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Rock the Boat: Signs Your Guide Has Gone Off the Deep End

Illustration: Lorenzo Del Bianco
Rock the Boat: Signs Your Guide Has Gone Off the Deep End

Lapses in judgement. We all have them. Even guides.

Most of us have encountered the arrogant guide. Barking orders, muttering insults under his breath and strutting around like a marionette pulled by a manic puppeteer.

With clipped words and patronizing voice he badgers the clients, “This is how we do it. Not like that, like this. Look at mine—right… yours—wrong.” This to a gaggle of surgeons and military personnel, as if holding a paddle correctly is the most life and death challenge they will ever face. As if this morning kayak trip is a grave endeavour on par with perform- ing triple bypass surgery or launching a clandestine raid into enemy territory.

Instead of a relaxing holiday from their over-worked, over-stressed lives the dumbstruck clients are treated to a militaristic drill of every minutia involved in the great pursuit of sea kayaking. The tour is nearly over by the time the group dips their first paddle strokes into the placid waters.

But can you blame us guides? We have some of the coolest, most envied jobs on the planet. It’s no surprise that our heads may swell just a little atop our block-letter-printed “GUIDE” spraydecks. Our judgement about who the clients are, why they’re here and what they want may be off ever so slightly.

Certainly we’ve all witnessed the reckless guide—even the most levelheaded of us may have been one on occasion. Throwing gainers off waterfalls five days into a 14-day wilderness trip. Stepping on the gas pedal in a rapidly ending passing lane while towing a trailer full of boats on the shuttle home. Showing off our très cool to a group of middle-aged clients as if mistaking them for a pack of our Jackass-watching, lewd joke-cracking friends. 

Temptation. That’s what does guides in. The temptation of being adventure-seeking individuals plying our livelihoods in a massive natural playground. The temptation of being able to gratify ourselves whenever we please.

Every day we drink from a potent elixir of wil- derness and passion. It’s hard not to have a few too many now and then.

When too many temptations conspire against us, we may become the worst of all offenders—the oblivious guide. Staying out in the waves well past the white-knuckle comfort zone of our clients, waiting for that one last surf. Meeting up with a few other guides on a remote beach and hanging out until 2 a.m. making blue angels around a blazing campfire while our paying customers lie awake (think- ing what, I wonder?) in their nearby tents. Trying to get up the sprayskirt of the cute assistant guide as the group waits, cold and hungry, for their promised afternoon tea.

At its best, guiding is like being in a state of constant arousal but never letting yourself go all the way. Next time I’m out watching a fellow guide succumb to temptation and a lapse of judgement, I’ll do the considerate and understanding thing. I’ll go over and tell him (or her) to zip up. 

Virginia Marshall has worked as a sea kayaking guide in Canada and new Zealand. She has never made blue angels on trip. 

AKv10i1-DE_1.jpgThis article first appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. For more great content, subscribe to Adventure Kayak’s print and digital editions here.

Want Fries With That?

Photo: Dave Quinn
Want Fries With That?

As last summer’s eco-tour bookings declined alongside the economic slowdown, paddling guides across the country traded in their paddles, pancake flippers and natural history guidebooks for hammers, chainsaws and computers in an effort to put food on the table.

Although day tours did not decline appreciably, big-ticket, multi-day expedition bookings were down significantly across the board, with some large companies’ bookings down as much as 50 per cent from recent years.

This decline left many guides out of work and has forced them to take extreme measures: many of them had to find real jobs. This hardship had a significant impact on the lifestyles of these notoriously peripatetic individuals.

“I have been working for BC Ferries and for the Coast Guard,” said one displaced sea kayak guide.

“This keeps me on the water at least. But I miss the spontaneity and wilderness aspects of sea kayak guiding. On the other hand, I actually sleep in my own bed, see my family on a regular basis and have some money in the bank now.”

Other guides found themselves work in the construction trade, while some turned to other outside work as educators or forestry workers—but even those industries felt the pressure of the so-called recession.

Some guides, temporarily forced from the last wild reaches of the coastal world, resorted to the depths of homebound depravity, taking up computer-based work such as, well, writing. 

