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Always Free						inside:Cowboy Scramble
Delta 10 Review
P.O.V. Cameras
Salton Sea
TAKS
and much more...

Fall 20117

2www.calkayakermag.com

Fall 2011

Fall 2011

Issue 7

Contents

Publisher/EditorPeter Donohue
Production Assistance
Eric Bloom, Karen Lapinski, Elizabeth
Rowell, and Sylvia Wu
Design & Layout
Laura Ramos
www.portalcm.com
Contributing Writers
Chuck Graham, Dave Jarrell, Marna
Powell, Roger Schumann, Bill Vonnegut,
and California Kayaker Magazine
Contributing Photographers
John Cornwall, Andy England, Nicholas
Golden, Chuck Graham, Dave Jarrell,
Eric Petlock, Michael Powers, Sandy
Schumann, Vince Shay, 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
www.facebook.com/CalKayakerMag
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.
Kayaking can be a dangerous sport. Dressappropriately, always wear your PFD, andpaddle within your skill level.

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18

Features

In Every Issue

6 Getting Started Classes

4 Editor’s Note

8 Skills: Cowboy
Scramble
12 Traditional Arctic
Kayak Symposium
18 Interview: AWS Prez
Norwood Scott

5 News, Results,
and Calendar
16 Center Hatch
30 Intellectual Section:
Wet Exit
30 List of Advertisers

21 Salton Sea
24 POV Camera
Comparison Review
28 Delta 10 Review

Cover Photo - white pelicans on the
Salton Sea. See story on page 21 formore about paddling the Salton Sea.
Photo by Chuck Graham
Camera: Canon EOS 630
California Kayaker Magazine

3

Editor’s Note
I like it when people talk about the magazine, especially to advertisers. Recently, two different advertisers commented about how
people came in to their locations saying they saw their ad in
California Kayaker Magazine. That was great!
At the same time, one other advertiser has stopped advertising due
to a lack of response from their ad.
Showing the value to advertisers for print ads is always a challenge, as it is hard to track how many
readers see the ad. I am sure many readers see each ad and it helps to provide them info on the products/services as they make their purchases. But how many? Advertisers want to know this, to know thevalue to their advertising.
So I am hoping you can do me a favor—if an ad in the magazine catches your interest, next time you
are in that advertisers shop (or in a shop that carries the advertiser’s product, in case of manufacturers
who advertise), let them know you saw the ad. They will be glad to know that you are reading their ad,
and it will help show the value of their advertisement in California Kayaker Magazine. This will be goodfor everyone.
I can’t say thank you enough to Eric Bloom, Karen Lapinski, Laura Ramos, Elizabeth Rowell, and Sylvia Wu, who all provide such invaluable assistance in proofing, photo clean up, magazine layout, etc.
This magazine wouldn’t be what it is without them. A big Thank You to each of them!
Happy Paddling!
Peter Donohue
Editoreditor@calkayakermag.com

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Fall 2011

w

w

w

Eppie’s Great Race
Eppie’s Great Race is a “no swim”
triathlon in Sacramento, where competitors run, bike, and kayak. The
race took place on July 21 and wasa fundraiser for Sacramento County
Therapeutic Recreation Services.
Top 3 finishers for each category arelisted below—full results can be foundat www.thegreatrace.org.
Junior Ironwoman
1 Shayna Powless
2 Jessica Poelman
3 Sarah Ringler
Ironwoman 19 to 39
1 Donene Vukovich
2 Heather Wick
3 Barbara Adams
Ironwoman 40 to 49
1 Melanie Cleland
2 Jeanette Allred-Powless
3 Joilynn Hollingsworth
Ironwoman 50 to 59
1 Cathie Simonsen
2 Robin Hays
3 Ramona Blount
Ironwoman 60 and over
1 Kathy Downey
2 Janet Agustin
3 Andrea Ambrose
Junior Ironman
1 Ansel Mills
2 Neilson Powless
3 David Hanson
Ironman 40 to 49
1 Chris Heath
2 Jeff Schwing
3 Mark Barrett
Ironman 50 to 59
1 Vic Vicari
2 Rick Simonsen
3 Craig Tanner
Ironman 60 and over
1 Richard Kendall
2 Roger Dunn
3 Vern Dwelly
Teams - Adaptive
1 team t f o 2
2 team t f o 3
3 team t f o 1

California Coastal Cleanup
Beaches, rivers, and lakes state-wide
Sep 17www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html

Guinness World Records
Two Guinness World Records were
simultaneously broken on June 26th
when Carter Johnson of San Francisco and Robyn Benincasa of San
Diego paddled a combined 511 milesin 24 hours on Canada’s Yukon River.
Johnson paddled 280 miles to break
the previous men’s record set on
the same river in 2010 by 11 miles.
Benincasa paddled 231 miles, bettering the women’s record set on the
Missouri River in 2009 by 39 miles.
The World Records played out on thesection of the Yukon between Whitehorse and Dawson City.

Teams - Fire Fighter/Police
1 Team 25
2 Sac. Co. Crime Lab
3 Team 26

Feather River Festival
Tobin, CA
Sep 23-25
www.chicopaddleheads.org
Traditional Arctic Kayak
Symposium (TAKS)San Simeon, CA
Oct 14-16
www.shamankayaks.com/shaman/taks/
Sea Trek Regatta and Paddle-a-thon
Sausalito, CA
Oct 15www.etctrips.org
Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium
Sausalito, CA
Feb 17-19, 2012www.ggsks.com
Submit news or an event forconsideration to California
Kayaker Magazine toeditor@calkayakermag.com
Teams - Open Canoe
1 Rockfish Rangers
2 San Joaquin Warriors
3 Having Fun
Teams - Tandem Kayak
1 tEAM fLASH
2 The Lurking Menace
3 Team Nancy
Teams - Outrigger Canoe 1 person
1 Team Laguna Tribe
2 Team TnTnT: Don’t mess with
our Dyn-o-Might
3 Tenacious Beavers
Teams - Sit on Top
1 Who you callin’ losers now?
2 Ziti Beef Sticks
3 Slow N Pokey
Teams - Corporate
1 KAISER PERMANENTE
SOUTH SACRAMENTO
2 North Valley Kaiser
3 Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics
Teams - Co-Ed
1 ROC N FOLSOM
2 Team 320
3 waddle, straddle & paddle
Continued on Page 15“Good weather, two remarkablecrews, 24 hours of light and keeping
the rudder side down in the fast moving water of the Yukon were keys toour success,” said Robyn Benincasa,
Captain of Team Merrell Adventure.
More info and photos at: waterhound.
com/paddling/paddling-news-eventreport/4056-2-world-records-fall-tocarter-johnson-and-robyn-benincasa.
html
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Three kayak fisherman from Oregon
got pretty mad about the Gulf oil spilllast year, and started a group called
Out of Sight, Out of Mind with thegoal of cleaning up the water. Alongwith sampling the water of the Gulf of
Mexico from kayaks to help determine the impact of the oil spill there,
they also are working with manufacturers to encourage kayakers to pickup trash while paddling.
If you join their Facebook page andupload a picture of yourself picking
up trash while paddling (trash thatyou properly dispose of), you will beentered to win some sweet gear fromvarious manufacturers. For example,
in August the winners received someKokatat gear. See www.facebook.
com/gulfkayak for information and tosign up.
Continued on Page 27
California Kayaker Magazine

