A whitewater kayaking video of six women paddling in Mexico.
Lena Grüb
We love this edit of six European paddlers taking on the creeks, boofs and off-river-activities of Mexico.
Emerging Trends In Sea Kayaking
FIONA HOUGH
INSTRUCTOR TRAINER & GUIDE, BRITISH COLUMBIA
“I think we’ll continue to see a movement towards more technical paddling skill development versus traditional journeying skill sets. More people are seeking out certification as a way to hone skills for rock gardening, paddling in current and surf, or just for a fun day out, rather than looking to develop skills for longer trips. I also see more paddlers who never plan to instruct, taking instructor or guide training courses as a way of gaining expertise in their recreational pursuits. People who are nearing or past retirement age make up the largest numbers on the water. This also applies to the more technical disciplines, where you might expect to find a younger demographic.”
DARREN BUSH
OWNER AT RUTABEGA PADDLESPORTS, WISCONSIN
“I’m seeing shorter, more compact designs as folks are taking more short trips and they want to keep the weight down. I am also seeing a lot more interest in thermoformed ABS construction because of both price and weight. I’d say the most popular sea kayaks will be 14- to 15-foot thermoformed boats, followed by lighter composites of similar length. The hope is some of these folks get the bug and upgrade to longer boats. The problem is that boats last a long, long time. I have kayaks that are 20 years old that are still perfectly serviceable. We need to start using water-soluble resins (laughs).”
NEIL SCHULMAN
CONSERVATIONIST & KAYAKING PUNDIT, OREGON
“I think the growing popularity of recreational kayaking is tied with our increased awareness of the health benefits of nature contact. It’s part of a return to green exercise that’s translating in the kayaking world into light, fast boats. There’s greater interest now in day and half-day touring without having to make the long drive out to the wilderness. People are also moving back from suburbs into city centers, where storage space is tight. Going hand-in-hand with this is the sharing economy’s growing inroads into the outdoor world. I think in the next year or two these start-ups will succeed and we’ll see how it evolves and affects paddle and rental shops as well as instruction and general safety.”
CLAY HALLER
PRESIDENT AT ADVANCED ELEMENTS, CALIFORNIA
“The market for portable kayaks continues to grow. Paddling in urban areas has become more popular and the ability to store your kayak in the closet of your apartment is a real benefit. They also have a huge appeal to the growing number of air travelers, which already amounts to nine million every day and is expected to double in the next 15 years. Like hard-shell kayaks, portables will continue to filter into very specific paddling segments such as fishing, touring, whitewater and ultralight packables, offering performance tailored to the activity. A continued trend will be the use of high-pressure, drop-stitch material like that used in inflatable SUPs to add rigidity and performance.”
6 Accessories Every Standup Paddleboarder Needs
Once you’ve got your board, paddle, PFD and leash, it’s time to explore additional gear to make your next adventure on the water even better. Whether you cruise beautiful lakes, lagoons or intricate waterways, accessorizing will help you get more out of your paddling experience.
GPS device
Have you ever been curious how far you’ve gone, how fast your average or top speed was and how long you’ve paddled? Stop guesstimating. Onboard GPS—whether on a smartphone, watch or other device—tracks your every move, provides feedback and can even help navigate. You can view your progress in real time, or analyze your session post-paddle to improve next time.
Tunes
Bring ‘em and stroke to the beat. Rocking out during fitness training is known to increase concentration, lower perception of effort and leave athletes feeling more positive. Performance benefits of up to 15 percent have been recorded by the United Kingdom’s Brunel University. There are many waterproof devices that allow you groove and glide, from tiny players that clip on your rash guard and pair with headphones to waterproof speakers.
Carrier straps
Some of the best places to paddle require a long walk to the water’s edge with all of your gear. No one wants to be exhausted from a long hike before hitting the water. Look for a comfortable set of straps that create a sling around your board, allowing you to efficiently shoulder carry your board to the water’s edge hands-free. Many can be adjusted to fit boards of different sizes, and some will carry your paddle too.
everything in its place.
| PHOTO: RYAN SALM
Dry bag
Carry your iPhone and electronic car keys without getting them wet. There are so many affordable styles and sizes to choose from, there’s no excuse not to have a couple. Smaller bags often have a cord so paddlers can loop them over their neck and store the package safely under a paddling top.