 

Patches of Heaven on Homewaters

Photo: flickr.com/image-catalog
Patches of Heaven on Homewaters

The old barnstorming pilots of the 1920s called it “the patch.” Cruising sailors call it their home waters. We kayakers have patches too. Often it’s an overlooked section of water, a creek, river, lake or bay that is only a short drive away and provides an opportunity for the little-recognized joy of the impulse paddle.

The pages of glossy travel magazines, heavy with all-inclusive resort advertising, lure and distract us with stories of far off lands and challenging paddling. Yet for most of us there is an adventure just around the corner.

I am one of the lucky ones. My waters are across the street. A tough couple days at work or too much time spent working on the joys of home ownership and I can have a hull in the water in 10 minutes. My impulse spot is our neighbourhood lake, 55 acres small.

In my ancient Aquaterra touring boat and my wife Charity’s pretty new Dagger, or our Old Town canoe with Iggy the adventure dog aboard, it takes us an hour to paddle and coast along the meandering shoreline.

Every time we slide a hull in the water we’re in for something different. We check on Carlos, the cormorant that winters on the lake and stands on the dam’s spillway ruffling his wings in the afternoon breeze. In the summer we count turtles and watch the little blue herons that sit on empty docks and scan the tannin- stained water for their dinner. Petite finches flit overhead, executing ragged aileron rolls and bouncing across the surface like skipping stones. There are neighborhood legends of ‘gators in the lake. Rumour has it they creep in from the Escambia River, but after three years we haven’t been lucky enough to see one, though I guess luck depends on your point of view.

Charles Mackay wrote in The Dionysia that “Water is the mother of the vine, The nurse and fountain of fecundity, The adorner and refresher of the world.” It doesn’t matter what your boat is—canoe, kayak or inflatable duckie—there is probably some water near you. Everyone, at one time or another, needs a little refreshing. And who doesn’t want more fecundity in their lives? I’m sure I need more of it.

Adventure doesn’t have to be big, and it doesn’t have to be distant. A true boater never forgets the patch, and the joy of the impulse paddle. When you get right down to it, Water Rat in The Wind in the Willows was right— there really isn’t anything “half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

BJ Armstrong is a U.S. Navy Search and Rescue pilot, a long-time kayaker and sailor, and a novice fly-fisherman from Norfolk, Virginia. 

AKv10i1-DE_1.jpgThis article first appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. For more great content, subscribe to Adventure Kayak’s print and digital editions here.

Editorial: 10 Years of Million-Dollar Views

Photo: John Dowd
Editorial: 10 Years of Million-Dollar Views

You never know where life’s going to lead you. If you’d asked me 10 years ago where I’d be living now, I’d have said in a mountain wilderness or on the water.

I grew up in the heart of Toronto, a three-minute walk from Canada’s busiest intersection, the Trans-Canada Highway and the longest street in the world. I spent my first 30 years trying to get away from the concrete. I never would have moved back to my hometown if it weren’t for the woman I love.

Now Tory and I own a house downtown with eight kayaks in the backyard, street parking, a hound dog and a nine-month-old baby girl. I bike to work at a loft office with an art gallery and a Starbucks next door.

For our article about kayakers’ waterfront dream homes, I couldn’t think of any place more inspiring than John and Bea Dowd’s on a remote beach in Clayoquot Sound. Two summers ago, when Tory was two months pregnant, I had the ill-fated idea that this would be a good time to introduce her to open-ocean kayaking. I found myself huddled on a windswept beach in a rainstorm with one wet and nauseous wife.

I’d known the Dowds were in Clayquot Sound somewhere and had a standing invitation from John to stop in, but when I’d called their cell phone from Tofino I got voicemail. So it was unlikely that of all the beaches, we would have found theirs. But we did. The energetic figure happening along with a fishing rod the very moment we landed was the Father of Sea kayaking himself, and very soon Tory was warming up with a cup of tea by the woodstove and I was moving our gear into the guest cabin just as the rain started coming down hard.

That was the end of our travels. We spent three days enjoying the Dowds’ hospitality, their rainforest produce and fresh-caught salmon, while each dawn and dusk I would borrow one of John’s fishing rods and wade with him into the surf to try and stock the larder. Thank you, John and Bea.

When I asked John to write us something for this article, I promised he didn’t have to divulge exactly where he lives and crossed my fingers that he’d say yes.“I’ll check with Bea,” replied John, and fortunately, she agreed to share the story of their little piece of heaven with the world, along with the eight other extraordinary people profiled in the article.

