Sunday Sean and I took our kids out on their first Stand Up Paddleboard adventure. It was only 45 minutes long. I could write about how much fun we had. But I thought I would let these pictures speak for me. – Jeff
“you only live once”
YOLO
Daddy you forgot my shovel, and my blue lunch box
Daddy may I paddle with my shovel?
Daddy paddle faster
Searching for manatees
PS. Next time we will get our wives out on the water, and bring some lunches for the kids.
Well my paddling friend is out of town. Unfortunately, I am a bit envious because Sean planed to do some white water paddling on his vacation. I hope he got some good pictures, or at least a good story to tell. (Yep, this is a challenge to get him to post something LOL)
Meanwhile I have been trying some new local paddling things. This past Thursday at Sweetwater Kayaks I dived into the new phenomenon that is hitting our local waters. It is not oil; it is Stand up Paddle-boarding.
I paddled it for about two hours and I only fell off once. Ok so how does a person who stands up in his Necky Chatham 17 fall off a SUP that is 31.5 inches wide? Well I was playing with my feet position while steering the board.
I knew that if I stood too far forward I would sink the tip of the Stand Up Paddle Board causing the board to submarine into the water as I paddled forward. I also knew that by moving my center of balance I could turn the board. In addition, the other thing that I knew was if I stand too far back on the tail the SUP would sink causing a decrease in speed.
Knowing and experiencing are two different things. And I learn best by doing. So as I paddled I took small jumps and steps forward, backward, to port, and to starboard. It is amazing that I only fell of once with me bouncing around on the deck of the SUP. (One on looker remarked that it looked like I was practicing an Irish jig) What did me in was paddling forward on my right, standing too far forward, and with too much of my weight on the starboard edge. PLOP goes Jeff.
I had a good laugh and the other paddlers did as well.
I also experienced no discomfort in my low back. I have had back issues in the past… My calves were the only parts of my body that were little tender.
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Sunday I got together with my board gaming friends for a different type of game. We went searching for scallops. This was the first time we got together to go kayaking.
The sky was blue, the water was dark, and the air was hot. It was refreshing to swim and look deep into the sea grass. From the boat launch we traveled through a small creek into the brackish waters looking into the Gulf of Mexico. We tried for a few hours. We saw fish, manatee, and a dolphin swam past us. But no scallops for the picking.
I found it relaxing, floating and looking into the water. This was also my first time snorkeling. It is odd for me to admit this because I swim almost every day at my gym. I think if the opportunity presented itself I would try snorkeling for scallops again.
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At the end of the day the only one successful in finding a scallop was a blue crab…
We are back doing trips in Florida! Russell at Sweetwater Kayaks has invited us to work for him in exposing the best parts of Florida kayaking to new paddlers. And last weekend we plunged into the task.
As guides, Sean and I always have a plan B and C when we start out for a day of paddling. Saturday June 26 we planed on taking two guests on a scenic trip on the Homassassa River. We checked the weather forecast, we checked the tides, we checked our kit, but we failed to check one thing. We did not check to see if any local events were occurring that day at our designated put in.
When we approached the road that led to the put in at Mac Rae’s we came to a stand still. There was line of automobiles pulling powerboats that rivaled the worst 5pm rush hour traffic. We talked to a few people along the road and discovered that we picked the wrong day to paddle this river.
The recreational harvest season for bay scallops in Florida opened 12 days early because of the Gulf oil spill. The regular recreational bay scallop-harvesting season in Florida occurs from July 1 through September 10 each year. And the 11th Anniversary Homosassa River 4th of July Party was scheduled for June 26th.
Therefore, we had two major things happening at that boat ramp. If it were just Sean and I, we would have stayed at the boat ramp. I could tell that there were many good things to eat, drink, and the live band was rocking. However, we were on a mission to show two guests some of the best wildlife that these Florida Rivers have to offer. Granted, the life at MacRae’s was wild!
We decided to go paddle on Crystal River and put in at Hunters Spring Park. The last time we were on Crystal it was Feb. 11, 2007. The park is located near the center of Crystal River’s historical district. It is also the only sandy beach located on the Crystal River.
After getting on the water I noticed that there was more powerboat on Crystal than in the past. The boats were not moving on the river. They were all rafted up next to the no motor zones, manatee zones, and bird sanctuaries. All that boat and going no were. I guess they were collectively keeping their carbon footprints down…
Well, we paddled past the human wildlife to discover the things that we take for granted. We saw a few manatees, and birds. But the nicest thing was traveling up some small feeder creeks that are not easily accessible by boats with engines.
