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Editorial
THE SOCIAL SIDE OF PADDLING
Editor
Alan Wilson
M
y very first kayak trip many years ago was with a commercial group in the
Queen Charlotte Islands, the isolated archipelago lying off the coast of BC.
Visiting ‘Haida Gwaii’, home to the Haida people for over 10,000 years, was simply dreamlike. The paddling was incredible, the scenery fantastic, the Haida ruins
were otherwordly. But to my surprise, it was the social side of the experience that
really stood out.
Living and travelling with strangers thrown together by chance turned out to be the
best part of the trip. The fact that we were three fellows and five women may have
had something to do with it. Ending our trip in the hotpools on Hotsprings Island was
definitely a factor. And being hosted to a feast by the Haida Watchmen at Windy Bay
and then again at Hotsprings was a wonderful honor we certainly wouldn’t have
experienced on a private trip.
Mealtimes were in fact the highlight of the trip because clients of the company
shared responsibility for meals. Being even more of a non-cook then than now, I was
terrified by the idea of cooking for others, but I watched in awe at what each in turn
pulled out of the culinary bag of tricks (although the sand in the spaghetti on the first
night left something to be desired).
Certainly when you’ve paddled with a group for ten days, you form quite a bond.
It’s a great way to meet people and you come to really appreciate your guides, as
they lead you through space—the wilderness environment of the coast—and through
time, by way of stories of the ancients at their village sites.
At one point, the guide on that trip ventured his opinion that the social side of
paddling is about 80% of the experience. And he was probably right.
Being a bit of a recluse, I normally prefer paddling on my own, or just with my
chosen paddling life partner. But I’ll never forget the group experiences I’ve had, and
I recommend you give it a try, whether a commercial or club trip.
Alan Wilson
Assistant Editor
Diane Coussens
Associate Editor
Laurie MacBride
Editorial Assistant
Diana Mumford
Associate
Howard Stiff
Webmaster
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PS. For more on paddling the ancient sites of the coast, stay tuned for our special
upcoming First Nations feature, ‘Cultures of the Coast–Part II’, next issue.
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Volume 13 Number 4
INSIDE
5 Tips for Couples Paddling
1
1
1
1
1
1
7
How I Met My True Love
GST# 887432276
SAFE PADDLING is an individual responsibility. We
recommend that inexperienced paddlers seek expert
instruction, advice about local conditions, have all the
required gear and know how to use it. The publishers of
this magazine and its contributors are not responsible for
how the information in these pages is used by others.
Published by
Wave-Length Communications Inc.
© 2003. Copyright is retained on all material, text and
graphics, in this magazine. No reproduction is allowed of
any material in any form, print or electronic, for any purpose,
except with the expressed permission of Wave-Length
Communications Inc. (unless for private reference only).
9
Mothership Paddling Partners
ALAN WILSON—COLUMN
11 Compatibility Counts
BILL STINSON
12 Why I’m Joining Up!
LYN HANCOCK
14 Electronic Paddling Partners
NEIL SCHULMAN
16 The Fellowship of Dive Kayaking
BARB ROY
18 How I Spent My Birthday
ALEX MATTHEWS
21 Why Join a Club?
ALAN WILSON WITH MERCIA SIXTA
22 Profile of a Model Club
We acknowledge the financial support of
the Government of Canada, through the
Canada Magazine Fund, toward our editorial costs.
