Weather Cocking, Icebreaker, and Paddling

Jeff Cooper of H2Outfiffers shared with me a simple analogy to explain weather cocking. A common definition of weather cocking is that “a boat moving forward points into strong winds”. I have heard some people say that wind pulls the front of a kayak. I have never felt wind pull me. Then I have heard [...]

A brace is better than a roll

Sometimes when I go paddling, I think to myself why this activity is so intimidating to land lovers. I suppose the answer exists within the fear of rolling.
Paddling is like learning to walk. A person starts to move slowly and then they learn to protect themselves from falling by sticking their hands out. When a [...]

Kayaking Notes

I was recently asked to describe my version of counting waves when launching your yak from a high surf beach.  When I started kayaking 4 years ago I read a lot of books on the sport and never quite understood what was meant about counting waves.  Then one day working on Clearwater Beach (Florida), it [...]

Kayak lifejackets for women

Safety is very important to my guests and me as we paddle together. And frequently my female guests talk about their frustration with kayaking PFD lifejackets. Their irritation comes from dealing with sales people, the fit, and the feeling of paddling during the hot humid days in Florida.
Most kayak shops are in the business of [...]

Feathered

Have you noticed that your paddle has more than one hole in the center of it? That is where you join the two pieces of the paddle. One hole puts both blades parallel to each other. The other hole offsets the paddle blades. That offset configuration lays one blade flat to the water; where as, [...]