Always Free 																				Spring 2010
Volume 1, Issue 1

On TheRocks

Skills:Brace for Success
Launch Point:

Bolinas Lagoon

Pennyisms

An interview with Penny Wells

Fun For the Whole Family

AquanFest 2010

Bay Area’s Largest Paddlefest

People Paddle for the Planet

June 12-13, 2010 10:00-4:00 @ the Leo Ryan Park and Lagoon, Foster City

Join Aquan Sports,
California’s premier water sport center,for our 3rd annual Aquanfest.
This is the bay area’s largest
paddlefest and adventure sport fair.
Sponsored by Aquan Sports
840 Brittan Ave (across from REI) San Carlos, CA 94070
650 593 6060 www.AQUANSPORTS.com

Sales • Rentals • Classes • Tours • Repairs

Chuck Espiritu, Kokatat Kayak Fishing Ambassador
with a 39 inch, 19 pound striped bass caught using
live sardines just behind the surf line near Pacifica(CA), wearing a Supernova Angler and Bahia Tour life
jacket. Photo: ©Ariel Cuna

Eskape Sea Kayaking
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www.EskapeKayak.com
831-476-5385

Spring 2010

Volume 1, Issue 1

Contents

Editor in Chief
Peter Donohue
Design & Layout
Laura Ramos www.portalcm.com
Contributing Writers
Roger Schumann
Edgar Vargas
Meade Fischer
Cate Hawthorne
Writing not otherwise credited is by
California Kayaker
Contributing Photographers
Bart Selby
Roger Schumann
Meade Fischer
Cate Hawthorne
Jeff LaxierPeter Lyons
Logo Design
Brian Warkentine
Psychological Support
Devil’s Canyon Brewery’s Full Boar
Scotch Ale
www.devilscanyonbrewery.com
Find Us
PO Box 282004
San Francisco, CA 94128
Email: editor@calkayakermag.com
www.calkayakermag.com
Copyright © 2010 by California Kayaker
Magazine. All rights reserved.
Duplication or copying of any portionof this magazine in any form is strictly
prohibited. Letters to the editor should
be sent to the editor at the address oremail listed above. The opinions foundin California Kayaker Magazine arethose of its writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of management oradvertisers.
California Kayaker is an independent
magazine available for free at paddlingshops, sports retailers, outdoor stores,
fitness clubs, marinas, and events, andavailable for download from the web.
Also available for subscription.
Kayaking can be a dangerous sport.
Dress appropriately, always wear your
PFD, and paddle within your skill level.

6			Features

10

		

6

14

In Every Issue

4

Skills - Brace for
Success

Editor’s Note

9News and Calendar

Golden Gate
Sea Kayak
Symposium

10

On the Rocks

14

5

12

Center Hatch

20

Reviews

22

List of Advertisers

Pennyisms

16

Bolinas Lagoon

Cover Photo - A group of Risso
Dolphins flying by a group of rental
kayaks in Monterey. You never knowwhat you will see when you arepaddling.
Photo by Bart Selby
Camera: Nikon D-300
California Kayaker Magazine

3

Editor’s Note
Welcome Letter
The idea for this magazine came after I wrote an article for Wavelength Magazine (a magazine

similar to this, but focusing on paddling in the Pacific Northwest) about my trip down the Columbia River. I was
surprised at the number of kayakers in California who had read the article. If a magazine from out of our region
was so well-read here, it seemed a local magazine would be very popular. We do have some of the best kayaking in the world in our vicinity, and California is one of the top two states for kayak sales, so I guess it shouldn’t
have been a surprise.
California Kayaker Magazine’s goal is to be the resource for kayak information for Northern California. We arededicated to promoting fun and responsible kayaking and advocating for increased paddling opportunities inthis region. The magazine will be published quarterly and available for free at various kayaking, sports, andboating outlets in Northern California, or as a downloadable PDF from our web site (www.calkayakermag.com).
The content will cover all forms of kayaking and be for readers of levels varying from just entering the sport tofive star paddlers.
We are starting small but plan to grow the publication. We decided to bite the bullet and go with expensive
glossy stock right from the start. The trade off is that the first issue is a bit thinner than we would like. But themagazine will grow in page count over time.
A few special thanks:
To Bob Mack and Tracy Corral of Cycle California! Magazine (www.cyclecalifornia.com), for providing a lot of
inside information on the world of magazine publishing.
To Laura Ramos for taking time out from her marketing consultancy (Portal Creative Marketingwww.portalcm.com) to do the layout for this issue.
To Brian Warkentine for designing the logo.
And especially to the shops, tour companies, events, and manufacturers who have stepped forward andbought ads. They feel that this magazine is good for the industry, and they want to support that (even in thesetough times). And they stepped up before the first issue is out, so they made the decision before they could
look at a copy to know if it would be good for them. These are the folks who are forward looking and growing
kayaking in our area as a whole, so are well-worth supporting with your business.
My background is not in publishing so I am learning a lot as I go. Just like how the first wooden or skin onframe kayak one makes is not perfect (at least mine wouldn’t be if I had the patience to try to make one), thismagazine likely has areas that can be improved. My apologies in advance for these shortfalls, and let me assure you that we will keep improving the magazine with each issue we put out!
I hope you enjoy reading this first issue as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life.