5Getting roll lessons from an instructor
speeds up the learning processL

ast year I was kayaking in the north end of
Lake Natoma, a small lake in Sacramento.
Folsom dam releases water a couple ofmiles up from the put-in that flows through acanyon with some very steep walled sections. Since
they release water from the bottom of Folsom Lake,
it is very cold in this canyon.
It was warm and sunny when I launched and headed up
the canyon. A large release from the dam was causing
strong currents.
As I made my way up I came across a group of 4 paddlers in recreational boats. Like me, they were eddy
hopping up through the canyon. I said “hi” as I passed
by, they looked like they were having fun but were coming into an area where the current increased. As I wentaround the next corner I found a nice rock with a surfablewave on it and stopped to play around for a while. Then I
realized that the group of 4 hadn’t arrived yet and decided to take a peek back around the corner.
What I saw was a boat with no one in it floating down the
middle of the river about a 100 yards away. The boater ofa second kayak was paddling around it without saying aword. I decided to paddle back and see what was going on. As I rounded the corner I saw two of the boaters
sitting in an eddy, I asked if everything was all right andthey replied “yes, everything is fine.” Not believing them I
continued back down river where, around the next corner,
I found the missing kayaker holding himself pinned up
against a sheer rock wall almost chest deep and no place
for him to exit the water. He was shivering in his shorts
and t-shirt. I had him climb onto my back deck and paddled him down river where I was able to get him back into
his boat. This could have turned out pretty bad if he wasin the water for much longer.
A basic class would cover all of this and make everyone
much safer on the water–likely preventing this from get6www.calkayakermag.com

ting as far as it did. It would have taught them how to gettheir friend back into the boat on the water, how to tow
the boat over to their friend instead of just watching it drift
down the river, how to signal someone for help, and a little bit about hypothermia and what will happen if they justleave there friend sitting in very cold water. It may haveeven taught them the paddling skills to prevent the wetexit in the first place…
The Foundation
When you build a tall building, if you just set it on the
ground it will still stand. But when a storm kicks up, youwill want one that was built with a strong foundation.
So, in construction we have professional architects andengineers that design a solid building from the ground up.
Sure, you and your buddy can fumble through it and build
the building on your own. But it will probably take longer
and wobble a little more than if you had paid a professional who has been doing it for years and knows thebest way to proceed from the ground up.
Which brings us to kayaking. When I started paddling, I
started with a basic day-long sea kayak class at California Canoe & Kayak (where I now teach) and then wentout and practiced on my own. Then, I took the next levelclass, which reviewed the prior taught skills and built
upon them. For example, in the second class I learned
what edging was, the how, and why we use it (and I stillto this day use these skills). I benefited from the time theschool spent over the years determining the best way
to teach the skills progression. My buddy could haveshowed me this, but it would not have provided me thefoundation and progression to let me really learn it.
The class you want varies by the type of paddling you
will be doing. For flat water kayaking, the initial focus ison basic strokes and rescues. For white water, rolling is
considered an essential skill, and thus is taught relatively early on.
The beginner classes are widely available and pretty afFall 2011

fordable. Many of these companies advertise in this publication, so the Advertiser’s Index on page 30 is a goodplace to start your research.
Never Stop Learning
There are classes for all levels of paddlers. Just because
you paddle well doesn’t mean you know it all. I am acertified instructor who is comfortable paddling in all sortsof conditions in the bay and on the open coast, but there
is still much for me to learn.
One day on a coastal paddle I initiated for our club, we
had an incident where someone came out of his boat ina very nasty spot in the rocks. After about 20 minutes ofsolid efforts from the group, the paddler was rescued. Afterwards, I felt I needed to be more prepared if something
like this happened again, so, together with a few othersolid paddlers, we contacted Roger Schumann (author of
the Skills article in this issue) who developed and taught
a white water rock garden rescue class for us. He set it
up and we spent a whole day on the coast doing actual
rescues in conditions that were challenging just to paddle in.
Many of the local shops have advanced classes for all
types of kayaking. Some are regularly scheduled, andsome are special classes where the school brings in a renowned expert from outside our area to teach. And there
are also symposiums, such as the Golden Gate Sea
Kayak Symposium or Traditional Arctic Kayak Symposium (see article in this issue), where high-level instructors
are brought in for a few days of intensive classes.

Eskape Sea Kayaking
from Mild ...
to Wild!

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Also, as classes progress so does the safety instruction. Every class should have a safety component to it.
Whether it’s a river rescue class or a surf zone class, getting instruction on how to be safe is important.
Don’t Foget the Fun
After writing this I realized I missed an important issue:
FUN. I had sent a draft to Gregg Berman, a kayaking instructor, guide, and author of articles in kayaking
magazines (including California Kayaker Magazine) who
summed it up well: “Your enjoyment can be greater withan increased skill level, whether you want to surf or rockgarden or fish or watch birds. Learning to control your boat
can make you more efficient so you have more energy
while paddling. And wherever you go, instead of worrying
over conditions or distance from shore (though some levelof awareness is certainly prudent) or whether you’ll capsize, you can play. People always remark to me how much
fun it looks like I’m having on the water, because my skills
give me the confidence to goof off and have fun, regardless of where I’m paddling or what I’m doing”.
So instead of sitting on the sidelines, wishing you had theskills to paddle in all except the nicest of conditions, getout and take a class and become a better paddler. v
Bill Vonnegut is a ACA level 4 instructor who, when not teachingfor California Canoe & Kayak, loves to rock garden, surf, andpaddle on the open coast.
California Kayaker Magazine

7

Planning to Capsize: The Cowboy Scramble

by Roger Schumann

One paddler doing the initial ‘belly’
stage of a scramble recovery on
to her sit on top kayak off ofAvila Beach, as her sisterruns the same pour overshe just ran.
Photo by Vince Shay“I’m not planning to capsize,” is a common
refrain heard from inexperienced kayakers.
On the face of it, it is a convenient attitude to
take for a paddling trip. After all, if you aren’tplanning to capsize, you don’t really need to worry
about things like wearing life jackets or wetsuits or
knowing any self-recovery techniques or any of the
myriad other things that those of us who plan tocapsize fret over. Think how nice it’d be if we could
use this reasoning every time we jumped into ourcars. If you weren’t planning to have an accident
or other problem, you wouldn’t ever need to wear asafety belt, carry a spare tire, or bother with getting
your brakes checked. But if you’re one of those worry warts who insists on planning to capsize because
you think it’s not a matter of if but when, then oneof the best laid plans is to learn a variety of self-recovery techniques. Falling into the water really isn’tmuch of a problem for kayakers. The problems stemfrom not knowing how to get back out.
One of my favorite ways to get myself back into my kayak
is the Scramble or Cowboy/Cowgirl Recovery. Although
it’s not the easiest to learn—and it’s not the one I recommend starting with for my beginning sea kayaking students—the Cowboy certainly lays claim to being among
the fastest in the West, or anyplace else. And for sit-ontop kayakers, it is the place to start.
Scramble for Sit-On-Tops: Belly-Butt-Straddle Method
Because of sit-on-top kayaks’ width and relative stability
8

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compared to most sit-inside kayaks, scrambling back onboard is relatively easy, making it a good first recovery
for this type of craft. Still, it is a good idea to practice themoves first in waist-deep water to get the feel for them,
then gradually wade your kayak into deeper water, until
you can no longer touch bottom. That way if you end up
having any problems, you can easily swim your boat backto where you can touch ground. Note that this is also thetechnique used for much tippier surf skis. But if you arepaddling one of those, you already have the balance ofa tight-rope walker anyway, so it shouldn’t be much of aproblem.
The basic technique for scrambling onto any open-cockpit craft is the “belly-butt-straddle” method. Basically you
lunge up across your seat onto your belly, then roll yourbutt onto the seat (with legs hanging out the same side of
the kayak). From there simply spin on your seat to straddle one of your legs on either side. Sitting astride yourkayak with legs out is a very stable position that allows
you to regain your paddle (and your composure) before
putting your feet back on the foot braces and paddling off
into the sunset. A few of you well-balanced, agile types
might even find it just that simple and can put this magazine down right now and go out and try it. If it works foryou, great! If not, the rest of us will be here waiting.
Ok, if you need a few more tips, here we go. Sometimes
the aforementioned inherent stability of an open-deckstyle kayak can work against you. Especially when you’ve
fallen off in deep water and the boat has flipped upsidedown. These wide bad-boys are often even more stable
Fall 2011hull up than they were hull down, so flipping them backupright can be a challenge. The trick is to use the pushpull method. You need to grab the far side of the kayakfrom underneath (a thigh strap or handle makes a nicehandhold) and pull it toward you as you simultaneously
push up on the near side.
Once the boat’s back up, kick your feet up to the surface behind you, so your body is planing out to the side,
perpendicular to your kayak and lunge your bely acrossthe seat. Keep kicking as you pull the kayak under you. If
you can get up onto your elbows, you’ll probably find thatyour life jacket won’t get in the way as much.
Now that you’ve slithered yourself far enough across yourboat that your belly is on the seat, you can begin to rollyourself carefully onto your back (roll your butt toward
the back of the boat), being careful to keep your balance.
Then straddle your kayak with both feet in the water
for added stability. While practicing in calm water, you
may not find it necessary to straddle your kayak and be
tempted to skip this step. In rougher conditions that arelikely to tip you over, you’ll be glad you spent some timepracticing the straddle portion of this technique.