Others can be strapped around a bicep for easy access to changing the station on Spotify or accepting a call during a “board meeting.”
Cooler
How many times have you paddled to a spot that you thought would be a great place to throw a line in and catch your dinner? Strap a cooler aboard. You can use an ice chest as a seat while you fish and keep your catch cold. With the explosion of paddleboard fishing, many coolers are made specifically for boards, even including helpful features like rod holders. If fishing isn’t your thing, an ice chest allows for cold drinks and gourmet picnics even on the hottest days.
Balance trainer
Not everyone lives near open water year-round. Whether you love getting out on calm ponds or intense surf waves, you can keep your body primed with a balance trainer. Popularized by skiers and surfers, a balance trainer is a modified seesaw. A user stands with feet at opposite ends of a board with a fulcrum underneath and tries to keep the edges of the deck from touching the ground. It develops balance, coordination and core strength. There are many trainers on the market—from easy designs used in rehabilitation for the elderly to steeper and speedier models used by professional athletes.
Author of How To Increase Your Stand Up Paddling Performance, elite coach Suzie Cooney keeps a trunk full of these paddleboard accessories (plus many more) on Maui where she trains. www.suzietrainsmaui.com
Whitewater Kayak Gear For The Ultimate Road Trip
A road trip with your pals in search of whitewater is certainly a summer highlight. You’ll need the essentials though, snacks included. Deciding what whitewater kayak gear to bring can be difficult if you don’t know what to bring, and what kind of trip you’re going on. Have no fear, Paddling Magazine staff has created the ultimate road trip checklist with all the proper whitewater kayak gear. Don’t go hungry, don’t get cold, but get cozy and excited with this checklist. Happy paddling!
Whitewater kayak gear checklist
1. MSR Alpine Deluxe Kitchen Set & Flex 3 System
This is what I love about MSR: they don’t do anything half-assed. When they decided to put a knife in their Alpine Deluxe Kitchen Set, they made it a super sharp mini chef’s knife that’s better than most in my kitchen drawer. When it comes to whitewater kayak gear, quality is on point for all items: fold-up cutting board, quick-dry PackTowl, two mini squeeze bottles, a fold-up spoon and spatula, dish scraper and brush, teeny salt and pepper shaker, corkscrew and a small plastic cheese grater that doubles as a strainer (hey, what’s the point of car camping if I can’t have freshly shredded cheese on my chili?). Zip up its handy carry case and pair it with the Flex 3 cooking set and you’re well prepared for gourmet meals on the go. Three insulated mugs with lids, three bowls and a 2.3-liter non-stick pot all nest into a larger 3.3-liter pot and are held in place by a strainer lid and click-in place folding handle.
Flex 3 system: $129.95 | Alpine Deluxe Kitchen Set: $54.95 www.cascadedesigns.com
2. Adventure Technology AT2 Standard
As our gear gets more and more specialized (page 49), our quivers of paddles are growing. We have paddles just for racing, paddles just for creeks and paddles just for freestyle. If you have to choose just one to take along on a whitewater road trip, it’ll be hard to beat the AT2 from Adventure Technology’s Elite Series. The key here is versatility. It is lightweight, very stiff and integrates both freestyle and river running paddle features to make it as close as you can get to one stick that does it all. The combo of carbon, aramid and fiberglass in the shaft makes the AT2 durable, so you can count on it when you only have space for one blade on board.
$440 | www.atpaddles.com
3. Immersion Research Devil’s Club Dry Top & Shawty Dry Suit
IR got serious about new outerwear this year. The Devil’s Club series takes its name from the nasty, spiny Pacific Northwest plant that’ll tear your gear on hikes to and from the river. Now you can go ahead and bush crash. The dry top’s outer shell uses heavyweight fabric that puts durability first. Of course, this means the top is heavier than most—maybe not the best choice for soul surfing on a sunny summer day—but if you’re venturing off the trail, the Devil’s Club is a bomber choice for durable protection and waterproofness.
