I like 303!

Hey Carla,

I like to use 303 aerospace spray. You can use it on Fibreglass although it is plastic that the UV effects the most. 303 is awesome on rubber hatches and also is recommended to put on your drysuit gaskets!

Pick some up at The Complete Paddler or your nearest paddling or marine store.

Hmmm

Hey Carla,

I have used a heat gun for this purpose. You can buy the heat shrink tubing and it shrinks pretty easy. Just make sure that you dance the heat back and forth over the tubing so you don't melt the side of the kayak! It is pretty cheap and easy.

Good Fun!

Hey thanks Carla and everyone. We had a great time. Sorry that Brian, Craig and I slipped out to the Fish and Chip (well burger) place instead! haha Was great to see you and and thanks Brian and Lise for posting pics and vids! That tandem roll sure was chilly!!

YAY!

Great news!! Time to grab your kayaks and go out on the water to celebrate!

Re: Paddle 'n Sushi

YAY! Lise you are back in the South!!

Fantastic that you can make it... Maybe I will just hold my nose and drink lots of Saki. Then it will probably taste AWESOME!

See you guys soon!

Fish from your kayak and wrap it in seaweed.

OOOOOhhh I see that Sushi Jade is on the Canadian side:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=sushi&aq=&sll=43.096471,-79.043198&sspn=0.120334,0.294914&ie=UTF8&rq=1&ev=zo&radius=8.93&split=1&hq=sushi&hnear=&ll=43.096471,-79.079247&spn=0.060167,0.147457&z=13&iwloc=D

I was under the impression that we were paddling over to the US side for some food.

Seems like the reviews of most of the fish and chip places in Niagara suuuck. They need a thistle branch down there! This one seems the best.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=fish+and+chips&aq=&sll=43.131808,-79.057274&sspn=0.120265,0.294914&ie=UTF8&rq=1&ev=zo&radius=8.92&split=1&hq=fish+and+chips&hnear=&ll=43.131808,-79.057274&spn=0.120265,0.294914&z=12&iwloc=G

Sushi yuck

I am in!

Craig, Drummond, lets source out a different restaurant and we will paddle together and then split for food!

J

Ice Chunks

What a beauty morning it was yesterday. Shame that there was enough ice to deter all but the hardiest of crazy men!

Lets try again soon!

I'm in

Hey Craig,

I am in and I will see you guys down there!

Cheers,
James

Optimus Nova Recall

Many of the students we have on our Level 2 programs ask us for recommendations on gear. When people ask me about white gas multi-fuel stoves I strongly recommend the Optimus Nova+. The first stove we had worked like a charm and still does but the newer models we bought had a few leaking issues. (If you were on this particular Level 2 you may have seen us rolling with this punch!)

Thankfully and admirably Optimus/Katadyn have released a recall on all of these leaky stoves. If you took my advice and bought an Optimus stove then check the QA No. on the black burner housing and if it is between QA000011 and QA007313 then go to this URL: www.optimusstoves.com/caen and fill in the recall form. Optimus will then mail you out a prepaid cartoon to put the stove and pump into and will replace all the faulty parts for free. If you have the silver burner housing then there is no QA No. and no issue.

Happy Camping!

Level zero

Hi Brian,

The first drysuit I bought was the Level 6 barrier. To start with there were things I liked like the price point, and hand pockets!

However by the end of the summer both Dympna and I were having some major leaking issues. One day after practicing a few rescues in the lake Dympna's suit had filled to above her ankles. It had gone from a piece of safety equipment to a mafia style anchor suit. Bad news.

We also didn't like the zipper in the back, or the colour!>>? I think it was called "I hope the coastguard never finds me grey"

Thankfully Level 6 took both of our leaking suits back and gave us back our money. After that we bought Kokatat suits and love them. They are made in the USA have a great service department. For under $50 you can send the suit back in your off season, get it pressure tested and they will fix any small pin prick holes they find.

Level 6 may have made some changes and improved their products by now, however. This was the first year they made the suit that we bought them. I will say that we both have their Mack Dry Tops and love them.

Thoughts

I think that it is very important to take any possible mistakes or errors in judgement and turn them around into learning moments the way that Carla and Craig have started to here.