Too often consumer magazines flaunt the aspirational trappings of wealth and fame, like homes with million-dollar views or $300,000 Breguet Tourbillon watches. I don’t want to fall into that trap. This article shows that you can live the dream without a lot of money, because most of the people profiled have downsized or opted out in some way, sought locations or lifestyles off the trodden path. This is something I try to do even living in the city—like Colin Beavan in the book No Impact Man—turning down the thermostat and downsizing my life so I spend less time earning money and have more time for the truly finer things, like paddling.

This is our 10th anniversary issue and I’ve been at the editor’s desk for eight of those years. If there’s any theme that’s kept me inspired for all these years, it’s this dream of the kayak-inspired lifestyle.

You never know where life will lead you, but with a kayak you can always make your home on the water, with a tent in the hatch ready to pitch in the most beautiful places on earth.

Here’s to 10 years of kayak dreams and unlimited million-dollar views, and to all the people who have built a life around kayaking, wherever their homes may be.  

AKv10i1-DE_1.jpgThis article first appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. For more great content, subscribe to Adventure Kayak’s print and digital editions here.

Touring Kayak Review: Necky Looksha Elite

Man paddling red sea kayak.
The Looksha Elite is ready to cruise. | Photo: Rochelle Relyea

For Necky, the new Looksha Elite represents a return to its roots. Not another British-style kayak or “poke around the bay” rec boat, this is a true North American–style touring kayak, complete with a rudder instead of a skeg.

The Elite has a distinct Swede form, meaning its widest point is aft of the seat. While this creates a lot of volume for storage, racing kayaks also favor the shape for a number of other reasons: better stability; longer, more slender hull entry for increased speed and efficiency; narrower foredeck for a closer, more vertical stroke; tighter turns because the greater curve to the stern lifts more of the stern keel free of the water when edging; and less tendency to “pound” when paddling into oncoming waves and chop due to the finer bow entry and stern-biased volume distribution.

[ Also read: Skeg Or Rudder For Your Sea Kayak ]

Necky Looksha Elite Specs
Length: 17′ 6″
Width: 22″
Cockpit:2″ x 16″
Weight:7 lbs fiberglass; 49 lbs  carbon
MSRP: $2,999 USD fiberglass; $3,999 USD carbon

necky.com

The Elite is built in Thailand, and while not particularly light (ours was 57 pounds), the build quality is excellent. A honeycomb foam core is used for stiffness, and everything is very nicely put together, with no leaks, rough edges, or imperfections. Hatches remained bone-dry after extensive rough-water play and rolling.

The fit accommodates a wide range of sizes. There’s lots of foot and legroom, but smaller paddlers won’t feel dwarfed. Optimal paddler weight is about 170 to 220 pounds, but at 150 pounds I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The seat is comfy and the back-band adjusts easily to provide solid support. The thigh hooks and the underside of the deck create a nice knee pocket for a very positive grip with the legs.

Initial stability is very comfortable and there is a ton of secondary.

Because the rocker is very pronounced, the Elite has very light tracking and benefits from being paddled actively, or else paddled with the rudder, which uses a SmartTrack pedal system. The downside is that with the rudder up, the Elite has a definite tendency to wander and blow around. The upside is outrageous manoeuvrability! Edging away from a turn will have you immediately carving a hairpin.

It’s a hoot in rock gardens and tight channels, and due to its speed is very quick to accelerate onto waves and swell, while the pronounced rocker makes the boat a blast to carve around on a wave. The clipper bow does a great job of staying on the surface even on steep waves.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all touring kayaks ]

If you can’t imagine ever using a rudder, then this is not the boat for you. However, if you like efficient touring, carrying big loads, and accelerating down waves in a following sea along an open coast, then you will love the Elite.

Three photos of different parts of a red sea kayak
Photos: Alex Matthews

Cut it out! (top)

Cutaways in the front deck allow for a closer, more vertical paddle position for an efficient catch at the start of each stroke. Large oval hatches (rigid shells over neoprene gaskets) provide easy access to storage.

Sweet Swede form (middle)

The Swede-form shape and “humped” stern deck create awesome cargo capacity in excess of 200 liters.