On the women’s side, I couldn’t wait to try IR’s new Shawty drysuit. Once I got over the name (Urban Dictionary: “Fine ass woman. Sup shawty, how you doin?”), I was nothing but stoked about this whitewater kayak gear piece. Across-the-shoulder zippers are my new favorite entry method thanks to the ease of movement they allow, and the Shawty has a hard T-shaped pull that makes it easy to do up myself when I don’t have a friend to help me out. The adjustable buckle at the waist is a simple sizing solution that lets me dial in the fit, and the fabric is supple enough that it moves smoothly with my body so I don’t feel like I’m in a spacesuit. It’s clear that IR put time into tailoring the fit—the Shawty works with my curves without being awkwardly wide in the hips. The waterproofness is bomber and the fabric feet are reinforced for added durability. The front relief zipper means you should bring backup base layers if you’re accustomed to a drop seat, but I promise your stand-and-pee skills will come with time.
Devil’s Club Dry Top: $398 | www.immersionresearch.com
4. Coleman FyreChampion HyperFlame
An amazing on-the-go stove. Powered by a 16.4oz propane cylinder, the FyreChampion’s two burners roar to life with a flick of the easy ignite button. Each burner has a small, removable no-stick griddlekayak padfor perfect pancakes, and the control knobs let me regulate temperature with precision. I can boil water with unprecedented speed. The open lid is an effective windshield with an arm to hold it in place. The whole unit closes up to contain the burners, griddles, and screw-apart propane regulator for a slim suitcase-style kit with a carry handle that’ll easily slip under a seat in the car or between bigger storage bins.
$179.99 | www.coleman.com
5. Astral Loyaks
Other than the fact that they come in my favorite shade of turquoise, comfort is the best thing about the Loyaks. They’re incredibly light, flexible and low profile, and I can wear them for an après paddle beer without feeling like I’m in clunky river clogs. Their flexible sole minimized the foot cramps I get with stiffer shoes against my open canoe foot pegs. Astral’s proprietary rubber means they handle well on rocks in and around the water and drain well so I don’t end up with sloshy puddle shoes. Don’t plan to wear these just anywhere—slim design means limited support so they’re not suited to treacherous portage trails, but they’re my new top pick for a grab-and-go kayak shoe.
$79.95 | www.astraldesigns.com
6. NRS H2Core Lightweight Hoodie & Pants
Snuggly soft on the inside with a smooth brushed exterior, these insulating layers are warm and versatile. They’re surprisingly cozy for how light they are, which is a bonus for wearing under dry gear—none of the annoying restriction that sometimes comes with warmer base layers. I’m happily wearing them under my suit for spring paddling or in my sleeping bag on a cold night (not on the same day—gross). The top has a panel of lighter fabric under the arm and partway down the torso to combat underarm chafe and keep things breezy for the seriously sweaty among us.
Hoodie: $64.95 | Pants: $49.95 | www.nrs.com
7. Canyon Cooler Prospector 103
Gigantic and seemingly indestructible, this is the cooler for serious rafting adventures and tailgate parties. For on-the-water adventures, it has six tie-down points to thread cam straps through and fits perfectly into our AIRE 156R and 143D rafts. It has two drains, one on the front and one on the end, so I can access one of them no matter how the cooler is tied in. Both the drains and the three rubbery latches that hold the lid closed are recessed into the cooler’s rectangular shape so they don’t get damaged or cause a snag. At 37.5 by 21.25 by 18.5 inches, this cooler will take up some serious trunk space, but it stores enough food and beer for a long trip or big bash and keeps everything perfectly cool.
