Always Free							inside:Moss Landing
Boat Outfitting
Rancheria Creek
Making Swimbaits

Winter 2010

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

9’ 7 “
27”
34 lbs
230 lbs

eLiMiNATOR
LengthWidth
WeightCapacity

Fish N’ Dive
LengthWidth
WeightCapacityRACe

16’ 6”
23”
42 lbs
240 lbs

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
2

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

Winter 2010

Volume 1, Issue 4

Contents

Publisher/EditorPeter Donohue
Design & Layout
Laura Ramos www.portalcm.com
Contributing Writers
Gregg Berman, Meade Fischer, Cate
Hathorne, John Kenny, Marna Powell,
Duane Strosaker, and California Kayaker Magazine
Contributing Photographers
Gregg Berman, Amy Byers, David
Calvert, Meade Fischer, Cate Hathorne,
John Kenny, Jeff Laxier, Dominck
Lemarie, Mark Lessley, Tom Middleton,
Jocrebbin, Michael Powers, Duane Strosaker, and California Kayaker Magazine
Psychological Support
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
www.sierranevada.com/about/news.html#WildRivers
Legal Support
Karen A. Lapinski, Attorney
www.LapinskiLaw.com
Find Us
PO Box 282004
San Francisco, CA 94128
Phone: 650-868-8653
Fax: 650-560-2783
Email: editor@calkayakermag.com
www.calkayakermag.com
Copyright © 2010 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.
Kayaking can be a dangerous sport. Dressappropriately, always wear your PFD, andpaddle within your skill level.

9

			

18

		

21

Features

In Every Issue

6 Skills - Greenland
Paddling

4 Editor’s Note

9 Critters from Kayaks Gray Whales
12 Boat Fit - the Seat
18 Surfing Moss
Landing
21 Rancheria Creek
White Water

5 News, Results,
and Calendar
16 Center Hatch
27 Gear - Dry Storage
30 Wet Exit Cartoon
30 List of Advertisers

24 Fishing - Making
Swimbaits

Cover Photo - Current ICF World Freestyle Kayak champion Nick Troutman (redboat) hits the water alongside Junior WorldChampion Jason Craig during the Reno
River Festival. They took first and second
place, respectively, in what is considered
one of the deepest fields of competitive
whitewater athletes in the world.
Photo by David Calvert,
CalvertPhotography.com
Camera: Nikon D300
California Kayaker Magazine

3

Editor’s Note
Welcome Letter
Welcome to the Winter issue of California Kayaker Magazine. Hard to believe that this is the
4th issue (and being quarterly, that means we have finished our first full year). The magazine
is still coming along nicely.
I received an email from a reader regarding last issue’s Leopard shark Critters from Kayaks
article. When we talked about where to go see Leopard sharks from a kayak, we missed oneof the better places – La Jolla. During the summer, it is common to see a school of large Leopard sharks just off the beach – common enough that there are 4 or 5 kayak rental shops there
getting people out to see the spectacle. Sorry about not listing La Jolla.
California Kayaker Magazine has been available online since the first issue. But now rather
than just having a PDF available for download, there is also a version of the magazine thatcan be read using a Flash-based player hosted by a company called Yudu.com. In both PDF
and Yudu, all links are active. So if you want to check out an advertiser or get more informationfrom one of the links with more information in the sidebar of the articles, opening either of theonline versions will let you click to go to the link rather than having to retype the URL.
I am putting this together around Thanksgiving, which makes me think about what I am thankful for. Good health, living in an area where I can kayak year round, etc. are all on the list. But
for the magazine, I am thankful for the many new advertisers in this issue, which are helping
the magazine get closer to breakeven. And I am VERY thankful for the advertisers who havebeen with us for a few issues now, some even showing their support for California Kayaker
Magazine right from the first issue. If you like this magazine, let the advertisers know that you
saw their ad. This way they will know they are spending their advertising dollars wisely.
Happy Paddling!
Peter Donohue
Editoreditor@calkayakermag.com

4

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

w
New Fishing License Process
State fishing licenses can now only
be bought online or from a special
terminal that will be installed at manyof the larger licensing agents. Thoseagents that did not sell at least $6k
worth of licenses a year (or about
150 per year) are not able to get themachine.
Impact – You can get a license online(more convenient), but many of the
shops you may have bought licenses
from in the past may not offer themanymore. Annual licenses will bemailed to you. However, at the endof the transaction you will be able
to print a temporary document for
immediate use until you receive yourlicense in the mail.
On a positive note, earlier this year
the requirement that you wear yourlicense in a visible location wasremoved, but of course you still needto have the license with you when
fishing.
For more detailed information visit
www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/sportfishing.html.

wGolden Gate Sea Kayak
Symposium
Sausalito, CA
Feb 18-20, 2011www.ggsks.com
see ad on page 2

Johnson Outdoors to Support
Fight Against Breast Cancer
As part of their commitment to eradicate breast cancer, Necky Kayaks
and Ocean Kayak (both part of theJohnson Outdoors product family)
donate one percent of the grosssales from their women-specific kayaks to the Breast Cancer Fund, theleading national organization working
to identify and eliminate the environmental causes of the disease.
Since the program’s inception in
2002, Necky Kayaks and Ocean
Kayak have donated nearly $85,000
in cash and products to the Breast
Cancer Fund. Johnson Outdoors donates proceeds from its “designed for
women by women” Necky Eliza andOcean Kayak Venus kayak sales.
Both of these brands look forward tocontinuing the support in 2011.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
California Coastal Cleanup Day is
the premier volunteer event focusedon the marine environment in the
country. In 2010, more than 80,300
volunteers worked together on
Saturday, September 25 to collect
more than 1,100,000 pounds of trash
and recyclables from our beaches,lakes, and waterways. Since California Coastal Cleanup Day started
in 1985, over 800,000 Californians
have removed more than 15 million
pounds of debris from our state’s
shorelines and coast. More information and reports can be found atwww.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/
ccd.html and www.thewatershedproject.org/enewsccdaywrap.html.
News Continued on Page 15

25th Santa Cruz Surf Kayak Festival
Santa Cruz, CA
March 17-20, 2011www.asudoit.com/kayak_fest
To submit news or an event forconsideration to California Kayaker
Magazine, please send basic
information to
editor@calkayakermag.com.

w
U.S. Waveski Nationals
The 2010 U.S. Waveski Open washeld in Ventura on October 15-17,
2010. A waveski is basically a surfboard designed to ride waves while
seated and be propelled with akayak paddle. More information canbe found at www.uswaveski.com/
blog/?p=193
Open (overall winner):
1. Blaire Moore
2. Steve Farthing
3. Tyler Lausten
Top U.S. WaveSki Surfers:
1. Tyler Lausten
2. Geoff Jennings
3. Roger Adams
Women:
1. Wina Duminy
2. Lucy O’Brien
Vets (age 60+):
1. Dennis St. Clair
2. Mike Wright
3. Dick Gallovay
Grand Master (age 50-59):
1. Roger Adams
2. Mike Harrington
3. Eric Luhrs
Master (age 40-49):
1. Blaire Moore
2. Stephen Farthing
3. Jeff Munson
Seniors (age 30-39):
1. Morne Eramus
2. Geoff Jennings
3. Francois Duminy
New Age (age 21-29):
1. Tyler Lausten
2. Kevin Mackinlay
3. Jim Gaffney
MERV (finless boats):
1. Jim Grossman
2. Mike Harrington
3. Rick Haley

Kayakers cleaning up Marina del Rey
photo by Mark Lessley

Kayak:
1. Jim Grossman
2. Vincent Shay
3. Geoff Jennings
California Kayaker Magazine