Recyclable, Ancient Rainforest-Free Paper
4
26 Paddling Clubs Directory
29 Prepare for the Unexpected
TED LEATHER—COLUMN
NICK JONES
ISSN 1188-5432
Canadian Publications Mail Agreement
No. 40010666
Photo by Jacqueline Windh
BARBARA GAIL WARDEN
IN PRINT
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jun
Aug
Oct
COVER—A group trip in Clayoquot Sound
TONY CLAYTON
30 Paddling Without Partners
BRYAN NICHOLS—COLUMN
32 AquaBound’s AMT Carbon Paddle
ALEX MATTHEWS—COLUMN
34 Most Delicious Moments!
DEB LEACH—COLUMN
35 Rivers of Life and Death
ALEXANDRA MORTON—COLUMN
37 Sea Lice and Juvenile Salmon
ALEXANDRA MORTON
38 Books
DIANA MUMFORD
39 New Kayaks & Great Gear
40 News
44 Unclassifieds
46 Calendar
24 Leadership
DAN LEWIS—COLUMN
www.WaveLengthMagazine.com December 2003/January 2004
Tips for Couples Paddling
P
addling with your significant other is
great fun. Living on a sailboat, my boyfriend and I keep two kayaks on board, and
use them almost daily—both together and
apart. The solitary paddles (especially early
in the morning, just after dawn breaks and
the water is still) are often the more peaceful, but there’s really nothing quite like the
joy of sharing an adventure with a loved
one.
There’s also nothing quite like the challenge!
If you’re like me, you may remember not
speaking to your boyfriend for days after
you first drove his five-speed stick-shift car.
Or, if you’re a guy, maybe you recall your
girlfriend turning to you on the tennis
court—in the middle of a match—to give
you tips on your serve. Or maybe you can
picture when your boyfriend tried to teach
you a barrel roll—and you thought you
were going to drown there, hanging helplessly upside down. Did he laugh as you
scrambled out, dripping and steaming?
Mine did.
I’m not sure about you, but these are not
memories I cherish.
But I had no trouble learning the fivespeed standard transmission from the $300
instructor. And when the guide on the river
taught me the roll, I learned it with ease
(after all, women are built for it).
Why does it work this way? I don’t know,
but for me, as for many others, when my
paddling partner is my significant other, it’s
different. While learning and doing fun
things with people you care about brings
its own set of rewards, experience teaches
(occasionally painfully) that it also brings
its own peculiar set of challenges. However, there’s good news. With a little forethought, the challenges can be overcome,
leaving the rewards intact. Here are some
essential rules to remember. They won’t
address profound relationship topics, but
they will tell you some things that men and
women really need to know before setting
off for an adventure together.
Story and photos by Barbara Gail Warden
ble. Not even close. Empty, yes. Full, no.
Did I mention that in addition to all our
regular gear, it also held camping equipment, snorkeling gear, and three weeks’
worth of groceries? Once we realized that
my strength is nothing compared to his,
things became much more understandable.
(And once he realized I wasn’t messing with
him, he kind of liked the idea.)
So even though it may seem unreasonable, be sure to plan for a proportional distribution of the heavy labor. Remember, for
example, that an even division in your
backpacks seems fair, but is probably impractical. As time goes on, it’s only likely
to frustrate both parties.
The author and paddling partner set
off for an early morning jaunt.
never been adventuring as part of a couple
before, I guarantee it will come as a surprise to both of you. I kayaked with my
boyfriend for weeks before he realized I
wasn’t feigning weakness to get him to carry
the heavy stuff. He expected me to be able
to move a fully loaded two-person kayak
with ease. After seeing him pick it up and
drag it with one hand, so did I. Not possi-
1. Remember that men are stronger than
women.
Yes, we’ve all known it since childhood;
it’s a no-brainer. What we don’t realize is
just how much stronger men are. According to the International Fitness Association,
the average woman has 55 percent less
upper body strength than the average man.
In other words, most women aren’t even
half as strong as the average man.
Engrave this on your forehead. If you’ve
December 2003/January 2004 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
2. Know that women were born to kayak.
Strength apart, it must be admitted that
in many ways women are better natural
kayakers than men. Our bodies were designed for it. But if this fact is not handled
with tact, paddling can become a contest!
Men carry their center of gravity high, in
their shoulders. In a boat, a high center of
gravity makes you less stable and more inclined to tip. Women have a low center of
gravity, so are naturally more stable in a
kayak. As for hip flicks—how many men
have you seen doing the hula? The femurs
in women’s legs join the hip at a slight angle, rather than the straight line of male
anatomy, and our waists tend to be thinner
than the rest of our bodies. Both these physical characteristics make it easier for women ➝
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info@villasdeloreto.com
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Baja pioneers
“Thank you
for doing such a great job for
us and all the work you and
your staff did to make our stay
with you a memory we’ll always treasure. The kayaks
and gear worked out great,
you picked out perfect campsites for us. The Amore Restaurant was excellent too! We
have never had a more wonderful time. We will definitely
be talking with you again for
our next trip.”
