites for Brown Pelicans. The distance of the rock fromshore and its steep entrance into
the water render it inaccessible tomost land-based predators, affording protection for eggs, chicks, andadults alike. At Flat Iron Rock, themost prominent residents, by sight orsmell, are the thousands of Common
Murres. In fact, Flat Iron alone has
more than 12,000 pairs of nesting
murres. The murres are characterized by their highly contrastingbrownish-black backs and heads andbright-white undersides. The murres

nest on Flat Iron from late April toearly July in most years, but they
start extended visits to claim their exact nesting site in February or earlier
each year.
In the case of murres, the word “nest”
does not describe what most people
might picture in their minds as a bird
nest. Each pair of murres lays a single blue-green egg among the rocks;
no sticks or nesting material, justhard rock. With luck, they choose asite where their egg will not roll away,
be trampled by their neighbors, or bestolen by a gull or raven for lunch.
There are relatively few large rocks,
sea stacks, or sea mounts that canbe used for nesting. For those thatare suitable for nesting, the availability of specific sites where the terrain
is flat enough to prevent eggs fromrolling away, or protected from waves
or ocean spray are in limited supply. This, in part, causes the murresto nest in tightly packed groups. A
more important reason, however, isthat there is safety in numbers that
benefit both chicks and adults. The
chicks and eggs on the edge of colonies suffer predation from gulls andravens. Adults, too, can be vulnerable to eagles and falcons.

Common Murres grow to 18 inches inlength, 29 inch wingspan, and weighabout 2 pounds. Male and female
murres are indistinguishable.
Photo courtesy of USFWS/
Humboldt State University
There is also a downside to living so
close to your neighbor. When theybring a fish for their chick, they mustland within the colony of birds andget the fish to the chick without thecatch being stolen by another murreor resident gulls. Murres work hardfor their fish, often diving to hundredsof feet below the surface. If fish arestolen or lost, it not only deprives
the chick of a meal, but the parent
loses a lot of time and energy that it
had spent finding, catching, and airfreighting the fish back to the rock.
Murres also share the rock withlarger, more aggressive cormorants.
Two species of cormorants, Brandt’s
Cormorants and Pelagic Cormorants,
nest on the rock. Unlike murres,
Brandt’s Cormorants build substantial
nests of sticks and are very aggressive towards any intruder. Brandt’s
Cormorants’ nests are widely spaced
across the rock, and no bird will venture within a necks-reach of a corCalifornia Kayaker Magazine11morant’s hooked-bill, or at least notwithout a serious jab from the nestholder. Murres often nest just beyond
the reach of a nesting cormorant andactually benefit from the cormorant’s
protection of its own nest.

Above: mixture of cormorants andmurres. Notice the space around the all
black cormorants.
Below: Common Murre carrying a fish.
Photos taken by a robotic camera,
which is parts of the Humbolt State
University research project

Relatives of murres in the auk family,such as Cassin’s Auklets and Rhinoceros Auklets, also can be foundon these rocks. Paddlers may see
these auklets on the water; however,their nests will not be visible, eventhough they use some of the samerocks for nesting (for example, Castle
Rock off of Crescent City). Auklets
burrow into the fragile and very limited soils on the rocks. They nest wellunderground and come and go under
the cover of darkness. Their small
size makes them especially vulnerable to predatory birds.
The safety of the rocks for nesting
is often key to seabird reproduction. Murres appear very numerous,
both on the rocks and in the water,
because the individuals are linked
together by use of the same rockfor nesting and that rock’s proximity to the fisheries they use to feedthemselves and their chicks. Thus,a disturbance of any kind during
the breeding season will affect theshared occupants of the rock. Specifically, disturbance from a low flying
aircraft or from watercraft that get too

12www.calkayakermag.com

close to the colony can be disastrous to the reproductive effort of thewhole colony. Often the first sign ofalarm from disturbance is intenseand nervous “head bobbing”—theirheads or whole bodies move in an
up-and-down motion—sometimes
involving the entire colony. Paddlers
who observe head bobbing are too
close to the colony and should moveaway immediately before the birds
take flight from the rock. In the chaosof a mass exodus by distressedmurres, many eggs are damaged orroll away and are lost. In the absenceof the parents, both chicks and eggs
are vulnerable to predation from gulls
and ravens. So, the fate of one nest
can become the fate of most nests
in the colony. A single disturbance
event during the nesting season cancause a significant proportion of thenests in the colony to fail and thatcolony will lose their reproductive effort for an entire year.
There are not many colonies along
our coasts. For example, there are
only nine significant murre colonies
between Trinidad Head and theOregon border (a distance of 75
miles of coast). So it does not takevery many disturbances to impact
the entire population along the coast.
Paddlers can help ensure reproductive success of breeding colonies bySpring 2011