Another option that you could have gone with was, before leaving the american side to get into an inline-tow. This would have combined the effort of the stronger and weaker paddlers together and made the crossing a group effort. Keeping everyone together and within a communicable distance. It seems like it would have been impossible for one person to have assisted another in conditions like you had.

VHF radios...in the car!? Oh dear. I like to use my radio all the time. If you go to an unused channel the coast guard don't mind if you chat to each other. Take the ROC VHF radio course. It lasts for ever and you will learn a few things. People who have radios, bring them and never use them will probably find the battery dead when they finally do reach for them! Chit chat during a social paddle let me know that one of our LTK radios wasn't transmitting. This gave me the chance to get it replaced.

Keep on pushing your skills but remember to take every precaution and play safe.

Re: Alan's Birthday Paddle November 14 Long Point

Permission granted for the copyright infringement. I will be there fo'sure.

We can tow in yaks for anyone without. FREE KAYAK RENTALS FOR THIS EVENT. (While stocks last)

Lettuce know if you need one!

James

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ok guys so I guess you can count us out. Dympna is actually asleep already. Thats what you get when you drive from Belfast to Dublin party, then fly to montreal and on to Toronto. She's all tuckered out!

James is IN.

Hi All.

I am so in for this. I think the idea of fireworks over head sounds awesome!
I am bringing my friend Dympna with me. She's kinda green but I think she will do ok.

J

Thanks Carla!

We had a great time. Looking forward to the next one!

Would love to see the pics Roger.

info@learntokayak.ca

WHOA THIS IS TONIGHT!??

If you are sitting reading this on the evening of the 18th June, why aren't you paddling with us!?? :D

Re: Slate Islands July 25 to 30

Hey Alan!

Thanks for posting such an exciting opportunity for people to trip on Superior.

Love the profile pic too! haha

James

haha

Thanks for the link Stacey!
I will do that if Alan does! That website http://www.supgirlz.com/ is great and I think I prefer the SUP uniform much more than the Sea Kayaking Kokatat drysuit line up that I see so often! ;) haha

Paranoid Android

Seriously!? Dympna thinks you have been hanging out upside down in your boat too long! Roll up and relax! We will not be bringing our passports!
I think the only thing that is twitchy around here is you Drummond.

Also yes you can be to careful if you end up with a soggy passport at the back of a lineup at the passport office.


P.S. James will be wearing a black balaclava.

P.P.S. Please message in with votes to evict Drummond from this paddle.

In fo'sure

Hi Carla.

I am totally in for this paddle and pumped to hang out with some music and food afterwards. Did you have the parking location on the last Navy Island thread? Where do we meet again?

Cheers

Sea Kayak Bailout - Ditch Kit

Recently I have been trying to figure out exactly what I should put in my Bailout box. For those of you who are unsure of what that is, it is a box that you can grab if for some reason you should have to "Abandon Ship."

I found it really hard to find online anywhere ideas of what to take in such a limited sized box so I wanted to share the contents of mine and get ideas of what other people would carry.

Firstly I choose to use a Pelican 1150 case as my box as it is strong, water tight and has a handle that would allow me to clip my pig tail into it and swim without having to hold a box. I'm thinking if there is a reason that I have to leave my boat it is probably going to be rough conditions in a tricky area. This size box JUST fits behind the seat in my Valley Pintail. I went with yellow and to make it even more highly visible i put a learntokayak.ca reflective sticker on it!

So here is what I packed into it:

-Lighter
-Stormproof Matches
-Flint and Steel Set
-Fire starter sticks
-Stainless Steel Collapsible Stove (I picked this up from Mike Allen, he has a bunch of them made up and they are made of 5 shaped pieces of flat SS that connect together to make a box to burn twigs in and cook over! Brilliant!)
-Stainless Steel bowl for boiling or cooking in over stove
-Adventure Medical Kits Emergency Bivi Bag
-Water purification tablets
-Candles
-Glow Sticks
-Fishing Line and Tackle
-Chocolate!! (Hopefully I wont eat this before I need it!)
-Cord
-Typar House Wrap (Lightweight, small tarp)
-Signal Mirror
-Swiss Army Knife

I hope that this list will help someone else make their own bailout / ditch kit and would love to hear ideas from other people about what they have or would put in theirs.