Bill & Myra
Saskatchewan, Canada
5
to make the subtle bend and
quick weight shift needed for
a hip flick. My boyfriend, an
experienced kayaker, was
somewhat chagrined to see
my technique in this area
quickly surpass his, especially when it started coming
in handy as we ventured into
less predictable waters.
Knowing it’s only anatomy
keeps me from rubbing his Oops. We forgot our PFDs for this posed photo.
nose in it. Just as knowing it’s Quick trip back to the boat to get them.
only anatomy that keeps him
from rubbing my nose in his
superior strength. Mostly.
On an adventure, there are two words to
3. Ask yourself: have you ever spent this
be said on this topic: Forget it. In these cirmuch time together?
cumstances, everyone needs to do whatIf you’re ‘kayak camping’ with a signifiever needs doing and not think twice about
cant other you don’t live with, some habits
it. If you can divvy up the chores beforemay come as a surprise—or a shock! Rehand, so much the better, but otherwise just
member the first time you went away on a
don’t worry about it. For me, raised with
trip with one of your best friends? Was it an
two brothers and hearing every day, “They
eye-opener? It usually is. I remember high
can do that because they’re boys” and “You
school class trips chiefly for the fact that all
have to do this because you’re a girl”, this
our best friends came home ‘not talking’ to
is a very difficult concept. I find myself
each other.
counting how many times I cook versus
So be prepared to realize that the cheerhow many times my boyfriend does. How
ful morning persona you’ve encountered a
many times I clean the frying pan while he
few days a week may be a well-intentioned
cleans the fish. Why should I care? I don’t
act. Or that you have differing needs for
even particularly like cleaning fish—if I had
orderliness, despite the fact that you both
to choose which task I actually liked betusually clean up your places when the other
ter, I don’t know which it would be. Doesn’t
one comes over.
matter. I still care. Everyone who shares this
Be ready to be silent until the first cup of
issue agrees: whoever happens to be free
coffee is consumed. Get geared up to be
just has to do what needs to be done—
flexible about shared chores. And planning
whatever it is.
agendas. And sleeping times. And who likes
to be zipped securely inside the tent and
5. Remember to share the good times.
who likes to sleep out in the open under
One thing I’ve learned about couples
the glorious starry night sky. On the last one,
adventuring is that although sometimes it
there are solutions—you can split up for the
can make you crazy with each other, if you
night (though most people don’t really like
do it right (often it seems like we’re still
that one), or take turns. My boyfriend and I
learning!) it can also bring you much closer.
now decide where to sleep according to
Done the best way, kayaking with your sigthe insect count. One very long night of
nificant other is an experience in advenmosquito clouds on the beach gave me a
ture, excitement and trust. It can give you a
whole new appreciation for the comfort of
much more intimate connection than most
a bug-free environment. And a single magicouples you know. (Although intimacy in
cal night of hundreds of shooting stars conthis case can refer to everything from sharverted my boyfriend from an ardent tent fan
ing fears, to shared reliance, to seeing femito a keen outdoor sleeper.
nine products at close range.) Many married people go years without relying on their
4. Don’t worry about gender roles.
spouses to the extent you do on one good
I have female friends who cook and clean
kayak trip. So enjoy it—and remember to
up after every meal. Some prefer it this way;
tell your partner how much more fun you
some are at best reluctantly chivvied into
had because you did it with him or her. For
this role. I have male friends who do all the
me, that’s what makes it the best adventure
cooking and cleaning in their couple. Some
of all. ❏
love it; some hide it from their buddies be© Barbara Gail Warden, a former advertising
cause of the ribbing they get for it. I’ve found
and public relations executive, does most of
that I’m overly sensitive about making sure
her kayaking from her 40-foot sailboat,
I don’t get all the domestic chores (the soSolace, on which she is making a
called ‘women’s work’).
sailing circuit of the Caribbean.
6
How I Met My True Love
Story and photo by Nick Jones
2
001 was one of the toughest and also
one of the best years of my life.
In the spring, my partner and I ended an
eight year relationship. Although we had
enjoyed good times together, we were not
meant to be. As things go, our breakup was
hard and we headed off in separate directions. By the summer she was heading out
to Peru for a trip to Machu Pichu and I was
living temporarily in a Bed & Breakfast on
idyllic Toronto Island.