Gulf of the Farallones Seabird Protection Network has a video showing kayakers spooking sea birds
off of rocks and a separate video
showing what happens when sea
birds are spooked (by an unknown
source): www.youtube.com/user/
SeabirdProtection. More information on the Gulf of the Farallones
Seabird Protection Network can befound at farallones.noaa.gov/eco/seabird/welcome.html.
During the breeding season from
April through August, the Castle
Rock (Trinidad) breeding colony ofmurres can also be observed by
web cam at users.humboldt.edu/
rgolightly/research/castle_rock.
html.
Last year, six special closureareas went into effect off of Marinand San Mateo counties as theresult of the enactment of rules
under the Marine Life Protection
Act. These closures are between
Chimney Rock and the Point Reyes
Lighthouse; Point Resistance andStormy Stack on Drake’s Bay; Egg
Rock off of Devil’s Slide; and twoareas at the Farallone Islands.
These closures were all put inplace to protect breeding colonies
for sea birds. See the News sectionof the Spring 2010 issue of California Kayaker Magazine or the MLPA
page at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/
newsroommain.asp for details.

giving them a berth of at least 300
yards during the breeding season.
Murres, cormorants, pelicans andmany other species are all a part of
the wonderful experiences in nature that are accessible by kayak
along the California coast. In suitable ocean conditions, experienced
paddlers can readily and responsibly
view these birds in the water as wellas the murre colonies at various locations from south of Big Sur to past
the Oregon border. As paddlers,Common Murre colonies are often
packed on very tight ledges.
Photo by David Thyberg/Shutterstock

we should be mindful that when weare on the water, we are visiting theplace where these birds feed, reproduce, and complete all the necessities of life. It is their home. As mindfulguests in their domain, we can lookforward to lasting adventures andmemories that follow us when we
return to our own terra firma. v

Richard Golightly is a seabird ecologist
and researcher who is on the facultyof the Wildlife Department at Humboldt
State University. Steve Smith is a professional biologist and avid sea kayaker.
Both are long-term residents of California’s north coast and have spent many
hours boating on the waters near theseabird colonies in northern California.

California Kayaker Magazine

13

News - Continued from page 5time searching the water for people
who are safe at home. If we are able
to contact the owner and verify thevessel was not in use when we foundit, the case can be avoided completely, conserving our Search and Rescue assets,” said Coast Guard Petty
Officer First Class Anthony Kozak.
Clearly labeling all paddle equipmentwith identifying information can also
provide important information the
Coast Guard can use to search, inthe case of a real emergency.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
provides free identification stickers,
which are available at all safe boating classes and events at which the
Coast Guard Auxiliary is participating.
Permanent markers and paint canalso be used to label paddle, boats,and equipment, and multiple contact
numbers are encouraged.
PFDs Required for SUP
Stand-up paddleboards (SUP) aretreated as vessels in the eyes of the
U.S. Coast Guard. This classification, which went into effect 2 years
ago, means that SUP users—when
outside surf or swim zones—are
required to carry a Personal Floatation Device (PFD), a whistle and, if
out after dark, a flashlight to give fairwarning to other boaters that they’rein the area.
Recently, the Human Powered Watercraft Association received a letterof clarification from the United States
Coast Guard that stated “If a paddleboard is used within a designatedswimming, surfing or bathing area,
the Coast Guard does not consider it
to be a vessel.” State and local agencies have long been using “vessel”
status to segregate or ban the useof watercraft from popular swimming
beaches and surf breaks. When the
USCG applied vessel status to SUP’s
it resulted in an unintended consequence where surfers carrying paddles were banned or restricted frommany popular surfing locations.
The vessel designation does not
apply to the racing boards where theusers kneel or lie prone and use theirhands to propel themselves.
The Coast Guard has waived theusual requirement for a manufacturer
to put a Hull ID Number (HIN) on the‘vessel,’ so your SUP does not needan HIN.
NOAA’s BookletChart
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)’s Officeof Coast Survey has released theexperimental BookletChart, downloadable and printable PDF charts
to help recreational boaters locate
themselves on the water. BookletCharts have been reduced in scale anddivided into pages for convenience,but otherwise contains all the information of the full-scale nautical chart.
To download a BookletChart, go to
ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart.
If you print and laminate these, it
may not be more cost effective thanbuying a waterproof chart. Options to
help keep the cost down would be tobuy a waterproof chart case or to use

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Sales • Rentals
WWW.CLAVEY.COM

409 Petaluma Blvd. S
Petaluma, CA 94952
707-766-8070“on your way to Tomales Bay”
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a product like Thompsons Waterproofing in a spray can (spray eachside once, ensuring thorough but not
dripping coverage, hang to dry, andyou should be good to go).
Werner Healthy Waters
Werner Paddles supports several non-profit partners through its
Healthy Waters Initiative. Healthy
Waters allows Werner customers
to direct a portion of their purchaseto a non-profit of their choice. Afterpurchasing a Werner paddle, theconsumer can go to www.wernerpaddles.com and select from a listof non-profits, including American
Canoe Association, American Rivers,
American Whitewater, and Surfrider
Foundation, for Werner to donate toin the purchaser’s name. “We arevery proud of our commitment to thenatural world. Healthy Waters is agreat program for differentiating our
product from the competition while
giving the customer the ability tosupport a non-profit whose focus isaccess, water quality or education”
says Jim Miller, Werner’s Marketing
Manager.
GGSKS Update
Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium took place over the weekend of
February 18-20, 2011. Over the threedays, there were 27 classes with a
total of 232 students (many taking
more than one class). The majorSpring 2011