Cheers.

Re: Good friday paddle 2nd April

Yes you should check more often! And then come out and play more often too!! ;)

I think 9th March...

Someone told me that is should air on the 9th of march if we make the cut.
I thought afterwards I should have got him to sign the kayak! It could have been the Mercer signature edition! ;)

Darn!

So in for next time! Have fun.

J

no candy

haha well there was candy across the isle in the Algonquin College booth we could have directed you to! (ours was hidden in the drawer!) Plus you got to meet Rick Mercer, now how do you like that candy! haha

Re: Bronte Beach Feb 28

Why are you telling people that your paddle is going to be lame...? How are you ever going to get people to come?

Re: Bronte Beach Feb 28

Sorry Al,

no one is coming on your lame paddle because everyone is coming to the outdoor adventure show to see us in the pool! Aren't you supposed to be demoing in the pool too...

Awesome Social Paddle this Weekend

Everyone is invited to come to the Outdoor Adventure show social paddle! It is in the pool at the show... but you can only watch the super interesting greenland rolling, rescue and expedition tips, Fitting the kayak to the kayaker or Advanced Rescues, not actually paddle ... so it's more like a social gathering...but come anyways. Maybe I'll get Dympna to pick up some candy to put in a jar or something cool like that... but anyway come on down and see us. Oh we are also giving 10% off any course or trip if you sign up and pay a deposit at the show.

The show is from the 26th-28th Feb

We'll be there

Hey Gerry,
We will see you down there at 10am!

Thinking of paddling the skin on frame if I can fit in it with my drysuit, but that might be tight.

cheers

I'm Probably there..

Hey Hassabo.. you are looking forward to it as in you are going to come and paddle.. or you are looking forward to laughing at those who do? haha Just joking, I know you a crazy man.

Ralph, santa has been notified.. woolpower woolpower.....!!

Maybe we could all line up with the crazies and do the polar bear dip.... in drysuits! Oh sorry Dympna looks like you have to go skin to the wind!!

I'm prolly in

Hey David,
I am definitely interested. My drysuit like Alan's has been away from me for a while, but I am told that it is on its way home. Thank goodness.. It's hard to go back to a wetsuit!!
I will try and think of some places we could paddle and get back to you.!

Done

I am there like a paddle bum to a kayak sale.

dont canoe with kayakers!

errghh so I thought it was a good idea at the time and brought my canoe along on the paddle to solo with my kayaking friends...

Don't do it. James belongs in a kayak.

Re: SURFING HAMILTON... NOW

My Findings! :

The conditions were 25km Easterlies which created great waves but were challenging in this temperature to paddle in. The combination of the spray from the waves and the wind in ones face sucked! I think that the ideal conditions to surf at Hamilton are easterly winds that have been blowing for a few days and then have died off. That way you are still feeling the effects of the waves but with less wind stopping you from paddling out or carrying your boat! Last time a few of us paddled there the winds were only 15km Easterlies and we had an amazing time.

White Tail Deer on the Island!

Thanks Alan for posting the paddle. For those of you who couldn't make it, next time!
We paddled on the outside of the Island and stopped for lunch on the baseball diamond. Once we were ready to leave and had portaged our kayaks to the trout pond we looked back onto the baseball diamond and two white tail deers walked out!!! Crazy to think that there are deer living on the Island. There were some pictures taken which I will try and get hold of and post on the site!

SURFING HAMILTON... NOW

Hi guys.

The Easterlies are here again. Its pretty nice looking at Hamilton. I am heading down there now 4pm on Friday 23rd. Staying till dark. Only crazy cats and wacko's need apply.

CU there.

james is IN!

Hey Roger.

Sounds like a good time.. I am in!
Where do you want to meet and when? Is there a put-in that you know of in Canning?

WANTED: Some surf please

Hi, I seem to have misplaced my surf. If you see it near you PLEASE email learntokayak.ca@gmail.com and don your helmets.

Wish I could

Hey Virginia, that sounds like a great idea. We wish we could come along, but that is the first day of our Yoga Sea Kayaking trip up on Georgian Bay.

I may have to check the line-up and sneak in for another concert on a different date!

Let me know how it works out, and watch for security as you paddle in under the docks!! haha

Im In.