It was in the previous fall of 2000 that I
had purchased my first kayak—a yellow, 14
foot, polymer Necky Looksha Sport with no
front hatch. I had found it at Trailhead on
King Street in Toronto during their end of
season sale. I’m still not sure why I made
the purchase. I had been walking around
the store, as I often like to do in outdoor
gear stores, and had asked about one of the
kayaks on display. The next thing I knew, I
was downstairs in the storage room looking at racks of kayaks—kevlar, fibreglass and
polymer boats of various sizes and shapes.
At the time I didn’t know much about the
differences between boats and rationalized
that my first boat—I had somehow suddenly
decided to buy one—should ideally be short
and polymer (given that I was probably going to be bumping into things a bit at first).
My little yellow Necky fit the criteria and
looked pretty cute, and so I put down a
deposit on it and a nice Nimbus paddle that
was also on sale.
Events took their course with my relationship the following spring and before long I
Nestled ashore on the recently exposed rocky shallows of Georgian Bay, near
Bayfield Inlet, the result of low water levels on the Great Lakes.
found myself moving out to Toronto Island.
Once I had settled in to my new accommodations, I went to Trailhead to pick up
my boat. Given my location on the island,
and Trailhead’s proximity to the waterfront,
I bought a small, 2-wheel kayak cart and
proceeded to tow my kayak through the
downtown streets of Toronto, much to the
amusement of pedestrians. Although I con-
sidered paddling across to the island, I
thought it would be prudent to save my first
paddle for the more protected waters on the
island side of the harbor. As a result, I loaded
the kayak onto the Queen City Yacht Club
tender (I was a member of the club that summer) and enjoyed a quick ride across the
harbor with my kayak firmly strapped to the
roof of the boat. ➝
7
My family had owned a Klepper folding
kayak when I was a child, and we had also
spent a lot of time canoeing, but I had never
solo kayaked before. Nevertheless, and
admittedly with some concern, I put on my
life jacket, climbed into my new kayak, slid
down the dinghy launch ramp at the club
and started what I now realize was a whole
new phase of my life.
The rest of the summer of 2001 was spent
re-awakening my love of the water, nature
and the peaceful pursuit of paddling. I
kayaked almost every other day along the
channels and shores of Toronto Island. I took
several weekend courses with the
Harbourfront Canoe & Kayak Center in To-
ronto, went on weekend trips with Black
Feather Adventures in Parry Sound and undertook a 7 day trip on Lake Superior. I was
so in love with the sport that I even began
considering moving out to Vancouver Island
to take a kayak-guiding course and to start
a whole new life on the West Coast.
It was during one of the weekend courses
in Toronto, however, that I also met Tara. In
hindsight, I remember thinking she was a
very attractive, fun and interesting person.
We had a good time during the course and
at the end of it—in a digital-age appropriate way—we exchanged emails with the
promise of going kayaking together some
weekend.
We soon spent a day paddling around
Toronto Island chatting about life, the universe and everything. As it turned out, she
had also recently ended a relationship and
was dealing with the thought of dating and
meeting someone new.
The rest, as they say, is history.
We started dating later in the fall and fell
in love. By the spring of 2002 I proposed,
Tara said yes and we were soon talking
about going to Fiji to kayak for our honeymoon. We even agreed that instead of buying an engagement ring, we would buy ‘engagement kayaks’ for each other the following summer.
After much test paddling with about 20
different boats and paddles, Tara is now the
proud owner of a beautiful red and yellow
Nimbus Solander Plus and I am the happy
owner of a yellow, white and blue Seaward
Quest. Both boats were ex-rental boats from
White Squall in Parry Sound and although
somewhat scratched up, they were in sound
shape.
The summer of 2002 was a great summer of trips both locally in Toronto Harbor
and further afield in Georgian Bay in
Massassauga Park and also Byng Inlet. We
even went as far as the Exumas (Bahamas)
for kayaking in the Spring of 2003.
So what is the moral of this tale (if there
is one)?
