BaffinPaddler - http://baffinpaddler.blogspot.com

While testing the Current Designs Suka sea kayak, I asked the camera guy to take some interesting shots of edging the kayak, the forward stroke, and me doing the Cowboy Scramble . But he also captured the less sexy kayak moments, like getting in and out of the kayak. And it made me think, "You know what? This isn't cute, but it's a very important topic and a big reality we face every time we paddle, and many times during a paddle." We have to be able to get in and out of our kayaks quickly and easily, especially if we are upside-down. If you own a fibreglass kayak, you have to master this and have a strategy for getting out of the kayak in the water before you hit the shore and the rocks. I wouldn't want to try a surf landing, but you never know when you might not have much choice. Before testing a sea kayak I look at all the parts. When I paddle the boat, I think of paddling scenarios. Which kayak would I like to be in when . . . the water is rough,

Some of the biggest joys of kayaking are . . . little friends. Some friends are very lazy. They just hitch a free ride. We all have friends like that sometimes . . . right? Big friends seem small when they are so far away. Friends come in all shapes and sizes. And all makes and models. Sometimes, there are lots of them! Public boat launch on the Tay River with free parking at Last Duel Park, Perth, Ontario Some little friends have very important jobs to do. We don't want to get too close to them. We use the zoom on our cameras. Mother bird guarding her nest on the Tay. Boat channel markers on the Tay. Paddle buddies and wildflowers in the Tay marshes. Locks, lockmasters, parking spaces, picnic tables and clean restrooms. If only they would build kayak friendly ramps for us at lock stations. Boat docks and cement walls are not your friends. They are harder to launch from. Be careful. Say hello to my little friends. They are your friends too! Bea

I was kayaking and swimming in a local lake in the National Capital Region of Canada on a hot May day that peaked in the 80s (30 Celsius) and made a new underwater friend unexpectedly. He has pointy teeth, fins, and was about a foot and a half long. I decided to paddle wearing the same gear as almost everyone else on the lake: a swimsuit! It was so hot. But unlike many others I added a PFD and paddle shoes. I thought I would be able to swim for a few minutes in the cold water and do a Cowboy Scramble up my Boreal Baffin . Even under dressed for the water temperatures, I was pretty sure I could do at least one Cowboy Scramble . I wanted to see what would happen to someone who fell in. But I had trouble convincing myself to get into the deeper, colder lake water from the warmer shallow waters along the shoreline. Even in May it was still freezing cold. I stood there for awhile with the water only up to my knees. "Wow. Without a wet suit, it's a big shock!"

Bed's not made and never is. Laundry's never done unless someone else does it. House is a mess. Grass is not mowed. You call in sick again at work. There is gas in the car. Kayak is loaded and properly secured on car. (Don't forget the front and rear tie downs.) An awesome lunch is packed. Face is unshaven (if you are a guy). If you are a girl, you got up 30 minutes earlier to put on waterproof mascara. And the number one trait of a Dedicated Paddler is . . .  A BIG SMILE ON YOUR FACE . . . because you have more than one awesome sea kayak! Did I miss any other important traits . . . ?  Happy paddle trails! (c) The BaffinPaddler 

It's that time of year again, MAY! Yeah! Time to get up close and personal with the sea kayak, paddling gear, and that wet stuff I didn't spend any time with for the last six long months of Canada's finicky weather. This year, I didn't do my first spring paddle with the Boreal Baffin hanging out on an ice shelf along the Ottawa River's shore. That was a little stupid. I wasn't dressed for slipping into water that cold with only a wet suit and no neo hoodie. This year's first spring paddle with the Boreal Baffin was a hot, sunny May day, 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), with a light wind at a small lake lined with cottages in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. The beach we launched from was full of people dressed in bathing suits, shorts and t-shirts enjoying a good spring sunburn. Little kids were running in and out of the chilly water exhilarated, yelling, "Mommy! It's cold!"   Yes, the water in May is still cold so I'll do ano

Cycling the Waterfront Trail, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada This is the most important girl zipper check when cycling. With cooler spring temperatures and wind this year, I forgot how many layers I had put on before I ran out of layers and shouldn't zip down to the belly any more to cool down. Zippers are on my mind. The big zips. The monsters of all zippers. Dry suit zippers! The terrors of paddling. You have nightmares about getting yours open. No? You have strong wrists and big biceps maybe? Even so, it's not easy to get outta that dry suit by yourself? When a paddle buddy turns red, purple, then blue in the face and gasps, "Can you help me with my zipper . . . ", he really needs help with it, and probably so will you! I've resisted buying a dry suit year after year because I can't get the zippers to move when I test them in the store. The store assistant says, "But they have this wax . . . it helps." So I asked which brand I should