Peter Donohue

Editor in Chief
editor@calkayakermag.com
4

www.calkayakermag.com

Spring 2010

uNEWS
Marine Life Protection Act(MLPA) North Central Region
going into effect on April 1
On August 5, 2009, the Fish andGame Commission voted to adopt a
proposal for the MLPA north central
coast study region that establishes
21 marine protected areas (MPAs),
three State Marine Recreational
Management Areas, and six special
closures, in total covering approximately 153 square miles (20.1%)of state waters in the north central
coast study region. This region
extends from Alder Creek, near
Pt. Arena in Mendocino County, toPigeon Point in San Mateo County.
There are a few closures to all
boating (impacting kayaking) in this,including at Point Reyes between
Chimney Rock and the lighthouse,
Point Resistance and Stormy Stackareas on Drake’s Bay, and Egg
Rock off of Devil’s Slide.
More closures exist for all fishermen, including kayak fishermen.
Approximately 86 square milesof the 153 square miles are designated as “no take” state marine
reserves (so no fishing is allowed),while different take allowances providing varying levels of protection
are designated for the rest.
These adopted MPAs are scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2010.
Maps and GPS coordinates of closures are at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa/
nccmpas_list.asp.
This is the second region of five
to be adopted. The first being theCentral Coast, which covers from
Pigeon Point to Point Conception,that went into effect in September,2007. That region did not have any
specific closures to boating, but did
have its share of closures to fishing.
More details on MLPA process canbe found at www.dfg.ca.gov/mlpa.

California Kayaker Magazine isstill trying to comprehend thegovernment-speak legalese of theregulations to better ascertain what
the direct impacts are to kayakers
and will report back more on this if
needed.

Bair Island Development
Minnesota-based agribusiness company Cargill, and their development
partner, Arizona-based home builder
DMB Associates, has submitted a
proposal to fill in more than 1,400
acres of restorable salt ponds in
Redwood City with up to 12,000
new units of housing. At the timeof publishing, it looks like Redwood
City will agree with starting theenvironmental impact report process, though many local towns andenvironmental organizations are
lining up against this project.
These salt ponds are right next toBair Island, an area of some 3000
acres that were also salt ponds, but
are now well into the process of being restored back to tidal marshes,
and an area that already has excellent nature viewing opportunities
from kayaks. The1400+ additional
acres of Cargill lands would definitely add to the paddle experiencespossible in this area if they were
restored, rather than developed.
For such a large project, the environmental impact process will takeyears to complete before any development would happen, and California Kayaker Magazine will keep you
informed as the process continues.

Oregon Permit Requirement
For 2010, Oregon has instituted an
Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit requirement. Along withpower boats and sailboats, thispermit requirement will apply to paddle operated crafts longer than 10feet and operated by someone 14
years old or older (surf boards are
exempt, but stand-up paddle boards
are not).

In the case of paddle operated
crafts, the permit must be carriedby the operator and can be used bythat person on any paddle operatedboat.
A $7 anual permit can be obtainedat any Oregon Department of Fish
and Wild Life license agent or reseller.
The permit is required for out-ofstate residents who are paddling inOregon, even if you or your boat
has a similar permit from anotherstate.

wEVENTS
Bay Area Paddlefest
May 1-2, 2010
Fremont, CA
www.thebayareapaddlefest.org
See ad on inside back cover

Reno River Festival
May 7-9, 2010
Reno, NV
www.renoriverfestival.com
AquanFest
June 12-13, 2010
Foster City, CA
www.aquansports.com

See ad on the inside front cover

The Great Race #37
July 17, 2010
Rancho Cordova & Sacramento, CA
www.thegreatrace.org
US Surf Ski Championships
August 21-22, 2010
Sausalito & Berkeley, CA
www.ussurfski.com

To submit an event for consideration to California Kayaker Magazine,
please send basic information to
editor@calkayakermag.com.
California Kayaker Magazine

5

SKILLS_

Brace for Successby Roger SchumannAfter landing for lunch on a beautiful pocket
beach near Carmel recently, my wife and I
sat on the bleach-blond sand between granite boulders, munching tuna sandwiches while
watching another couple of kayakers cautiously head our way. Their kayaks teetered on each small
swell that approached the beach before it steepened andcrumbled in a line of creamy foam. While not a particularly
challenging surf landing, it was still a surf landing, and they
didn’t look comfortable in the bumpy water.
Nearing the surf zone, the woman held back, watching
as her paddling partner put his head down and sprinted
shoreward, trying unsuccessfully to outrace a wave, whichbroke at his stern, quickly broached his boat sideways,
and tipped him toward shore. He froze as the wave hit,
holding his paddle up over his head like a kid on a rollercoaster before letting it fly as he was tumbled in the wave.
A few moments later, she too got hit from behind by awave and knocked sideways. But instead of freezing up,
she slapped her paddle blade flat against the foam andleaned on her brace, looking shaky but remaining upright6

www.calkayakermag.com

Using a brace to land safely in the surf after broaching.
Photo by Christopher Manchester.

as the wave washed her sideways up onto the sand.
Whether you paddle a touring sea kayak, a sit on top or
whitewater kayak, learning to brace well not only expands
your comfort zone and safety, it can greatly expand therange of areas you can explore along our areas amazing
coastlines and rivers. Even if you are the type who does
your best to avoid surf landings and other rough spots, asudden squall or even a simple boat wake can turn eventhe best-planned flat-water cruise into either a nice thrill ora nightmare, depending on your ability to brace.

Bracing Basics
Essentially bracing is slapping your paddle blade flat
against the water, using the water’s surface tension to produce momentary support, before snapping your boat backinto balance beneath you with your lower body. But liquidwater doesn’t offer very solid support, and there are many
subtleties involved in effective bracing. A basic concept tokeep in mind is that no matter how much a brace may look
like a way to use your paddle and arms to push your body
Spring 2010

back up over your boat, a more effective way to look at it isthat you are actually planting your paddle and using yourknees to pull your boat back under you. This is a subtle
but important distinction, requiring that you first master thefundamentals of the “hip snap” or “hip flick.” One way topractice this without having to worry about tipping over is
to brace the face of your blade against a partner’s bow, in
the “high brace” position. There is also a low brace, using
the back of the blade, but the high brace is a good place
to start. Practice using your knees to rock your boat up onedge while trying to keep your head balanced over yourknees (instead of leaning it out over the side of your kayak), so that your torso bends into a sideways “C” position
with your head on your shoulder. Then pull down on yourpaddle as you quickly lift your lower knee, snapping yourbody into a “C” on the other side as you rock the kayak
back under you.
Once you feel comfortable with the hip snap part of thetechnique, try slapping your paddle flat on the water to geta feel of the momentary support it can give you. The trick
is to time your hip snap just as your blade slaps the water.
You may want to practice this in very shallow water at first,
less than one foot, so you can push off the bottom if you
don’t time it right. To avoid injuring your shoulder, makesure to keep your hands in front of you and below the levelof your shoulder. Reaching up and behind you puts yourshoulder in an unstable position.