Above and below:
Step 1: lunging your belly up across the back deck

If you find the whole belly-butt-straddle technique pretty
awkward at first, practice it several times in shallow wateror even on shore, until your body begins to understandthe balance points, before you move into deep water.
When you can do it fluidly in the deep, then start challenging yourself in choppy water (near shore in case you
have problems) such as the kind that is likely to capsize
you in the first place.
Scramble Tips for Sit-Inside Sea Kayaks
Making the scramble recovery work for closed-cockpit
kayaks is a bit more challenging, and is not a good place
for beginning kayakers to start. The first solo recovery
most sea kayakers learn involves something called a“paddle float recovery”. If you haven’t yet learned thepaddle float recovery, put the magazine down, pick up
your phone, and call someone for lessons. The scramble
is unlikely to work for you without paddle float recovery
experience, especially in the type of conditions you’ll
probably end up needing it.
The scramble—any solo reentry in fact—is also not going to work in deep water in a whitewater kayak or many
“recreational” type kayak. You’ll need more of a touringstyle sea kayak with secure hatches and bulkheads front
and back (and/or enough flotation) to keep your kayak
well above water even after the cockpit is swamped. If
you are not sure, wade your kayak into water no morethan knee deep, tip it over so the cockpit floods, turnit back upright, straddle the seat and sit down. If water
starts pouring into the cockpit like an overflowing dam,then you can forget about deep-water solo recoveries inthat boat—unless you are able to add enough float bags
to give yourself at least a few inches of freeboard (theamount of room you have before your kayak starts flooding).
California Kayaker Magazine

9There are four main steps to completing a scramble
recovery: 1) lunge your belly up across the back deck;2) straddle the back deck; 3) scramble over the cockpit,
and; 4) drop your butt into the seat and put your legs in.
I’ve found that most students, however, seem to havemuch more success if they practice these four moves inreverse order at first, starting in knee deep water.

Steps 2 & 3: straddle back deck and then scramble
up to the cockpit

So starting with number 4, straddle your kayak, then sit
down in the seat and put your legs in. A lot of people findthis a lot harder than it sounds when the kayak is floating, so you might even try it on shore a couple times atfirst, to see if your cockpit is big enough—and your legs
flexible enough—to still get your feet into the boat once
you’ve already sat down in the seat. If not, you might
still be able to do a modified version of this recovery(described below), but you won’t be able to get your feet
inside without some help.
The trick to keeping your boat steady enough to get yourlegs inside, especially when you try it in bumpy water, is
to use a sculling brace for support while you do so (sculling braces were talked about in the Skills article in the
Spring 2011 issue of California Kayaker Magazine). The
ability to scull for support during this maneuver is the difference between taking it from a flat-water balancing trick
to actually being a viable rough-water form of reentry. So
practice a sculling brace while putting your feet in, even if
your balance is good enough that you don’t really need toin flat water.

Steps 4: while using a sculling brace for balance,
drop your butt into the seat

Paddling with your feet out to the side to quickly getout of dangerous waters

Once you can get into your kayak in knee-deep water
without tipping over, go back to steps 2 and 3. Straddle your kayak and sit on the back deck, then scramble
over the cockpit. Keep your weight low to do this, leaning onto your elbows and sort of “inch-worming” yourself
forward, like shinnying up a tree. There are a few tricks
to this movement. One is keeping your paddle in yourhands, blades flat and ready so you can slap a brace if
you need to; another is keeping your feet down in thewater like outriggers, kicking in circles to help you keep
your balance. In general, you want to move slowly andsmoothly until your butt is hovering over the seat, thendrop it quickly into the cockpit as you simultaneously slapa brace with your paddle and start sculling for support to
get your feet in.
If you end up back in the water, don’t give up. Often people who at first seem to have no balance at all are able tofigure this out after five or ten minutes practice. An especially effective way to find your balance, is to spend a few
minutes paddling around in the shallows on your backdeck, placing your feet on the bottom whenever you start
to lose your balance. After a few minutes, most people
find that they are able to paddle forwards and backwards
and turn themselves around only touching their feet occasionally on the bottom.
The next step is to wade your boat about waist deep,and lay your belly across the back deck, right behind the10

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Fall 2011

cockpit, with your belly button centered over the midlineof the kayak. Lift your feet and rock your kayak back andforth. Notice how raising your head and arching yourback can help keep you from doing a face plant on the far
side of your kayak and kicking your feet out behind you
gives you a little extra support. Now gingerly rotate yourhead toward the cockpit, spinning on the axis of yourbelly button, until you can lift your foot over the deck andstraddle your kayak. Now sit up. From here it should beeasy, you’re back to the scramble-and-drop-your-butt-inthe-seat move you’ve been practicing all along.
Now it’s time for the crux move, step 1: swimming up
onto your kayak from deep water. First try it in chest deep
water, so you can cheat a little by jumping off the bottom.
Eventually, however, you’ll need to try this make-or-breakmove of the scramble—lunging up onto the back deck
without touching the bottom. With your arms stretchedout in front of you across the back deck like Superman/
Woman, grab the back of the cockpit with one hand andwhatever you can with the other hand (hatch cover, etc.).
Now kick your feet out behind you and lunge up acrossthe back deck until your belly button is in place on the
midline as it was in the previous exercise. If you fall backinto the water, try kicking harder and think more aboutpushing the kayak down and pulling it under your belly.

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 not otherwise attributed are by Sandy Rintoul-Schumann
You can see a video of Roger doing a quick cowboy scramble
in choppy water under the Golden Gate Bridge at youtu.be/wElZ4z14VWw
Another video, not by Roger, which shows the Cowboy Scramble with some narration can be seen at:
youtu.be/dCDyq4KWBVg

If it still didn’t work, you can keep trying or resort to thePlan B technique.
Plan B: Scrambling Over the Stern
Plan B takes advantage of the fact that the further backyou go on your kayak, the lower and narrower it gets, andthe easier it is to get up onto the back deck. Some people
have better luck starting at or behind the back hatch. Others may need to climb directly over the very back of theirstern (though rudders can get in the way). One downside
to the Plan B approach means you’ll have a lot further toscramble to reach the cockpit.
Putting It All Together
However you can get yourself up onto the back deck,
spin on your belly button to straddle the kayak and put
your feet in the water for balance, then scramble up to
the cockpit, drop your butt in the seat, and use a scullingbrace to get your feet in. Once in, you can use your pump
to empty out the water and then continue on your trip.
If you can’t get your long legs into your small cockpit, you
can still paddle with your feet hanging out the sides. This
often comes in handy as a quick way to get out of hazardous areas, as you can paddle to a calmer area where
your partners can help you finish the recovery.
So the next time you go paddling, plan to capsize. And
then see if the scramble is about the quickest way to getyourself back into your kayak.v

California Kayaker Magazine

11

Making Tracks to TAKS
By Dave Jarrell

Trinidad BeachH

ave you ever wondered where your kayak
came from? For some, the answer is “itcame from that company in England.”But where did they get that boat? “Theydesigned and manufactured it.” So, where did thedesign concepts come from? The answer is that thedesign concepts for all of today’s kayaks available
these days originated centuries, if not millennia ago,
in the Aleutian Islands and Greenland. The common
ancestors of the varied cultures of the Arctic regions
migrated east from Siberia ages ago, taking theirboat building skills through Alaska, across Canada,
to Greenland, adapting their boats and paddles to

fit their new environments. Today, kayaks from theeastern and western limits of this spectrum appear
so different that, other than being essentially covered canoes, one would not necessarily assume
that they had a common background.
For me, a hobbyist kayak builder, this is fascinating stuff,
and I’ve learned a bit about the history of these crafts andthe cultures through my activities. So, it was exciting tolearn that the 2010 Traditional Arctic Kayak Symposium(TAKS) was scheduled to take place in October in Trinidad, CA. A visit to the TAKS website stated that the focusof the three day symposium was:“…celebrating the making of, use of, and history of,
traditional Arctic kayaks, Umiaks and other relatedskin-on-frame, strip built, or stitch and glue vessels…
Enthusiasts of the Greenland paddling technique
at all skill levels are invited to explore the waters of
Trinidad Bay or beyond.”
The schedule included harbor paddles, rolling instruction,
guest speakers, a Greenland ropes gymnastic demonstration, and other activities. My memories from priorvisits promised a beautiful, rock-strewn coast.
On the long drive from Sacramento to Humbolt County, I
kept my eyes peeled for other cars with shiny translucent
boats strapped to the roof, wondering if perhaps there
was a Skin-On-Frame Woodstock in the making. Alas, itTraditional skin-on-frame kayaks