Bow up (bottom)

The Elite has a clipper bow (more vertical rather than long and overhanging) which extends the waterline for increased efficiency and provides more volume for better rough-water performance.

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak‘s Spring 2010 issue. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or browse the archives here.

Best Urban Whitewater

Photo: Malcolm Brett
Saint John paddling

In 1783, an industrious group of nearly 10,000 Loyalists fleeing the American Revolutionary War left New York and arrived at the mouth of the St. John River. In two short years, the hard-working Loyalists turned this simple British fort into Canada’s first incorporated city—Saint John. With its ice-free port and easy access to high quality lumber, Saint John quickly became one of Canada’s most important centers of industry. The Loyalists’ work ethic has prevailed for more than 200 years and today Saint John is the industrial engine of the Maritimes. Home to Canada’s largest oil refinery, two pulp and paper mills, a power plant, a natural gas terminal, a brewery and enough coffee shops to float an armada of kayaks, Saint John is an unabashedly blue collar town. But when the shift ends, working stiffs from every walk blow off steam at one of the country’s premier—and little known—urban park-and play-spots.

 

Whitewater Lowdown

Saint John owes its remarkable whitewater to the city site’s particularly unique geography. Just five minutes from downtown, the St. John—one of eastern Canada’s largest rivers—meets the world’s highest tides (up to 40 feet) at the Bay of Fundy. Kayakers at Reversing Falls—so named because, at high tide, the influx of seawater creates rapids that run upriver—are the beneficiaries of this volatile confluence. The rapids vary from class I at mid-tide (when the elevations of river and sea are the same) to class V at high and low tides (when the difference in elevation can top 14 feet). And with features constantly appearing, disappearing and moving around, the variety is a real treat. For challenging downriver paddling and a change of scenery, head east to the Broad and Forty-Five rivers in Fundy National Park (class IV–V, 2 hrs).

 

Cross-training

Sea Kayaking: Irving Nature Park, on the city’s west side, provides direct access to the
 Bay of Fundy. For a scenic, historic day trip, launch here and paddle four kilometres east to park-like Partridge Island, a former quarantine station and fort during both World Wars.

Mountain Biking: A five-minute drive from up- town, 890-hectare Rockwood Park is one of Canada’s largest urban parks. Twenty-seven kilometres of mapped trails and many more of signed singletrack cut by local mountain bikers keep riders, runners and hikers busy after work.

Skiing: In winter, the renowned Maritime storms dump an average of three metres of snow on the city and Rockwood Park can become a wonderland for cross-country skiers and snowshoers—until the next rains, anyway.

 

Grub, Pub and Hubbub

Stop for breakfast at Slocum and Ferris in
 the Saint John City Market, or grab a snack 
at Pete’s Frootique. Opened in 1876, the City Market is North America’s oldest and has long been the city’s social focal point. For evening entertainment, check out a show at the grand and historic imperial theatre, or listen to Saint John’s up and coming musicians at Lily’s Café in Rockwood Park. Summers in Saint John are also a great time to experience the East Coast music scene. In July, the Salty Jam Festival brings together all types of music from folk to reggae for three days on the waterfront.

 

Local Hero: Harry Cox

“You don’t stop kayaking when you get old;
 you get old when you stop kayaking.” This sentiment would sound trite coming from anybody but Harry Cox, the 60-year-old dean
 of New Brunswick kayaking. A retired chemical engineer, Cox isn’t content to spend his golden years lounging in a rocking chair. If he’s not putting the young punks to shame at Reversing Falls, he’s likely with the Canadian Freestyle Kayaking team (he’s the manager), at the pool teaching neophytes to roll, lecturing high school students about following their passions, or even driving an ambulance as a paramedic. One thing you won’t see Cox doing is sitting still. 

 

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

Six Whitewater Overnights

Photo: Virginia Marshall
Whitewater river trips

For your first few trips, plan to run rivers that your guidebook—or another reliable source—indicates have good campsites and portages. Even better, find someone who has run the river before to come along, or turn your normal day run into an overnight and plan other activities like playboating, fishing, swimming and hiking to keep you busy.

 

Madawaska River, Ontario

Summer-long flows, superb campsites and over a dozen friendly class II-III rapids between Quadeville and Griffith make the 25-kilometre Lower Mad a weekend favorite in eastern Ontario.