5

The Greenland Paddle
Not Just for Rolling

By Duane StrosakerA selection of Greenland Paddles
Photo by California KayakerThere is no doubt about the effectivenessof the Greenland paddle (GP) for rolling.
But in the world of sea kayaking, where theforward stroke is king, don’t underestimate
the long, narrow blades of the GP. They are as effective for paddling as they are for rolling. Just thislast summer, Joe O’Blenis used one to take backthe speed record for circumnavigating Vancouver
Island. With proper technique, the GP is silent,smooth and efficient for cranking out the miles. If
you’ve been paddling with big blades and would liketo try the skinny stick, here are some tips to makethe transition easier.
Holding Between the Ends
The GP is meant to be held up and down the full lengthof the paddle, so I’m hesitant to describe a normal place
to hold it. But there is a place to hold the paddle in between the times your hands are sliding back and forth.
This place is with the thumb and forefinger of each handwrapped around where the shaft meets the blades. The
other fingers wrap over the top edge of the blades. Thisway you’ll know the blade orientation by feel and be centered to quickly extend the paddle either way.
6

www.calkayakermag.com

No More Kerplunk
If you’ve been using a feathered paddle, the first thing
you might notice when using a GP is a kerplunk as theleft blade enters the water at an awkward angle andsplashes. Switching to unfeathered paddling takes somegetting used to. The trick is to relax the grip on the righthand as soon as the right blade exits the water. The left
hand now becomes the control hand while the paddle
spins freely in the right hand, allowing the paddle to beheld at any angle, low or high. Then as soon as the left
blade exits from the water, relax the grip on the left hand
and the right hand becomes the control hand. Switching
control hands with each stroke is symmetry at its best,and you’ll lose that big callus knob on your right thumb.
Getting Off the Treadmill
There are few things more hilarious than watching a big
blade paddler try a GP for the first time and look likehe’s on a treadmill. You can’t start cranking back on thepaddle as soon as the tip hits the water. Air gets pulled
down behind the blade, creating a trail of air bubbles anda scratching sound, and most of the cranking power islost before the paddle has maximum bite. The trick is toplant the blade quickly and smoothly into the water at
Winter 2010

least twelve inches before cranking
on it. When no air bubbles follow theblade, the stroke is silent, and there’s
lots of bite, the paddle is telling you
the stroke was started right.
Putting Spin on It
When a GP flutters, it is because
it can’t decide which edge of theblade to let the water flow over, so
it switches the flow back and forth.
To resolve this problem, think of how
ping pong players put spin on the ballwith a slicing motion from the paddle.
As you paddle with a GP, put a slightangle on the blade to allow the water
to flow over just one edge of theblade. This makes a slicing motionthat creates lift and allows the paddle
to find new water to push against,
much like a wing paddle. But better
than a wing paddle, a GP can slice
both outwards, with water flowing
under the bottom edge of the blade(wing paddle style), and inwards withwater flowing over the top edge ofthe blade.
For the wing style stroke, with theblade slicing outwards and waterflowing under the bottom edge of theblade, let the blade drift away fromthe kayak while rotating through thestroke. While the wing style stroke
works with the GP, I find the paddle ismore powerful with the blade slicing
inwards and water flowing over the
top edge of the blade. This style ofstroke is done with the bottom handpulling straight back and close to the
kayak. Because the top hand crosses
over the deck during rotation and thebottom hand stays close to the kayak,
the blade in the water draws slightly
closer to the kayak through the stroke.
Holding the paddle with the top edgeof the blade canted forward slightly
helps direct the stroke. The slicing
and cant are subtle and take practice,
but finding the sweet spot results insmooth and powerful strokes.

up useless in the air. The genius of
the GP is that the blades are designed to be held with the hands sliding back and forth to vary the widthof the grip and extend the paddle totake advantage of its full length.
The sliding stroke is useful for getting
more power with a wider grip andgetting the blades deeper into thewater for more bite. It’s sort of likeswitching into a higher gear. To do
the sliding stroke, as the right blade
exits the water, relax the grip on
the right hand and slide it out onto
the blade about six inches, which
extends the paddle out to the left.
Take a stroke on the left side, and as
the left blade exits the water, slide
the right hand back in where theshaft meets the blade. Now relax thegrip on the left hand, slide it out onto

Gripping with thumb and forefinger
where the shaft meets the blades
the blade about six inches, and takea stroke on the right side. Repeat
to continue the sliding stroke. Remember that the sliding hand returns
to where the shaft meets the blade
before the other hand slides out on
the blade. Although the sliding stroke
is tedious at first, with practice you
won’t even realize you’re doing it. A
single sliding stroke also works nicely
as a corrective stroke to keep the
kayak going straight.
When wind or waves knock the kayak far off the heading, nothing getsit pointed back in the right direction
faster than the far reaching sweep
Demonstrating the sliding stroke

Using More Than Just Half of thePaddle
The funny thing about kayak paddles
is that one blade is usually sticking
California Kayaker Magazine7

stroke from an extended GP. Extend
the paddle to the left by sliding theleft hand to the right hand, and thensliding the right hand out towards theend of the blade. Return to the unextended position by sliding the righthand to the left hand, and then sliding the left hand to where the shaft
meets the blade. Remember, while
one hand is sliding, the other one isholding the paddle. Extending the GP
also makes high and low braces very
powerful.

shorter people will need to go longer.
Most GP lengths are 84 to 90 inches.
The width of the shoulders is typicallyused for the shaft length, but I findthis measurement too narrow and goa few inches wider. Shaft lengths areusually 19 to 24 inches. The blades
shouldn’t be wider than you can
comfortably grip with your hands toextend the paddle. Most blades arearound 3½ inches wide.

As mentioned earlier, there really
isn’t a normal position to hold the GP.
If your hands aren’t sliding back andforth, unglue them.

These tips should help you get
started paddling with a GP, but
nothing replaces the experience of
cranking out the miles with one. Backwhen I was using both types of paddles, I noticed that my GP paddling
improved my big blade paddling by
making me more aware of what I wasdoing. But eventually the big feathered blades seemed like a hindrance,
and the long, narrow blades madeevery stroke that much more enjoyable. The countless generations ofGreenlanders who survived by hunting from their kayaks would agree. v

A Little about Sizing
Body measurements are commonlyused for sizing a GP. I like a paddle
blade a little shorter, with a shaft alittle longer, than typically prescribed.
So while body measurements are agood place to start, don’t fuss overthem too much. If the sizing is a bit
off with the first paddle, your stroke
will adapt, and you’ll have an idea of
which way to go for the next one.
Paddle length is typically as highas you can reach while standing
with the fingers of one hand curledover the end of the paddle, but taller
people will need to go shorter andNothing like Using It

Duane Strosaker resides in Irvine, CA.
His favorite types of paddling are crossings and surfing, and he does both witha Greenland paddle. Visit his website atwww.rollordrown.com.

Showing the typical paddle length
For more info on GPs and how tomake them:www.qajaqusa.org/Equipment/paddles.html

Photos of Scott Brown modeling the GP
are by Duane Strosaker

The paddle of choice ofprofessional sea
kayaker, Helen Wilson

Greenland Paddles...

where will you take yours?

• Greenland Paddles • Storm Paddles• Rolling Sticks • T-Sticks

www.joeoblenis.com
8

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

Encounters with
Leviathan

By Mary Jane Schramm

Gray whale in British Columbia
Photo by Shutterstock/Tom MiddletonThe female Gray whale slid
through gunmetal gray water past
the jutting Point Reyes Peninsula, tinsel
streamers of rain pockmarking the turgid
ocean swell. Gulls hovered overhead, kiting andwheeling before cutting away again. Gravid with
calf, in her hurry to reach the safety and buoyancy
of Baja’s calving lagoons, the whale ignored themales’ intent upon engaging her in mating. Withmeasured urgency she maintained a speed of three
to five knots, and a regular rhythm of four to six
breaths, or blows, per minute, diving at three-tofive minute intervals. Having traveled much farther
north to feed, she will not reach the calving lagoons
before her calf arrives. If lucky, the cow-calf pair will
be able to withstand winter storms and escape killer
whales en route to the Baja lagoons and safety, andpass our shores once again this spring.