12

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Fall 2011was not to be. While interest in traditional paddling and boat building ison the rise, it’s still a niche activity. In
all, about 35 paddlers participated.
I arrived at the TAKS base camp, Big
Lagoon Campground, a little before
dark on the day before the event,and was greeted by the organizerof TAKS, John Petersen. John is ahighly skilled artist and paddler who
makes exquisite traditional-style kayaks and paddles of differing types. In
the past, John made annual pilgrimages to Washington to partake in theSouth Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak
Symposium. During one of the long
drives back, with fellow skin boat
builder Wolfgang Brink, they hit upon
the idea of holding a similar event in
California. And so, the first TAKS was
held in ‘06 at San Simeon.
The ‘10 TAKS officially got underway
on Friday morning at Trinidad Harbor.
A wide variety of kayaks stretcheddown the beach, many of which werehand built by their owners. It was akind of Inuit Concourse D’Elegance,with folks wandering along the shore,
admiring the various types of kayaks

on the sand. There were a numberof low volume, hard chined West
Greenland boats, round bottomed
Aleutian style Baidarkas (Russianfor “Little Boat”) with bifurcatedbows, and wooden boats built by
the stitch and glue and strip methods. There were also a number ofcommercially produced sea kayaks,
but the emphasis was more on thepaddling side of things than any testof ideological purity. Some paddlers
sported Tuiliks, the buoyant, loose
fitting combination dry top/sprayskirt traditionally worn by Greenlanders. The one paddling tool that was
nearly universal at TAKS was the GP,
or Greenland Paddle. Almost all of
the participants used these narrow,long-bladed skinny stick, which mosthad carved themselves.
Trinidad Harbor is sheltered by apoint that makes it ideal for a relaxedsocial paddle, and the rocks andsea stacks dotting the bay give theopportunity to explore and play. Local
guide and traditional skills torchbearer Michael Moore graciously
served as tour guide throughout the
Checking out skin-on-frame kayaks

California Kayaker Magazine

13

rolls, to those just getting their feetwet. One high point of the weekend
was seeing a friend get her first unassisted roll while working with them.
For the truly “rolling impaired”, a
T-Rescue technique specific for skinon-frame boats (which do not havebuilt-in bulkheads) was demonstrated.

Dubside demonstrating the ropes
weekend. On day one, he led us
down the coast, winding through thevarious features for a couple of miles
or so; a harlequin duck was spotted,
as well as the ever present harbor
seals. We then did a little surf landing, had a snack, and headed back.
On the way, a tricky pour-over wasgoing off at one spot, and the moreadventurous lined up to boof over
the rock and almost certainly practicetheir combat rolls.
After lunch, it was time for rollpractice and lessons. Any discussion of “Greenland style paddling”
will quickly head towards rolling. In
modern kayaks we learn to wet exit.
But coming out of your boat in Arctic
conditions is a death sentence, so

Greenlanders developed a large array of rolls. Some finish on the backdeck, some on the front, with andwithout paddle in hand. They vary inorder to be prepared for the numerous calamities that occur through roughconditions and angry sea creatures.
We were fortunate. The conditions
were calm, and the sea creatures
were fairly oblivious to us. But mostimportantly, we had the benefit of being tutored by Cheri Perry and Turner
Wilson, two highly regarded Greenland style paddling instructors. They
had come from Maine to help us
keep our heads above water. They
worked with practitioners of all levelsfrom more accomplished paddlers
working on advanced, competition

Saturday morning saw us back in
the water, with rolling again on theagenda. This time, it was a competition, with paddlers showing theirskills through more and more difficultrolls, until only one roller remained.
That was Cheri Perry, who outlasted
a talented field that included Dubside, an American famous even inGreenland for his rolling prowess.
Following the competition Cheri andTurner led a group up the coast forsome surf zone pointers, anothergroup found the roughest water
available for playing, and yet others hung out in the harbor with the
porpoises and sea otters. One of themany good features of TAKS was theflexible schedule; everyone was able
to proceed at their own speed andcomfort level.
After lunch, back at Big Lagoon Campground, Dubside gave a demonstration of Greenland rope gymnastics.
Simply referred to as “the ropes”,
they consist of two long ropes hungtogether loosely between two treesthat are about 20’ - 25’ apart, andaround 3’ above the ground. The
gymnast twists feet and hands into
the ropes in different poses, and thenmust spin around 360 degrees both
front ways and backwards. The poses increase in difficulty, and points
are awarded accordingly. Dubside
showed us a number of the moves
while giving their names in Greenlandic and telling of his experiencesin competitions in Greenland. Having
given one of the simpler moves awhirl, it’s difficult to determine whichis harder—spinning around on theropes, or pronouncing the names ina language that is so different fromours. Dubside, who is in terrific condition, has mastered both.
Evenings saw group dinners andslide shows. On Friday, we had a14

www.calkayakermag.com

Fall 2011

smorgasbord of culinary delights
by way of a pot-luck supper. While
we don’t find historic references
to Greenland style martinis, Georgiana’s delicious kelp pickles fit the“traditional” billing.
TAKS wound down Sunday morning,with people packing for the trip home.
There was an informal discussion ofboat building methods and materials, and a great deal of admirationof John Petersen’s workmanship on
his selection of boats, paddles, andcarvings. This was really the essenceof the TAKS experience—a kind of
3 day Show and Tell, with crowds
gathering to see Ralph Johnson’s
electric bilge pump equipped skinon frame, Bruce Hale’s hand carved
wing paddles, and Andrew Elizaga‘sornate wood work. It was a small
but passionate gathering, with a lotof excitement in being able to share aninterest in ancient crafts in modern
ways. v

Dave Jarrell lives in El Dorado Hills andworks at California Canoe & Kayak. He
frequently paddles on the local lakes,
although he goes to the coast wheneverpossible. He has built a stitch and glue
wooden kayak and two skin-on-frames,and “went over” to the Greenland paddle
a couple of years ago and has no plansto switch back.

The next Traditional Arctic Kayak Symposium will be in San Simeon, CA on
Oct 14-16. Information atwww.shamankayaks.com/shaman/taks/

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California Kayaker Magazine

15

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

Fall 2011

Opposite Page: Rounding the first turn at the 2010 US Surf Ski Nationals.
Photo was taken from the Golden Gate Bridge
Photo by Nicholas Golden
Camera: Nikon D40

Below: Hole surfing on the Tuolumne River. The silky effect comes from taking the photowith a long exposure (1/15th of a second) with the camera mounted on a tripod
Photo by Michael Powers
Camera: Canon EOS 20D

California Kayaker Magazine

17

Norwood navigating Terminator
Rapid, Futuleufu River, Chile.
Photo by John CornwallI

first met Norwood Scott at a kick-off party for
the Tuolumne River Trust’s ‘Paddle to the Sea’
event. In street clothing, he comes across as
the guy next door. But others mentioned that heis one heck of a white water paddler and very active
in promoting paddling opportunities. He definitely
seemed like he would be an interesting person tointerview. And he was.

CKM: How did you first get into paddling?
NS: I first learned to paddle over 30 years ago at Camp
Mondamin in Tuxedo, NC. Mondamin has always had avery strong paddling program; even my dad learned topaddle there and he is now 85! I think I was around 11
years old when I started. Some of my teachers included
John Dockendorf, Barry Cox, Morgan Anderson, Gordon
Grant, and Fritz Haller.
CKM: What type of paddling do you like?
NS: I enjoy many types of whitewater paddling: expeditionary self-support paddling, creek boating, play boating,slalom, surf kayaking, and wildwater racing. In 1997 I wasfortunate enough to pair up with Charlie Albright as mywildwater C-2 partner. We represented the U.S. Canoe& Kayak Team at the World Championships in Garmish,Germany in 1998 and Vazere, France in 2000, and thenagain at the World Cup Races in Kernville, CA in 2003.
In addition to whitewater paddling, I enjoy multi-day sea
kayaking adventures and outrigger canoeing, when I’m inthe pacific islands on business.