$410 | www.canyoncoolers.com
8. Yakima Round Bars & Q Towers
These tried and true roof racks have taken my boat and me all over the map. I’ll admit that the initial set up was a little intimidating—I opened the box to find several smaller boxes inside, and in them, what felt like a million tiny pieces. Luckily, Yakima made it absolutely idiot proof. Their step-by-step instructions guided me through the assembly, and the best part is, it was a one-time job. Since then, I’ve popped them on and off my car a hundred times with ease. The Q Towers have a simple knob in them to adjust on either side for a perfectly balanced clamp on my naked-roof car—no need for factory bars. The instructions also walked me through finding exact placement on the top of my weirdly curved hatchback to make sure they were the right distance apart and positioned with perfect symmetry. I was nervous about the home installation, but once they were on my car it felt like they had been there all along. Solid and reliable. Little locks on each clamp mean that only I can undo them. Yakima makes newer, more aerodynamic crossbars, but the RoundBars are a proven choice and better on the budget. Use Yakima’s website to search the make, model and year of your vehicle, and it’ll spit out all the roof rack options for your ride.
Round Bars: $135 | Q Towers: $555 | www.yakima.com
What more could you possibly ask for? (Maybe fewer mosquitos). Feature Photo: Dawn Mossop
Bench vs. Bucket Seats: Which Is Better On A Canoe?
At the 1981 Whitewater Nationals in upstate New York, canoe racer Tom Staz arrived to the event with a boat that caused a stir among competitors. He had modified his Wenonah race canoe with a low-set bucket seat and foot braces. If the conventional wisdom for paddler positioning were an indicator for how the race should have played out, Tom Staz would have finished dead last. Instead, he surprised everyone by finishing minutes ahead of the next competitor.
While materials, weight, length and trim are all aspects most paddlers consider when they are in the market for a canoe, rarely do we reconsider how we sit in our boats. And where we live determines how we sit.
[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all canoes ]
“The Lower 48 is a sitting market, whereas Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada prefer to kneel,” says Bill Kueper, vice-president of Wenonah Canoe, which manufactures canoes with both seat styles. “There are cultures of sitting and kneeling, and you are more likely to sit or kneel depending on where you learn and what water you paddle.”
Kueper jokingly likens the two seating styles to the Reformation between the Catholic Church and Martin Luther. Some people swear by their seating position, and others just don’t know any different.
“The height of bench seats is the real reason kneeling became the staple of canoeing tradition,” says veteran marathon racer and coach Peter Heed. Kneeling lowers a paddler’s center of gravity, especially important for rough conditions and river running.
While kneeling was commonplace in the early days of recreational and sport canoeing, bucket seats were quickly adopted by marathon paddlers following Staz’s 1981 debut. Buckets were mainstream in the race scene and recreational market by 1983, according to Heed.
“Sitting is preferred as a more comfortable position over long distances, and for more powerful sprints,” says Heed. However, for lovers of traditional aesthetics, departure from the seating style of Bill Mason and the voyageurs before him may feel akin to blasphemy.
While the bench seat is simple, adaptable and easier to alter trim from, when considered from an ergonomics perspective, “the bucket seat is preferred,” asserts Greg Redman, lead physiotherapist for Canoe & Kayak Canada.
“Sitting places the pelvis in a better ergonomic position under the spine. The paddler’s back muscles are not in a stretched position and therefore allow easier trunk rotation to place the blade further forward,” says Redman. “Bucket seats are also more comfortable as they wrap around the glutes, providing better stability.”
Bucket seat design has come a long way since the refabbed tractor seats of the ’80s. Some manufacturers offer multi-point contact seat outfitting systems—keeping butt, knees and feet in contact with the boat—which increases control in rough water. For the pros, bucket seats are meticulously customized to ensure fit, offering greater side and lateral support for additional power.
Despite expert opinion that bucket seats promise to make us stronger and faster paddlers, there’s not a clear winner in this debate for average canoeists. Both seat styles offer their advantages.
Kueper notes that for the regular consumer, bucket seats aren’t custom-made and are shaped to fit the average butt. Bucket seats may also limit onboard maneuverability—the bow paddler can’t turn 180 degrees to face the stern for an on-water lunch or sit askew comfortably to fish, and there are no seating options for soloing a tandem design.
“Bench seats are simply more versatile for accommodating a variety of activities,” summarizes Kueper. —Gabriel Rivett-Carnac
Quiz: Which Pro Whitewater Kayaker Are You?