Each winter as the solstice approaches, many Californians anticipate the migration of the Gray whales past ourshores, signaling the advent of a new year. The majority of the Eastern Pacific Gray whale population makes
its stately progress twice each year past the California
coast. In late fall and winter, having laid down a several
inch thick layer of insulating and nourishing blubber, theyhead south from the Arctic’s Bering and Chukchi seas totheir sheltered winter breeding lagoons in Baja California. Then, in late winter and spring, mating and calving
accomplished, they begin their trek north again to resume
feeding throughout the summer and early fall in highlatitude waters.
The most coastal of the large whale species, their pathtakes them through the Gulf of the Farallones National
Marine Sanctuary just beyond the Golden Gate, using
our waters as a marine superhighway. But this pattern ischanging.
Warming ocean temperatures in the Arctic are hastening
polar ice cap melt. Consequently, the nourishing amphipods–tiny mud-living marine invertebrates on which

Graysfeed–aredisappearing fromthe Grays’ traditional
feeding grounds. Amphipods
feed on dead marine plants, or algae,that rain down from the underside of the ice
sheet. When the ice sheet shrinks, the amphipods disappear, and Gray whales must seek sustenance elsewhere.
Some Grays have begun to stall out along the migration
path, utilizing coastal waters in a different way. Instead ofmarine superhighways, these waters are now becoming“seafood buffet” tables. In addition to–or as an alternative
to–amphipod-laden mud, changing conditions have caused
Grays to switch to other prey such as swarms of mysid
shrimp, or even herring roe slurped from kelp fronds.
Beginning in the early 1960s, small ‘summer resident’populations of Gray whales began to linger in various
spots along their travel route: In 1962 Grays establisheda feeding site off western Vancouver Island. Later, Grays
began to over-summer at the South Farallon Islands, andin sheltered bays and inlets along the coast, including
Tomales Bay and San Francisco Bay. These opportunistic
meals can be high-risk propositions. Gray whales, alreadyvulnerable to shipstrike because of their near shore migration, are now targeted by curious boaters and paddlers
eager for a closer look. Careless whale watchers could
disturb the whales even as they attempt to eke out a hardscrabble existence. And the danger to small craft operators
posed by a 40-ton whale should not be ignored.
Another concern: what foods are they finding in these
newfound feeding spots? Is there enough to sustain
them, or are these “junk food” pit stops? And are thewhales ingesting toxins or bacteria? Scientists are currently looking at this.
California Kayaker Magazine9magnificent creatures while helping
to assure their survival in the face ofa changing ocean climate.
How to spot Gray whales

Gray whale in San Francisco Bay
Photo by California KayakerSome researchers note that a melting Arctic ice cap may open up more
northerly feeding grounds, allowing
Gray whales to forage in the path of
the receding ice. The most dramatic
example is the solitary Gray whalesighted in May 2010 off Israel. It’s
likely that it overshot the Arctic via
the newly ice-free Northwest Passage, and found itself in the Atlantic,
where it veered south and into theStraits of Gibraltar and Mediterranean beyond.
While we are still studying the responses and adaptations of the Gray
whale to a changing ocean climate,
we are advised to be cautious any
time we may come into contact withwhales, and give them distance andrespect as they struggle to survive.
Gray Whale FactsThe Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, is alone in the Family Eschrichtiidae, and may be one of the oldest surviving cetacean families. Two stocks,
or populations, remain: the Northeast
Pacific stock off North America, and
the Western Pacific stock, off Russia
and Asia. The North Atlantic stock disappeared in the 17th or 18th century,
perhaps helped into extinction by
European and Yankee whalers.
E. robustus is a mid-sized whale,
reaching around 50 feet and nearly
40 tons, with a streamlined body, nar10

www.calkayakermag.com

row tapered head, and arched upper
jaw. Its dark skin has gray patcheswith white mottling, often scratched,with patches of barnacles and orange
whale lice. Newborn calves are a
glossy dark gray to black. Grays lacka dorsal fin, but instead sport a ridgeof knuckles extending from mid-backto the flukes (tail).
The Gray whale is a mysticete, or“mustached” whale like many large
whale species, lacking teeth, butusing bristle-like plates hanging
from inside its upper lip as a sieve. It
engulfs great mouthfuls of food andsilt, often gouged from the seafloor,
but sometimes gulped from the watercolumn. The food is then trappedbehind the baleen plates, while silt
and seawater are spit out.
Conservation Status
Its specialized behaviors–its fidelity to breeding sites and its nearshore habits–have rendered theGray whale unusually vulnerable toexploitation. Whaling brought theGray whale to the brink of extinction
several times until it was protectedby international treaty. Although their
numbers once recovered to nearly
27,000, about one third of the Gray
whales died between 1999 and 2000,
many malnourished. The reasons arestill not fully understood. They now
number around 19,000.
By using binoculars to assure a goodview, and leaving the whales undisturbed, you can enjoy seeing these

Gray whales can sometimes be seenfrom a kayak. Often the thing you will
see is it’s bushy blow, which looks
like a puff of white smoke about 10
to 15 feet high, since very little of thewhale itself is visible at the surface(particularly when you are sitting
low in a kayak). A whale may surface and blow several times before
a prolonged dive, typically lastingfrom three to six minutes. On its last
surfacing, sometimes you will see thefluke as it starts its deep dive.
Grays generally migrate south past
our coasts in December and January.
During this time, they are often a halfmile to a few miles off shore. Males
and non-breeding females migrateback north in March, at about thesame distance from shore. Mothers
follow after their calves have grownstrong enough to do the migration,around April-May. Cow-calf pairs stayvery close to shore, and may evenpause in quiet coves for the calf tonurse or rest. They may even rollamong the breakers in the surf zone-- which could provide refuge or asound-screen to protect against killer
whales that patrol the coast.
If you want to watch from a kayak, beaware that Gray whales are federally
protected, with serious consequences for those who violate the rules.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act(MMPA) of 1972 prohibits the “taking” of marine mammals, including
whales. “Take” has been defined as“the act of hunting, killing, capture,
and/or harassment of any marine
mammal; or, the attempt at such.”
MMPA has given National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) the enforcement powers tomake sure whales are protected.
Kayakers in the 21st Century aren’t
usually out hunting for whales, but
can possibly be in violation of the
MMPA by harassing them. Because
Winter 2010

our boats are very quiet, we cansometimes get very close to whales
before they notice us. But this stealthapproach is also the tactic that Killer
whales use, so Gray whales may
be surprised by your approach (andcould possibly react violently in
defense).
The NOAA Office of Protected
Resources has issued guidelines forboaters:• Remain at least 100 yards fromwhales.
• Never separate a whale cow fromher calf.
• Limit your time observing an animal to 1/2 hour.
• Marine mammals should not be
encircled or trapped between boats
or shore.
In addition to these guidelines you
can also make sure you are notharassing the animal by ensuringthat nothing you do causes the whale
to change its behavior, even if thismeans staying further away than theguidelines listed above.
If you are not sure about finding
whales and behaving correctly whenaround them, it may be easier totake a guided kayak whale watch
tour (see box for information on tour
companies).
Below is a list of some of the kayak
companies that have whale watch
kayaking tours:

Baleen visible on a spy-hopping Gray whale in Baja
Photo by Shutterstock/ jocrebbin
Or you can increase you chances ofseeing whales even more if you go on
one of the whale watch cruises (often
on fishing boats), which launch frommost every major port in California.
And there is always the option ofviewing these whales from shore,
which you can’t do with most otherwhales. At the right time of the year,
Grays can be seen from just about
any shoreline, though you can increase your chances if you gain a little elevation (view from a bluff, rather
than a beach) and go to a point ofland that sticks out (possibly bringing
you closer to the whales). v

Mary Jane Schramm is a whale watch
naturalist and media specialist for
NOAA’s Gulf of the Farallones National
Marine Sanctuary. She has led whale
and wildlife expeditions off California and
Mexico.

Learn more at: farallones.noaa.gov,
and at www.acsonline.org/issues/
grayWhales/index.html
A video of the Gray whale in San
Francisco Bay can be seen at
calkayakermag.blogspot.
com/2010/11/graywhale.html

Gray whale in San Francisco Bay
Photo by California Kayaker

Arcata Area:• Humboats• KayakZak (pg 14)
Mendocino Area:• Liquid Fusion Kayaking (pg 29)
Bay Area:• Clavey Paddlesports (pg 13)
Monterey Bay area:• Kayak Connection• Venture Quest
San Diego area:• Hike Bike Kayak• Aqua Adventures
Companies in bold are advertisers.
California Kayaker Magazine

11

Outfitting Your Boat for Comfort &Control – A Medical Perspective
Part 1 – Sit Bones and Hip Flexors
By Gregg Berman