Some of the classes at the Golden Gate Sea
Kayak Symposium take you under the bridge
ity of these students were from California, but afull quarter were from other areas of the US andCanada.
Sean Morley, one of the organizers, reported“the 3rd annual Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium was a great success despite some unusually cold, wet weather for two of the three days.
The wonderful attitude of the participants andinstructors was rewarded by a gloriously sunny
third day that confirmed San Francisco Bay as
one of the best sea kayaking destinations in theworld. We would like to thank all of our sponsors,
instructors, and of course the participants formaking our third year the best so far and we will
be working hard to make next year’s event evenbetter.”During the Saturday night festivities, there wasa raffle held with a variety of gear prizes, withthe top prize being a Kokatat dry suit. California
Kayaker Magazine and Joe O’ Paddles teamed
up to donate a JoeO Custom Greenland Paddle,
won by Richard H. of Alaska. The raffle raisedover $1400, which was donated to the Marine
Mammal Center. v

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California Kayaker Magazine

15

Damon Mcguire at the “Smack Wall” in Trinidad. This area is known for making large
splashes when waves smack into the wall, followed by a rebound wave that can besurfed. It is relatively safe, as the surf wave goes for a short distance before fizzlingout in deep water.
Photo by Daniel Arbuckle
Camera: Olympus 850SW

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

www.calkayakermag.com

Spring 2011

A large guided tour leaving Channel Island’s Scorpion Anchorage
and hooking up to the Island Packers boat—the concessionaire thattransports visitors from the mainland to the islands—for a tour along a
remote region along the west end of the island.
Photo by Chuck Graham
Camera: Canon EOS 630

California Kayaker Magazine

17

Roll or Drown

An Interiew with Duane StrosakerSelf-portrait taken at one of the oil wells
off of the California CoastT

he first time I saw Duane Strosaker, he washanging upside down from a rope in thebasement of the Hostel used as the base for
the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium.
He was demonstrating Greenland rope skills to an
attentive audience, who then had the opportunity to
try what he demonstrated (and trust me, the skills
are not as easy as he makes them look).
Duane is quite accomplished in Greenland skills, but also
an accomplished overall paddler. Most people think ofrolling when they think of Greenland skills, but Duane isalso quite good at paddling over long distances. Good
enough that California Kayaker Magazine ran an article
by him on this subject in the Winter 2010 issue.
CKM: How did you first get into kayaking?
DS: I bought my first kayak, a sit-on-top, in 1995 forfishing. A year or so later, I bought a sea kayak for morerange. Over time, I fished less and less, and paddled
more and more. For me the draw of sea kayaking is theadventure and camaraderie, things I missed from backwhen I was a paratrooper.
18

www.calkayakermag.com

CKM: Most memorable moment kayaking?
DS: That would have to be the great white shark attack.
Having that sea monster wrap its jaws halfway around mykayak just in front of the cockpit was pretty memorable.
(Editor Note – you can read the full report on this incident
on Duane’s blog at www.rollordrown.com/shark.htm).
But in some ways, kayaking down the Grand Canyon,with all its big rapids, was more traumatic. There wasalso the 44 nautical mile day when I crossed solo from
Catalina Island to San Clemente Island and back, andalong the way back, sort of wondered if I was going to tireout and die in the wind and waves. The solo night crossings in thick fog to seven offshore oil rigs was mentally
the toughest thing I’ve done. Several up close encounterswith huge blue whales were memorable too.
CKM: What do you do for a day job/outside of kayaking?
DS: I’m a burned out licensed private investigator. After
15 years I was fed up with everything being adversarial.
Several odd jobs later, I ended up as a security supervisor at a museum. With lots of vacation time and flexibility for time off, it’s the perfect job for a kayak bum. I’ve
Spring 2011

avoided working in the kayak business, because it would interfere with
my own paddling. I only dabble in thebusiness, like instructing or making apaddle, when it seems fun.
CKM: What type of kayaking do
you like most?
DS: I love crossings and playing inthe surf. Nothing is more wonderfulthan being far offshore on a calm
day and not being able to see land.
You’re committed out there, andeverything is focused on making thecrossing. It’s a long, slow high. The
surf in a sea kayak is fun, because
you’re flying down the waves, getting
pounded, and putting the bracing androlling skills to good use.
CKM: Do you have any kayaking
goals for the future?
DS: Mainly, I just want to have fun
paddling and hang out with friends.
I’m a paddle-where-you-live kind ofguy, so I never think about any far
Based on the bite marks, it was a
LARGE shark...

away exotic trips. All the adventure
I need is right here in California. Butthat doesn’t mean if something cameup that I’d turn it down. I enjoyedtraining for and competing in Greenland Week up in Washington State,
and I might do it again this year. I
usually do an island crossing trip withfriends each year and build a kayak
and few paddles too. Throw in surf,
day paddles, and watching whales,
and there’s always something goingon. Kayaking is a life style and things
just happen.