Hey Carol. What time are you thinking for this paddle. Obviously evening so I'm in. But let me know what time exactly. If we are going to be directly under the fireworks then I am wearing a helmet!!

Paddle Picnic Party - Cherry Beach 7th June

learntokayak.ca would like to invite you to our first annual paddle picnic party. (Say that three times fast)
On June 7th starting at 10am we will be down on Cherry beach hanging out and playing in our boats. This is a great time to bring along someone who is thinking of getting into kayak but is not sure. The Complete Paddler will be coming down and can bring boats if people are looking to get into rentals. There usual rate is $35 per day, however, they are offering rentals for this event for only $20. (Make sure you contact them and sort rentals out ahead of Sunday so they know how many to bring) We will also be having a greenland kayaking/rolling demo and then taking a paddle over to the island in the afternoon. So if you are interested strap your kayak to your car and come on down to Cherry beach this sunday. Bring your picnic and some suntan lotion, Sunday is going to be a scorcher. We hope to see you there.

(Send us an email (learntokayak.ca@gmail.com) if you plan on coming just so we get an idea of numbers.)

For those who couldn't make it!

I just wanted to follow up after the fact and let you know what conditions to expect on the west side of the lift bridge between Burlington and Hamilton, should you want to paddle here one day.
The wind was blowing East for about a day and a half starting at 25kph the first day and then on the day we went had peaked at 45kpm then diminished to around 15kph while we paddled. It takes over a day of Easterly winds for the waves to start picking up. After it having blown for a day and a half at that speed the waves were about 5 feet, peaking at around 6-7 feet. It was really fun and the bottom there is all sand. BUT remember 6 foot waves when you are in a kayak is around 2-3 foot overhead.!

I will post next time we are heading down.

Surf Report

OK so Dympna and I took a drive down to Burlington and Hamilton beach this morning to see what was what. There was a lone surfer out and the waves were about 4-5' at Hamilton. At Burlington beach they were around 3-4'. We will still be meeting at Hamilton to start with and then move depending on everyone's comfort levels (after I get Hamilton out of my system!)

CU Soon

SURFS UP! Hamilton Beach 26th May

FINALLY! We are expecting 35kms Easterly's tomorrow. Dympna, Jim and I are heading down to the beach that is the Hamilton side of the lift bridge. From Burlington Oakville area come along Lakeshore turn left (still on Lakeshore) at Joe Brant hospital go all the way along until you cross over the lift bridge and its the first car park on your left. There will most probably be surfers out if it is good. If it is too munchy on the Hamilton side we might cruse down to Burlington Beach where it is usually a little smaller. Conditions will probably be intermediate-advanced, so unless you are dressed for the water and feel comfortable swimming this may not be for you! We will be there at 3pm. We will be there for a few hours for sure and if its amazing we will be there even later! Hope to see some gnarly people out.!

Re: Niagara River Paddle - Sunday May 24th

Hey mac!
I wish I could make it down to paddle with your lot, however, we are teaching this years first level 1!
Hope you have a great time. Hopefully I'll make it next time!
Cheers,
James

Re: Friday April 24 skills practice

Hey Al,

Dympna and I will be there for sure. Probably around 4:30. See you there.

James

18th April 2009 Toronto Island

If anyone wants to head out to Toronto Island this Saturday we are meeting at Cherry Beach at 10am. We plan on crossing the eastern gap and paddling the river through the island. We will probably stop for a packed lunch somewhere on the Island so don't forget a lunch! Weather permitting we will paddle back to Cherry Beach on the outside of the island. We plan on being back at the cars at around 4pm. Sorry no total beginners on this paddle. You should be at least Level 1 Skills certified.

Another FREE topo site

I have used the following site to print off lots of topo's over an entire trip area and taped them together to make make trip plan. This way I can have a look at the entire trip, work out where I think I would camp, and also mark on the map possible emergency take out locations. The detail is a little better than on mytopo.com and its free care of the Canadian government! God save the mounties.

http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/index.html

Necky Tahsis (Carbon)

This is a test but on a serious note, Dympna is looking to sell her Necky Tahsis, its grey, light, stealthy. She is a very fast boat but she has run her course in Dympnas life. I think she wants about $2000 for this originally $5000 wonder buy.