I

Thigh support placed providing support to hips, butt, and thighs

had just launched on an eight-day kayak
trip paddling through beautiful areas of theEverglades and parts of the Florida Keys. The
wind was light, the azure skies were sunny
and clear and the water was wonderfully warmin this near tropical climate. It seemed an idyllic start
to my journey.
Regrettably, I was in a new boat and had not spent any
time outfitting it. Within my first few hours on the water
I had progressively lost sensation in both my legs. The
symptoms extended from the tips of my toes to above mywaist on both sides of my body, accompanied by a burning pain that extended throughout my legs and butt. I had
never experienced symptoms so severe, and I certainly
didn’t want to struggle with it for eight days. I seriously
considered ending my trip right then. Thankfully anotherpaddler gave me some wonderful advice that largely
eliminated my complaints and allowed me to complete thetrip. So what was this great advice? Before I answer, let’s
discuss what caused these symptoms in the first place.
Most of us have experienced some sort of discomfort
while paddling, even if not typically as severe as thedescription above. We may have gotten out of our boats
a little stiff or with a sore spot here or there. Any little irritation may diminish the enjoyment we feel while kayaking. In this two-part series we’ll discuss some of the mostcommon maladies, their causes and how we can outfit
our kayaks to best prevent them.
12www.calkayakermag.com

A Medical perspective on Leg Numbness
The factors creating leg numbness go by a variety ofnames including piriformis syndrome, sciatica, peripheral
and/or entrapment neuropathies, nerve compression
syndrome, limb paresthesia, and more. No matter what
you call it though, the underlying ideology stems from thesame set of factors, namely compression of the nerves
and blood supply running down the leg. The sciatic nerve
essentially runs from the spine down the buttock and continues down the back of the leg. Along its path it comesin close proximity to the ischial tuberosity or “sit bones”
and travels under or over a wide variety of muscles in the
buttocks and thigh including the piriformis muscle. Inflammation of any of these areas in addition to the directcompressive forces of sitting can impede blood flow andnerve conduction causing pain, numbness and the pinsand needles sensation.
One way to limit these effects is with proper and consistent stretching of the hamstring muscles. Doing so canprevent the tightness that not only creates its own pressure but also leads to minor or sometimes major muscle
spasms that can further irritate the sciatic nerve. Of coursethat knowledge doesn’t help while you’re sitting in yourboat feeling uncomfortable. Fortunately, there is an easysolution you can do even while on the water. Simply inflate
your paddle float under your knees and slide it back towards the front edge of your seat until you find the desireddegree of support. This is what saved me on my eight-day
Winter 2010

trip. It sounds ridiculously simple but
it’s amazingly effective. There arealso commercial devices such as
Seal Line’s thigh cushion support orEric Jackson’s Happy Seat.
The float allows for a natural bendin the knee. This all by itself relieves back pressure (more on thislater) and also allows the hamstring
muscles to relax. Try sitting on thefloor with your legs straight in front ofyou, no bend in the knee. Now try thesame thing but bend the knees. For
most of us the latter position will be
far more comfortable. Of course you
can hold your legs in that position
without use of the paddle float but
this would further tax the hip flexors
which are already overworked frommaintaining the seated position. Over
time these hip flexors become shortand tight which results in a conditionof unwanted reciprocal weakening of
non-engaged gluteal muscles. At thesame time, compensatory muscles
such as the piriformis and related
muscles enlarge. This isolated
enlargement of certain muscles canincrease impingement of the sciatic
nerve. The paddle float prevents thatby allowing your hip flexors to relax.
When not on the water, we can doeven better with our outfitting. Many
kayak seats are essentially nothing
more than a hard, basically flat pan
with an often overly large and overly
tall backrest. These features also
increase the strain on the hip flexors
as well as greatly increasing the direct pressure to your sit bones. This
direct pressure can create an inflammation of the bursa, the protective
pads that provide lubrication between
the ischial tuberosity (the bones felt
near the juncture of your hamstring
and buttocks while in the seatedposition) and the tendons that moveover it. This is yet another potential
source of irritation of the sciatica.
Imagine driving your car for long periods if your seat was not much more
contoured than a board with a mild
depression carved into it like those
old wooden school chairs. Likely you
wouldn’t be able to sit in it comfort-

Commercial options for thigh support include (clockwise from top) the Jackson Kayak Happy Seat with built in tube to inflate after placing under legs,
Seattle Sports paddle float (with a custom inflation tube attached), and theSeal Line self inflating Kayak Thigh Support Cushion.
ably for very long. Instead your car
seat is designed to rise in the front,
up under your knees as well as bescooped near the buttocks while also
providing lumbar support. We can dothis in our kayaks as well. Though
sea kayaks and surf kayaks are progressing, most whitewater boats are
far more advanced in terms of ergonomic design. Whitewater boats typically have a seat pan heavily scooped
out in the rear, with a gradual rise
towards the front where it rests under
the hamstrings.
If you’re lucky enough to have thisscooped out type of seat the addi-

tion of the paddle float may be all
the modification you need. The stockseats in both my sea and surf kayaks
were very flat, creating lots of pressure on my sit bones. My legs would
fall asleep to some degree on anything more than a very short paddle.
The use of the paddle float greatly
alleviates this but we can go a stepor two further. If you are handy withfoam shaping or fiberglassing, you
can find some very good web sitesthat explain in detail how to makea seat with a perfect fit using thosemethods.
If like me, you are endowed with nei-P A D D L E S P O R T SClasses • Tours
Sales • Rentals
WWW.CLAVEY.COM

409 Petaluma Blvd. S
Petaluma, CA 94952
707-766-8070“on your way to Tomales Bay”
California Kayaker Magazine

13

Examples of a flat pan seat (left) that will offer little support thus creating pressure points versus a more ergonomic seat that will reduce pressure points bysupporting your frame more evenly.
ther of those talents, finding a stockseat to use that is comfortable can be
an easier option. I had a selection of
my own boats to compare between,
but even if you don’t have boats ofyour own to choose from, your local
shop can provide seats to try. I took
the seats out of boats and placed
them on flat ground to isolate only
what I was feeling in the seat without
other aspects of the boat fit interfering with my selection process.
Often whitewater seats have a moreergonomic design, so they are worth
considering. And don’t be afraid
to call the manufacturer. They candefinitely provide seats from newer
model kayaks and they often haveseats for discontinued models cluttering their warehouses. They’ll typicallysell discontinued seats at amazingly
cheap prices (at least until word getsout about how valuable they are –sokeep this quiet). If they don’t have themodel seat you’re looking for they’lltell you the closest current production
seat to the one you like.

In the end the best seat is simply
the one that comfortably cradles
you without creating undo pressure
on your sit bones. The scooped out
nature of the seat along with the
upward slope towards the front,
when combined with the paddle float,
provides for even weight distribution

G o o d ! !!

More FM

u n isore

I ordered seats to outfit both my sea
kayak and my surf kayak. Simple
modifications needed to be done toboth seats so they would fit inside
the boats. In my case, I reduced
the width with a hack saw and thensanded smooth the sharp edges.
If you are planning to surf or rockgarden, you may want to beef up
the underside with expandable foam(available from TAP Plastics, among
other places) and cover the seat witha three-quarters of an inch layer ofclosed cell foam. This extra strength
will help prevent the seat from cracking and provide extra shock absorption to protect your spine from hard
jarring forces common if bouncing
down waves or in rock gardens.

and better paddling posture. Not only
can this translate into a much more
comfortable ride, but you’ll likely findyou have better control of your kayak
as well, no matter what type of paddling you do.
In Part 2 of the article we’ll further
your boat comfort and control withideas for outfitting your backrestsand foot rests. v
Gregg is an Emergency Room Registered Nurse, ACA Level 5 Coastal Kayak
Instructor and can be found paddlingthroughout the Bay Area playing withhis friends in BASK, guiding with Environmental Traveling Companions, andworking for Sunrise Mountain Sports in
Livermore.
Photos by Gregg Berman and Amy Byers

Guided Tours
Lagoon Rentals
Family Fun!

www.kayakzak.com
14

Jackson Kayak Sweet Cheeks, Thermarest Camp Seat, and REI LiteCore Sit Pad are some of the options
to reduce pressure points createdby a flat pan seat without creating
a whole new seat. Place these overthe existing seat to conform to yourshape. Also great to create a moresnug fit for better boat handling.

www.calkayakermag.com

in Humboldt County

Resources:
Making a seat out of fiberglass:www.kayakforum.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/guille/wiki.pl?Making_A_Seat707 498-1130

Making a custom seat out of foam:
www.isomedia.com/homes/gadfly/
kayak2.htm
Winter 2010

News - Continued from page 5
The next California Coastal Cleanup Day is scheduled for
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Support Strokes Raises Over $25k to Fight Breast
CancerSupport Strokes began as a result of a desperate needto save one couple’s home and pay bills following a fatal
misdiagnosis of a young woman in her late 20s. The paddling community acted swiftly and generously to stave
off imminent financial collapse and provide a support
structure allowing her final days to be filled with quality
care and the richness of family and friends. That paddler
lost her battle with breast cancer in May of 2001, but thefight against breast cancer is not over. There is still a lotof paddling to do before breast cancer becomes a thingof the past.
In 2010, over 120 paddlers went around Alameda Islandor paddled on the short courses within the OaklandAlameda Estuary. Pledges received to date exceeded$26,000, bringing the grand total to over $500,000 since
the event was first held in 2000. More information can befound at www.calkayak.com/supportstrokes/?go=info.
Sea Trek Regatta and Paddle-a-Thon
196 paddlers came out for the 29th Annual Sea TrekRegatta and Paddle-a-Thon to raise money for Environmental Traveling Companions’ (ETC) accessible outdoor
adventure programs.