Photo 1 - Edge

Once you have a feel for the timing and support, and you
are ready to try it for real in deep water, it is a good idea
to be prepared for a capsize both physically (dressed for
immersion in a wet or dry suit if the water is cold) as wellas mentally. To really learn to brace well typically involves
an unplanned capsize or two while you’re refining yourtechnique.
There are four steps: edge, slap, snap and recover. Froma normal paddling position, twist your wrists back to get
the face of the blade parallel to the surface, then use yourknees to rock your boat up on edge, crunching your body
into the “C” shape you practiced before (see photo 1). See
how far on edge you can get using just your balance, but
keep your paddle horizontal and ready. The next step isto let yourself tip off balance, and slap the water with yourblade flat (photo 2). Then hip snap the kayak back under you, crunching into a “C” again on the opposite side,
as you practiced in the shallows (photo 3). One final step
used to recover your paddle blade which is probably now
well below the water, is to twist your wrists back up into thenormal paddling position again, slicing your blade back tothe surface, ready for the next brace.

Photo 2 - Slap

In order for it to work in real conditions, like a surf landing,Continued on page 8

Photo 3 - Snap and Recover
California Kayaker Magazine

7

you’ll need to practice it often—edge,
slap, snap and recover—until it starts
to feel reflexive on both sides. Eventually you’ll also want to get comfortable using the back of your blade in a
low brace position as well.

More Advanced Techniques
As you advance, or if you are a moreadvanced kayaker, there are a variety of reflexive bracing exercises you
can practice to improve your bracingin rougher water. One I use whenteaching my more-advanced classes
is paddling on the back deck. In theshallows, straddle your back deck andsit right behind your seat. Lift your feet
off the bottom but leave them in thewater for balance at first and try paddling around, slapping high and low
braces as necessary. If you start to fallin, simply put your feet down. Typically quite awkward at first, most people
get comfortable fairly quickly, so thenext step is to practice spin turns andpaddling backwards. For even morechallenge, lift your feet out of the water completely or play a game of tag
with your paddling buddies.

Mo r eOther ways to practice reflexive bracing, again in the shallows, is to havea partner sit on your back deck while
you paddle around from your normal
position in the cockpit, or have someone grab your bow and try to tip you
over while you brace to remain upright. But probably the best way tolearn reflexive bracing is to spendsome time playing in small surf or inan easy whitewater river. It is essen-

M

o re

Good

Another advanced skill I call deep
bracing is where you tip so far thatyour body actually hits the water. The
key is to let your body hit the water
first, briefly stalling the capsize motion, before you engage your paddle
blade. If you hit the water with yourblade too soon, by the time your bodyhits the water, your blade will be too
deep to do you any good. Also thesculling brace, where you use yourpaddle to skim the water in a sustained brace, is a super useful skill
to have in your quiver, but that will
have to wait for a future article. In thehave more fun. v

Roger Schumann is award-winning coauthor 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. He
has a video showing bracing skills on his
web site at www.eskapekayak.com/ACA_
SkillsDrillsVideo.htm#braces.
Photos by Sandy Schumann.

!!!

s

F

un i

White water paddler on Cache Creek bracing.
tial that you wear a helmet
and get some competent,meantime, even practicing the basic
professional instruction first to learn high brace can help you be safer andwhat dangers to avoid before trying more comfortable on the water, which
this on your own, however.
will allow you to go more places andin Humboldt County
Guided Tours
Lagoon Rentals
Family Fun!

www.kayakzak.com
707 498-1130

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for progress updates, announcements of wheneach issue will be published, up-to-date listings
on events, etc.
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8

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Spring 2010

Successful Golden Gate Sea
Kayak SymposiumT

he very successful
2nd annual Golden
Gate Sea Kayak Symposium was held on
February 26 to 28. There weresome 95 registrants and over
30 instructors. Many different
accents where heard, not justfrom around the U.S.
and Canada, but from overseas also.
The symposium is a training opportunity for intermediate to advanced
kayakers. Most of the classes are
aimed at sea kayakers, but there arealso classes for surf skis/racers andkayak surfers.
The event is timed with the strongest
spring tides, so that additional teaching opportunities open up at some of
the tidal races. But late-winter also
provides some interesting weather
conditions, varying from mild to wild,
including 50mph winds combinedwith horizontal hail, 20ft swell and atsunami warning.

Students listening to the pre-paddle safety talk.

izer, reported “I witnessed the mostextreme weather event I have ever
witnessed since moving to California
when a wind shear came through at
the back end of the storm on Friday.
The wind was strong enough to blow
the tops off the waves at yellow bluff
and it knocked two kayakers over. I
observed one of the finest rescues
Sean Morley, symposium organI have ever seen in these extreme
conditions.
Instructor Roger
Schumann[author of thisissue’s article
on bracing]performed a
T-Rescue on thestudent whilst
Instructor Paul
Kuthe [filmmaker of the
Pacific Horizons
and Eastern
Horizons kayak
Demonstrating how to use your boat to transport a capsized
porn] towed
paddler back to their boat

them into the eddy. We stood bywith the safety boat but we weren’t
needed. This incident was evidenceof the caliber of instructors we had
available and the tremendous experience that students gained from theweekend.”
In addition to the classes during
the day, there were presentations
each night. The keynote was Freya
Hoffmeister, who gave a presentation
about her recently completed circumnavigation of Australia – padding
8565 miles in 332 days.
California Kayaker was there Saturday and Sunday, and did not experience these wild weather conditions,but did have to deal with the tsunami
warning from the Chile earthquake.
Great weekend, and one that helped
improve my skills. v