Maybe it’s that I think I’m very blessed
and feel like the luckiest person alive. I rediscovered a sport I truly love and that
brings me great joy and peace. And I met
the most important person in my life—my
partner, mother of our future kids, friend,
lover and paddling partner for life.
You never know, the next time you go
paddling, you just might meet that one special person. I hope you do. ❏
© Nick Jones lives in Toronto. nick@jones.ca.
Jones Consulting: www.jones.ca.
Editor’s Note: See Nick’s story of the Exumas trip
in our last issue, available at Back Issues on our
website. For photos of Nick and Tara’s wedding
see www.jones.ca/wedding2/splash.htm.
Sea Kayak Association of BC
Trips, training, monthly meetings,
newsletters, paddling contacts
www.skabc.org
membership@skabc.org
604-290-9653
Box 751, Stn. A,
Vancouver, BC V6C 2N6
8
Mothership Meandering
Mothership Paddling Partners
Story by Alan Wilson
Photos Laurie MacBride
W
hen you see a kayak
PFD, even if you’re not planning
aboard a private power or
to go far.
sail boat, it’s almost invariably
Once geared and trained up,
accompanied by another kayak,
you’re all ready to head off with
often its twin. The two may be
your chosen paddling partner
lashed to the lifelines on either
into a whole new world of expeside of the bow, or resting on the
rience. Even longtime boaters
cabin top like a pair of seals up
can develop a new relationship
on the rocks.
to the water through kayaking.
If this sight has tweaked your
While solo paddling has its
interest, you may be ready to
own special thrills, paddling with
trade in (or supplement) your
another person is sharing on an
dinghy for some ‘twins’ of your
intimate level. When you’re
own.
wowed by a low flying eagle, or
Deck space on all but large
a spyhopping whale, by a baby
vessels is limited, but on most
seal which seems to want to
boats there is some creative way
climb on your kayak, or the
to carry a pair of compact kaysweeping panorama of wilderaks (8-14 feet long). You’re not
ness, what better than to share a
going to cross any oceans in
joyful smile with your partner?
these kayaks—they’re more for
Equally, when you’re chalputzing around the shoreline, exlenged by weather or sea condiploring reefs and shallow estuations, it’s great to have someone
rine waters. Compact kayaks also
with you. You have two brains to
aren’t the speed demons that
observe and assess, two sets of
touring kayaks often are—in fact
skills and experience to draw on.
they have a distinct tendency
You can discuss situations and
towards tubbiness. But then they
strategize. In the event of a capwon’t set you back as much as a
size, your survival is much more
couple of glass touring kayaks eilikely with a partner at hand. She
ther.
or he can assist you to re-enter
Once you’ve chosen your cute
quickly by stabilizing your boat
little kayaks and geared up with
in a way no paddlefloat ever will.
required equipment, you and
If you paddle with one main
your partner should learn the bapartner most of the time, you’ll
sics of paddling—like rescue sceprobably develop skills in sync
Our ‘twins’ tied to the stern of our elderly double-ender.
narios—and should practice
with one another. Your paddling
them together. Your local kayak
styles and rhythms will adapt.
shop can help you out with this, likely offering pool sessions.
Side by side, or single file and periodically switching lead, you’ll
When buying compact kayaks, be sure there’s adequate flotanose your boats together in and out of coves, around headlands,
tion in bow and stern, as compact kayaks often come without it
through shallows, to land on distant beaches, taking small jourand you sure don’t want to experience that sinking feeling. Above
neys together in the much larger life journey.
all, as you’ll hear over and over for very good reason, wear your
There can be some potential downsides to paddling together, ➝
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however. Paddling with a chatty or directive partner can interfere with the meditative aspects of gliding over intertidal areas,
or can challenge the freedom of self-direction, which is one of the core reasons people paddle. Differing rhythms or speeds can
be hard to adjust to, or you could even be
coerced into taking risks beyond your capabilities believing you’re safer in the duo—
when the opposite may be the case.
Fortunately, my main paddling partner
(my wife Laurie) and I both enjoy quiet.
With two matched kayaks we find our pace
is equally well matched—yet another reason to buy twin kayaks so that one person
isn’t laboring while the other jets along.