Santa Barbara Island that I had theright weather for it.

CKM: I have heard you challenging
yourself with the Channel Islands
and with the oil rigs. Can you describe these challenges?
DS: Over several trips I crossed toseven of the eight Channel Islands inSouthern California. I really like being
offshore in a kayak, so naturally theislands were sort of a “because they
are there” thing. Down here the mainthing is to wait for the right weather. It
wasn’t till my fourth planned attempt
at the 34 nautical mile crossing to

The only Channel Island that no one
has reached by kayak is San Nicolas
Island. I was miserable enough aftercoming back from San Clemente
Island that I vowed to never try San
Nicolas, which is also a Navy island
where landing is prohibited. Thatwould require a 50 nautical mile dayfrom Santa Barbara Island to San
Nicolas and back in beam winds thatare typically 15-20 knots. Sometimes
I think about trying, but then I do
“Catalina for Lunch,” a 38 nauticalmile day out to the island and back,and get miserable enough to change
my mind.

My greatest crossing was solo from
Catalina Island to San Clemente
Island and back, a 44 nautical mileday. San Clemente Island is a Navyisland, so landing there is prohibited.
As far as I know, the only other sea
kayaker to cross to that island is Ed
Gillet, who is famous for crossing
from California to Hawaii by kayak.
But I heard he camped at San Clemente Island, so I’m the only one tocross there and back the same day.

After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
disaster near Louisiana, I felt theneed to raise awareness of the 23
offshore oil rigs in Southern California by crossing to all of them. Most of
the oil rigs are 7 or 8 nautical miles
offshore, and I did 3 to 7 of them ata time, so most of the days werearound 25 nautical miles. With theluxury of waiting for the right weather,
it was fun being out there. For moreof a challenge, I crossed to 7 of them
one night, when thick fog unexpectedly made it much more difficult. It
was so dark that I could barely see
my hand in front of my face, andthe bioluminescence coming off mykayak and paddle in the water was
so bright it hurt my eyes to look at it.
Being offshore solo in such darkness,
I really had to focus on staying calm.
To find out my limit for distance, I
paddled 100 nautical miles along thecoast without landing or sleeping.
It took me almost 36 hours. During
California Kayaker Magazine

19Duane competing in the harpoon
throwing competition at Greenland Week
the last 6 hours, the desire to landand sleep on a beach was almost
overwhelming. I kept tricking myself
by saying I’d land on the next beach,
and when I got to that beach, I’d say
wait till the next beach, and so on,
until I actually finished. Sometimes I
get the crazy idea to do that again,
but it goes away.

CKM: What got you into Greenland
kayak skills?
DS: Early in my kayaking career,some friends were using Greenland
paddles (GPs), so I began making
and using them. But back then it was
hard to find instruction with the GP,
so I went back to the Euro paddle
to go through the BCU 3 and 4 Star
sea training and certification proc-

ess. I still dabbled with the GP, but it
wasn’t until the first Traditional Arctic
Kayak Symposium at San Simeon
in 2006, when I saw Dubside do theropes and rolling, that I realized whatincredible kayakers the Greenlanders
are to have created all those different
moves that are hard enough to justimagine, much less think you might
be able to do, and somehow figure

Duane during the rolling competition at Greenland Week
20

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Spring 2011

Duane at at Greenland Ropes
competition at Greenland Weekout a way to actually do them. That began mypursuit to learn all that Greenland style paddlinghas to offer.
CKM: Which of the Greenland skills is yourfavorite and why?
DS: Nothing beats forward stroking. As I like tosay, enjoy every stroke. That applies to rolls too.
Working on the Greenland competition rolling
list is incredibly humbling and the hardest thing
I’ve ever tried. Being upside down underwater inall kinds of awkward positions also makes you
mentally tougher and much more aware of yourbody, kayak, and paddle. But it’s all just a way toexpress yourself. v
Photos from Greenland Week are by Nicole Strosaker,
and the rest are by Duane Strosaker.

California Kayaker Magazine

21

Outfitting Your Boat for Comfort &Control – A Medical Perspective
Part 2 – Standing on Solid Ground

By Gregg Berman

The author demonstrating how the new footbed
described in the article would be positionedW

hy do we only gain the greatest appreciation for something after its absence?
I spend a great deal of time outfitting myboats for comfort and control. Recently
spending long hours in an unfamiliar kayak withoutthat outfitting was a great reminder as to why theeffort was worth it. I developed aches and pains,
including foot and calf cramps and a sore low back,which have become unfamiliar in my outfitted kayak.