Sean treated us to a large lunch. We ate homemade style fried chicken, beans, potato salad, and washed it down with ice tea. Yum. It was a filling meal.
We took our time getting back to the boat launch. The beach at Hunters Spring Park is well loved by its locals. So we took our time looking for an opening to land and get out of the kayaks.
It was a nice day and a great start in getting back to taking guests on trips again. – Jeff
What will history books say about the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico exploding then sinking on April 20, 2010? How did the sinking of this oil rig and its ># month long oil fissure release > ###,###,### barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico? The alarm clock is going off for all of us. We are all culpably involved in the reason why the Gulf of Mexico is contaminated with oil.
We are at a historical moment. The oil still coming out of the floor of the Gulf of Mexico will change the face of our planet. It will change the environment and every culture will change because of it. It is because of our technological advances that humans are dependent on oil. And history will make us accountable long after we turn to dust.
This is not one of my inspirational or motivational posts. I actually dreaded writing it. It is more like a rant due to the stress I feel and an attempt to deal with it.
As you read this think about all of the things you are currently coming into contact with that exist because of oil… Clothing, electronics, food, medical supplies, outdoor recreations, shelter, transportation, et cetera, all exist because of oil. No one wants an oil-rig platform of their coast. No one wants their backyard deemed uninhabitable. Yet, due to our dependency, oil will continue to be pulled out of the Earth.
I see three possible outcomes
Someone smarter than I creates / discovers an element that is renewable, biodegradable, and can be fashioned into all of the things that oil currently becomes. New employments…clean waters…a Green age. This maybe the best way the National Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and other types of environmental groups will change our culture with a collective goal. I hope this is what type of future my son will inhabit.
A revival of agrarian living could happen. People move out of cities into small communities where they make everything that they need to live. A back to nature movement… I do not know if I have the strength to live off the land and be 100% giving and receiving of my neighbors for survival. I think our collective cultures have moved too far to ask people to live simply and to turn their back on modern conveniences, in essence, “to live deliberately”. A Walden Age.
There will be more oil spills to come making the waters red… life in the waters die… insects will feed on the dead… more people become unemployed… famine… This idea comes from the multiple news sources I have read, from listening to politicians, seeing how a judge rules on an oil drilling ban, and accepting the reality of our consumer culture. People are only focusing on, the short cuts made by the oil company, the talk of money to clean up the disaster, the need for transparency, who to quickly give money to, and if someone should go to jail. There are very few people saying “we are all responsible”, instead everyone is divided and pointing fingers. Moreover think of the number of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that are working within the legal standards. (And think of the number of oil drilling platforms throughout the world) Thus another spill will happen again. Icky, this would be a bad outcome.
Maybe Zager and Evans were onto something when they sang “In the Year 2525”
Maybe in the year 2525 the planet will see a new age that incorporates the best of 19th century American transcendentalism and today’s going green movements.
The hardest thing to accept is that my dependency on stuff has helped put oil into the Gulf of Mexico. And one day my son will ask “Daddy why were people not smart enough to see the damage they were creating?”
The uncomfortable answer is we knew. And we did not want to make hard choices and accept the inconveniences of eliminating our dependency on oil in all of its forms. We only focused on earning money to get more stuff to make ourselves happy. Instead of being happy with what we have.
Well, I am going to go fly a kite, enjoy what I have, take nothing for granted, try to spend my money on things that are not apart of the oil chain of dependence, and help with the cleanup when the oil hits our beaches (I could drive to the areas currently effected, but then I would be increasing my carbon foot print, my head hurts) – Jeff
I thought I knew what love was. I read about it. Did some Shakespeare, when I was younger, that dealt with the topic. (yes I did some acting). But mostly I watched my parents and I thought I understood what love was. I was wrong, and it is my son who is teaching me what love is.
It was Fathers’ Day yesterday. I once thought the day was just about giving my Dad something. When I got older I thought the day was created only to sell stuff. Now that I am a Father I know more about the history of the day.
