BaffinPaddler - http://baffinpaddler.blogspot.com

Doesn't this make you want to get out and paddle? Linger? Forget about work? Dream? Play? And more? Me too! I love the way this image makes me feel about paddling, my kayak, the environment, and the people we paddle with, so I submitted it to a photo contest. Do I have a chance? It's the desktop image on my computer so I can get lost in it for a good long while. Especially on rainy days. I hope you enjoy it too. Fall is a great time to get out and find your dream shot. A kayak can take you there! Happy fall paddles! The BaffinPaddler Image location: 1000 Islands, St. Lawrence River, Grass Creek Park beach, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Sea Kayak: 17' long, yellow Boreal Baffin Red cedar Greenland paddle Launch site: Public boat launch, Grass Creek Park marsh, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Plastic Boreal Baffin (left) vs fiberglass Maelstrom Vaag 174 (right) Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Which kayak finds the most rocks? Tag, you're it! The fiberglass kayak will find the most rocks. Usually. It's a given. So, when the wind is up, and the water levels are down, and rocks and shoals you've never seen before are peeking out, I go for plastic. My yellow Boreal Baffin. Out on the water, I let the fiberglass kayak do all the work, "There's a rock here, more over here." "Gee, I haven't come across one. I'm in plastic." This is a quiet moment in a bay out of the wind where plastic found the way to shore without hitting a rock and fiberglass followed. Sometimes plastic, the tanks that they are, are your best friends. Plastic and fiberglass can co-exist. If you can keep up. Fiberglass usually waits for you or comes back for you (it has no choice - if you have the keys to the car). And sometimes, you may rescue fiberglass o...

When the wind is up the kite boarders come out to play. How do we navigate this? We look out for each other. I think we can make a run for it now. The camera isn't crooked. The horizon really looks like this at a slant. Happy fall paddles! The BaffinPaddler Location: Lac Deschenes, Ottawa River, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada

Lookout, Lac Monroe, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada The power of Yoga. Yoga pose on Stand Up Paddleboard The power of peace. Yoga tree pose, beach, Lac Monroe, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada, Fall When you generate enough of it internally. It radiates outward. Lots of ways and places to find it. St. Jovite, Quebec, Canada And lots of ways to get there. Cycling, flower gardens in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada But this way, is a good way for me. I always seem to find it. I like taking it with me wherever I go. And all the places that inspire me to do it. Sharing it with others is awesome. It's great in the outdoors. Or with views of the outdoors. My fav! And this is what fills my mind when I do it. You can figure out what IT is. It's something good. Wherever you take it. Enjoy your path. No one said IT was easy. Happy trails! The BaffinPaddler

Maybe you've been wondering too. You're out on the water in your canoe or kayak, and you see someone go by on a Stand Up Paddleboard . As summer rolls on, you see more and more of these strange, happy, and peaceful creatures heading out on the water and you think, "Gee. That looks so weird! How can that be? I've got to try it too!" So, I did. Paddleboarding can be very social. "Hey, look! A full moon rising!" It's great for groups. You can take over the lake. It's easy to find a serene moment for yourself. And luckily Paddle Boards come in different sizes. The one I'm sitting on is pretty wide. I could bring the dog and a cooler along on this one! I'm not quite sure what I think about Stand Up Paddleboarding . I kinda like it. Even when I'm standing up. I'll be exploring it more. And striking a few yoga poses on the board too. It's pretty cool. But, unlike most, I'll be doing it wearing a PF...

Here goes! I'm starting to practice the Balance Brace without a spotter. Even though I'm not perfect, I'm making progress. I had to make a choice between camera man or spotter because the camera man is sometimes also my spotter. So most of the time, I choose to have a spotter since I haven't learned to roll yet. It's easy to fall over and go upside-down when you start learning the Balance Brace . I find it isn't very forgiving for mistakes. I like having someone to spot me, coach me, and also have someone to film each practice session. It's a great way to learn and progress. It takes a village! But we don't always have a village around to help us. I'm a big fan of Helen Wilson's video, (from Greenlandorbust.org) "Simplifying the Roll" , a multi-level guide to rolling a kayak where you learn the basics in simple terms and can move on from there. She also demonstrates how to troubleshoot common problems with the roll (I have al...

Maelstrom Vaag 174 sea kayak, Loon, Lac Monroe, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada Simple question. "Why do you paddle?" You may question it sometimes. "Why am I doing this!" It can be an up and down road.  The answer for me is: It's all the times that make me think and feel . . . "This is why I paddle!" Picnic table on sandy beach, Lac Monroe, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada I'll admit. I love luxury. When you spot an unoccupied picnic table in the distance on a sandy beach, you may find yourself thinking, "This is why I paddle faster!" Later, I'll write about and post some video on another great adventure.  Learning how to Balance Brace a sea kayak in nice spots. (Here it is: Balance Brace practice in the Maelstrom Vital 166 in this beautiful spot.) Maelstrom Vital 166 sea kayak, sandy beach, Lac Monroe, Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada Why not? If you're going to get sideways and look at the world upside...