In the Winter 2010 issue of California Kayaker Magazine,
we discussed how to alleviate pressure on our sit bones
and fatigued hip flexors by modifying our seat. Let’s
further alleviate pressure points and stressed muscles
created by poor ergonomics with improvements to support our feet.
How would your muscles feel if you were forced tostand tip toe on the balls of your feet from the moment
you awoke in the morning until you climbed back in
bed at day’s end? Worse, imagine being asked not tomove while in that position. This lack of motion createsstatic stress on your muscles, preventing relief provided
through movement. Your calf and foot muscles would
quickly fatigue. If that’s not difficult enough, your support is a rigid and very small platform, measuring maybe
2”x2.5”. That’s the approximate dimensions of the most22

www.calkayakermag.com

common kayak foot pegs and is smaller than a deck ofcards. My own foot, though not very large (men’s sizenine shoes), still measures greater than 4 inches acrossat the ball. This means any stress must be absorbed
across a very small area which creates excessive pressure on the nerves and blood vessels located there. Is it
any wonder paddlers want to take their feet off the footpegs whenever the opportunity presents itself?
Normally we stand with the bulk of our weight supported
on our heels. This distributes the stress to our bones thatprovide the framework of support structures for our bodies, allowing our muscles to just serve as the movers of
those support (bone) structures. Yet in our kayaks mostfoot pegs are designed to have the balls of our feet “rest”
upon them. This is anything but restful. Though you might
not feel it (then again you probably do), your calf muscles
must remain constantly contracted and stressed at least
to some degree while essentially standing on your tip
toes the whole time you are in your kayak.
So you say, “what if I just move my foot pegs to a closer
position to prevent having to hold myself in this tip toe
position?” Actually that makes matters worse as now
instead of the forces being exerted on your extended calfmuscles, these forces are placed on your Achilles tendons as they approach the limits of their functional range.
Spring 2011

Before & After
Add to those issues, foot pegs
installed by manufacturers are madefor the “average” paddler. Of course
who amongst us is average sized?
Depending on your shape and paddling position, the foot pegs might not
be positioned to optimize what little
surface area there is for support. For
example, if you keep your legs andfeet in the typical splayed position
to facilitate edge control, the footpegs may be situated too high to get
the balls of your feet comfortably on
them. You may end up with as little
as a few toes coming in contact withthe pegs. One solution is to remove
the foot pegs, fill in the old holes, drill
new ones and remount the system.
Moving the foot pegs (as I used todo) does not correct the issue of theirsmall size which translates into a
detrimental concentration of pressure. Nor does it correct the issueof keeping our calves in a constantstate of work. There are variations
to the typical foot peg system, someof which have a larger surface area.
This can spread the pressure more
evenly throughout your foot. Changing position for comfort though, is still
limited without taking your foot off thepegs and thus losing your support.
For boats with rudders, your options are somewhat limited. There
are some rudder systems (example:
www.qcckayaks.com/kayaks/rudders.
asp) that remedy this by separating
the foot peg into two parts. Your heel
rests on the stationary portion of thefoot peg for support, while the ball of
your foot controls the rudder with the
moveable portion. For solid support,
this is far preferential to the rudderfoot controls that allow the whole
foot peg to move back and forth on a
track to turn the rudder.
For static foot pegs on boats without
a rudder, to get full foot support you
want a system similar to what is in
use for many whitewater kayaks.
A foam foot cradle mounted on abulkhead offers the best distributionof pressure while allowing much ofthat pressure to be placed in theheels. If you have a composite sea
kayak and the bulkhead is not in theright location, then you can reglass

the bulkhead (or have it done professionally) to wherever you need it.
Be sure to allow room for making apersonalized foam foot cradle (seephotos). Usually an added benefit ofthis is increasing storage space inyour front hatch while reducing thepotential volume of water filling yourcockpit in the event of a capsize.
For plastic boats you can’t simply
glass in a new bulkhead. A glued-in
foam one would quickly be kickedout by the force of your feet pushingagainst it. So in the past I’ve simply
bought a footrest system such aswww.canoesandkayaks.co.uk/product/1831/Bulkhead_Footrest_Dagger.
These are designed for whitewater

Cutting board and aluminum straps formed
to provide extra support for the bulkhead
California Kayaker Magazine

23

The various foot positions available
using the new footbed described inthis article
the foot pegs had been mounted.
Multiple holes can be drilled into thealuminum to make the system adjustable if so desired. Whether you havea composite or a plastic boat the newposition of your bulkhead should be
3 to 4 inches closer to the bow (i.e.
further from you) than where yourfeet would sit to allow enough space
to accommodate the foam foot rest
we’ll make next.

boats, so if this is what you are outfitting, you might be good to go. If you
have a very low volume whitewater,polo, or surf kayak these might be
too big, so instead, simply place the
kayak on end and fill with the foam
described below. Since I’ve not found
any commercial bulkhead foot rests
for larger volume boats, modification is required to fit into most sea
kayaks. For that reason, I decided to24

www.calkayakermag.com

come up with a system of my own.
To provide strength to my bulkhead,
I bought an inexpensive hard plastic
cutting board and whittled the edges
till it fit where I needed it inside theboat. Next, I took two aluminum
bands that were stiff but I was able tobend into shape and affixed those to
the back of the cutting board. I drilledholes in these to mount them where