Recognizing and celebrating fathers in the USA started because of Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. There is a lot of folklore around Sonora about her possible reasons for wanting to honor men who choose to be fathers. Her father was a Civil War veteran who raised his family alone after his wife died giving birth to their sixth child. Sonora was 16 years old when her mother died. Sonora pushed for a way to thank men who choose to be fathers and she succeeded for the first observance of Father’s Day occurred on June 19, 1910.
A Fathers’ Day gift is not tangible. My son started giving the gift when he first held my finger. He is 21 months old and I sometimes wounder who is teaching who.
Just like Mothers’ Day the three of us went for a paddle. We went back to Weedon Island and rented a tandem kayak from Sweetwater Kayaks. Tandem kayaks do serve a particular purpose. For me they are a floating toy for my son to explore the cool things that adults sometimes take for granted.
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This time, my time on the water was not about how far I was going to go, or about the cool things that live in our waterways. It was about floating near the mangroves, in the shallows, watching my son be himself.
We were on the water for 90 minutes. And like every time I am on the water the time rushes by. My wife could not believe how fast time just flew by. Speaking of flying…we saw a rosy spoonbill, night heron, and a tricolor heron. I even showed my wife a crown conch snail… My son also discovered my orange whistle on my PFD (buoyancy aid for my UK friends). Guess what, he discovered he can make music with it. So now he is running around our home with it.
We only paddled around in a circle, and yet we covered so much. We have so much cool stuff to enjoy. All I will say is I pray that my son will continue to have the real thing to play in and not just have pictures to reminisce about.
We ended our time on the water helping Chad of Sweetwater Kayaks wash the kayak. My son was so curious about what we were doing that he wanted to help. He squeezed the garden hose nozzle and a small burst of water went up into the air. We all cheered and he laughed. The laugh of one’s child is the greatest gift and the essence of Fathers’ Day. Thanks Dad, – Jeff
This past weekend Sean and I paddled a part of our inter coastal water way. In the future the oil from the Gulf probably will kill everything around us. But until then we wanted to enjoy the simple pleasures that kayaking has to offer. The change of scenery from our asphalt cement synthetic light jungle to the earthy wild moon lit lands are always refreshing to visit by kayak. And this time I added something new to our adventure on one of the spoil islands.
I added a kite to my kayaking kit. I cannot tell you the last time I played with a kite. Watching it magically dance above the trees. Wondering if that thin line would keep it tethered to earth. Were those trees trying to grab the kite and shred its freedom? There might me a metaphor between those lines.
The kite did fall into the trees a few times. The line even snapped once. But both instances the kite was able to fly again. I could have flown it all day long.
The tide started going out so we looked into the tidal pools to see what was around…
After investigating our little island we ate and relaxed by our little camp fire. We did have a little rain Saturday night. Well actually it was a lot of rain. It was a white out. It rained hard for ten minutes and then nothing. It worked like natural air conditioning. A great way to fall asleep in hammocks.
The following morning we rolled out of our hammocks, packed up our kits, and paddled to meet some friends of Sean’s. They just purchased new kayaks, a Chatham 17 and an Eliza. They wanted some tips on self rescues with their new kayaks. So we helped them get to know their new paddling partners. (I see my kayak as a paddling partner, without it, I am just floating around, LOL)
We paddled with them until noon and then we went our separate ways. Back to what we left behind. – Jeff
I had a great time helping out Venture Outdoors and Kayak Pittsburgh to safely get an estimated 1,700 to 1,800 boats out on the water to take part in a record attempt to create the largest floating raft of boats off Point State Park!.
Pittsburgh's Duquesne Incline from the middle of the Paddle at the Point
Unfortunately, I left my paddle in the Kayak. Now I have done a lot of paddling. I have taught, led trips, and assisted in safety positions on the water. So how is it that I left my 215cm crank shaft carbon 4 piece Lendal Paddle in the cockpit of the kayak I was borrowing?
Well, after I got off the water I got to talking with some participants from Texas. (I had met people from Arkansas, Ohio, and even Georgia in the flotilla of kayaks). Then I got my certificate. And meandered between the people to find my son. All the while I was texting with an old Boy Scout friend (Darren Schilberg) from Heritage Reservation who I have not seen in 20 years.
After finding everyone, I quickly loaded my kit in the car. And we went to Eat ‘n Park. When Darren and I were working at Heritage Reservation, Eat ‘n Park was one of the few places we could grab a bite at in Uniontown. I met his wife of 13 years and they met my son and aunt.
At this time I still did not know that my paddle was missing.