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

Races that challenged paddlers and a raffle of a Feathercraft kayak, week long trip in Baja, and more helped
raise over $27,000 this year, bringing the total to over
$400,000 since the event started 29 years ago.
All proceeds enable ETC to provide scholarships topeople with disabilities and disadvantaged youth in their
outdoor adventure and education programs. Every year,
more than 2,100 people with special needs discover thechallenge and beauty of the great outdoors on ETC sea
kayaking, river rafting, cross-country skiing, or youth
LEAD adventures! More information on ETC and theRegatta can be found at www.etctrips.org/regatta/
California Kayaker Magazine Adds Resource Page to
its Website
There are some websites that kayakers go to frequently
to get information they need before they go paddle. California Kayaker Magazine has compiled a list of these andposted them at www.calkayakermag.com/resources.html.
Bookmark this page, and whenever you need to find out
whether a river is running, check water temperatures, or
see if the waves and tides are such that you can have agood paddle, you can find all the information you needfrom this one site.v
California Kayaker Magazine

15When professional kayak guide (and author of the boat fitting article on page 12) Gregg
Berman assured his friend, a class IV river boater, that landing through the big wintershorebreak at Moss Beach along the rugged northern California coast would be a piece of
cake, no one expected the look of sheer terror that appeared on her face when their inflatabledouble kayak suddenly did a nose stand in the rambunctious shore break. A moment later
they landed safely (and right side up) on the beach.
Photo by Michael Powers
Camera: Cannon EOS 20D

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

Winter 2010

Duct tape kayak at the Kern River Festival. This unknown paddler
made the boat by duct taping a bunch of empty water bottles
together, and got about a 2-minute ride before being flipped over.
Photo by Dominck Lemarie
Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mark III

California Kayaker Magazine

17

Mossy Surfby Meade FischerOn a recent, sunny, early spring day, I
walked up the dune from the parking lot
at Moss Landing to find Buck Johnson,
winner of the Masters Long Boat WorldChampionship in Spain in 2007, in the water with his
surf buddy Rick Starr. They were ripping the small,
two to four foot waves in their traditional closed surf

kayaks. So after taking a couple of photos, I quickly
suited up and joined them. It was good to see kayaks in the water on a Friday morning.
Until about a year ago, there was a tight group of Moss
Landing regulars, kayak surf buddies who met at least
once a week to ride these somewhat special waves.
Saturday mornings at 9:00, there would be from sevenor eight, up to fifteen or more men and women gathering
at the Sandholdt parking lot to ride a break that was fairto good as often as not. With decent waves, there would
also be 15 to 25 boards in the water. Sometimes a groupwould show up on Friday, often Sunday also.
I got introduced to kayak surfing a half dozen years ago,
when my ocean kayaking friend, Bix, told me to drop by
and check it out. At the time I was a long board rider,but sitting in the line up, watching kayaks rip waves that
I’d paddled for and missed, made me give it a second
thought.
At that time Bix and a few others were using sit-on-top
surf boats and it looked like fun, so I picked one up fromthe local outfitter. Other folks were in the short, closed
surf boats, but since I never learned the roll, I didn’t seriously consider one of those. In that mix were some riverboats and a couple of wave skis, which look more likesurfboards on steroids.
Although we all surfed other places from time to time, weloved Moss because of the nice peaks with fast lefts andrights. A big plus was that just a few yards north of the break,the surf almost totally died, except for a small shore break,making paddling out a cinch, even on fairly large days.

18

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

For four years, a congenial mix ofpeople, some retired, a few still quite
young and a great young couple,
recent transplants from South Africa,
met each weekend, surfed when
there were waves and gathered afterat the local Surf City Coffee shop fora snack and surfing trash talk.
Over time, more and more of thesefolks moved from other types ofboats to wave skis, but I never tiredof my sit-on-top, truly a boat for allseasons. The guy from South Africa
used to show up alone with the same
type of boat as I, but soon his lovely
wife joined him, and they purchased
two new wave skis. She was juststarting out, but soon, with her aggressive approach to riding, Vena,
was out surfing her husband and had
become one of the best in the line
up. After two years, she won a local
contest.
A year or so ago, I’d show up andfind some of the regulars missing,and soon it wasn’t a must gathering on Saturday. Often, being in aposition to surf during the week, I
started to skip Saturday altogether.

On a good weekday or weekend, afew kayak surfers would show up,
but it was hit or miss, and I often findmyself in the water with only board
surfers, but at Moss, board andkayak surfers get along.
The south side of the Moss Landing Harbor is a mellow place, where
boards and boats share the water.
The place has both kinds of regulars,
and boarders like Donny and Mandy
are part of the Moss crew and are
our friends. The other side of the harbor mouth, the Dunes side, is almost
all board surfers, and there are folks
over there who regard kayakers asinterlopers.
The place is fun from two feet tooverhead, when the waves are hollow “pipes”, which is the name somelocals use for the break. Conditions
are dependent on the sand bars thatbuild up right in front of the parking
lot. If the currents and storms havebeen kind, they produce perfectwaves where the left and right shoulders mirror each other, and you canhigh five a buddy before taking off in
opposite directions.

Directions: From the Highway One
bridge in Moss Landing, go south.
Turn on Moss Landing Road (at theWhole Enchilada Restaurant). Go a
block, and turn right on Sandholdt
Road. Cross the bridge and immediately turn left into the parking lot for
Sandholdt Parking Lot for Salinas
River State Beach.
If you are new to surf kayaking, it isadvisable to understand the surf etiquette before going out. Below are a
Bay Area and San Diego area source
for information on kayak surfing:• www.bask.org/surfing• www.sdkc.org/surfing/surfing.php
This sand bar break is just off theparking lot. In the winter it’s often
shoulder high when a hundred yards
south, there are ten foot boomers impossible to paddle through. However,in the summer, when the main breakis often too small, surfable waves are
just a short paddle south, where anice left peels off.
While you never know who you’llsee, if anyone, on a given day, in

California Kayaker Magazine

19the weeks before the annual Santa
Cruz Surf Kayak Festival at Steamers Lane, competitors from all overgather at Moss to practice for the big
event.
The lefts there are particularly nice,as they shoulder off into the area
beyond the sand bars where waves
don’t break, making for a quick andeasy paddle back to the line up.
As in the old TV show, Cheers, it’s
nice to go where everybody knows
your name, so if you come down tocheck it out, just say that Meade sentyou. vMeade Fischer is a freelance writer,radio commentator, part-time educator, artist and environmental activist.
Photos of various kayak surfers andthe parking lot by Meade Fischer.

Eskape Sea Kayaking
from Mild ...
to Wild!