18

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CKM: Most memorable moment paddling?
NS: That’s really a hard one to answer. I have so many
memories and am creating new ones all the time. One
of my most memorable moments was being pulled overby the Nepalese Army for driving on Election Day inthe western Dolpa region, which at the time was under
Maoist control. Apparently, it’s illegal to drive in Nepal
on Election Day because they want to limit the numberof individuals voting at more than one polling location. Ifthey allowed driving, some individuals could vote up to
15 times in one day. So we learned the hard way that thelaw applies to foreigners, as well as Nepalese citizens.
We were escorted by armed military police an hour anda half back to town and thrown in prison. It was just plain
scary; a worst nightmare situation in a foreign country. A
couple of hours into it, we were playing hacky sac withthe guards. Luckily, we were able to apologize our way
out of the situation with the local Commissioner and wereback in a lodge by dinner… eating more dal bhat.
CKM: Favorite place to paddle?
NS: My favorite place to paddle so far is the Futuleufu
in northern Patagonia. Once there, access is incredibly
easy, water quality is superb, scenery is magnificent, andthe quality of the rapids is world class. After three weeks
in Chile I returned home relaxed and in great shape!
CKM: What is your favorite place in CA?
NS: I have two favorite places to paddle in California; theSouth Fork Yuba from highway 49 to Bridgeport and theCherry Creek section of the Tuolumne outside of Groveland. These are class V stretches of rivers that I know byheart, and have even raced on occasion. It’s just pure fun
Fall 2011

American Whitewater President’s Letter
I hope you have all had an opportunity to take advantage of an epic spring boating season and are enjoying
the warmer summer months. I’m very pleased to havebeen elected your next American Whitewater President.
Though it will be difficult to fill the shoes of Don Kinser,
who has been instrumental in leading AW over the past
three years, I am up for the challenge ahead.

Norwood finding his way, Kokotahi River,
New Zealand.
Photo by Andy England

AW consists of a strong team of dedicated individuals—
from our extremely effective Executive Director, Mark
Singleton, to our experienced staff, knowledgeable board,and motivated volunteers and members. I’m honored towork with all of you and our stakeholders to create aneven stronger AW and continue to pursue our mission.
I’m often asked what my primary goals will be for the
next three years, while serving as your president. AW
is a $1.2 million organization, which represents 5,200
direct dues paying members, 120 affiliate clubs and acommunity of 30,000 whitewater paddlers across thenation. I would like to increase our budget so we canhire more staff and contractors, and accomplish evenmore than our lean organization does currently.
Our membership numbers have been flat for the last
few years so this is an area that I plan to focus my attention. During our May board meeting in North Bend,
Washington, we implemented a membership strategy
that includes a board competition to increase membership numbers. I will be reporting the results to our
Executive Committee each month during our regularlyscheduled conference calls. I’m asking for your assistance too—please help us increase membership.

1quarter-page-CAK-20110502 outlines.ai 1 5/2/2011 3:09:56 PM

In May we started a Development Committee, chairedby Chris Hest, a California board member with extensive philanthropy experience. Chris will be working with
Kent Ford and others to educate potential donors about
our work and seek their financial assistance. If you
know of potential donors, and would be willing to meetwith them, we will offer you any assistance that you
may need. Please don’t hesitate to call on us for help.
Another area I would like to see improve is our website.
We recently completed an audit of our website, whichscolded us rather hard for its current deficiencies. We
need a website that serves our mission, and is a go-to
resource for all of you. If it is cost-effective in the long run
to make major design changes to our website, I would liketo see that happen sooner, rather than later. This may be
an expensive undertaking for AW so if you know any web
design firms that believe in our cause and like to do pro
bono work for non-profits, please let us know!
In closing I want to thank all of you for your support. I lookforward to being your President and know we can accomplish greatness together. Hope to see you on the river soon.
California Kayaker Magazine

19

Norwood dropping into Lumston
Rapid, Cherry Creek, CA.
Photo by Eric Petlock

to move quickly down a class V river
without ever being really nervous. It
just doesn’t get any better.
CKM: What do you do for a day job?
NS: I work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as a TechnicalAdvisor in their Pacific Islands Office.
I focus on building capacity withthe local environmental agencies ofGuam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), American Samoa, the Federated Statesof Micronesia, Republic of MarshallIslands, and the Republic of Palau.
It involves a significant amount oftravel, but someone has to do it!
CKM: Congratulations on yourelection to President of American
Whitewater (AW). For our readers
who aren’t familiar with AW, canyou tell us about it?
NS: AW was founded in 1954. It’sa national non-profit with a mission“to conserve and restore America’s
whitewater resources and to enhance
opportunities to enjoy them safely.”
AW is a membership organization
representing a broad diversity of individual whitewater enthusiasts, riverconservationists, and more than 100
local paddling club affiliates acrossAmerica. The organization is theprimary advocate for the preservation20

www.calkayakermag.com

and protection of whitewater resources throughout the United States, andconnects the interests of humanpowered recreational river users withecological and science-based data toachieve the goals within its mission.
If you want to know specifically what
AW is doing in California, please visit
our Website:www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Regional/view/region/LP/
CKM: What do you hope toachieve with American Whitewater
during your tenure as president?
NS: The answer to this question canbe found in my president’s letter,
which was recently printed in American Whitewater Journal (reprinted onprior page). v

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Fall 2011

Hold the Salt

by Chuck Graham

Paddling the Salton Sea

For as far as we could see, the north shore of
the Salton Sea was cloaked in a blanket ofmilky white. Thousands of American white
pelicans wintering in the Colorado Desert
were roosting along the shoreline. Dave Glaser,
Danny Trudeau, and I marveled at their numbers as
they swooped and glided ahead of us, the Chocolate and Santa Rosa Mountains serving as dramatic
backdrops along 110 miles of desert shoreline.
Our 5-day excursion above the San Andreas Fault on
California’s largest lake included a little bit of everything:
mystery, wonder, and natural history. It was a step backto the early 1900s, when the Salton Sea exhibited aresort-like atmosphere. At one point it received more visitors than Yosemite National Park.
The Salton Sea was created accidentally in 1905, whenheavy rains and snowmelt caused the Colorado River toswell, breaching canals and dikes. It eventually flooded
what was then the Salton Sink or Salton Basin, which
is only a few feet higher than the lowest point of Death
Valley. Over the last century more flooding occurred. Now
the sea is receding and with it mass die-offs of fish andbirds. One of the windiest and hottest places on earth,
A black-necked stilt walking past agroup of western sandpipers

the Salton Sea is 25 percent saltier than the Pacific.
Tilapia has proven to be the only fish species that cansurvive in high salinity levels.
There were stretches of the Salton Sea that looked likethe aftermath of the Apocalypse, geothermal plumes
wafting skyward at dawn, the desert landscape swept inbrilliant hues of purple, pink and orange. It was difficult
to tell if the dilapidated desert towns were inhabited or
abandoned. In some towns we wouldn’t see any signsof life, but then we’d see a plume of dust as a batteredvehicle sped out of its driveway.
West Shore
We’d heard of people and their vehicles getting trapped,even vanishing, in massive muddy bogs, so we were
careful in choosing where to safely land our kayaks andreach solid ground.
Our second day took us from the north shore to the west.
The sun was sinking fast and we needed to locate aplace to camp. But every time I stepped out of my kayak,
I quickly sank right to my knees. After several attempts
along a mile of shoreline we finally decided to camp on a
sandbar inside an abandoned marina. The ramp had long
ago collapsed, the jetties were crumbling on either side.
The tiny bank of sand served its purpose though, justlarge enough for two tents and kayaks. We shared it witha graveyard of dead fish, wading black-necked stilts, andseveral raucous gulls.
We were just south of a town called Desert Shores.
Whether it was inhabited or not we never knew. It appeared lifeless, like the several others we encountered.
Dave’s brother told him that the west shore was known
as “Tweakerville”, where abandoned buildings in thedesert sometimes served as breweries for methamphetamine. This locale inspired the 2002 movie Salton Sea
starring Val Kilmer.
California Kayaker Magazine