Ever wondered if you’re more of a Nouria or a Dane? Rest easy, our quiz will sort you out. Answer eight easy questions and see which professional whitewater paddler best fits your personality.
Why Mountains Are The Future Of Sea Kayaking
Whenever I stop for gas with a sea kayak on my car, I get the same questions. “Is sea kayaking relaxing? Is it scary? Can you camp out of that thing?” The answer, of course, is yes, yes, and yes. All in a single trip. The sea kayak is the most versatile of human-powered vessels. A single craft that can handle glassy mirrors, the churn of rock gardens and long expeditions on exposed coasts. I’ve even taken my fiberglass sea kayak down class II rivers. However, that same flexibility has made sea kayaking hard to define. It’s impossible to convey the joys and challenges of a sport so complex and diverse. Usually I babble up a bunch of stories until the gas station attendant’s eyes glaze over. Then I pay, get back in my car and leave.
Not exactly attracting new blood to the fold.
Even the term sea kayaking confuses people. Salt isn’t the determining factor of our sport: we take our sea kayaks many places that aren’t the sea. Is kayak touring a better term for what we do? Perhaps, but that always implies place- to-place movement, a kind of backpacking on the sea. That’s not always true, and doesn’t begin to hint at the dynamisms of the environment. Backpacking trails don’t build into steep cresting waves when the wind rises or the tide turns. Meadows don’t harbor invisible currents, which can deflect course by a mile. When weather turns for the worse on a backpacking trip it adds discomfort but seldom poses danger.
Does sea kayaking have an identity crisis? Only if its greatest advocates can’t even properly describe what it is.
To explain what is at the heart of the sport I turn to the legendary dirtbag Fred Beckey. As Beckey explained to the New York Times back when he was a young chap of 85: “You’ve got to be physically pretty strong to be any good at it at all. You’ve got to have a hard-core mental attitude. You’ve got to have the right mantra. You’ve got to have dedication, a sense of security, safety and sensitivity with your partners, and a good sense of balance. It’s a combination of many, many things. You need to have the capability or desire to accept a certain amount of risk. A lot of it is maybe spiritual, not a religious type, but you have to have an affinity with the outdoors.” Sounds like a good explanation of the varied world of sea kayaking to me. But Beckey wasn’t describing sea kayaking. In fact, I don’t know if he’s ever been in a kayak at all.
Beckey’s a legend of old school alpinism. As I write these words, he’s still climbing at 93. Old school alpinism involves backpacking to scale remote mountains using a variety of techniques. There’s a lot of simply walking with a pack for a long ways. Once at the mountain, alpinists are faced with mixed terrain: rock, ice, cracks, ridges and glacier travel. Alpinism is a mix of steady-burn endorphins, flashes of adrenaline, continually watching the weather and route conditions, all the while reveling in wild remoteness. It’s equal parts endurance, technical skill, judgment, love of wilderness and raw desire to do strange and challenging things in remote places. Sound familiar?
Sea kayaking is traditional alpinism on the sea. In a week of paddling, there will be a lot of simple repetitive forward strokes to get from point A to point B, infused with a perpetual awareness of weather and currents and changing conditions that an alpinist would be proud of. Exposed crossings, tide races, surf zones and boomer fields are our headwalls, crevasses, and knife-edged ridges. Our base camps are storm-wracked beaches at Cape Scott instead of alpine cols. Crux moves are similar: a stretch of exposed sea cliffs can be a lot like one of Beckey’s high alpine traverses in commitment, required skill and raw wildness.
Subtract any one of these four elements—endurance, wilderness, technical skill or judgment— and we lose something. No endurance and we’ll lose access to remoteness. We’ll share beaches with surfers, kite-fliers and golden retrievers instead of whales and wolves. Subtract the wilderness and we’ll have the sea kayaking equivalent of whitewater park-and-play: exercise and skill but not the soul-deep connection to nature. Subtract the technical skill and we’ll be avoiding conditions, limiting our destinations and the margin of error. Lose the judgment and we’ll become fools who rush in where angels—and Coast Guard helicopters—may fear to tread.