 

Mattawin River, Quebec

The Mattawin has 18 kilometres of class III-IV boulder gardens, small drops and wave trains in a beautiful wilderness valley. Consistent gradient and dam-released volume within a 21⁄2-hour drive of Montreal make for a great overnight escape.

 

Whirlpool and Athabasca Rivers, Alberta

What these Jasper-area rivers lack in remoteness, they more than make up for in spectacular mountain scenery, wildlife and varied whitewater. Put in on the playful, low-volume class II-III Whirlpool just below Moab Lake and follow down to the Athabasca. Camp at Wabasso Campground, then continue down the large-volume class I–II Athabasca to Jasper.

 

White River, British Columbia

Well-defined features, fun surf spots and a remote setting make this two- to three-day run in the mid Kootenay drainage a great choice for solid class III paddlers. Fed by snowmelt and glaciers, the 42-kilometre section of the lower White also has some of the nicest wilderness campsites this side of the Rockies.

 

New River, West Virginia

Canoeist have long flocked to the upper New River, but the 30 miles (50 kilometres) of class II-III pool-and-drop rapids are equally enjoyable for first-time kayak campers.

 

Klamath River, California

Moderate rapids, warm water, easy access, superb scenery, beach camping and fairly light use make the Klamath a rarity in northern California. The Middle Klamath provides 47 miles (75 kilometres) of class II+ float-and-boat; below this, choose from a further 70 miles (112 kilometres) of class III rapids. 

 

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

Build Your Skills in Beachburg

Photo: Patrick Camblin
Learn to paddle in Beachburg

Beachburg is a small farming community nestled in the heart of eastern Ontario’s Whitewater Region, 80 minutes north of Ottawa off the Trans-Canada. The famed Rocher Fendu (Split Rock) section of the 1,271-kilometre-long Ottawa River courses past the town’s doorstep. In the 30 years since the first commercial rafting trip down the Ottawa, the number of outfitters and rafting tourists has grown dramatically, as has the importance of the river to employment and tourism in 
the area. Beachburg is the closest town to the put-in, offering groceries, alcohol and dining options, making it a busy service center from June to August. During these months, guiding staff and paddlers from around the world settle in to train, surf and hang out. The few who stay behind to brave the icy winter months are at the core 
of a slowly developing, permanent whitewater community. Although
 still viewed as curious outsiders by many of the surrounding country folk, the boating populous has enjoyed a warmer welcome from Beachburgers. In fact, many locals have taken up whitewater paddling.

 

Whitewater Lowdown

Minutes from downtown, the Ottawa River is one of the world’s very best freestyle training grounds. The high volume—averaging 10,000 cubic feet per second (CFs) during low water and a raging 60,000+ CFs in spring—intimidates first-time boaters, but even newbies quickly become addicted to the warm water, glassy waves and deep, easy-access play spots. Learn the ropes—and the river—with two excellent, local paddling schools. Liquid Skills, operating since 2000, is the smaller of the two with a welcoming family atmosphere. Wilderness Tours’ Ottawa Kayak School, established in 1982, has full rafting resort amenities and runs the popular teen Keener Camp. Both offer a full spectrum of beginner to advanced classes and hire top-notch instructors, including former World Champions Ruth Gordon (LS) and Eric Jackson (OKS).

The Ottawa Valley is also home to nearly a dozen other diverse whitewater runs within a day’s drive. These include the short and playful Petawawa town run (class III, 30 minutes) and the three-day classic canoe trip on the Lower Pet (class II-III, 21⁄2 hrs). Across the Ottawa in the province of Quebec, head to the Gatineau for big-water pool and drop (class III-IV), or the Rouge for class III creeking (both 1 hr). Montreal’s renowned Lachine Rapids and Big Joe surf wave are also within a three-hour drive.

 

Cross-training

Cycling: the sprawling farmland of the Ottawa Valley lends itself to great long distance rides along quiet backroads with only the odd passing vehicle. Try the relaxing, 45-kilometre loop through Beachburg, Westmeath and LaPasse for views of the Ottawa.

Canoeing: the entrance to Algonquin Provincial Park’s 7,725 square kilometres and 1,600-kilometre network of canoe routes is just 25 minutes away.