If you’re paddling with someone new,
though, you really need to know something
about their skill level. It’s helpful to have
an idea how they’ll cope with adversity—
if the weather turns, the sea whips up, or
the current is stronger than anticipated.
Above all, you must recognize which of
you is the more experienced. Unwittingly
you may find yourself thrust into a leadership role. Are you, in fact, equipped to lead?
Your partner is relying to some degree on
you and your judgement. (Gulp!)
I remember vividly when this hit me, not
long after I started paddling. I was out on
the water one evening with a close friend
when the wind came up and he capsized.
I suddenly realized he probably didn’t
how to exit his kayak. I hadn’t thought of it
as my responsibility to show him—I was
only a novice myself. Nor had I any idea
how to perform an assisted rescue. Fortunately, I managed to get him to shore, but
it was a very close call and left me with a
commitment to safety training.
A couple of Feathercraft folding
kayaks resting on a swim grid.
Another fundamental rule of paddling in
groups (even just a pair) is that you go at
the speed and within the limits of the slowest paddler. While this might sound boring
for stronger paddlers, what it means is that
you have an opportunity to dawdle more
than you might otherwise, to take a longer
look at each creature you encounter. Your
experience deepens. The slower you go, the
more you see.
If you want to go far and fast, find a friend
with these capabilities, perhaps someone
even more skilled from whom you can
learn. But if you’re heading out with someone even slightly less capable or experienced than yourself, just remember to
adapt. Maybe you can teach a thing or two
when the time is right. Maybe you’ll even
learn a thing or two. ❏
© Alan Wilson
17th year in paradise!
Remote rainforest paddling
in comfort. Small groups.
Weekly departures Dec.–Apr.
Also, the sunny Gulf Islands of
British Columbia all year!
END OF SEASON SALE
Necky
Nimbus
Seaward
Current Designs
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kayak@gulfislands.com
Daily Guided Tours
10
Compatibility Counts
Story and photo by Bill Stinson
Y
ou may have seen those desperate looking advertisements pinned to bulletin
boards in your favorite outdoor equipment
stores. Wanted: someone to paddle the
______ River in July. My paddling partner
just backed out and we need one more
paddler! Call ________ for more information.
While paddling does allow you periods
of solitude, the overall experience of a
multi-day trip requires huge compatibility
among the paddling partners. It’s not like
the entire paddling group needs to be born
under the same astrological sign—that
might be a recipe for an axe murder—but
there is a definite need for the group to at
least be compatible.
One of the first steps is for members of
the group to discuss their personal goals
for the trip. One trip I remember had a participant whose main goal was to finish the
trip as soon as possible. Or perhaps you
have paddled with the person who gets up
early and wants to be on the water by 5:45
a.m. sharp? That’s fine, if that’s one of the
goals that your group supports, but if not, it
can lead to unhappy paddlers.
All kayak trips require careful planning.
This isn’t the kind of planning that goes on
while you’re driving to the launch site. It’s
too late then to find out that one of your
paddling group has become a Vegan. There
are many components of a kayak trip that
need to be determined well in advance of
the actual trip. There also needs to be compatibility around skills such as paddling
ability, cooking ability/interest, first aid,
camping expertise, and navigation. Do you
like to fish? Are you an early morning riser?
Do you insist that your Chardonnay be
chilled to 9 degrees Celsius?
If you’ve already found some wellmatched paddling companions, you know
how long it has taken for the trial and error
process to carefully construct this group.
Mark and I have been paddling together for
about six years. We were friends first and
paddlers second. Every year we plan and
dream about next year’s trip. There have
been trips to Northern Alberta, the Yukon
and the West Coast a couple of times. We’ve
done trips with just the two of us and other
trips with friends, brothers, or cousins. But
it always starts with the two of us.
There have been times when we’ve considered participating in a guided trip. We
paddled an incredible trip through Gwai
Hanaas a few years ago and we came across
two guided groups. One was a British contingent eager to tame the Canadian wilds.
Once you find paddlers who share compatibility, don’t let go of them!
The other was a group of male relatives intent upon a He-Man experience. We
haven’t dismissed guided trips entirely, we
just haven’t come across a compatible
guide! Our wives say we don’t take directions very well and that we’re ‘too lefthanded’ to accept unfamiliar participants
for our trips. But there’s far more to it than
that.