21

Flock of white pelicans
Birding the Salton Sea
We couldn’t help but become birdwatchers on the Salton
Sea. It’s a major stopover for many migrating species
wintering in the Colorado Desert. Though over 400 species of birds have been recorded, there’s one that stands
out like no other. American white pelicans fly down fromtheir Montana breeding grounds to spend winter in the
Salton Sea. Somewhere between 80 and 90 percent ofon
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their entire population comes here to this accidental, manmade sea.
Dave, Danny, and I followed their flight formations aroundthe Salton Sea. It always seemed like at least one ofus had his camera out trying to capture another flock ofpelicans soaring ahead of us.
Wherever we camped there was never a short supplyof black-necked stilts, avocets, western sandpipers,
great blue herons, great egrets, and eared grebes. Near
our kayaks or parading in front of our tents, they neverstopped in their search for food. It was amazing how
close they would approach once our tents were pitched
and we relaxed around camp.
Amidst the Rubble
There are remnants of various structures, now claimed
by bird nests and brine. An old navy site, a test baseinvolved with the Manhattan Project and atomic testing,sits in the southwest corner of the sea. Established in the
1940s, there’s not much of the base left. But there arereports that it was used for maneuvers in 1991, during
the first Gulf War. Guano-covered pilings still stand, somewith cormorant nests clinging to the tops. A couple of old
buildings wavered in the desert winds. There was also an
old desalination plant, and live ordinance signs surroundthe site’s periphery.
Another structure that, from a distance, appeared like an
old oil derrick tugged on our curiosity. So we paddled out
several miles to the middle of the sea and investigated.
The platform was wooden and solidly built, but it wasn’ta derrick. Instead, it was a weather station, doubling as apopular nest site for double-crested cormorants.
Kayaking by the Bay
After another long day of paddling the south shore, we
pulled into Bombay Beach, stiff-legged and bleary-eyed.
Fall 2011In 2005, the Department of Boating and Waterways erected two camps specifically for kayakers looking to explore
the Salton Sea. One of these is at Bombay Beach. When
we landed our kayaks and hauled gear up to the camp, wewere disappointed to discover it had been badly vandalized.
Spent, we camped there anyway. The camps come withshowers, toilets, shade, barbeque grills and racks for kayaks. Seven miles north is the Salt Creek Kayak Camp, andit’s still in great shape. People at the visitor center told usthat the camp at Bombay will be moved to a more remotelocation on the north shore.
After many more miles of white pelicans, we were nearing
the end of our circumnavigation. We soon ran out of briny
shoreline and spotted three teenage boys casting fishinglines on a guano-covered jetty at the entrance to the statepark marina. It was a scene out of the 1940s, when the
Salton Sea was the happening place to be. v
Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer living in
Carpinteria, CA. He leads guided kayaking trips at the Channel
Islands National Park, and has been a beach lifeguard for 18
years. His stories and photos have appeared in Backpacker, Canoe & Kayak, Paddler, Wavelength, Trail Runner, Shutterbug and
The Surfer’s Journal. He’s also the editor of DEEP Magazine.
Photos by Chuck Graham.
More information on visiting the Salton Sea can be found atwww.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=639

Remains of a navysite used as part of
the Manhattan Project
California Kayaker Magazine

23

Head to Head:

GoPro HD Hero vs. Oregon Scientific ATC9K

L

ast month, while paddling in Big Sur withsome friends, I set myself up just outside
the mouth of a tunnel to take some pictures.
Just as Gregg came through, a large wave
came in and he was flipped end-for-end backwards(thankfully he rolled right up and was fine). A photoof that would be impressive—perhaps even goodenough to show in the Center Hatch of this magazine. But all I got was a blurry shot of my spray skirt,
as the camera took the picture after I dropped it to
grab my paddle and brace to stay upright.

shutter, settings, etc.) while keeping it waterproof. Using
only two buttons does make it a bit more challenging tochange settings—for example, it takes four button presses to change from video to standard still photo setting,and two to go back to video (where with the ATC, you justpush the correct shutter button). The only display thatcomes standard on the GoPro is a small LCD screen on
the front that shows small icons which indicate settings,
picture number, etc. An LED light on the front and audio
beeps indicate the camera status, and, like the ATC, thebeeps are often inaudible when paddling.

In the last issue of California Kayaker Magazine, we
reviewed a pair of Pentax and Olympus waterproof point
and shoot cameras. These need to be held to use, which
doesn’t always work when paddling dynamic waters (asmy spray skirt picture proved).

GoPro packages the camera with mounts for different
uses. Kayakers are likely to find the helmet version mostuseful. The ATC is packaged with both a handle bar andhelmet mount.

In this issue we are reviewing a pair of “mountable”
cameras, the GoPro HD Hero and the Oregon ScientificATC-9K (ATC). These could be used as hand-helds, but
are really made to be mounted to something. These aresometimes called P.O.V. cameras, as you can attach
them to your helmet and take videos while you paddle,
capturing your point of view. They can also be mounted
to your boat and pointed at you, so you can film yourself
in action. No matter where you mount them, they allow
the camera to capture the experience while you (hopefully) keep yourself safe.
Shape and Form
The ATC is a cylinder shaped camera. The lens is recessed a little bit, providing some protection from scratches, but does not have a cover to protect it from water
droplets (a common issue with all waterproof cameras).
There is a small LCD display and a set of five buttons on
the back, with an additional two shutter buttons on top(one each for video and still shots). The back plate is thehatch that opens to access to the battery and cable connections. The front has a small LED light that changes
colors to indicate the camera status. There is also a setof beeps used to signify when filming starts and stops,
but these are often hard to hear. The mounting clamp
wraps around the cylinder and clips into either the helmetor handlebar attachment.
The GoPro is in a waterproof box, with a bubble lens thatbulges out from the front. The back of the box opens,which allows access to, and removal of, the camera
itself (which is a separate unit from the waterproof box).
The box has two buttons that pass through it, which areused to control all of the functions of the camera (on/off,24

www.calkayakermag.com

The GoPro has many different accessories, including
a variety of attachment methods to allow you to mountthe camera just about anywhere. There is a kit to let youconnect two cameras together for 3D viewing, an LCD
that attaches to the back so the camera could act more
like a point and shoot, a pack to add a second battery forextended power usage, replacement waterproof boxes,
and a float that adheres to the back to make the camera
buoyant. The only options for the ATC are spare batteries
and a GPS module that would slip inside the camera.
Usability
Both cameras come standard with a wide-angle lens, with
the GoPro’s being either 170 or 127 degrees (dependingon video setting) and the ATC being 135 degrees. The
wide-angle lens makes aim less import, as it captures alarge area. Downside is that anything more than a few
feet away looks like it is very far away.
Neither camera has a viewfinder. The ATC has a laser
pointer to tell how well it is aimed. This was of limiteduse, because the pointer would have to be triggered,
which then would stay on for 5 or 10 seconds, before you
could take a picture or video. It would be easier to checkthe aim of the camera by looking at the LCD screen or
GoPro HD Hero

Oregon Scientific ATC9K• Continuous interval
photosPros• Mounts to attach toalmost anything• Remote control• Separate video andphoto shutter buttons• Wide-angle lens a bit
too wideCons• Exposed lens on box
gets scratched easily• Resetting file names• Sticky twist knob on
mount
Fall 2011

GoPro HD HeroMarketing Speak The incredible GoPro Digital Helmet HeroHD Wide-Angle camera captures all yourbiking, boarding and whitewater action inwide-screen, high definition format!
• Shoots professional-quality, wide-angle
1080p HD video at 30 frames per sec. or
720p HD video at 30 or 60 frames per sec.
• 170° wide-angle lens captures amazingly
wide and sharp HD video• Shoot up to 2.5 hours of TV-quality video
with sound (with 32GB SD card, not included), or activate the ‘’photo every 5 seconds’’ mode to capture action sequence
stills• 5-megapixel sensor and wide-angle glasslens offer sharp images and smooth, clear
video• Sturdy, polycarbonate waterproof housing
protects camera to 180 ft.
• Comes with lithium ion battery, head strap,
helmet strap, 4 adhesive mounts, 3-way
pivoting side arm assembly and 2 quickrelease buckles