To do this sit in the kayak and with apermanent marker trace the outlineof your feet on the floor of your cockpit. This tells you the exact location
to place the foam foot rest. You’ll also
want to trace that outline onto a pieceof cardboard for a template. In mycase, I used that template to shape a
combination of closed cell foam and
Tap Plastics (www.tapplastics.com/
shop/product.php?pid=79) expandable polyurethane foam. I used a large

Spring 2011

plastic storage bin as the mold, sprayed the foam in it,
and then sanded that to a perfect fit. I like the expandable foam for its ability to fit to fill any size or shape andrelative low cost. It can also be dyed to any color. The
closed cell foam adds a softer finish and its elasticity
provides greater shock absorption. The specific materials however are purely your choice.
The new footbed cradles your whole foot providing fullbalanced pressure distribution. Since the bulk of thestress is placed on the heels instead of the balls ofyour feet, your calf muscles don’t have to be constantly
taxed. As shown in the pictures it also allows you tochange foot positions and to stretch out your legs as
desired while still having stable support. The pictured
system is based on my style of paddling but can becustomized for whatever foot position you prefer.
With proper outfitting it’s amazing how comfortable yourkayak can be. In my case, many years ago, I herniated three discs in my low back. For that reason, I tend
to be very particular about avoiding poor stress andpromoting good stress to strengthen the core musclesof the back. With the outfitting discussed in this seriesof articles, I’m very happy to say that my boat is oneof the most comfortable places I ever sit. I’ve neverexperienced back pain caused by paddling when in aproperly outfitted boat. With proper ergonomics, despite
my old injury and my penchant for playing in very roughseas, my back actually gets stronger and stronger all
the time. Yours can too, so improve your outfitting andhappy paddling. v

MOUNTAIN SPORTS

Kayak Center
Lake Del Valle
Regional Park

Retail Store2455 Railroad Ave
Livermore, CA 94550• More than 100 kayaks for rent
• Valley Sea Kayaks Regional Demo Center• Hobie Mirage kayaks, all models for rent
• ACA-Certiﬁed Instructors• Guided kayak tours to other locations

Kayaks from Hobie, Valley, Wilderness Systems,
Eddyline, Dagger, Perception, and Ocean Kayak
925-447-8330

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1quarter-page-CAK-20101111-outlines.ai 1 11/11/2010 3:33:16 PM

Gregg Berman is an Emergency Room Registered Nurse,
ACA Level 5 Coastal Kayak Instructor and can be foundpaddling throughout the San Francisco Bay Area playing withhis friends in BASK, guiding with Environmental TravelingCompanions, and working for Sunrise Mountain Sports in
Livermore.
Photos by Gregg Berman and Amy Byers

California Kayaker Magazine25

Advanced Elements
AirFusion Review

Inflatable kayaks (IK) have been around for awhile. In the simplest form, they are made frombags of air that form into the shape of a kayak
when inflated. This provides the benefit of packing down to a small storage size, but a downside isthat they are often slow on the water.

A skin on frame (SOF) kayak is based on the original
kayaks used by native people in Greenland and the
Aleutians, but instead of animal skins on bone frames,
current ones are made of modern materials like ballisticnylon and light-weight wood frames. They are generally
custom made boats to a particular paddler, and usuallyfollow more traditional designs (low volume, very small
cockpit opening, etc.). SOFs are light weight boats, but
come with some limitations (including the big one of limited options for self-recovery from a wet exit – one of thereasons that Greenland paddlers are famous for rolling).

Photo by Rick Flavinquestion remained - does it take the best features of bothtypes of kayak, or the worst?
Boat Set Up
The Advanced Elements boats come with the skin inkayak form, a set of oversized aluminum “tent” poles, apair of thwart bags, a foam floor, and seat. To set up, you
lay out the skin, insert poles, and then inflate the 7 airchambers. The air chambers push the aluminum frames
into their proper locations, which provides the rigidity forthe boat.
The instructions can seem a bit challenging at first, but
aren’t too bad. Make sure you can tell the bow from thestern, which isn’t that easy to tell when the boat is de-

It would be great to have a boat with the positive attributesof both­—light weight, small storage size, and decent
speed—in one boat. Feathercraft, Trak Kayaks, and others
make folding kayaks that are mixtures between IKs and
SOFs and have many of these positive attributes, but withthe one large negative attribute of being rather pricey.
Advanced Elements has been making IKs for a long time.
When we first saw their AirFusion last year, we took a
bit of a double take, as it seemed like it was that mixtureof SOF and IK, but at a reasonable price point. But the26

www.calkayakermag.com

Unassembled kayak all laid out
Spring 2011

Manufacturer’s Marketing Speak:
The AirFusion™ Kayak is designed to rival the performance and speed of skin-on-frame kayaks
while simplifying the setup procedure. Its unique design is a fusion of aluminum alloy framepoles and pressurized air tubes which result in a high performance rigid frame system.
Special Features:• Performance: Aluminum frame, and high-pressure air chambers provide a hull speed comparable to a hard-shell.
• Quick Set Up: Compared to Frame and Skin Kayaks, high-pressure air chambers reduce
frame parts for faster set-up time.
• Durable: Heavy-duty PVC Tarpaulin material for extreme puncture resistance.
• Style: This narrow beam design paddles like a rigid hard-shell kayak.
• Portability: No roof rack needed! Pack in the trunk of your car or fly it to remote destinations.
Specifications:• Length:13’• Width: 25”• Weight: 32 lbs (14.5 kg)• Max Capacity: 235 lbs (107 kg)
Suggested Retail: $850
www.advancedelements.com

flated. PD found that “the poles thatgo down the center are the hardest
to install and take apart. The rest of
the poles assembled without trouble.”down to 15 minutes with practice.