In the years since Beckey’s climbing heyday, traditional alpinism has mostly given way to sport climbing, which removes the long slogs up ridges with a heavy pack but subtracts the wilderness. And in climbing’s indoor stepchild, the rock gym, the weather is controlled by the HVAC system and the condition of the route is managed by gym staff. With shorter vacations and busy lives giving way to more day trips and park-and-play surf breaks, kayaking is going through a similar transition.
Sea kayaking, like Beckey’s alpinism, includes all of it. When sport climbing hit the climbing world, the remaining alpinists quickly found they had the remote mountains to themselves again. If you can keep your chart-reading, route planning and boat handling skills up to snuff, so too can you.
Backcountry Brushwork Part II: Lorenzo Del Bianco
Lorenzo Del Bianco has been a long time illustrator here at Rapid Media, he’s contributed to our sister brands including, Adventure Kayak, and Kayak Angler. On top of that, Lorenzo has spent many a trip painting from shorelines. Here are some tips he’d recommend for painting en plein air.
“I prefer working in watercolour out of doors because it’s easier to throw everything I need together quickly. “
“I pack a small paint box; a variety of brushes even though I seem to only ever use the same two brushes; watercolour paper blocks in usually two to three different sizes; charcoal sticks; an X-acto knife and water.”
Most importantly, I asked Lorenzo how he keeps everything secure between the gunnels.
“The paints are in a little paint box and the smaller paper block fits nicely inside of it, also works well as a makeshift easel. The brushes, charcoal and knife are tightly rolled in a bamboo brush holder, a large sheet with pockets that can rolled up for storage and rolled out to be used as a work surface.”
“The larger paper sizes are a bit of a pain but, conveniently, come in a block or stack that is glued on the longer edges, this keeps the paper stretched and resists buckling when wet. The water is in a leak-proof container.”
So, how does he keep it all safe from water outside of the canoe?
“The whole kit goes into a silicone-treated top-loader backpack. The finished pieces get put into plastic zip-loc bags to protect them from accidents. The backpack is also bright orange so that I won’t lose it.”
The real challenge comes to play when you have a fully finished piece of art that you need to get home without compromising it. Lorenzo seems to have it all lined up, right down to how fast his artwork dries.
“Because I use watercolour, it dries fairly quickly, which makes transport very easy. This allows me to either place it in a plastic bag or even nestle it between the cover and block of the watercolour pad.”
In all of his years painting plein air, Lorenzo admits he never seems to be as prepared as he’d like to be. But thats okay, if you are resourceful.
“As much as I try to be prepared, I find that I’m never as prepared as I thought I was. Sometimes you have to make due with what you have and be spontaneous! Once, on a kayaking trip to the west coast, my wife reminded me to bring a sketch pad and pencils, but I didn’t bother. It didn’t take long before my surroundings summoned the muses. I was scrambling for anything to draw on and with. I found some scrap paper and burnt cedar twigs in a fire and then honed the ends into points.”
“After a few sketches, a wonderful couple from Alaska saw this and offered me the use of their watercolour paper and watercolour pencils. From the cockpit of my kayak, I painted a waterfall using these borrowed tools. I simply sketched with the pencils and dipped my finger into the surrounding waters using it as my brush. The trick is to always be inventive.”
When asked what his number one tool would be in the backcountry, Lorenzo had a few nuggets that may work for others, but for him, it’s a good old fashioned notebook and pen, not pencil.
“I thought my number one tool, aside from the obvious, might be a camera to record detail, but I don’t really enjoy working from photographs; I find them too factual, too restrictive, too much like work. Perhaps some wine then; a crusty baguette and some old sharp cheese? Very enjoyable but also increases the possibility of balance being tipped more in favour of fun. Then I thought, my notebook, yes!”
