Curated Post: 2018 Tips Learned (video)

Occasionally, I use this blog to post something I run across that I think is of great interest and/or value. I really like this brief video from "Kayak Hipster" on Youtube, discussing the valuable tips he picked up in 2018. Some of these are advanced, but many are useful even to kayakers with little experience:

I'll continue to keep an eye out for good content like this. Let me know what you think in the comments.

- TB on the Water

Adventure: Rock Gardening (it has nothing to do with dirt)

I have peripherally been paying attention to a kayaking activity called "rock gardening", which, like most things in the water, is much more advanced on the west coast then it is here in the east. However, I have run across some indications that could change. The general idea of rock gardening, as a kayaking sport, is to paddle on, over, around, between, and through rock formations on the coast or in open water. As you might imagine, this is probably not a good idea for the beginner, and could be highly dangerous if you didn't know what you were doing. That being said, the folks who do know what they're doing sure make it look like fun. 

I have noodled around rock formations a little bit, in a very conservative fashion - mostly because I've been by myself. This sport is something you would want to attempt only with like minded and experienced paddlers. A helmet is a must, and a solid roll will likely be required. My go to video on the subject is a group of rock gardening, and otherwise adventurous California kayakers who call themselves Neptune's Rangers. These folks look like they have a blast - and frankly, they have some serious backbone to play in the environments where they paddle. They also appear to have a ton of specific knowledge and great camaraderie - and (inspirational to me, anyway), they're not kids. Some of the folks on video appear to be well into middle age. I can only hope to maintain their sense of adventure and playfulness as I see the north side of 50.   

Here's a fantastic video of them doing their thing...

            

As you can see, they make rough water paddling look like it's second nature - they're completely at home in gnarly California coastal conditions. Kudos also to their video editor Roger Smith. He does a great job emphasizing the excitement. You can check out their website for fantastic advice on equipment and technique. 

As for us laggards here in the east, I did at least run across a very nice blog post on a first time rock gardening trip near Buzzards Bay in northern Rhode Island. This was written by Johna Till Johnson who describes her rock gardening adventure with Osprey Sea Kayak.

Here's a link to her full post - Where the Wild Rocks Are: Rock Gardening in Rhode Island   

So, if you're an experienced paddler and have a friend or two with similar inclinations, maybe rock gardening is a kayaking adventure you can try. Just be as safe as you can, do your research, learn some technique, and then, have an adventure. Who knows, maybe I'll see you there 😏.

- TB on the Water    

Video: Extreme Sea Kayaking - incredible footage!

Have you ever seen someone doing something that you do - with such expertise and daring that you just have to shake your head in wonder? - like playing an instrument you can only noodle around with, with expert virtuosity...or elevating a dish you can cook competently to a mouthwatering masterpiece. It's fun to watch people performing at a level to which you can only aspire (and let's face it - you'll probably never approach). Kayaking falls in that category for me. I enjoy seeing kayakers expertly performing in conditions that send a chill down my spine just looking at them.

With that in mind, take a look at this footage I recently found on The Inertia showing Samuel Debiesse navigating his sea kayak through the Raz de Sein in Brittany, France. I've seen video of sea kayakers in this stretch before, but this point of view footage from his helmet mounted camera puts you right there in the action:

  

You might also note in the opening credits a kayaker and waveski surfer named Hugues Termeau. There's an incredible video of him waveski surfing Mundaka in northern Spain featured in my post What's That Thing Called? .

If you'd like to read the full story on The Inertia, you can find it here...

The Inertia.com - ONE OF THE BURLIEST SEA KAYAKING CLIPS EVER     

Let me know in the comments what your favorite kayaking videos are.


- TB on the Water