Oregon Scientific ATC9K
The waterproof, high-definition Oregon
Scientific ATC9K Action camera captures
your adventures with hands-free ease inplaces you wouldn’t dare bring a regularcamcorder!
• Use it on land or underwater—tough bodyis shockproof up to 1.2m and waterproof
to 20m below the surface• Delivers full color video at 1080 x 720p
HD resolution with a 135° field of view;
captures 30 frames per sec. in 1080p and
60 frames per sec. in 720p
• Built-in 1.5 in. LCD screen allows instant
playback and review• G-Sensor measures the G-forces encountered during your recorded activity• Double-sided remote makes access andrecording easy
• HDMI interface makes it a cinch to transmit video and audio to a TV or computer• Integrated laser pointer helps you precisely aim the camera once it’s mounted

MSRP

$299

$299

URL

www.gopro.com

us.oregonscientific.com

to take a short video and then lookat it on your computer. Then again,
with wide angle lenses, aim is not soimportant.
The extra buttons on the ATC make iteasier to use than the GoPro. Truthfully, many of the buttons on the backwere not used often in our testing, as
they were for changing settings andviewing pictures on the LCD screen.
The ATC has a very useful, small
remote control. The remote control is
not waterproof, so would need to be
in a clear dry bag. Unfortunately, theaudio indicator on the camera was
not loud enough for me to tell wheth-er the camera was on, so using the
remote while the ATC was mounted
on my back deck did not work well.
It worked much better on my front
deck, as I could see the on/off indicator light on the front of the camera.
GoPro does not have a remote, so
can only be used when it is withinreach or you have to start it and let it
run until you can access it again.
The GoPro’s protruding lens is vulnerable to scratches or pock marks
on it, which make the water droplet
on lens issue worse. GoPro recommends storing the camera in a softbag to help prevent damage. They
also sell replacement lenses or com-plete boxes for a nominal charge.
One issue we had with the ATC
mount was that sand or dried salt
would cause the positioning knob tobind. If you always use the camera
in one position, this would not be anissue, but it was challenging for us
as we moved the camera amongst
different mount locations.
Both have proprietary batteries thatare recharged by a USB cable connected directly to the camera. They
do not come with separate chargers.
This could be an issue on longer
trips, as you can’t recharge a battery
at the same time as using the camCalifornia Kayaker Magazine

25

Both mountables took excellent videos. The video samples we too with the GoPro, no matter what settings,
looked like they were taken from a wider angle lens thanthe ATC. Videos from both cameras appear wider-angle
than a point and shoot.
ATC saves in MOV format, where the GoPro savesin MP4 format. Both have a maximum image size of
1920x1080 at 30 frames per second (fps), with lower
resolution formats and 60 fps options. Until recently, mosttheatrical movies and TV shows were run at 24 fps, so
the 60 fps isn’t really needed right now, except for slowmotion viewing.
At the largest image size, the GoPro used about 1.6 megabytes per second (mps) of video; the ATC only about 1
mps.
The ATC shutter lag for videos was around 1.25 seconds,
where the GoPro was a little faster at 1.0 second.
Photo
Both cameras worked fine taking photos, providing images that were better than most cell phones, but not as
good as the handheld cameras we tested last issue.
Along with the lower resolution, the wide-angle lenses
also affected photos, with distant subjects appearing
even smaller.
The ATC had a shutter lag for still photos of around 1.5
seconds, whereas the GoPro was a lot faster at 0.5 seconds.
The ATC offers 3 and 5 megapixel options, and threecompression settings. Unless you really need to savedisk space on your computer, we strongly recommend
setting the camera to 5 megapixel and ”fine”. The GoPro automatically takes pictures at 5 megapixel with nocompression options. Both save in JPG format and have
similar file sizes at 5 megapixel (about 1.8 megabytes per
photo). Given this, it appears that the GoPro’s compression setting is similar to the best setting on the ATC.
The set of pictures above show the impact of the wideangle lens The top picture is a screen capture from a video
taken with the GoPro, the middle a point and shoot, and thebottom the ATC. You can see the size difference by looking
at the yellow Cobra kayak or the Golden Gate Bridge.
era. In our test, the ATC battery lasted around 4 hours on
standby and LCD turned off; the GoPro about 3 hours 10
minutes.
Video
The hand-helds we reviewed in the last issue were primarily still photo cameras, with decent video capabilities.
The mountables are primarily video cameras, with OK still
photo capabilities. They can take better HD videos thanthe hand-helds, but has only 5 megapixel photo resolution, as compared to 14 megapixel in the hand-helds.
26

www.calkayakermag.com

The ATC also creates a second MAP file with each photo,which contains additional attributes, like data from its
built-in G-force sensor and GPS coordinates if the optional GPS module is installed.
GoPro has a nice option where it takes photos every X
seconds until you stop it. This feature can be used tocatch photos in the middle of action, such as the photowith the Editor’s Letter on page 4 of this issue.
Neither camera has a flash, which limits how well you cantake photos in darker areas.
SoftwareNo software came with the GoPro, and the software thatcame with the ATC was not very useful. But software
would be required, particularly with videos, even if you
only want to crop it. On the whole, we would suggest
software from other sources. A free option is Google’s
Picassa.
Fall 2011

The ATC camera also has an annoying issue on file name–whenever
you delete the files from the memory
card, it resets the file numbering system to start at 1 again. This increases the risk of overwriting older photos
with new ones. The GoPro keeps
incrementing the file number for new
photos and videos.
Final Thoughts
Both the GoPro HD Hero and theOregon Scientific ATC-9K are goodcameras, and either would make agood addition to a waterproof point
and shoot. But if you want just one
camera, we’d recommend a waterproof point and shoot.
Neither camera floats (unless you get
the Floaty Backdoor for the GoPro),so a leash is strongly recommended.
As we did in our last review, we also
recommend buying these cameras
from a vendor with a good return
policy. We did not have any trouble
with either of our test cameras, but it
does seem that waterproof electronic
items do have a higher failure rate
than non-waterproof electronics.
To help you decide which of thesecameras you may prefer, we haveposted on our blog (calkayakermag.
blogspot.com/2011/08/mountables.
html) raw images and video files
taken under a variety of conditions
with each camera.v

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News - continued from page 5

Spot a Basking Shark Project
Have you seen a basking shark?
Basking sharks are true ocean giants. Reaching lengths of 33 feet (10m), they are the second largest fishin the world, behind only the whale
shark. Though basking sharks havebeen found worldwide, relatively little
is known about where they live or go.
“Spot a Basking Shark” is an effort
by researchers at the Pacific Shark
Research Center (PSRC) and the
National Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS) to better understand theabundance, distribution and movements of basking sharks in theeastern North Pacific. NMFS has
designated the basking shark a “Species of Concern” in these waters, andfilling vital knowledge gaps will help
inform any recovery plan to rebuild
the basking shark population.
The “Spot a Basking Shark” Projectneeds your help to fill in this missing
information for the North American
Pacific coast. Report sightings to heresearch team at psrc.mlml.calstate.
edu/current-research/basking-shark.
The web site also has more information on these harmless, planktoneating giants and their biology andconservation.
Outdoor Retailer Update
The stock market is gyrating morethan I have ever seen, our government can’t seem to make any
decisions, and unemployment rates
remain way too high. But none of thiswas apparent inside a big cementbuilding in the middle of a desert thatpeople in the paddlesports industry
go to each summer.
The event is the Outdoor Retailer
trade show (OR), where our local
shops go to get wined and dinedby all the manufacturers, who areshowing off the latest and greatest
products.
Here is some of what was new orinteresting at the show:
Hides (www.hides.com) has comeout with an eyeglass retainer strapthat has an integrated pouch in theback that serves as a glasses case.
They have 2 models – one where thematerial can be used to clean yourlenses, and the other of a floating
material to prevent you from deepsixing your specs.
Kokatat (www.kokatat.com) has
announced some new colors for dry
suits and dry tops to watch for in2012. Definitely some fashion statements possible based on the sneak
peak I saw.
A company called Easy2hook (www.
easy2hookusa.com) has a set offishing hooks that don’t require tying.
Just a few twists.
Point 65 Kayaks (www.point65.com),whom we featured in this OR update
column last year for their take-apartsit-on-top and recreational boats, hasannounced they are coming out with a
14’ modular touring kayak, which theyclaim can fit in the trunk of a Prius.