California Kayaker Magazine

9On TheRocks
by Cate HawthorneM

ost paddlers don’t want to
end up with their kayak on
the rocks, but there is definitely an allure to paddlingaround them. Imagine paddling throughlabyrinths of coastal rock gardens
comprised of rock islands, sea stacks,
arches, and caves and exploring hidden
coves only accessible by kayak. California has many stretches of enchanting
rocky coastline.
The Mendocino Coast is one of these magical stretches. Paddling an area of this coastline is a uniqueexperience every time. Tides cover and uncover rocks
and expose tide pools, ocean and weather conditions
create fluctuating currents and waves, and wildlife me10

www.calkayakermag.com

ander and migrate. On and around the rocks, there areopportunities for special wildlife encounters like spotting
camouflaged black oyster catcher chicks or peregrine
falcons. Even deer can be seen on the coastal rocks.
Below the surface, lichen-lined rocks, iridescent kelp,
orange and purple sea stars, green anemones, abalone
and beds of sea urchins inspire intrigue and wonder.
This is a dynamic environment. Watching wave action
on the rocks inspires notions of how the coastline wascarved and shaped over thousands and thousands ofyears. Even on a calm day, one realizes the ocean is inconstant motion as the tide rises and falls. Kayaking isa fun way to explore this environment, offering paddlers
opportunities to interact with moving current and rocks
and challenge their paddling skills.
Several years ago, I started paddling with more advanced paddlers and was intrigued by how they would
patiently wait for a moment and then glide through therocky channels riding the ocean currents; in contrast,
Spring 2010

I would often strong arm my way against the current. I
was envious of their graceful and effortless paddling so
I watched. I became a pupil of the moving water trying
to read it and learn its language. Eventually, I learned tocatch those free rides surging through rocky passages
and realized the joy of going with the flow and being
one with the water.

I was sliding down its green face over the rock and intoa watery pit below. The bow of my boat buried but thenresurfaced, and I was sitting in a calm pool of water on
the other side of the rock.
My heart was in my throat as I was overcome withadrenaline and relief. My paddling buddies were cheering. I couldn’t believe it –I was upright and in
one piece– so paddled back for another ride.
Paddling around the rocks definitely has anallure for beauty and intrigue, but also the opportunity to hone water reading and precision
paddling skills. One’s perspective changes
after experiences in this dynamic environment; whether it is a unique wildlife sighting or
the notion of riding a wave over an exposedrock reef. Over the past two years of guiding
on the Mendocino Coast, I have seen several
deer on rocks in the ocean, taken countless rides on waves, and guided kayakers
over and around the rocks. Each experience
continues to be extraordinary and keeps me
going back out paddling. v

A guided tour of the rocky Mendocino shoreline.

Feeling elated by being able to work with thewater, I started paying more attention to myfriends’ paddling feats which I had previously
deemed superhuman and crazy. They would
surf the ocean waves over the rocks – similar to how whitewater kayakers paddle overdrops or waterfalls. Initially my thoughts were
“No thanks - too crazy, too extreme,” but now
my perspective was changing.
One day it happened. I had been flirtingwith the rocks, riding little surges throughthe rocky channels and over the rocks fora month or so. We came to a rock that I
had paddled over before on calm days that
resulted in about a 2 foot drop. This was fun
and stretched my limits. This particular day
seemed like previous days – a medium tide with relatively calm ocean conditions.
I lined up on the ocean side of the rock like I had before
and watched for the surge to hit the indicator rock togive me the timing. It looked a little bit bigger than what
I had ridden before, but I didn’t give it much thought.
Too late, I realized that it was a lot bigger than anythingthat I wanted to ride. In a fraction of a second, the wave
elevated about 8 feet with me on top of it. In an instant,

The author riding over some rocks.

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.

California Kayaker Magazine

11

Center

Paddlers from the Bay Area Sea Kayakers (bask.org) and Environmental Traveling Companions (etctrips.org) forming a 350, in honor of 350.org. 350.org promotes the idea that
we should have a maximum of 350 parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere to prevent catastrophic climate issues. In December 2009, the earth averaged 387 ppm.
Photo by Scott Munson
Camera: Canon EOS 20D

Have a photo that shows the beauty of kayaking or otherwise makes people think?
Send submissions to editor@calkayakermag.com. Include the background story andwhat camera was used.
12

www.calkayakermag.com

Spring 2010

HatchRoger Schumann demonstrating that “rocks are your friends, so longas you stay on their good side”. The rock in front of him that thewave is crashing on is using up most of the wave’s energy, making it
safe for Roger to stay there.
Photo by California Kayaker
Camera: Pentax Optio W20

California Kayaker Magazine

13

INTERVIEW_

Pennyisms

An interview with Penny Wells

P

enny Wells is one of the founders of the Bay Area Sea Kayakers, a sea kayak club basedin San Francisco and the surrounding areas. She has a long history in
paddling, and her efforts have had a lotof impact on Bay Area paddling. Beloware excerpts from a two-hour conversation we had a few weeks ago.

