Practice revival

 

In August 2009 Graham O posted a message on the then kayak message board inviting paddlers to practice skills in St. Philips.  He opened it to Paddle Canada level II certified paddlers.  I had no certification, and still don't today, but that wasn't going to stop me.  I went demonstrated a roll and I was in.  There were four of us the first night.

Graham moved and in 2010 I thought the 2009 sessions were so beneficial I thought to continue the practices which did so until 2017.  By then they started to fizzle out as attendance dropped to a few every evening.

In 2020 there were a few session and it looked to have gained new momentum with Sean organizing.  Last evening there were 15 eager newer paddlers and some old hands.

People showed up over time as the early arrivals paddled around the cove at St. Philips knocking the rust off of different paddle strokes and a few rolls.  With everyone on the water various rescues were practiced, here an assisted rescue as Dean scrambles back into his kayak.

Johnny doing a back deck scramble on self rescue.

Sean showing of his sculling brace in his Greenland style Black Pearl.

Cathy jumped into the water to teach newer paddler Kelly how to complete an assisted rescue.

Dean being the rescue subject of an injured paddler doing a scoop rescue with Brian and Florence assisting.

The sea was calm making it an ideal first evening.  Over the summer I hope Thursday evening practices will continue.  The sea state will not always be as calm but that is the point of practice - rescue competence when it is needed and where everyone in the group has a role whether someone takes charge and directs the rescue or completes the rescue.

A fine start and a welcome infusion of newer paddlers bringing vigour, passion and excitement!

Livin' in a fog

Spring is here and after a winter of fatbiking in the snow it was time to get some paddling in.  At home is was pea soup thick fog but at water level the fog wasn't an issue.  Higher up on Bell Island five kilometers away the fog also hung high on the land.

Sailing Point, my favorite channel to paddle through.  The water was pretty calm.

At Beachy Cove I stopped to check out the exposed sheeted dikes.  I was paddling along the fault line of the Topsail fault.  The friction of the rocks moving past each other melted them and injected the molten material into the fissures created in the faulting.

This rocky spire stood out against the grey sky.

As I began to leave the protection of the cliffs to starboard I could see the top of the hill overlooking Portugal Cove was also shrouded in fog.  As I passed through the channel I thought I should name the rocks to port.  The reminded me of one of Kayak Bill's painting.  Henceforth I will call them Kayak Bill.

I had been paddling under the cliffs and free from the easterly wind but when I paddled frther to look into Portugal Cove I was hit with the wind gusting to 40 kms.  I waited for the Bell Island ferry approaching until it crossed in front to grab this picture.

In only my second paddle of the year I felt like it wouldn't take me long to get into paddle shape.  I let the wind blow the bow downwind to return to the put-in.  I was glad I went.