And something not kayak specific that still caught my eye wasa small, rechargeable flashlight.
Now, rechargeable flashlights arecommon, but the Spotlight Turbo(www.12vspotlight.com) is recharged
with your car’s cigarette lighter. v

California Kayaker Magazine

27Delta 10
by Delta Kayaks

There are some kayaks that catch your eye
because they are different than the norm inshape, material, or accessories. The Delta 10
is one of them.
When I first saw the Delta 10, I wondered how the catamaran hull would perform. And I noticed that, unlike otherrecreational class boats, it was not made of standard
rotomolded plastic, but instead it is made of thermoplastic. And when I looked inside the cockpit, I saw a clear
window in the floor, letting the paddler look in on theunderwater world.
Outfitting
When you go to use it, the first thing you’ll notice with thisboat is that it is light–at least 10 pounds lighter than asimilar length rotomolded kayak. Carrying this boat fromcar to the launch was a breeze. This is one of the benefits of the thermoplastic material.

This kayak uses large foot pegs, which can make it more
comfortable. They have plenty of adjustment space, fitting our reviewers who varied in height from 5’1” to 6’.
The “Sea View” window is positioned on the flat portion of
the hull, protected between the catamaran hulls, so is lesslikely to be scratched if you hit bottom or rocks. This is good,as you sure don’t want to mess up the view with scratches.
There is a small glove box-like compartment just in frontof the paddler. This was quite convenient for carrying
items such as energy food, camera, and other stuff you’dwant to access while on the water. The manufacturer
says it is waterproof (and with the threaded cover it justmay be), but we strongly recommend always keeping theimportant items (wallet, car keys, phone, etc.) in reliable
dry bags or boxes. One caution is that the lid to this hatch
is not tethered to the boat, so could possible get lost if
you are not careful.

The deck bungee cords are connected with a mixtureof standard bolt-on clips and some molded hooks. For
example, the front bungee connects in three places, using two clips and one hook. You can pull the bungee off
the hook, place your paddle under it, and re-hook. Thisturns the bungee into a paddle park to keep your paddle
in place when you aren’t holding it.

Paddler Experience/Performance
The boat was paddled in a variety of conditions by multiple paddlers. Normally we list the different paddlers byinitials, height, and weight. But for the Delta 10, we did
not find any significant differences in performance withdifferent sized paddlers, so we didn’t break out the comments by reviewer.

Standard kayaks usually have the bulkhead set backfarther from the seat. So when you lift the bow to drain
the cockpit, this area catches water. The Delta 10’s seatis molded into the rear bulkhead, so there is no space
to collect water. This allows you to completely drain the
cockpit when you lift the bow—a very nice touch.

The twin hulls give the short boat an unusual combination of tracking and maneuverability. The Delta 10 canbe edged, which allows it to turn faster (not that a 10 footboat really needs much help turning faster).

28

www.calkayakermag.com

It is not a fast boat, but felt about right for one that is 10
feet long. It isn’t something you’d want to use for a long
tour, though.
Fall 2011Marketing Speak - What Delta
Says:
The new Delta 10 is a very uniquely designed recreational kayakthat brings a whole new level ofinnovation and performance to thispopular market segment.
With its modified catamaran hull,the Delta 10 clips along with remarkable speed and agility while
maintaining a very high degreeof stability and manoeuvrability
without the excessive beam widthof most recreational kayaks making it a dream to paddle almost
anywhere you choose to go. It
excels as a platform for fishingand photography and its compact
size and light weight make it an
ideal choice to store on the deck oflarger pleasure craft.
The Delta 10 boasts a massive
rear dry storage compartment
sealed by the integrated seat /bulkhead design and rear stowage
hatch. This unique Delta feature
also provides excellent buoyancy
for your safety and piece of mind.
Another Delta exclusive is the front
under deck stowage pod sealed
by a watertight screw on hatch tosafely store your camera and otherimportant personal items while
adding even more flotation to thebow.

Specifications:• Cockpit: 18.5’’ x 36’’
• Length: 10’• Width: 27’’
• Depth: 14’’
• Weight: 37 lbs
MSRP: $995
www.deltakayaks.com
Most kayaks weathercock (turn into
the wind) when exposed to winds
from the side. This boat does notcome with a skeg or rudder, both ofwhich compensate for weathercocking. We paddled it in winds to 20mph,
but found that it does not weathercock much, so it is fine without a skeg
or rudder. We did find that it does drift
sideways due to sitting high on thewater.
The kayak handled one-foot wind
waves, but the waves hitting thehull did cause us to get wet from thesplash. The boat was noisy paddling
into the wind with the chop hitting
the flat part between the catamaran
hulls. This boat would not handle
larger waves, especially steep waves(which is the same as any other wide
kayak).
This boat was very stable, with both
high primary stability and high sec-

ondary stability. Each of the reviewers that tried to was able to stand up
in this kayak.
We did want to flip it over and flood
it so we could see if someone could
get back into the kayak while in deep
water. We were concerned that with
only a rear bulkhead, it would takeon too much water to allow you to getback in.
With that high stability, smaller paddlers had to work hard to get it flipped
over. But once turned back upright,
the kayak floats high in the water andwas stable. So with a little training
and practice, most paddlers shouldbe able to do a paddle float or cowboy/cowgirl scramble recovery to getback in it.
The downside to such a large cockpit
is that we were not able to roll it. Notable to lock their knees under thedeck, the paddlers fell out once they

For your underwater viewing
pleasure we’ve also added a “SeaView “window in the cockpit floor
allowing you to observe the wateryworld below as you cruise yourfavourite waterway.
Other features include a full compliment of deck rigging, adjustablefoot braces, super comfy seat padding and even a convenient beverage holder. And to cap it off, all ofthese outstanding features come ina tidy and easy to handle 37 pound
package thanks to the remarkableadvantage of our Thermoform
Technology. The Delta 10 is a very
special little kayak packed full offeatures, fun and performance at avalue that’s hard to ignore.

Looking at a sea star through the “Sea View” window
California Kayaker Magazine

29

flipped over, so never had the chance
to try to roll. But rolling is not a common practice with recreational kayaks.
Cautions
The combing could take a skirt, butthen you won’t be able to see out the“Sea View” window. If you did wanta skirt to keep the elements out, you
would probably need to order a custom size skirt to fit this boat.
We have a caution related to transport. The cat hull does not fit well in a
lot of standard rooftop kayak carriers, like saddles or J-cradles. We
got around this by putting the boat
upright on the crossbars of the rack.
Thermoformed plastics don’t “oil can”
(flex) as much as rotomolded plastic
boats do, and the boat did just fineon bare racks.

Who should consider this kayak
This boat is the “Cadillac” of recreational boats, but is still a recreational
boat. Recreational boats are meant
for flat water on fairly good weatherdays. This boat would be perfect forthat. Should you find a way to flip it,
you can get back in (with training andpractice), an additional safety aspectover many other recreational boats.
If you want something a little safer
than the average recreational boat,
this boat is worth considering. But if
you want something to take in roughwater, on a moving river, in the surf,
over long distances, etc., you had
better look elsewhere.

that is easy to transport will be aboat that gets used. If light weight isimportant, this boat is worth considering.
The “Sea View” window is also anice feature not available elsewhere.
If the areas you often paddle haveclear water and a lot to see underwater, this window may be a selling
point for you.
Overall, this would be a fun boat forsomeone who only paddles protectedwaters or a great boat to add to afleet and loan to novices or take out
for calm water paddles. v

This boat is very light. Lighter thanmost other boats in its class. Thatmeans it will be easy to move between car and launch. And a boat

Advertisers Index
Advanced Elements ...................... 9
Aquan Sports............................... 32
California Canoe & Kayak.............. 7
Clavey River Equipment.............. 15
Cobra Kayaks.............................. 31
Delta Kayaks................................ 31
Eskape Sea Kayaking . ................. 7
Headwaters Kayak Shop............... 4
Kayak Zak.................................... 30
Kokatat......................................... 23
M

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Good

Liquid Fusion Kayaking................ 20!!!

Mo r esi
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Guided Tours
Kayak & Paddleboard Rentals
Family Fun!

707 498-1130
in Humboldt County

www.kayakzak.com
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www.calkayakermag.com

North Shore Kayaks....................... 2
SEA-LECT Designs..................... 13
Valley Sea Kayaks......................... 2
WaterTreks EcoTours................... 14
Wheeleez .................................... 19
Wind Paddle..................................11
Fall 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

9’ 7 “
27”
34 lbs
230 lbs

eLiMiNATOR
LengthWidth
WeightCapacity

16’ 6”
23”
42 lbs
240 lbs

Fish N’ Dive
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
California Kayaker Magazine

31