CKM: Did I hear correctly that you were whitewatercanoeing before you got into kayaking?
PW: Yes. I got to the point where I was never going tobe better than class 3. Class 4 was just too scary for me.
And you had to drive long distances to get to white water.
The nearest white water around here is Cache Creek,
and even Cache Creek is an hour and a half to two hours
away. But the ocean is right here. Everything I have donein my life has been ocean oriented. I’ve always lived near
the beach. I sailed and I dove.
CKM: Why sea kayaking versus just taking a canoeout on flat water?
PW: Canoes catch wind. Kayaks are more efficient boats
on the ocean. Canoes are not really sea-worthy when
you get on the ocean.
CKM: What were kayaks and gear like when you firststarted? I imagine there has been a lot of change.
PW: I don’t remember that we had lots of choices. We
didn’t worry about that. My first boat was a Klepper folding boat. And I only got that because I had friends who
were going to the Klepper factory in Germany and madea deal. Every time I paddled it I put it together, I washedit, I dried it – I can’t believe I did all that work!
And we did some real kind of exploring, as none of us
were paddlers on The Bay before that. The first time
we went to Angel Island, we planned to go over there tocamp. A whole bunch of us went from Horseshoe Coveafter work on a Friday. At that time, I didn’t even know
where Angel Island was. I went with my friend Elsa, and14

www.calkayakermag.com

Penny whitewater canoeing on the South Fork of the American
River circa 1983.

everyone else left us at Horseshoe Cove, as we were still
putting the boat together. So we took off after dark andwe knew that Angel Island was out there somewhere. We
got there eventually. We found Perle’s Beach, where wewere supposed to go, by complete accident.
There was some surf at Perle’s Beach. We knew what
we were supposed to do to land in surf, as we had read it
in a book. And the way you land in surf is you point to thebeach, pull up the rudder, and paddle fast.
CKM: How did that work out?
PW: Well, in Kleppers, there are only 2 speeds – slow
and stop. So paddle fast didn’t happen. And when you
pull up the rudder, you can’t control the direction of theboat. The boat went sideways and flipped over in thesurf. Lots of people say you can’t flip a Klepper, but weproved you can. We did this in jeans and t-shirts (shenow religiously wears wet suits). So we were sopping
wet, covered with sand, but knew we got to the rightplace because there were a lot of people standing aroundlaughing.
CKM: What type of things did you do in the past thatyou are not doing now?
PW: I don’t do a lot of rock garden paddling or surfing
any more. I used to do that a lot. You get to a certain
age, and start questioning “should I be doing this”? The
answer is “well, it depends”.
CKM: What is the most exciting or interesting trip
you had kayaking?
PW: There isn’t any one. Coastal exploration and finding
new places to go and using your kayak as a means for
Spring 2010

getting there is the whole reason
I like to kayak. And expedition
padding is one of the things you dowhen you like that. The things thathave been most exiting have been
expedition oriented.
CKM: What trips have you done?
PW: I have paddled, and it took 15
years to do it, the entire inside of
the Sea of Cortez. All of it is beautiful. All of it is wonderful. Going out
there for a couple of weeks without
ever seeing another human being
just cannot be beat.
Spectacular trips; I paddled Nepali
Coast of Kauai five times now.
Because it is incredible. And every
time I paddle it, it takes longer to doit. The last time I did it, it took 5 daysand I felt rushed at the end. It’s 17
miles long [Editor note – a moderately strong paddler could complete
this distance in a day]. And it is justgorgeous.
I paddled in Alaska. One summer
I spent 3 weeks in Prince William
sound, and that was after the Exxon
Valdez. The motto of the trips I havedone there was “I am not cold, I am
just wet. I am not cold, I am just wet”.
Even the inside of our tents werewet. I took the Tsunami boat to Tahiti
one year.
CKM: What are “Pennyisms”?
PW: Well, I guess I get quoted every
so often when I am trying to explain
things. For example, married peoplewind up putting all of the lunch in thewife’s boat and we go off paddling.
They get separated and someone
has to beg for food because theirlunch is not there. Happens all thetime. So the Pennyism became“always carry your lunch in your own
kayak”CKM: We should always havea back up plan, but it is just as
important to have a fall forward
plan?
PW: Oh, yes, and that happened

Penny Wells padding in the Yellow Bluff tide rip.
because we went some
Photographer: Peter Lyons, Lyons Imaging
place, I think Mendocino, where because it
was possible that the weather and
PW: That happened! We were in
conditions would be terrible, andEsterro Americana. A fellow who
we wanted to make sure we could
is now passed away, Rich Warren,
get out of wherever we were. But
and I paddled from Valley Forge toit turns out that the conditions werethe mouth. We had a picnic on the
not just fine, but had never been sobeach and then started back. But wefine, so we were able to go throughcouldn’t get back. We were sort ofcaves and nooks and crannies where
stuck in the mud. So we drank the
you couldn’t go if there were any
rest of the wine until the water cameswell. That was when we decided
back. It wasn’t that long to wait.
we needed a fall forward plan, justin case conditions were better than
CKM: Outdoor Unlimited (OU) was
expected.
a UCSF group?

CKM: Be sure you have a bottle of
red wine… in case you get stuckin the mud during a falling tide.
You can just drink the wine while
waiting for the water to return andfloat you?

PW: The story of OU is very interesting, because it is how BASK evolved.
Originally, the organization was set
up some 30 years ago because asContinued on page 19

Classes • Tours
Sales • Rentals

KAYAKS • RAFTS • GEAR

WWW.CLAVEY.COM

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

15

Bolinas Lagoon
by Meade FischerAny trip, even a brief one,
to Bolinas is an escapefrom the rush hour, fast
food rat race of contemporary California life. If
you can fit in a couple of hours of
paddling, you’ve had a perfect getaway. However, before you go, makesure you have a tide table.
On a very high tide you can paddle
pretty much anywhere in Bolinas
Lagoon without concern. At low tides
there are mud flats that can get the
unwary paddler stuck in something
resembling black glue. I learned thatthe hard way on my first trip. The
deeper parts of this shallow lagoon
are along the highway and thebeach, so approach the middle of thelagoon with a wary eye.
As the lagoon narrows to the south, it
becomes a channel that lead almost
into Stinson Beach, and only a few
yards from Highway 1. This is a greatarea for up close bird watching, withegrets standing along the banks.

