6 Reasons to go GPS

Skills
Navigation

Photo: Peter Mather — 6 Reasons to go GPS

This skills article was originally published in Adventure Kayak magazine.

First, people used the stars to stay on course. Then, maps and charts. Now we look back to the heavens to help us navigate, only this time, we use satellites. Today’s GPS devices offer more functionality for paddlers than ever. Leave the map and compass in your hatch and start taking advantage of these six things GPS does better.

GPS SHOWS YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE

Early receivers were accurate to within 100 meters—enough to give you a rough idea of your position but with a margin of error dangerous for kayakers on lengthy crossings or in limited visibility circumstances. Wide Area Augmentation System-enabled receivers are now the norm and are accurate enough to determine your position to within three meters.

GPS PUTS A WORLD’S WORTH OF MAPS AT ANY SCALE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Downloadable map packages include continent-wide coverage allowing devices to contain a library of maps in one place. Preview maps on your computer and preset your own routes, waypoints, landmarks and other information before you head out on trip.

Both topographical maps and marine charts are available for GPS. For most paddlers, topo map sets include more than enough detail to navigate successfully. Nautical chart sets are useful in more challenging ocean environments because they display shoals or submerged rocks, marine aids to navigation, tidal currents and overfalls and large vessel transit zones.

GPS TELLS YOU WHERE TO GO

With a map set and route or destination inputted, it’s just a matter of connecting the dots on the water. Like units designed for in-car use, navigation involves following an arrow to your preset destination. Unlike automobile GPS, there’s no bossy voice calling out un-wanted instructions.

GPS IS MORE THAN JUST MAPPING

Some handhelds can be loaded with global tide tables for those paddling in coastal regions, as well as sunrise and sunset data and lunar cycles, keeping all your navigation data in one place, ready when you need it. Units with barometric pressure sensors can be useful in tracking and predicting weather patterns.

GPS HELPS WITH KEEPING IN TOUCH

Some units are available with two-way radio capability for communication between paddlers or over longer distance using VHF. Others can be paired with satellite communication devices to send email, call for help and even post messages to Facebook and Twitter so your social media network can follow your progress.

GPS HELPS DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY

Program your handheld to record your tracks and you can save your route to retrace later or share with paddling buddies. Most units also record distance covered, average traveling speed and time spent on the go—all useful for route planning or training. Marking points of interest helps with remembering aspects of a trip. Some devices come with cameras so you can tie images to places, great for trip logs, reports and storytelling.

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2012. Download our freeiPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

One Man’s Epic

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29570034

Dave Brosha

This video compilation of British adventurer Tom Smitheringale’s One Man Epic expedition down Egypt’s Nile River by kayak originally appeared in the Early Summer issue of Adventure Kayak magazine. Video, photos and story by Dave Brosha.

To read an exclusive feature on the incredible story of Smitheringale’s journey, capture and escape from a Libyan militia prison, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Daily Photo: River of the Stick-Wavers

Skills
Photography

Photo: Virginia Marshall — Daily Photo: River of the Stick-Wavers

Paddlers at the Ontario Greenland Camp in Muskoka gather for a celebration of skinny stick paddling, tradtional rolling, and Greenlandic kayak culture.

Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Freestyle Move: Split Phonics

Skills

Photos: Nick Troutman — Emily Jackson freestyle

This is a fun trick because it combines a balanced cartwheel move—a splitwheel—with one that can give you some really big air—a phonics monkey.

The split phonics surfaced in 2009 when hole combos gained popularity because they scored higher in freestyle competitions than any individual moves. Combos also save time when you’re trying to squeeze in all your moves before your ride times out. At this year’s Worlds, a new combo bonus will make these moves even more attractive to competitors.

These steps outline a left-to-right split, into a right phonics.

1. Facing upstream, initiate a lefty cartwheel with a back sweep of your left paddle blade.

2. After the first end of your cartwheel gets vertical, reverse your rotation by twisting 90 degrees to look over your right shoulder and pulling the stern through with a forward stroke on the left blade. This completes the split.

3. As your bow comes down, plant a cross-bow draw with your left hand to begin a pirouette. Don’t wait too long to reach across for the pirouette or it won’t be considered a combo. Make sure you dig beneath the foam pile to grab the green water—this  is what will pull you around 360 degrees.

4. Continue the pirouette until you are facing back upstream. Holding the pirouette all the way around is crucial. If you are falling over on this step, you are probably going too vertical on the pirouette. Your chin and chest should finish facing up and out so that you can jump when you get to the next step.