“The importance of field sketches and notes; thoughts, feelings, details, memory. Edvard Munch felt that one should not paint as one sees, but instead as one remembers. Note taking helps me remember how I ‘felt’ at that moment, at those times when I can’t stay long enough to finish, but still want to later retain that feeling in my painting. A notebook and a pen. Not a pencil. As one of my college professors once offered, “use a pen, make a commitment.” I always have those two things with me, always.”
Though Lorenzo has been painting and illustrating for as long as he can remember, he admit there is a balance between focus and soaking in the moment. Other times, it’s just a matter of staying comfortable in your element.
“Sometimes I add a little vodka to the water to keep it from freezing if it’s cold out, sometimes I add a little vodka to me if it’s cold out too”
“Work can be enjoying and enjoyment can be work. Painting out of doors requires a certain discipline and focus, but also demands that you be aware of the beauty of your surroundings. A balance needs to be struck. A nonrestrictive discipline.”
“Another trick I’ve learned is not to worry about finishing a piece on the spot. Sometimes you only have enough time to capture the emotion or impression of the scene. That’s probably the most important thing, though. You can always finesse it later at camp or at home.”
Among many other outstanding accomplishments, Lorenzo has worked with Walt Disney Animation Canada, illustrated two children’s books one of which, Dirty Science, written by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone went on to win the Canadian Science Writer’s Associations Outstanding Youth Book Award in 2013, and of course, Lorenzo has worked with us here at Rapid Media.
Watch THE CANOE, an award-winning film that tells the story of Canada’s connection to water and how paddling in Ontario is enriching the lives of those who paddle there. #PaddleON.
{loadposition EndContent}
Hooked Up: The Boat And Accessories You Need To Catch The Big One
I’m an accessories guy.
My dad, not so much. All he thinks he needs is a canoe, a paddle, a Thermos of coffee, and the same silver spoon he’s been throwing since his big walleye on the Rupert River in 1985.
Fortunately for me, the innovation of fishing accessories is catering to my gear affinity. Accessory companies are developing clever ways to mount, store, tie on, and plug in anything and everything. If it’s shiny, packs down small or can be clamped onto a gunwale, it’s mine.
Somewhere between an over-loaded gear junkie and an old-school minimalist there is a perfectly rigged fishing vessel, not to cumbersome but equipped to find and land fish. Start here.
THE CANOE
Almost any canoe can make a good fishing platform. However, if you’re buying a boat specifically to chase trophies you’ll want to keep a few factors in mind. Chief among them is stability. Beamier boats tend to feel more stable, giving anglers the confidence to battle with deep lake leviathans. Some anglers even break the golden rule and stand to cast. Another factor to consider is weight. One of the big advantages of fishing from a canoe versus a typical fishing kayak is the opportunity to portage to distant lakes and hard to- access fishing grounds. The lighter the canoe the farther you’ll carry it to less pressured fishing waters. Finally, if you like to fish in rocky rivers and creeks, opt for a material that will slide over rocks, logs and gravel bottoms.
ROD HOLDERS
Rod holders do exactly what the name implies. Without rod holders I’m always only one movement away from stepping on my rods, knocking them overboard or running them into a rock. My rods’ relative fragility compared to the rest of my gear means I like to know exactly where they are and paddle assured that they are out of harm’s way. There is no reason a $200 rod should be sliding around the bottom of a canoe when you can take out $25 gunwale-mounted insurance policy.
DEPTH FINDERS
Once a luxury only compatible with powerboats, today’s compact new depth finders are not the typical hard-mounted captain’s rig of the past. Mine is portable, comes in a carry-bag and sits under the yoke and next to my fly boxes. Its counterpart, the suction cup transducer arm, is stuck to the outside of the hull just below the gunwale. The transducer flips into the water making structure and water conditions now easy to find, leaving only the fish left to be uncovered.
CAMERA MOUNT
Welcome to the selfie generation. A gunwale-mounted, single-pod camera arm extension provides fully adjustable options in all directions for mounting and positioning a camera. You can capture the glory of every catch. On solo trips or when I’m catching up to Dad after a late start organizing all of my gear at the launch, this simple rig is my personal camera man that never misses a shot.