Skiing: A host of small ski hills help beat the winter blues. Hit the slopes at Mt. Pakenham (50 minutes) or Calabogie
 (45 minutes). For a cross-country workout, Gatineau Park has 200 kilometres of classic and skate trails (11⁄4 hours).

 

Grub, Pub and Hubbub

The annual Beachburg Fair, now in its 153rd year, is the town’s biggest bash. Held in July, the fair features tricked-out tractors, truck-pulling contests and the always popular demolition derby. As expected in a small farming town, options for eating out are quite limited. Currently, the two choices are Chinese or Italian (Smokie’s Takeout Pizza), but a new café called Simple Things scheduled to open in the spring promises finer dining and an outdoor patio.

 

Local Heroes

Some fantastic boaters were born and raised in Beachburg, and many other whitewater gurus now call the town home. Tyler Curtis lives at the put-in to the river, Billy Harris is a new landowner in town and Ken Whiting’s Heliconia Press is a local employer. Other up-and-coming locals include Joel and Katie Kowalski (children of Ottawa River rafting pioneer Joe Kowalski), Dave Nieuwenhuis and—most famously of late—Nick Troutman.

 

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

6 Straightforward Steps To Complete The Kayak T-Rescue

Photo: Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin
Performing a T Rescue. | Feature photo: Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin

The T-rescue is the workhorse assisted rescue for sea kayakers. Done properly, it enables you to quickly get a capsized paddler back into a dry boat in any conditions.

In recent years, old techniques have been replaced, such as having the swimmer hold and push down onto the stern of their kayak. Some have been added, such as the heel-hook reentry. Others are specific to sea conditions and paddler skill. But despite the variations, there are a few keys to efficient, effective T-rescues in every situation.

[ See also: 6 Unusual Skills That Will Make You A Better Kayaker ]

Photo: Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin
Performing a T-rescue. | Feature photo: Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin

Step-by-step T-rescue kayak technique

1 Don’t rush in

Take a moment to communicate and ensure she isn’t too panicky to cooperate. Remind her to hold onto her boat and paddle.

2 Flip the boat

Ask her to flip her boat, if possible, and slide to the bow. Then paddle up to her bow.

3 Transfer the capsized paddler

Have the capsized paddler transfer to your boat, preferably close to your cockpit unless conditions dictate otherwise. Don’t let her swim; remind her to hold onto the deck lines of both boats while making the transfer. Then swing her boat into the T position (bow facing your cockpit) by leaning on her boat and spinning it.

4 Slide the boat up on your spray deck

Bring the bow a foot or two past the far side of your boat so that the cockpit will clear the water when you flip it. Tip her boat toward you to begin emptying the cockpit, then flip it all the way upside-down. Instead of lifting the boat, grip it and edge your own boat away. You’ll be completely stable because her boat will act as a huge pontoon, and you’ll avoid straining your shoulders. Stay in this position until the cockpit is empty and you’ve flipped the boat right-side-up again. Slide the boat back into the water.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all safety & rescue accessories ]

5 Position the boat for reentry

Maneuver the capsized boat until the stern is pointing toward your bow. Using the deck lines, slide the boat along to make it easy for the swimmer to transfer from your boat to hers without letting go of the deck lines. Then push the boat toward her as she walks her hands along the deck lines and arrives at the cockpit.

6 Capsized paddler reenters boat

How the swimmer re-enters is up to individual preference and conditions. Some people prefer a scramble re-entry, while others prefer a crab or heel-hook. Regardless, remind her to stretch out so that her center of gravity remains low. To secure her boat, grab the deck lines in front of her cockpit, wrap your body over her deck and hold tightly. If you hold the coaming, your fingers may get kicked or pinched, and you’ll have to transfer your hands to the deck lines so she can secure her spray skirt, providing a moment of instability. Remain in this position until her spray deck is on, she’s holding her paddle and she says she’s ready. Then slide gently away.

The main points here are ensuring that both people keep hold of the boats at all times, sliding boats instead of moving the swimmer, edging instead of lifting the capsized boat, and stabilizing the emptied boat by draping your body instead of using upper-body strength. These approaches facilitate a faster and safer rescue by enabling you to get into position quickly and use technique instead of strength.