The paddle backalong the oceanside takes you pastsome lovely beachfront homes.
Paddling in fromthe mouth, you caneither turn right toward Stinson Beachor continue east
toward Highway 1.
Going east will takeyou along a large
mud flat usually
lined with seals,
gulls and pelicans.
This mud flatrecedes as the tidegoes up, but part of this island, northof the mouth, is always above waterand has a permanent stand of trees.
However, just inside the entrance
channel, you can turn left and paddle
the deep channel alongside the townof Bolinas, with boats tied up behindhouses, it gives you an alternate viewof this quaint town.

Paddlers enjoying time in Bolinas Lagoon.

Shortly, the houses give way to awooded area that eventually opens
up to typical wetlands vegetation.
Ideally, on a high tide, you can paddle almost to the northern end of thelagoon and return along Highway 1 ina long loop. This, however, is where I
got in trouble on my first visit.

Continued on page 18

Directions:
From Stinson Beach, go north on Highway 1 along the lagoon and to an unmarked
left (Olema Bolinas Road). Turn left and left again in a few yards. Continue to theintersection with Horseshoe Hill Rd., and turn left and continue on Olema
Bolinas Rd. into town, then continue through town on Wharf Road to the end at thebeach and entrance to the lagoon.
On weekends, parking at the end of Wharf Road can be full, requiring a bit of a walk.
However, the road ends at the beach, and just a few feet past the end of the road isa perfect place to launch, far enough in to avoid any wave action.
There are alternate launch areas along Highway 1, just north of Stinson Beach. Look
for places on the lagoon side of the road directly opposite the mouth and that arewide enough to pull out and park. While this saves the drive into town and avoids thecurrent at the mouth, it doesn't save you from watching for the low tide mud.
Facilities:
Closest public restrooms are next to the tennis courts on Brighton Ave. There are no
showers or boat washing facilities. Food is available from a selection of restaurants
along Wharf Road.
Cautions:
The currents at the mouth can be strong, due to all of the water required to fill andempty this 1100+ acre lagoon during tide changes having to funnel through thechannel.
Water can be quite cold year round – dress appropriately. There are waves and surf
outside of the mouth.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that we keep our distance from all
marine mammals, including seals. If you cause the seal to flush from land into thewater, you are too close.
California Kayaker Magazine

17

The tide was dropping as I passed
the houses, the wooded area andinto the northern branch of the lagoon. Then, as I could see it getting
shallower, I turned toward the highway. I could see obvious deep water
just ahead, but there was a patch of
50 to 70 yards that looked dicey. I
thought, having a shallow draft, that I
could pick my way through this shortsection. I was wrong.
I had to climb out and drag the boatsome 50 yards through knee-deepmud, losing a sport sandal and getting my clothes permanently stainedwith peat. Once on the east sideof this mud, the paddle back along
Highway 1 was pleasant and uneventful.
There is one other thing that canmake a fun day unpleasant. Sometimes a stiff wind comes up in theafternoon, as it did on my trip last
July. The day was sunny and calm

when I led my friends into the channel for some bird watching, but as
we headed back, a howling windsuddenly came up, and our relaxedchatting gave way to some serious
paddling against a rising chop.
On a day when the ocean swells are
small, an option is to also paddle out
and play in the long rolling waves
that break just out from the mouth,
but remember that you will flip overoften. If the ocean is very calm, you
can paddle a couple of miles northto Duxbury Reef, which shelters thebeaches of Bolinas. I did this onceat low tide and was able to explore
the extensive tide pools in this longreef close up, while waves crashedagainst the outside of the reef, just a
few dozen yards away.
While Bolinas is getting more popular in recent years, it is still likelythat you’ll have the entire lagoon to
yourself on any given summer day.

The most crowded day I experienced
was when I passed another group of
three. You can make a circuit of this
1,100 acre wetland for an aerobic
workout or just wander around enjoying the abundant wildlife and themagnificent views of the green west
Marin hills, rising almost straight up
to the east.
Before you leave, stop in town, walkaround, check out the arts and crafts,
stop at Smiley’s for a light lunch anda drink or take a meal at one of theother restaurants along Wharf Road,
where all the eateries are locatedin one block. It’s a long drive fromanywhere, so don’t be in a hurry toleave. v
Meade Fischer is a freelance writer,radio commentator, part-time educator, artist and environmental activist.
Photos by Meade Fischer.

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Spring 2010

Pennyisms

Continued from page 15
the university was expanding, theneighbors were pissed, because theuniversity people were taking all the
parking spaces on the street. So
the group was set up as an outreachprogram.
OU was an outdoor co-operative. It
was designed to bring the neighbors
in and make them feel warm andfuzzy about the University. People
would come and take a clinic fromsomebody who had learned before.
They had white water kayaking, rafting, skiing, mountaineering, kayaking–all kinds of high-risk things you canlearn and then go do. It was really
good.
Back when I was canoeing, we went
over to OU to find more people whom
we could canoe with. That was where
we met Clyde Winters. He had taken
an early-model white water kayak
and cut apart and expanded it andused it to paddle the Inside Passage
in. We met him at a slide show hedid. The trip was strictly by the seatof his pants. After we saw the show,
we wanted to do that too. And that
got us into sea kayaking.
In December of 1985, 11 people
met at OU and started BASK. Steve
Leonoudakis, who was then the headguy at UCSF’s outdoor program,enthusiastically supported us by providing meeting space at UCSF andpublicity. We used the OU model ofcooperative adventure for BASK. We
must have done something right because we went from 11 members in
December 1985 to 200 in December
1986 and grew at a pretty consistent
rate until we hit a peak of about 800
members just before the dot-com
bust.