If you are reading this...
So are your customers!
California Kayaker Magazine:• provides the most access to kayakers in
California of any magazine• has high content to advertising ratio, so
your ad will stand out• distributes over 10,000 copies throughalmost 200 locations throughout the State• has competitive pricing
See www.calkayakermag.com/advertise.html
for details or contact us at 650-868-8653 or
peter@calkayakermag.com

Nature Tours • Basic
Safety • Surf Skills • Sea
Caves • Expeditions •Galapagos • Bajaed
Personalized instruction withrtifi
Ce s in.
A ar
Roger Schumann,.
zCe
A. 5 y Cru
1 nta
Sea
Kayak
Rescue andauthorofaS

Guide to Sea Kayaking
Central & Northern California

www.EskapeKayak.com
831-476-5385
20

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

Following the Ducks
Adventures on Rancheria Creek
By Cate HawthorneL

ike skiers and bicyclists, many kayakers
enjoy going downhill. Downhill in kayaking
involves whitewater and is often referred toas going down river or river running. Riverrunning entails carving in and out of eddies, ferrying across the current, riding wave trains, surfing
waves, and boofing off rocks. California has considerable diversity of whitewater runs ranging from thepolished granite of the Sierras to the woodland runsof the coastal range.
The coastal rivers and creeks of Northern California are
predominately rain-fed and come and go with winter andspring rains. Like snow sport enthusiasts, coastal whitewater boaters eagerly anticipate storm fronts and precipitation predictions. (On occasion, we have even been
known to do a few rain dances.) As a storm passes, wemonitor the rainfall totals and river flows.
Situated in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County,
Rancheria Creek is one of our favorite rain-fed runs.
Known for its scenery, Rancheria Creek meanders for
26 miles through riparian woodlands and mossy gorges
towered over by redwoods and firs that occasionally part,providing glimpses of the surrounding Anderson Valley.
Many tributaries tumble down the hillsides enhancing thescenery and feeding Rancheria Creek until it eventually
becomes the Navarro River. Wildlife varies from river ottersand wood ducks to bald eagles and red-shouldered hawks.
Rancheria Creek can usually be boated 10-15 days
during the rainy season, typically on days immediately
following significant rainfall. Sometimes we luck-out witha cold front that provides snow on the coastal range andgives us a couple of extra days. Despite its infrequent

The author paddling on Rancheria Creekflow, you can count on seeing boaters there when it isflowing. The lower stretch of Rancheria Creek is mostcommonly run and is 13 miles of class II+.
Rancheria Creek’s wilderness setting with willow-strewn
rapids and potential strainer hazards necessitates intermediate whitewater boating skills. In several areas, therapids on Rancheria Creek run through gorges and offer
fun stretches of continuous class II. One of the most notable rapids on the run is “The Ledge” (aka “The Class III
Rapid”). Approximately 8 miles into the run, an outcropping of bedrock creates a sharp right turn in the creek.
The willows that grow in the creek block visibility of theledge, and the line on river right is narrow and difficult tosee. Once scouted, boaters may decide to run the line onriver right or run the 4-foot ledge drop on river left.
Wilderness Anxiety
My first run on Rancheria Creek was riddled with anxiety.
As a novice whitewater boater, a bit of apprehension wascommon for me on any run. The wilderness nature of thisrun elevated my usual whitewater nervousness. The only
access points to Rancheria Creek are at the put-in andtake-out so we couldn’t scout the run from the road before
going. Once we put-in, there was no alternate take-out.
We were committing to 13 miles of wilderness boating.
Contributing to my anxiety was the presence of two
brand new kayakers who had only a couple of swimming
pool rolling sessions under their spray skirts. The twoadvanced whitewater boaters in our group would be 1:1
escorting the new paddlers down the river. I was told to
paddle ahead, boat scout the rapids, and lead the way. I
was “gripped,” but my paddling partners assured me that
it was straightforward and within my skills.
California Kayaker Magazine

21

lulled into following Don down riverand enjoyed bouncing along behind
him through many of the class II
wave trains.

View of Anderson Valley
Half mile into the run, I started to feelthe character of the run. Stretches ofclass II rapids intermingled with the occasional surf wave. The mossy green
rocks and towering trees with roots
growing down the canyon walls hadme envisioning elves and hobbits on
the forested river banks. The willows
growing along the banks and in theriver (even in the middle of some of
the rapids) danced and rattled in thecurrent like skeletons and definitely
kept me on my toes, making sure that I
executed my lines with precision.
Being an avid birder, I was delighted
with sightings of bald eagles, several species of woodpeckers, woodducks, and common mergansers.
The common mergansers in particular helped me get through the run.
They are good swimmers and know
the lines to take in rapids – so I started following them down stream andwatching for the lines that they would
take as they swam through the wave
trains and skirted the hydraulics.
My first run on Rancheria Creek became a fun game of follow the ducks
on a journey through Tolkien’s Middle
Earth. Knowing what to expect, I
wanted to paddle it again with lessanxiety and take more time to enjoy
the scenery and wildlife.
22

www.calkayakermag.com

Don’t Follow Don
The flow was a little higher on mysecond run of Rancheria which
increased my anxiety again. It meantthat the current was a bit pushier. I
knew that there were only a couple ofsignificant hydraulics on the river that
could potentially give me trouble, but
the menacing skeletons (willows) thatloomed along and in the rapids were
my constant fear. My second run waswith our paddling friend Don who is avery competent whitewater kayaker.
Don takes clean lines through rapids
and surfs every surf wave possible.
Instead of following the ducks, I was

Not long after “The Ledge” is a seriesof class II rapids. Assuming the rapids
to be mostly wave trains, I followed
Don and was enjoying the sceneryand day dreaming of the journeys ofelves and hobbits. Soon a landslide
appeared, bringing about the beginning of a narrow gorge with an elevation drop. Lost in my daydreams, I
didn’t notice Don go over a drop andthen a larger drop from which he did
not emerge. Too late, I saw the first
drop but managed to punch throughit. I failed to anticipate the larger drop
below that had eaten up Don. Fortunate for Don, I dropped into the holeand nudged him out of it.
The collision with Don stopped myforward momentum and flipped me. I
rolled up only to be sucked backward
into a nasty hydraulic which spun andflipped me again. Upside down anddisoriented with water rushing overmy head and wresting for control of
my paddle, I wet-exited and swam
my boat into the nearest eddy. The
guys were cheering for me for helping Don out and executing a “combatroll” and a skilled swim. However, I
was cursing at myself for losing composure and bailing out of my boat. I
was frustrated with losing my nervethat I seemed to finally have gotten.

Following the Common Mergansers through the rapids

Winter 2010

Resources:
www.dreamflows.com/flows-canv.
php#California_North_Coast for flow information, links to more information on the runs,
and checking for recent trip and hazard
reports.
www.cacreeks.com has the put-in and take-out
information for most California. Some of theirwrite-ups are helpful and others are not soaccurate. Many are from a rafter or inflatablekayak paddler’s perspective which is often very
different from those of a “hardshell” paddler.
Their Lower Rancheria Creek write up is pretty
good.
Going over “The Ledge”

Springtime on the Ranch
A late March storm left snow up on the ridges, so on April
Fools’ Day we found ourselves heading out for anotherrun. As we drove through the Anderson Valley, snow glistened on the ridges, and we were filled with the optimismof spring boating.

www.calkayakermag.com/resources.html has
a compilation listing of various resources forkayakers, for both white water and flat water.

Cate Hawthorne is a teacher who has moved out of theclassroom and onto the water. Cate and her partner Jeff
Laxier teach and guide sea, river, and surf kayaking on
the Mendocino Coast through their business Liquid Fusion Kayaking (www.liquidfusionkayak.com).
Photos by Cate Hathorne and Jeff Laxier.

We relished launching in the late morning and knowingthat we had plenty of hours of daylight to meander andenjoy the run. The sunshine penetrated into the canyon
and warmed our bodies and spirits. After several weeks
of running harder waters on the Eel River, my skills andconfidence had increased. The flow of 450cfs felt like afriendly float down the river. Today, I felt at peace with thewater and was ready to enjoy the scenery and wildlife –which is what Rancheria Creek is known for.
GREEN!!! The backdrop for the river had changed. The
willow skeletons of the banks and rapids were sporting
green leaves and enchantingly dancing with the current.
Our last run in February seemed damp and dark compared to this bright green, sunny day. Wildlife was plentiful and appeared to be enjoying the sunny day as well.
A river otter escorted us along the first half mile and apileated woodpecker crossed in front of us. The common
mergansers that guided me through my first run casually
floated along. During our lunch break at “The Ledge,” abald eagle soared overhead.
After lunch, we took the time to admire Ham Creek which
is a tributary of Rancheria that appears to flow uphill. I
skirted the hydraulic that troubled Don and I on our previous run and vowed to master my boof stroke and boof it
the next time. With no hairy moments or carnage, this run
seemed anticlimactic but really was just perfect for enjoying a warm, sunny day of excellent scenery and wildlife
while floating down river. v

Helen Wilson, Kokatat Ambassador
paddling with friends, Humboldt Bay (CA).
hh GMEROur GORE-TEX® Meridian dry
suit with relief zipper and socks
is specifically designed withpaddlers in mind. It incorporates
an adjustable overskirt whichlayers with a spray skirt tunnel.

hh MsFIThTourh
The anatomically cut foam
panels have made this life
jacket one of the most
comfortable for both genders
and all paddling styles.

hh Seeker
An ultra light, flexible and low
profile shoe designed to fit
well in low-volume kayaks.