[ Read more: Who Do You Call When Your Kayak Sinks? ]

Practice often in many conditions, with different swimmers and rescuers, and using various re-entry techniques. That way, you’ll have experience to draw upon when you really need to use the T-rescue.

Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin (www.bloyd-peshkin.blogspot.com) are ACA Level 4 sea kayak instructors and BCU Level 1 coaches at Geneva Kayak Center in Chicago.

This article was first published in the Spring 2010 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.

Performing a T-rescue. | Feature photo: Sharon and Alec Bloyd-Peshkin

 

Dagger Kayak’s Axiom: Whitewater Kayak Review

Virginia Marshall playing in whitewater rapids in the Dagger Axiom kayakPhoto: Stephanie Park
The Dagger Axiom kayak is much more fun when you're smiling. | Photo Stephanie Park

Paddling Media (Rapid included) often can’t resist referencing and drawing parallels—sometimes rather tenuously—to a watershed design like the Dagger RPM. In the case of the new Axiom, however, the line is clear.

Dagger Axiom Specs 6.9 / 8.0 / 8.5 / 9.0
Length: 6ft 9in / 8ft / 8ft 6in / 9ft
Width: 22.5in / 24.5in / 25.5in / 28in
Volume: 39 / 51 / 63 / 78 U.S. GAL
Weight: 25 / 34.5 / 42 / 45 LBS
Paddler: 65–120 / 90–150 / 130–210 / 180–265 LBS
MSRP: $795 US/CDN for 6.9, all other sizes $995 US/CDN
dagger.com

After more than 13 years, Dagger designers wanted to revive the classic river cruising style embodied by that now legendary boat with something equally popular, but unmistakably modern. Borrowing the RPM’s best traits and incorporating them into a modern planing hull package, Dagger designer Mark “Snowy” Robertson says he has created a “river cruiser” that sits between the river running Mamba series and the Agent playboat in the Dagger line-up.

The result is a boat that paddles like a river runner with the fat trimmed off and surfs like a playboat with nitrous in the trunk. The Axiom’s bow takes design cues from the Mamba and carries enough volume for a dry and roomy ride, but it’s noticeably slimmer than most river runners.

[ Read more: Buy a Kayak: How To Advice Part I ]

The greatest volume loss is in the stern, where the low profile permits easy back deck moves but is more susceptible to the vagaries of river currents than your average river runner.

The tapered stern also lends the Axiom much of its play potential, willingly slicing into eddylines, pour-overs and even green water for effortless stern squirts. Of the boat’s playability, Robertson says his focus was “on surfing and wave moves over more vertical end moves in holes.”

To this end, the long, fast planing hull and continuous rocker profile (which should look very familiar to RPM fans) make it easy to catch and surf even slow, shallow waves. You may find yourself, as we did, running entire rapids backwards just to catch a front surf on every riffle. Add in full-length rails that carve eagerly even when modest edging is applied, and the Axiom is ridiculously fun to surf. Working a wave in this boat is akin to shredding a super-cruisy blue run at your local ski hill—every bit as easy and no less enjoyable.

We did notice the considerable length the Axiom has over other river playboats—the medium-sized 8.5 is eight feet, six inches—makes flat spins and any moves in the wave pocket more of a challenge.

It’s just a fair bit more boat to swing around. Downriver, Dagger Kayak’s Axiom’s hull speed and carving capabilities make for very crisp eddy-hopping. Robertson says that it “paddles well in bigger water situations where turning from the stern and rapid acceleration around holes and surface features is important.” Combined with superior tracking and forgiving edges, the Axiom is a solid choice for extreme racers.

So who is Dagger targeting with this new river cruiser? While Robertson insists that he did not set out with the design intent of replacing the RPM, he concedes that it is RPM paddlers—past and current—that he hopes to attract with the Axiom. Robertson says, “We foresee a slightly older generation of paddler than the usual youth-oriented playboat market.”

With four sizes to suit both parents and children, Dagger is also hoping the Axiom gets more families on the water together.

The word Axiom describes a universal principle or self-evident truth. Fitting, since this new boat draws heavily on the best designs that have preceded it, and the Axiom’s roots are in an undisputed classic in the lineage of whitewater kayaks.

The Dagger Axiom kayak is much more fun when you’re smiling. Feature Photo: Stephanie Park

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