too short for a full time job” became
another BASK motto and appearedon a tee shirt. Yes, I’ve done quite afew of the chores that needed to bedone for BASK because it was fun
and I’m sort of like the Mother Superior with the institutional memory.
CKM: Besides BASK, you are also
involved with Bay Access and theWater Trail?
PW: Bay Access is not my baby. It
is Casey Walker, Bo Barnes, andPaul Nixon who started Bay Accessbasically drinking beer and eating pizza and complaining. I thinkthey got kicked out of some place
they wanted to go, so got mad. But
they stayed mad. And decided thatsomething needed to be done about
this. Because Casey is an attorney,
they turned Bay Access into a 501c3
non-profit.
They asked me at the start to be
involved, but I couldn’t do it as I
was too busy at the time. I got rid ofwhatever it was, and did join themearly on.
We want places around The Bay
where we can access the water. And
the traditional places need to staythere. Many of these places are notboat ramps or parks, but just places
where you can park and carry yourboat down to the water.
Casey came up with the idea that
if there was a regional water trailin San Francisco Bay. It would be
the umbrella that would create andpreserve access places all aroundthe bay. The water trail would also
include camping. Up till then, there
were only two places you could campon The Bay –one at Angel Island andone at Kirby Cove.
So we sat down and wrote legislation. When it was voted on, it went
through the assembly and senate
with almost unanimous support.
There were only two people fromSouthern California in both the assembly and senate that voted againstit.
Unfortunately, the government
budget crash has the water trail stuckin environmental review process. But
what happened is that a lot of people
who had gone through the process
were really enthused by the idea of awater trail and having human powered boats come to their facilities. It
would increase business and visibility. So a lot of places have moved
ahead and done stuff without thewater trail.
For example, East Bay Regional
Park service decided that having
camping at Point Pinole was a goodthing. They went ahead and put it in.
They had the grand opening in thefall. v
For more information on BASK, seewww.bask.org. For more information
on Bay Access/San Francisco Bay
Water Trail, see www.bayaccess.org.

I was the founding president mainly
because I was away on a businesstrip when elections were held. “Be
there or be President” became the
BASK motto. I had so much fun paddling that I had to quit my job. “Life isCalifornia Kayaker Magazine

19

REVIEW_

Paddle California Video
Okay, I admit it - I love kayak porn.
Enough so that my girlfriend probably thinks I have an addiction. I
have all four volumes of TITS (ThisIs The Sea), along with both Pacific
Horizons and Eastern Horizons. But,
except for a few short scenes, I was
always disappointed that they didn’t
feature much of California. We havesome of the best kayaking in theworld in our backyard, which madeit surprising to me that so little of it
showed up in these videos. So when
I heard that there was a video coming out focusing on California, I knew
I had to get a hold of a copy.
This new video is called Paddle California. It covers some of the best of
the Golden State’s kayaking. There
are segments on the excitement ofwhitewater kayaking on both theKern and Feather Rivers, including
some interesting side trips. For sea
kayaking, it has segments on the
caves and rock gardens of Mendocino, the crossing from mainland to
explore the Channel Islands, and the
grandeur of paddling Lake Tahoe’s
crystal clear waters in the late fall
after the crowds leave. These are all
beautiful locations that are well worth
being covered in a video like this.
Added bonus, it also has an introduction to kayak polo, as played at theChampionships matches last year.
Filmmaker Bryant Burkhardt has
been filming his paddles for years.
Starting in the spring of 2009, he
set out with 2 cameras to try to
make a video showing what he liked
about kayaking. At first, he thought
about doing a road trip to the PacificNorthwest, but then he decided that
California had all of the beauty andgreat paddling he wanted to show inthe video.
Bryant has the qualifications to handle almost any kayaking conditions
you can throw at him –he’s an ACA
20

www.calkayakermag.com(American Canoe Association) Certified Instructor Trainer in coastal kayaking and advanced whitewater, andformer head instructor for the UCLA
Marina Aquatic Center. In 2006 hecaptained the USA Kayak Polo Teamat the World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For his current
day job, Bryant teaches sea andriver kayaking for California Canoe &Kayak. These qualifications allowed
him the opportunity to be on the water and get a lot on film– enough sothat he was able to put it all together
into this 75-minute long video.
The video quality is much better than
my home videos but not at the samelevel as the other kayak porn out
there, although to my eye not thatmuch behind the first This Is The Sea
video. An example of this is that you
get to watch and hear the camera
scraping loudly against some rocks in
one Mendocino scene. But the paddling is captivating, and the regions
featured are covered in more detailthan the other videos out there.

On the whole, this video is well-worth
adding to your library. The minor
flaws in filming and sound are morethan made up for with the high quality
paddling, all here in California! This
video can be purchased at selectkayak retailers or online at http://paddlecalifornia.blogspot.com/.
Bryant says that his financial goalfrom this movie is to make enoughmoney to buy better equipment.
Given the improvements the otherlines of videos have seen as they
progressed to second (and beyond)versions, this bodes well for the second edition of Paddle California.
Oh, if you are not offended easily
by the rough language in the background music, make sure you watch
the additional footage clip found at
the end, which shows a challenging
time that Bryant had on one of theriver runs. v

Spring 2010

_REVIEW_

Dagger Kaos 10.2
Surfing is very popular in California,
as you would immediately notice if
you drove past any surfing spot. And
you don’t need to use a surf board –kayaks also can give you that same
rush of riding a wave.
Essentially any kayak can be surfed,
but the hull style will greatly influence
performance. For this review, we put
an entry-level sit-on-top surf kayak
by Dagger through the wringer.
First Impression(PD) When I first saw this boat, I
wanted to try it. I have been surfing
my sea kayak some, but surf rides

in long boats without edges generally involve going straight down the
wave. Major effort is spent to avoid
turning, as slight turns will normallycause you to completely broach.
Surf boards and surf kayaks are designed to be able to carve back andforth along a wave, which looks like a
lot more fun. With a suggested retailprice of $575, this looked like a great
entry into the world of carving waves.
(EV) When I first saw the Kaos, I
thought that it was a boat that wasgoing to make surf kayaking very accessible. With this boat, I could takefriends out surfing with me.