RW commented that “the instructions
could use a little more visual detailon how the thwarts sit in between themain inflation chambers along thesides of the boat. I had trouble withthem misaligning above or below
the rods that ran between the upperand lower chambers.” If the thwarts
are not set reasonably square andaligned with the poles, the kayak will
have wrinkles or bulges in the skinwhich would affect its performance(or at least make it look kind of out of
whack).

KL had this comment on boat fit:
“The foot rest is the front thwart air
bag. The position of this thwart is set
once it is inflated. If you don’t get it
right, you are stuck with it for the day
or else have to release the air fromat least one air chamber, reposition
the front air bag and re-inflate. The
air chambers have to be inflated witha pump that has a gage, and unless
you carry the pump, adjustments are
not possible even if you find a place
to land.” So it is worth getting thisright before you go out, and marking with a magic marker where thefoot rest/thwart should go so you canmake future set ups easy.

How long does it take to set up?
After a couple of times doing it, PD
was averaging 15 minutes and felt
he could probably get it down to 10
minutes. KL and RW both took close
to an hour on their first try, which
dropped to 30 minutes the second
time. They expect they can get it

RW also commented about thwart
placement for proper seating, but
noted that the seat adjusts easily
using the 4 attachment straps. He
also found the seat bottom to be very
flat, but suggested placing an inflated
paddle float under your knees to help
alleviate leg and back soreness (seeboat fit article in Winter 2010 issue of
California Kayaker Magazine).
Having a pump is required, and one
does not come with the kayak. The
instructions say not to use compressors, as there is a chance of overinflation. It is recommended to get apump that both inflates and deflates(all of the ones offered by Advanced
Elements do this). So along with theother standard gear you would needfor a kayak (paddle, PFD, clothing,etc.), you would need to add a pump(most retail for $25 to $35) to yourshopping list with this kayak.
Reviewers
GB – 110 lbs, 5’1”
KL – 125 lbs, 5’ 5”
PD – 220 lbs, 6’ 0”
RW – 170 lbs, 6’2”
KL also let some new paddlers
try the boats – their heights andweights are unknown.
California Kayaker Magazine

27

Tight fit, even for a10” x 3” x 2” dry box

Pluses• Light weight• Compact• Easy to set up and break down
• Decent paddling speed
Minuses• Not enough storage• Could use thigh braces• Needs to be set up properly before starting the paddle, as on thewater adjustment isn’t possible
boat and the spray skirt popped off
right away. Advanced Elements does
have optional thigh straps for someof their boats, but not for this model.

Performance
Most IKs don’t track (go straight)
well, so we looked at this first. And
the AirFusion does track well—comparable to a hard shell kayak ofsimilar length. KL reported “I teach ahalf-day class in recreational boats at
a local shop. Some of these boats as
so short, with beginners the paddlers
follow a zig-zag course. The AirFusion is long enough that the beginners could paddle a straighter line. A
12 year old I took with me leaned his
AirFusion pretty hard at one point,
but the boat forgave him and heavoided a cold water swim.”
RW found that the boat turns on adime, requiring as little as 4 strokes
to turn 180 degrees. Since it is solight, it is easy to accelerate quickly,
and make easy course corrections.
Edging is difficult, due to a lack ofgood thigh bracing.
M

o re

Good

PD also tried rolling and recoveries
with the boat. “I was able to self-recover with it. It should be possible to
do a paddle float self-recovery, but I
am not sure how well the bungee on
the back deck would hold the paddle.
I didn’t try that, but was successful multiple times doing a cowboy
scramble recovery. The boat, evenwith a cockpit filled with water, had
plenty of flotation and seemed morestable than if I was in a similar width
hard shell kayak that was flooded.”
PD was not able to roll it, as he was
not able to stay connected with the!!!

Mo r esiF un

Ok, so it tracks and maneuvers well,
but how about speed? IKs are generally slow. Using a GPS, we foundthat the AirFusion is about as fast
as you would expect from a 13’ long25” wide hard shell kayak. Cruising
speed was 3-3.5 mph and you could
sprint to over 5 mph.