California Kayaker Magazine23Make Your Own Swimbaits
by John Kenny

Soft plastic swimbait attached to a jig headI

t’s that time of year when winter has you wishing you were on the water. But the conditions
are too rough on the ocean. The howling wind
is making it difficult to hold a spot on your favorite lake, not optimal conditions for fishing from akayak. A great way to get your fishing fix throughout
the winter months is to make your own lures. Making swimbaits, top water lures, and saltwater jigs areeasier than you might think.

ing only one 5 inch, one pound should be just right.)

This article will be on making swimbaits, a popular lurechoice for many ocean kayak fishermen. If you get a
grasp on the process, you can use this same process forworms and other soft plastic lures for all types of fishing.

Once the box is placed, lay down a thin bead of clay on
the glass to keep the mold material from seeping out. As
you go around the box, make sure all edges are sealedwith the clay – as in a watertight seal. The silicone willleak through the smallest of cracks so make sure you
seal it well. (Note: Hot melted glue also works well for
sealing the mold box down to the piece of glass.)

All of the information in this article can be directly attributed to Larry Dahlberg and his methods. I am simply
sharing the knowledge I have learned with his blessing.
Materials used: one pound Alumilite High Strength III
mold making rubber, Alumilite Alumisol soft plastic, Alumilite Heat Stabilizer, Alumilite dyes, Alumilite synthetic
modeling clay, a piece of glass or an old mirror, superglue, stirring sticks, a microwave safe glass container,
measurement scale, gloves and a microwave oven.
First you will start with modeling clay and your favorite
swimbaits. I am using one 7-inch, one 3-inch and a pairof 5-inch swimbaits as my masters. (Note: This usedslightly more than 1 pound of mold making material. If usSources for Materials:• MakeLure – www.makelure.com• Lure Craft – www.lurecraft.com• Jann’s Net Craft – www.jannsnetcraft.com
24

www.calkayakermag.com

I start by gluing the flat side of the masters down to theglass. Next, I create a box around them by using some
scrap materials, like scrap wood or plastic. You want toleave about ¼-½ inch on all sides of the masters. A large
enough hard plastic box can be used as well. I find it best
to make the box specific to the size needed, as that willkeep you from wasting old material.

You don’t want to waste mold material so I recommend
using the online volume calculator found at www.alumilite.com/CalcVolume.cfm. The mold material is a RTV
silicone that uses a catalyst to make it cure. (RTV is shortfor Room Temperature Vulcanization, meaning it will
setup from a liquid to a solid at room temperature.) Onceyou have calculated the amount you will need, measure
only what you need and start mixing the mold materialand catalyst together in a plastic cup or container. Mix
it slowly but very thoroughly, scraping the bottoms andsides of the container. After mixing, let it sit for about 10
minutes, as tiny air bubbles from mixing will rise to thesurface.
After the bubbles have dissipated, pour the mixed rubber over the masters. Pour slowly from one corner ofthe mold box and allow the rubber to flow naturally up
and around the masters so you don’t re-introduce ortrap bubbles in your mold while pouring. Some bubbles
Winter 2010

After the box is made and the edges
sealed, you pour the mold making
material around masters
it becomes a thin clear liquid, it willthen harden to a soft plastic when it
cools. Remember to stir the material
several times as it passes throughthese stages.
Making Colors

may continue to rise as the material
continues to cure, which should not
be a problem. Make sure you cover
the master with at least one-quarterto one-half inch of rubber – you don’t
want the mold to be too thin on theback side. If you use a long cure time
mold making rubber, you can startwith barely enough and then mix andadd more if needed.

wave on 50% power and set it to 3-4
minutes. (Times will vary for eachmicrowave. You can burn the soft
plastic, so keep an eye on it.) As theplastic heats up, stop every minuteor so and stir the plastic gently toprevent burning. The material willtransition from its original milky-whiteliquid state, to a thick and cloudy gel,and finally to a thin, clear liquid. Once

Once you have the plastic heated toa thin consistency you can add yourdyes. The butt end of a small paintbrush or scrap piece of wire barely
dipped into the dye is plenty. You
will need white dye to make colors
opaque. If you want a translucent
appearance use the colors without
any white dye. There are many color
choices for dyes so you can mix
them to achieve the color you want.
You can also add glitter or some ofAlumilite’s metallic powders. When
first using glitter make a small
amount to see how it reacts withthe plastic. You can also add salt toincrease the weight and fall rate ofyour lures. Add Microbaloons if you
want a suspending or floating lure.

Once you have poured the mold, let
it sit for 24 hours. Do not touch it ormess with it – give it the time it needs
to cure. The next day you are readyto undo the box and start pouring soft
plastic into your new mold. This moldwill practically last forever when using soft plastics.
Pouring Soft Plastic
Soft plastics are easy products towork with but keep in mind that it will
be very hot coming out of the microwave, so handle carefully. It will not
stick to the silicone mold when cured
so no mold release material is necessary.
Pour 3 to 4 ounces of soft plastic into
your glass container. Put the microThe mold after it sets next to themasters. You are now ready to pourthe soft plastics
California Kayaker Magazine

25

Experiment until you find the desired
effect.
Pour the soft plastic into the moldand fill the cavity moving back andforth. If a little bit spills on the sides
when pouring layers or over the top,
you can trim it off using a pair of scissors after it solidifies. After pouring,allow the plastic to cool until the lures
are solid, about 5-8 minutes. The
bigger the pour, the longer it will taketo cool.
You can layer the soft plastic withdifferent colors and it will adhere toitself. It is best if poured within thefirst 5-10 minutes of pouring the firstlayer. As soon as the first layer skins
over, go ahead and pour your nextlayer. You can also pour simultaneously to achieve swirl colors throughyour soft baits.
If a pour doesn’t turn out right, don’t
worry. Most soft plastics can bereheated and reused after they havecured, so keep all of your waste (andyour used lures that fish tore up).
To re-melt, clean the plastic, cut into
small pieces, and put it back into
your glass container. Then add lessthan a teaspoon of heat stabilizer for
every half pound of recycled baits.
This will help it melt evenly. Make
sure you stir it several times along
the way using the same heating process as above but note that it will notgo through the thick gel stage as raw
material does. As soon as it melts
into a thin liquid, it is ready to re-pour.
Now grab your new baits and get on
the water. I think you will find a greatsatisfaction in catching fish on lures
you made. v

Pouring the soft plastic into the moldAdding a second color to the swimbait
by pouring it on top of the first color
The new swim baits
placed next to theoriginal masters

John Kenny (a.k.a JK) is an avid kayak
fisherman living on the California central
coast. He has over three decades of fishing experience and is the co-founder ofCentralCoastKayakFishing.com. He canbe reached at john@centralcoastkayakfishing.com or on various kayak fishingforums.