Kayaks can take you into remote environments where the stark natural beauty is
awe inspiring. Consider those moments
you’ve dreamed of or experienced, and
think about how you would like to share
them around a campfire in the evening after a long day’s paddle. Can you anticipate
the reaction of your group members when
it has rained for three consecutive days and
your dry clothes have a distinct lack of dryness?
Is there a direct correlation between the
size of the paddling group and the potential for conflict? Psychologists might be able
to confirm that the larger the group, the
greater the potential for disagreement. But
even if there are conflicts on a trip, you can
usually find someone within a large paddling group who makes the trip enjoyable
for you. The greater difficulty might lie in
paddling with just one other person, if you
find you don’t get along.
You can try the bulletin board opportunity to paddle with someone new, but there
are kayak clubs in most major centres that
help in organizing trips, and this may be a
better way for new paddlers to find their
future paddling partners.
However it happens, once you find that
small core of paddlers who share compatibility, don’t let go of them! The memories
of trips should be of camaraderie, not personality conflicts we had to overcome. ❏
© Bill Stinson resides in the prairies of Alberta
during the winter, while he dreams
and plans for his next kayak trip.
11
Why I’m Joining Up!
Story and photos by Lyn Hancock
I
n 1963, I lived in a two-room cabin on
one of the hundreds of islands in Barkley
Sound, BC while married to a wildlife biologist who was studying bald eagles. We
knew the island as Dutch Harbor.
Those were idyllic days and they inspired
me, an Aussie by birth, to spend the rest of
my life in Canada. It was a dream of mine
to find the place again.
But where was it? Memory dims over 40
years and not even Henk, who is Dutch
himself and runs the water taxi for Sechart
Whaling Station Lodge, knew of such a
name. After poring long over its description in the book I wrote about those days,
There’s a Seal in my Sleeping Bag, I narrowed my search to the Pinkertons—dozens of little islands that hug the shoreline
just west of Sechart Whaling Station Lodge.
My normal kayaking companions, bent
on more usual routes to the national park
islands, poo-pooed the idea of paddling the
little publicized Pinkertons. Then some
friends mentioned they were booked in at
the Lodge and I jumped at the chance for
companionship in my search for Dutch
Harbor, despite a twinge of masochistic
guilt that I would be sleeping in a room
and not a tent.
Gloria, LJ, Bonita and I were up before
dawn to be the first to meet the M.V. Lady
Rose in Port Alberni. I looked a little enviously at a big group of kayakers who
seemed to know each other well and had
their cars parked, their kayaks loaded and
The group helping to carry kayaks to
the water.
dockside totes filled before we did. One of
them particularly caught my eye, an older
woman with white hair who was effortlessly
trundling her double kayak along the dock
on wheels like a toy. “Only way to go”, she
beamed as she passed us.
It wasn’t till three hours later, after we
had cruised down Alberni Inlet and un-
loaded at Sechart Whaling Station Lodge,
that I learned her name—Joan Hume. She
was past president of the Nanaimo Paddlers
and present coordinator of their trip to
Barkley Sound.
To my surprise, I also learned that in joining my girlfriends I was now part of this
group, a group which my tough, highly individualistic male companions of the past
four years had told me were a bunch of old
fogies who didn’t go anywhere or do much
of anything (‘sofas’ was the word they used).
Joan Hume led the pack in more ways
than one. She had spent many of her 65
years on the water. Her mother was a commercial net fisher who built her own boat
and made her own nets. Joan and her husband ran the Brechin Point Marina for 18
years and she was the first female officer of
Nanaimo’s Power and Sail Squadron. She
was also an award-winning search and rescue volunteer in the Coastguard Auxiliary.
Some sofa!
I was impressed to learn that Joan had
just come back from leading a trip to the
Bunsbys the day before and that the day
after our trip finished in Barkley Sound, she
would be off again with another group to
the Broughton Archipelago. Both destinations were at the top of my own wish list.
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12
Rafting up for a departure chat
around Joan Hume, in white.
I was thrilled when she announced that
our first paddle at Sechart would be to the
Pinkertons, “Lovely little islands we will return to often”, she said.