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PD’s weight is close to the maximum
rating for the boat, and felt that whenpaddling the cockpit combing was a
bit lower than he would like. He took
the boat out into the San Francisco
Bay and into a tide rip with 1-2 footwaves, and it was getting towards
the limit of his comfort level for theboat. Thigh straps may have helped
him feel more comfortable.
GB commented that there isn’t any
significant storage area. The only
access to bow and stern is through asmall zipper, which would not allow
access for anything large (and thefront one is partially blocked by oneof the frame poles). Dry bags could
be slipped into the bow or stern before pumping up the thwarts, but thencould only be accessed by deflating
the thwart. Challenge is that there isno place to carry a pump to re-inflate,so this may not be possible. Only
other storage would be at your feet,behind the seat, or strapped on the
deck. So this boat works fine for day
trips, but would not be good for overnight (or longer) trips.
GB also got wet in the cockpit from
paddle drip, and recommends carrying a sponge to dry out the cockpit as
you go. Or you could get the optional spray skirt, which does well at
keeping drip off of you, but does not
attach securely enough to stay on if awave hit your deck.
Disassembly
The actual disassembly goes pretty
Spring 2011

The kayak and gear even fits in thetrunk of a small sports coupe
quickly, probably faster than assembly, so long as you don’t have a lot ofwater to dry or dirt to clean up. RW
suggests using a sponge, as it eases
the removal of any water that finds its
way inside the boat. He also suggests taking advantage of the pump’s
deflation setting, if it has one. “It
helped to remove air with the pump,then close off the valves quickly.
Taking out all the air made the boatmuch easier to roll up and put away.“
Overall Impression
GB liked how it tracked well—much
better than other IKs she has beenin. Yet it was still maneuverable. She
would not feel comfortable in waves,
without some sort of thigh straps tohelp her control the boat.
KL loved the portability. All the boat
parts and the pump fit into a large
duffle. The filled duffle is not light,
but easier to carry than a hard shell
sea kayak. The inflated kayak wasalso much easier to carry than her
sea kayak. Advance Elements lists
the boat at 32 lbs, less than half theweight of her Perception sea kayak.
PD felt that it was an excellent pricefor a boat that stores and travels ina small package, yet still acts like amore traditional sea kayak. He does
wish they would come out with a version that is a foot or two longer, so it

could have a higher weight capacity(though he added that dieting would
also help) and a bit of storage.
RW felt that the AirFusion is acapable little kayak, ideal for mostflat-water situations. With practice, itis easy to setup and take down, andit fits inside the trunk of your car. “Forthose times where you are not venturing out on the ocean, it can be thehandiest boat you’ve ever paddled!”
Who Should Paddle this Kayak
This boat would be recommended forpeople who will use it for day trips onprotected, flat water. It is not recommended for white water or in significant waves. KL stated it well “TheAirFusion was a good boat for thequiet, protected water of the Alviso
Sloughs I tried it in. It’s easy turningand short length are nice for the narrow channels.”
It does set up and take down easily,
so would be good for a person who
has tight storage requirements attheir home or is not able to transport
a full sized, hard shell kayak on theirvehicle. It would be preferable if you
have a place where you have accessto a hose to rinse the boat off andspace to lay the boat out to dry.
It would also make a good second
kayak that could be used when you
have a guest. v
Photos are by California Kayaker, unlessotherwise noted.
California Kayaker Magazine

29

Advertisers Index
Advanced Elements ....................... 15
Aquan Sports.................................... 2
AquanFest....................................... 24
Bay Area Paddlefest......................... 4
California Canoe & Kayak............... 21
Clavey River Equipment................. 14
Cobra Kayaks................................. 31
Delta Kayaks..................................... 9
Eppies Great Race.......................... 32
Eskape Sea Kayaking . .................. 15
Headwaters..................................... 12
Kayak Kauai.................................... 29
Kayak Zak....................................... 28
Kokatat............................................ 21
Liquid Fusion Kayaking................... 29
Sunrise Mountain Sports................. 25
Valley Sea Kayaks.......................... 31
Wheeleez ....................................... 25
30

www.calkayakermag.com

Spring 2011

A Kayak For

Reasons

Cobra Kayaks meets the full range of
on-water paddling needs; surfing fun,serious fishing, diving, touring, highperformance training and racing.

Cobra Kayaks all feature polyethylene hulls for super tough performancewith a LIFETIME warranty to prove it. The self draining reinforced
scuppers throughout give unparalleled hull rigidity and a drier ride.
Customize your Cobra Kayak with our Made in USA seats,
paddles & a full range of assorted hatches.

sTRiKeLengthWidth
WeightCapacitysURF

eLiMiNATOR
LengthWidth
WeightCapacity

Fish N’ Dive

9’ 7 “
27”
34 lbs
230 lbs

16’ 6”
23”
42 lbs
240 lbs

LengthWidth
WeightCapacity

RACe

built in Bait Well!

Fish

12’ 6”
36”
57 lbs
600 lbseXPLOReR
LengthWidth
WeightCapacity

New Marauder includes

FUN

11’ 3”
31”
40 lbs
400 lbs

Call 888.412.6272 or visit www.cobrakayaks.com

THE ORIGINAL BRITISH SEA KAYAK

Visit one of our California Dealers:
San Diego:
Aqua Adventures
Oakland & Sacramento:
California Canoe & Kayak
Livermore:*Sunrise Mountain Sports*
Sunrise is a Valley Sea Kayak Demo Center

www.valleyseakayaks.com

California Kayaker Magazine

31