5. Once facing upstream, lift your paddle out of the water and jump to throw a loop. Make sure you jump upstream, not straight up, or you will not complete the loop. If your loop never feels straight, you may be jumping too soon.

6. Finish your loop on top of the foam pile and facing upstream. Do a fist pump and blow kisses to your fans.

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2011. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Callan: Teddy Bear Picnic

Stories

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

Mike Kipp saw it first. Thankfully, he’s an early riser. I was second up, and spot- ted Mike motioning me excitedly from the shore of our island campsite. He pointed out the black bear swimming off another nearby island.

At first, it was cool to see the bear—we had seen little wildlife on our trip. Then I realized he was bee-lining it straight for us. Mike was ecstatic. He hurried over to his tent and woke his family, inviting them to come out and share the experience.

I’d rather not.

I’m bear phobic—a condition acquired through incidents involving trivial things like tubes of toothpaste or Thermoses of coffee, just to name a couple. I sprinted to my family’s tent and woke my wife and daughter Kyla, telling them to prep for a hasty retreat. In her morning haze, Kyla was distraught—it was her sixth birthday and she was anticipating a breakfast of chocolate cake and the mountain of presents she knew Mom had been lugging in her pack the entire trip.

By the time everyone shook the morning cobwebs, the bear was close enough to look us in the eye. Mike was enjoying the magic with his family. I was freaking out about impending doom. We came to a com- promise on the urgency of the situation and agreed to scare the bear off when it reached midway between the two islands.

At the halfway mark, with the hair on my neck standing upright, I yelled at the bear to turn tail. I shot off a round of bear bangers. Still, it remained determined to make landfall on our island. Mike fired his starter’s pistol. It sounded more like an air gun than the elephant gun I had hoped for. The bear didn’t even blink.

I had an entire arsenal—air horn, bear spray, flares—but, a canoeist to the core, I instinctively reached for my paddle. I beat the paddle against the granite shore and yelled obscenities that I hope Kyla will for- get before she is seven. The bear retreated.

The bad news was the paddle I used was the one Mike had hand carved for me a few years back. My abuse had split it right down the middle. Mike didn’t say much (Mike never really says much). He just solemnly stated, “I guess I’ll have to make you a new paddle.”

My daughter was none to pleased with my actions either. In an attempt to calm her, my wife told her that I had invited the bear over for cake. With a look of disgust she said, “Dad, I can’t believe you scared the bear away from my birthday party!”

Kevin Callan is inviting Winnie the Pooh to his daughter’s next birthday party.

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Late Summer 2011.

Profile: Sky High

Stories
News & Events

Photo: Marina Droogers — Another day at the office; flying canoeists, fishermen and hunters in to the wilderness of Northern Ontario

An open sky over vast wilderness is what Marina Droogers calls her office. Only 26 years old, Droogers flies canoeists, fishermen and hunters—and their seemingly endless piles of over-packed gear—in a 60-year-old airplane to pristine northern lakes, wild rivers and isolated camps. She navigates with the same compass and finger-on-the-map technique used in the 1920s, dropping clients off at lakes she’s never visited before—and she makes it look easy.

On any given day, a ride in this bush pilot’s red, five-seater Beaver aircraft, a plane renowned for being the workhorse of the North, can be a thrilling passage through calm skies or a whiteknuckle ride through turbulence and low cloud that leaves the common man trembling.

Working for Mattice Lake Outfitters near Armstrong, Ontario, a three-hour drive north of Thunder Bay, she flies from May to November and clocked 420 hours in the air last season. The work is intensely physical and the loads she carries are rarely of the walk-on, walk-off variety. “Physically, I can’t last at this forever,” she says.

From bloody, squirmy moose quarters that tip the scales at 100 pounds, to fuel drums and propane cylinders, outboard motors and strapping canoes to floats, everything involves lifting. “The reaction I get from many clients tells me they don’t think I should be here—‘So, where’s the pilot?’ they ask me after I’ve pumped out the floats, refueled the plane and loaded…

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Spring 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here .

Therm-a-Rest Mesh Cot

Gear

Photo: www.cascadedesigns.com — Therm-a Rest Luxurylite Mesh Cot

Enjoy extreme backcountry comfort in a 26-inch-wide bed that packs down to approximately the same size as a regular sleeping pad. Breathable mesh allows excellent ventilation in hot weather while the stretch-free fabric and anodized aluminum poles stand up to heavy use. The Luxurylite Cot is a great choice for anyone who wants extra space and comfort in a lightweight, easy-to-carry package.