Next day, I unloaded my kit from the car. It needed to dry out before I repacked it for the plane ride back to Tampa. That is when I realized I was without a paddle! I sent an email to Leah Kauffman, who put the word out to all of the volunteers. Rob Walters the Membership Director of Venture Outdoors Inc. had it!
Rob even went out of his way to bring it to me Monday morning. This is why kayakers rock. People who love the water are always looking out for each other. Thanks again Rob and everyone associated with Venture Outdoors and Kayak Pittsburgh. If you have never visited Pittsburgh contact these people and they will show you a safe and enjoyable time. Cheers – Jeff
Saturday I helped Venture Outdoors, Kayak Pittsburgh, break the kayak world record at the Three Rivers Point in Pittsburgh. I had the special pleasure of being a safety boat for this event. It is interesting to admit that I am from Pittsburgh and I had never paddled my hometown waters. So this was a special treat for me. The weather reminded me more of Tampa than that of Pittsburgh because of the rain. It rained before dawn. And then just after we succeeded in having all of the kayaks and canoes on the water hold on to each other.
kayaks, kayaks,…
more kayaks…
my son watching me kayak from the North Shore
looking out at Heinz Field
we did it
then it started to rain
All done,
The time and effort that the volunteers put into this idea was unbelievable. To think of an idea to get more than a thousand people together, get them in boats, and get them all to paddle into one spot, and hold on to each other is mind-blowing. I only know of four capsizes during the event. I say again 4 boats flipped over out of more than 2,000 kayaks+canoes. Wow.
I have read several conflicting stories about the mayor of Pittsburgh joining in the event. Some say he showed up at 1pm after everything had ended. Other sources claim he was in the middle of the mix with four body guard kayakers. I also heard on the water of sightings of some of the local professional athletes. I did not see any Penguins, Steelers, or Pirates, but maybe they were out there.
An old Boy Scout friend was there taking pictures of the event. He had called me while I was on the water and asked me to describe the kayak I was using so he could pick me out of the crowed. My answer was…I am in a yellow Carolina 15 ft yellow kayak. Guess at the number of yellow kayaks that were on the water… check out this gigapan
Again I want to thank the people of Pittsburgh for having this event, being overwhelmingly nice, and making me feel like a Pittsburgher again.
Jeff and Sean would just like to say Thank You to all those who have ever fought and died for the cause of FREEDOM!
We would also like to say Thank You to all those who are currently fighting for the cause of FREEDOM!
As I write this I am reflecting on the best place to be to reflect on this Memorial Day Evening. Seems to me that the best way to honor those who have fought and died for freedom ( as well as those currently fighting ), is to remember them and take a moment out to Honor & Acknowledge the sacrifice that they have given or are currently giving. What better way to do that than exercise your rights & freedom by going for a paddle and do your reflecting while sitting some where in the water!
Those who are Paddlers know why we paddle- for the FREEDOM on the water!!!!
Those who have given & are still giving for us, allow us to have the FREEDOM to Paddle!!!!
Enough said: Happy Memorial Day from the boys at
Liquid Rhythm Kayaking!!
- Jeff & Sean
Meanwhile I have been trying some new local paddling things. This past Thursday at 
Knowing and experiencing are two different things. And I learn best by doing. So as I paddled I took small jumps and steps forward, backward, to port, and to starboard. It is amazing that I only fell of once with me bouncing around on the deck of the SUP. (One on looker remarked that it looked like I was practicing an Irish jig) What did me in was paddling forward on my right, standing too far forward, and with too much of my weight on the starboard edge. PLOP goes Jeff.
I found it relaxing, floating and looking into the water. This was also my first time snorkeling. It is odd for me to admit this because I swim almost every day at my gym. I think if the opportunity presented itself I would try snorkeling for scallops again.
When we approached the road that led to the put in at 
The 
A Fathers’ Day gift is not tangible. My son started giving the gift when he first held my finger. He is 21 months old and I sometimes wounder who is teaching who.
We were on the water for 90 minutes. And like every time I am on the water the time rushes by. My wife could not believe how fast time just flew by. Speaking of flying…we saw a rosy spoonbill, night heron, and a tricolor heron. I even showed my wife a crown conch snail… My son also discovered my orange whistle on my PFD (buoyancy aid for my UK friends). Guess what, he discovered he can make music with it. So now he is running around our home with it.