26

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

The Basics of

Dry Storage
stew in the storm for a few days before it washes up on abeach (the Coast Guard rescues people, not gear). Thenpop hatches open and check to see how all your dry bags
and cases worked.
This unfortunate test actually happened last September
on Lake Superior (details can be found at www.naturallysuperior.com/blog/2010/09/which-stuff-stayed-dry/).
Thankfully the participants were none the worse for wear
out of the episode. But the boat’s hatches were filled withwater and sand. And there were interesting results inregards to the dry storage containers inside the hatches.
Dry Bags

M

any boats now come with sealed hatches,
so why would someone need to put gearin dry bags and cases? Well, it turns outthat these “sealed” hatches aren’t always
waterproof and have a way of proving it to you at
the worst possible moment. And gear kept on deckor in PFD pockets doesn’t benefit from any protection a hatch may provide.
Not all gear needs to be kept in waterproof containers
but much should be. For example, electronics (like cell
phones and electronic car keys) should be kept in very
reliable waterproof containers, as the damage that can bedone if these containers fail would be great. Similar issue
with clothes, food, and sleeping bags if you are doing a
camping trip. But it is probably not as important to put a
paddle jacket or splash jacket in a waterproof container,or things like canned foods or other items already insealed, waterproof containers.
On the other hand, California Kayaker Magazine has
found out the hard way that not all electronics marketed
as waterproof are actually waterproof, so sometimes anadded layer of protection can be beneficial.
A Test Case
Take one 21-foot tandem sea kayak filled with gear for a
four-week expedition. Add some inclement weather (sixfoot waves, 20- to 25-knot winds), capsize with wet exit,
and rescue by a Coast Guard helicopter. Leave boat to

Probably the most common type of dry storage containeris the dry bag. Early versions were wax-impregnatedcanvas bags tied off with rope used over a hundred years
ago. These had some limitations, such as not handlinghigh or low temperatures well, and sometimes animals
found the wax to be tasty.
Over the years, the materials and designs improved
and developed into current dry bags. Now, the design
involves a bag with a top that rolls down to form a seal.
Vinyl (such as PVC) and urethane-coated cloth are
two common materials used to make dry bags. Vinyl ischeaper, but the manufacturing process is generally badfor the environment. Dry bags made of urethane-coatedmaterials have many advantages over vinyl, such as
being lighter, easier to close, and the material is not as
sticky as vinyl, so the bag can slide into tight spaces withmore ease, but have a significant disadvantage in price.
Turns out, many people are not always closing their dry
bags properly. Christian Folk of Outdoor Research says
“The roll top is supposed to be rolled down at least threetimes before being closed. Excess air should be purged
from the bag so that the roll is not pressured from within
the bag. ”
Andy MacAuley of AquaPac adds ”It’s all just a matter ofpressing two layers together to make a seal. What happens when you fold a bag over on itself is that you stretch
the back layer over the front layer on a really small radius, so that the two inner faces of the bag are squeezed
tightly together. Then, when you close the buckle/strap/
cinch on the dry bag, what you’re doing is holding theCalifornia Kayaker Magazine

27

Pros – light weight; simple construction; inexpensive; little upkeep
needed; easy to use; soft construction allows for easier fitting in a hatch
Cons – no indicator to tell you thatthe bag is sealed correctly (easyto not roll enough or not roll tightenough); even when sealed correctly,
it is not 100% waterproof
Recommended for - clothes, food,tent, and other gear that is large andwould be an inconvenience if it got a
bit wetRe-sealable Zip Style Bags

Outdoor Research has dry bags thatroll down along the long edge, making it much easier to access the gearthat you keep inside.
whole rolled part of the bag undersome sort of tension, so that it can’t
unroll itself. However, a roll-seal is
only as good as the tightness of therolling, so always make sure you
have nice, crisp folds. The best dry
bags often have some sort of stiff
insert or webbing at the opening to
make sure that your folds are tight.”

into a hold than it is to fit a smaller
number of large dry bags. And having
different colors and/or see-throughwindows allows you to better keep
track of what content is in which bag.
Added benefit – dry bags can beused in a pinch to carry water or dolaundry. And clear bags can be used
to keep kids occupied by turning
into temporary aquarium with locallycaught critters.

Ever since ZipLoc was first marketedin the late 1960s, people have usedthem to protect their valuables fromgetting wet. Once ZipLoc’s patent
expired, many competitors jumped into the market, some even providing
bags specially made for use in theoutdoors (a bit more rigorous application than keeping a sandwich protected in your office fridge). But thesebags follow the same basic design ofreusable, re-sealable zipper storageas the original ZipLoc, but perhaps
with the additon of more rugged sealing properties and thicker materials.
Ottavio Cinelli of LOKSAK suggests
the following for care and testing of
zip closure bags: “We suggest that

But roll-down dry bags are notsubmersible, even when closed correctly, which was shown in the Lake
Superior incident. All of the dry bagsin the boat were flooded. So thesebags are good at keeping splash andtemporary exposure to water out, but
are not truly waterproof.
These bags come in a variety ofcolors, sizes, and shapes. When selecting, keep in mind that it is easier
to pack a bunch of small dry bags
LOKSAK zip-style bag being used toprotect some VERY important reading material. They also have bags
which keep food smells locked in,
reducing the chance of a critter raiding your food when camping.
28

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

you test your bag’s seal integrity
every so often after extended use
by simply blowing a small amount of
air into the bag and giving it a goodsqueeze. The plastic may cloud overtime but is very resistant to puncture
regardless; it is the seals that canbecome damaged over time.”
The report from our capsized tandem was mixed on zip-closure bags.
Some standard grocery store zipper
bags, inside of flooded dry bags,
failed. But a more robust type of“medication bags” did survive. There
did not appear to be any of the zip
closure bags developed specificallyfor the outdoors market in the kayak.
Pros – light weight; inexpensive;
clear and pliable, so you can accessbuttons and read screens of electronic devices
Cons – will fail if dirt gets trappedin the seal; light weight materials
may fail; can’t always tell if the bag
closure is completely sealed or not
by looking at it
Recommended for - keeping charts
or maps dry on deck, and for keeping
items separated (and double protected) inside of a dry bag

Bags with Clips or Clamps and a
GasketAnother type of bag is one that uses
a clamp to seal the opening of thebag. These usually have a leverwith a cam on it that pulls two hardmaterials together, clamping the bag
together with a gasket to form theseal. These bags benefit from thestrong seal provided by a clamped
gasket, and still provide the benefitof a pliable material with transparent
windows. They come in a variety ofshapes, sometimes special made fora specific application, and allow you
to do things like take photos throughspecial lenses or windows, operatea VHF radio, and even use touch
screens on PDAs and such while thebag stays sealed.
Andy MacAuley of AquaPac provides
the following maintenance advice:“The number one tip is to keep theseal clean and free of obstruction.
They’re a pretty precise science andneed some respect. Generally, respect your drybag/box/case as much
as what’s in it.”

There was one of this type of products on the capsized tandem, andits contents remained dry during theentire unplanned test.
Pros – hermetic seal so OK underwater; definite yes/no closure; clear andpliable, so you can access buttons
and read screensCons – expensive; must be kept
clean/free of obstructions to work;
heavier than roll-seal
Recommended for - gear that you want
to use while it is protected in a bag,such as VHFs, GPSs, cameras, etc.
Dry Boxes
Dry boxes are hard cases with an
opening that seals with a gasket atedge of lid, which forms a waterproof
seal. They provide more mechanicalprotection than soft bags.
Care for dry boxes is pretty simple –Gear Continued on Page 30

AquaPac makes a variety of clampseal bags for special applications,such as allowing you to use buttons
and read the screen on a GPS or tocommunicate with a VHF radio.

California Kayaker Magazine

29

Gear - Continued from page 29
make sure the gasket and the edges
that seal against it are clear of dirt.
As a testament to how well dry boxes
work, those in use during the capsized tandem incident all were dry.
Pros – Excellent waterproofing; asolid case/box; definite closureCons – can fail if dirt gets on gasket,
expensive; heavier than alternatives;
gasket must be taken care of; fixed
size (as you empty a soft bag, ittakes up less space)
Recommended for - anything thatabsolutely needs to be kept dry orneeds the mechanical protection of a
hard box v

Dry boxes seal so well that Pelican
Products adds a Gore-Tex membrane
automatic purge valve insert that allows the box to equalize as pressurechanges (such as on an airpane),
without letting any moisture inAdvertisers Index
Advanced Elements ..........15
Aquan Sports.....................32
Clavey River Equipment.....13
Cobra Kayaks.......................2
Delta Kayaks......................31
Eskape Sea Kayaking .......20
Golden Gate Sea Kayak
Symposium .........................2
Joe O Paddles......................8
Kayak Zak..........................14
Kokatat...............................23
Liquid Fusiun Kayaking......29
Valley Sea Kayaks.............31
Wheeleez ..........................1530

www.calkayakermag.com

Winter 2010

THE ORIGINAL BRITISH SEA KAYAKETAIN New for 2011

Sure to set a new standard in Sea Kayaks
just like our existing models and innovations

ANAS ACUTA

It started modern sea kayaking & is alive today

AVOCET

The ever-popular high-performance day & play boat

AQUANAUT

Our all-around workhorse

NORDKAPP

The most famous expedition kayak everand set to round Tierra del Fuego in 2011

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

www.valleyseakayaks.com
at Valley Sea Kayaks

California Kayaker Magazine

31