$240 I www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Spring 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here .

Select Paddles W1 Ultra Review

Gear
Paddles
Kayak Paddles

select-paddles.com — Select Paddles kayak paddle

Another unique import designed to do something clever, the W1 Ultra is an adjustable shaft kayak paddle from French manufacturer Select Paddles. The build quality of the full carbon/Kevlar lay-up, including versatile river running/freestyle blades, is top-notch, but the changeable shaft length—a first for whitewater kayak paddles—is what really grabbed our attention.

The W1 bent shaft adjusts up to five centimetres, while a straight shaft gives you 10 centimetres to play with. Both also feature limitless feather adjustment. The offset placement of the ferrule lock reduces the likelihood of a break mid-shaft but creates a slight off-balance in paddle swing. The ferrule itself uses an Allen key lock—slip-proof, but we don’t recommend working the tiny metal key with numb fingers anywhere near moving water.

All Select Paddles are also available with a standard one-piece shaft. Available from Kayak Import, www.kayakimport.ca.

www.select-kayaks.com | $399

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Early Summer 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Discovery Islands Kayak Trip

Trips

This kayak trip destination is excerpted from the “Killer Trips” feature in Adventure Kayak magazine.

Okisollo Channel, British Columbia

Choking the passage between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, the Discovery Islands constrict tidal flows; at times producing “some of the most fearsome tidal rapids in the world” according to surf kayak world champion Sean Morley. Off the northeast corner of Quadra Island, Upper Okisollo Rapid’s green wave is a premiere destination for hardcore kayak surfers when the flood current is less than eight knots, but on the largest tides 13-knot currents create a 10-foot crashing wave and menacing eddies that are unmanageable for even the strongest paddlers. Just south of Okisollo, the giant whirlpools that form in the narrow entrance to Hole in the Wall can reach hundreds of meters across. www.discovery-islands-lodge.com

This article is a sneak preview from the Early Summer 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Weekly Kayak News, May 23, 2013

Stories
News & Events

Photo: Courtesy Ontario Sea Kayak Centre — Weekly Kayak News, May 23, 2013

Georgian Bay Paddlepalooza Only One Week Away

The first annual Paddlepalooza Kayak Festival splashes down into Georgian Bay near Parry Sound, Ontario, May 31–June 2, 2013. Featuring top coaches, superb scenery, great camping and an awesome Saturday night party with live music, the event will include on-water clinics in strokes, rescues, rolling and more, plus dry land lessons on risk management, cooking, campcraft and navigation. “This weekend is a spring tune-up with more advanced clinics for novice and intermediate paddlers,” says Dympna Hayes, co-owner of event host, Ontario Sea Kayak Centre. Read a full story about the event in the May issue of Paddling This Month, and sign up and learn more at http://www.ontarioseakayakcentre.com/paddlepalooza-kayak-festival.html

A Better SPOT

SPOT, makers of the ubiquitous orange satellite messenger, and parent company Globalstar announced this month the release of the new SPOT Global Phone, a portable, easy-to-use and data-enabled satellite phone. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts who want to remain connected when travelling in areas beyond the reach of cellular coverage, the SPOT Global Phone provides affordable and reliable satellite connectivity with crystal clear voice quality. Earlier this year, Globalstar deployed a second generation satellite constellation, bringing significant network connectivity improvements including reliability and superior voice clarity. The SPOT Global Phone is the first satellite phone to be offered in major retail outlets including London Drugs and Mountain Equipment Co-op. The phone retails at $499 CDN plus a required subscription service starting at $24.99 monthly or 25 cents per minute. For more information, visit FindMeSPOT.com

California’s First 100-Mile Paddle Race—Saturday, May 25

California¹s first ultra-marathon paddle race, the California 100, will churn down the Sacramento River on May 25, from Redding to Chico. Expected to compete will be nearly 100 people on over 50 kayaks, surf skis and outrigger canoes. Race organizers predict the boats will cover the 100-mile distance in eight to 20 hours of hard paddling. “Cal 100 benefits Rivers for Change, a non-profit that promotes conservation through source to sea educational river adventures,” says Race Director Haven Livingston. California 100 will include paddlers at all levels. The race is described by Rivers for Change as offering, “adventure, competition and relay divisions, with many paddlers of intermediate ability out for the fun of it.” The entry fee is $200. Learn more at www.riversforchange.org/california-100.

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