Manufacturer’s Marketing SpeakWith a hull design that shares a page in the longboard surfing playbook,this sit-on-top dominates the ocean waves. With quick acceleration andturning, carve waves or rush surging breakers with confidence. Additional
outfitting like comfort carry handles for getting out of the surf, adjustablebackband, and a day hatch make for the wildest pleasure cruise ever.
www.dagger.com
Suggested retail price: $575
Specifications:
Length: 10' 2" / 314 cm
Width: 26.5" / 67 cm
Max Capacity: 250 lbs. / 113 kg
Deck Height: 8.5" / 22 cm
Weight: 43 lbs. / 20 kg
Cockpit Length: 51.75" / 131 cm
Cockpit Width: 19.25" / 49 cm

About the Reviewers
EV – (6’ 160 lbs.) not a pro, but experienced surfer - in long boats, shortboats, whitewater, stand up paddle
boards, and surf boards.
PD – (6’ 210 lbs.) done some long boat
surfing, but basically a surfing newbie
How We Tested
We took the boat out to Pillar Point,
which has a couple of locations that
attract kayak surfers. The swell was
generally running about 6-7 feet, andsome significant wind waves forming
into a somewhat confusing chop – notoptimal, but also not unusual for late
winter, when we did the tests.

Paddle Experiences(PD) On my first try, I discover that
this boat is a bit challenging to paddle, let alone surf. The boat is madeto be low volume in the back so thatwhen you ride a wave, you don’t
pearl (the term for when you bury thenose of the boat into the water). But
this feature caused me to fall overbackwards from time to time.

Continued on page 22

California Kayaker Magazine

21

Dagger Kaos Review
Continued from page 21

Added to this, I found it challenging
at first to get back on after a fall. For
sit-on-top kayaks, I am used to sliding up the side to get back on. WhenI tried that with this boat, it would flip
right over. To get back on the Kaos I
needed to slide up from the back, as
you would do for a cowboy rescue on
a sea kayak.
On the second day we tested theboat, I felt much more comfortable
after starting out with some rescue
practice. First I practiced recoveries
in calm water, then in chop outsideof the break. The practice improved
my confidence that I could get backon the kayak and I was not worried when I did capsize again. Thislet me relax and catch waves, andeven started getting some carving in(something I had never done before).
(EV) The Kaos is faster than I
thought it would be. It holds a railvery well – I thought it would bemushier than it actually was [Editor’stranslation – it comes down the faceof the wave on an edge very wellwithout sliding sideways].
In comparison to dedicated surf kayaks, like the Valley Rush, the Kaos
has a more user-friendly hull design.
In the same way that you can catchan edge with a snowboard or skis, akayak can do the same. The softeredges on the Kaos (as compared
to a higher performance surf kayak)
make it less likely to catch an edge.
This is a feature that will make thisboat fun for less experienced paddlers.
Also, the difference between a sitinside boat and the Kaos sit-on-top
show up in the outfitting. Although
I did not feel as connected to the
Kaos as I do in a decked boat, theoptional thigh straps were more thanadequate and allowed me to recoverfrom a capsize by rolling back up.

22

www.calkayakermag.com

The Kaos has a sitting position
that is farther back as compared
to a white water boat (which some
paddlers also use in the surf). This
stern heavy design, along with theoptional fins, allow for better carving
than most white-water kayaks. But,
where many white water kayaks canbe used to surf, the opposite is nottrue – you would not want to use the
Kaos on a river.
Our Findings
The Kaos handles best with the optional thigh straps and fins. A paddle
leash may also be good, if you tend
to let go of your paddle when you get
knocked over by a wave.

Cautions
Before trying to ride your first break,please make sure you understandthe surfer’s etiquette. There is information on the Santa Cruz Surf Kayak
festival site atwww.asudoit.com/kayak_fest/surf_etiquette.html
Better yet, as you are learning, try
this away from anyone else in thewater. An uncontrolled boat in thesurf can be very dangerous. v

The Kaos was more performanceminded than we had expected to findfrom a sit-on-top kayak.
It is user friendly, in user friendly conditions – in larger surf or less well defined surf, we would not suggest thisas a boat for someone who is new tokayaking. There are some skills, likebracing [see the Brace for Successarticle on page 6] and recoveries,
would be required to keep you fromswimming more than surfing.
Keep in mind the boat’s weight fortransport purposes. At 43 pounds,
it is about twice the weight of many
dedicated surf kayaks (but half theprice).
Who Should Consider This Kayak
It is a very affordable boat, sosomething that allows kayakers on abudget to give surf kayaking a try.
Budget issues or not, this boat would
do well for someone who doesn’t
have a bombproof roll, which would
be almost required for a sit-insidesurf kayak.
Even for people who have a roll, this
could be a good entry-level boat into
surfing, providing some surfing benefits over using a white water boat.

Advertisers Index
AquanFest 2010 .......................2
Aquan Sports ........................ 24
Bay Area PaddleFest............. 23
California Canoe & Kayak ..... 17
Clavey River Equipment ....... 15
Eskape Sea Kayaking ............. 2
Kayak Zak’s ............................ 8
Kokatat Watersports Wear ...... 2
Napa Valley Adventure Tours..19
Spring 2010

Sat - 9 am to 5 pm
Sun - 9 am to 4 pm

Discover the wide world of paddling!
Saturday, May 1st and Sunday, May 2nd
at Quarry Lakes, Fremont
East Bay Regional Park

Demo Fee - $10 day
Kids under 13 - $5 day
Demo & Clinics - $30 day

Weekend Pass - $50
EBRP parking fee: $5
Beach Access Fees:

1 yr to 15 yrs - $2
16 yrs to 61 yrs - $3
62 yrs and older - $2

thebayareapaddlefest.org
Hundreds of the latest canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle
boards will be on the beach for you to test paddle.
Experts in paddling will be there to answer questions about
canoes, kayaks, inflatables, gear, guided services and instruction.
There is somthing of interest for everyone !
Boat Demos - Clinics - Kid’s Kayaking - Kayak Fishing - Birdwatching
The Bay Area Paddlefest is produced by the
California Paddlesports Council, a non-proﬁt
working to promote local paddlesports.