EXTRA POWER
John Jacob Astor and the other American Fur Company voyageurs are rolling over in their graves right now, but it’s true. I don’t leave the dock without extra power. Whether it’s a 150-watt expedition charger to run my depth finder, GPS and iPhone, or a simple camera battery backup, I stay safe and connected on the water with extra power. No matter how many times he rolls his eyes, I know Dad appreciates the new-tech power backup when I use it to recharge my camera before getting his grip-and-grin trophy shot.
Mark Vlaskamp is a fisherman, paddler and adventurer. He recently quit his day job to embark on a six-month road and fishing trip across the USA.
Dawn Patrol: Why You Need To Paddle In The Morning
Every morning, along your local shoreline, some brave soul is pioneering the day with a paddle in hand. Cooking up miles for breakfast is a powerful form of nourishment, promising benefits for everyone who can keep their finger off the snooze button. Sound too good to be true? Believe it or not, that silhouette on the horizon could be you.
The many benefits of a good morning paddle
“Getting in a paddle before most people are awake gives me a sense of accomplishment that carries me through my day,” says dawn patrol enthusiast and competitive racer John Beausang, co-founder of the popular Paddle Monster community. “Regardless of what I face, I’ve already ensured that at least part of my day was my own, enjoyable and challenging.”
Early activity wakes your brain
New research suggests that getting out on the water in the golden hour has lasting benefits on your physical and mental capabilities throughout the day. A study by PHIT America measuring performance by students in Illinois saw a 93-percent improvement in math scores and a 56-percent increase in reading scores after exercise.
“What’s good for kids has to be good for adults, too,” says Jim Baugh, founder of PHIT. “Getting active in the morning wakes up the brain, improves concentration and gets the brain ready to learn and be productive.” Plus, it fires out mood-boosting endorphins that stay with you for hours.
“By going out at sunrise you’re putting yourself first,
and that’s a powerful thing.”
Dawn patrol also offers greater opportunities for consistency. Evening paddling sessions risk being delayed, interrupted or abandoned entirely due to working late, running errands and getting blindsided by unexpected to-dos. There are fewer obstacles to getting on the water at 6 a.m. than at 6 p.m.
“I love getting that jumpstart on the day,” says Julian DeSchutter, co-founder of Vancouver-based outdoor group Chasing Sunrise, which organizes 4:30 a.m. adventures that have attracted as many as 800 participants. “Everyone else is still sleeping. By going out at sunrise you’re putting yourself first, and that’s a powerful thing.” The phone isn’t ringing, and there are no distracting emails or texts. “There is energy at the beginning of the day. A silence,” DeSchutter adds.
Morning exercise leads to sounder sleep
Research also shows that morning fitness promotes a better night’s sleep. Appalachian State University’s Dr. Scott Collier studies the effect of exercise on blood pressure. “Much to our surprise, 7 a.m. exercise was better in terms of reduced blood pressure throughout the day and greater sleep benefits than exercise at 7 p.m. There was little blood pressure or sleep benefit when exercise was done at 1 p.m.,” he says.
[ Browse the widest selection of boats and gear in the Paddling Buyer’s Guide ]
“We don’t yet know the physiological mechanisms that result in these changes, but we do know enough to say if you need to decrease your blood pressure and if you need to increase your quality of sleep, 7 a.m. is probably the best time to exercise,” Collier adds.
Slim down and wake up on the water
Finally, for fitness paddlers who are as motivated by losing weight as setting a new personal best, exercising in the morning boosts your metabolism and keeps it elevated for six to 10 hours afterward—you’ll burn more calories throughout the day thanks to a morning workout. Exercising on a pre-breakfast empty stomach has been shown to burn a greater percentage of fat for fuel, rather than carbohydrates.
Kaydi Pyette joined the team as managing editor for the Spring 2013 issues of Adventure Kayak, Canoeroots and Rapid.
This article was first published in the 2017 Paddling Buyer’s Guide and was republished in the 2023 Paddling Buyer’s Guide. Get up early and you’ll be able to capture awesome photos like this—along with a host of other lasting benefits. | Feature photo: Tony Felgueiras Photography