LJ and Gloria paddled singles, Bonita
shared my double. “Usually we stick together for safety”, Gloria said as we grouped
on the water within earshot of our guide.
But Joan knew of my special mission to the
Pinkertons and told the other paddlers not
to worry if I veered off from the group.
We paddled off and poked in and out of
idyllic, narrow, winding channels around
dozens of little islands, many of which
would become joined at low tide.
Lyn in front of the Dutch Harbor cabin in the Pinkertons, Barkley Sound.
“I learn something new every time I go
out with this club,” Gloria told me as we
paddled. “We share knowledge with one
another. At regular monthly meetings and
occasional courses, we learn map and compass skills, safety tips, and how to use
weather, tide and current data.
“And Joan’s incredible. She never pushes,
never bombards, she’s so patient, teaching
us one thing at a time.”
“She’s like a mother hen with chicks”, LJ
added. “One night I was out and it was
nearly dusk. She knew my leg had been
bothering me and there she was, sitting quietly by herself on a rock, watching and waiting. I was really touched by her concern.”
Joan often paddles a double kayak so she
can share it with members who lack the
stamina or the interest to do a full day’s
paddle in a single.
All the while we talked, I was keeping
an eye out for Dutch Harbor.
Then, on the far side of the archipelago,
in a protected backwater close to Vancouver Island, I saw the little bridge I knew so
well. I signaled to Joan, she waved me on,
and I excitedly nosed my kayak towards the
island—no, two little islands connected by
a wooden bridge with a cabin on one and
a shed on the other.
Everything looked familiar—the bridge,
my oyster and mussel garden, the stone
corral where I trapped perch to feed eaglets,
one of the five eagle nests I could see from
the beach.
Over the next few days we paddled back
a few times to the islands and I was able to
talk to two women who lived on an adjacent float. I learned that the original owners were long dead and the island had been
bequeathed to the son of my former
neighbors on Hand Island. He had just
started to renovate his parent’s cabin and
put in a dock for his float plane.
I left a note attached to his dock and have
since heard from him with an invitation to
return for a visit. He also said that since the
islands are unnamed on the chart, he would
like to refer to them by his family name,
Nicolai.
For the balance of the Barkley Sound trip,
although I was still an unofficial member
of the group and could have paddled alone,
I chose to do most of the day trips Joan suggested and to learn from her. And I’m glad
I did.
The 150 or so members of the Nanaimo
Paddlers club may range in age from 16 to
90 (two of their charter members are legendary steward of Wildwood, Merv
Wilkinson, aged 90, and George Hermans,
over 70), but despite a high proportion of
middle-agers, they are certainly not a bunch
of old fogies.
Their trips are as short as a practice dump
on Westwood Lake in Nanaimo to as long
as the Yukon River; from as protected a
waterway as around Newcastle Island to as
rugged as the western Queen Charlottes;
from as catered a place as Sechart Whaling
Station Lodge to the live-off-the-land style
of the Nimpkish Valley; from the calm of a
moonlight paddle to Protection Island to the
excitement of tide rips and whale-watching in Seymour Narrows.
The Nanaimo Paddlers are now in their
22nd year and this ‘old fogey’ will be one
of them in their 23rd year, I promise! ❏
© Lyn Hancock lives in Nanoose Bay where
she watches seals and eagles. After 30 years in
the Arctic, she has traded in her rubber raft and
float plane for a couple of kayaks and is now
paddling to old haunts on the BC coast.
Lunch break on the northern tip of
Alma Russel Island.
13
Electronic Paddling Partners
Story and photo
by Neil Schulman
I
t’s a Sunday in late March. I’m standing
on a beach on the lower Columbia River,
waiting for two people to return from running a downstream shuttle. And I’m a bit
on edge, since I’m about to embark into
potentially strong headwind-against-tide
conditions with almost 20 people, most of
whom I’ve never met before.
I had organized this paddle—one of my
favorite paddles on the Columbia—as part
of a newly-established electronic paddling
community. In addition to sheer cliffs and
gushing waterfalls, this stretch of the lower
Columbia has a lot of ‘fetch’ and when
outgoing tide and current meet a west wind,
big whitecaps occur. I had quizzed everyone about their skills and experience over
email and on the phone, but hearing and
believing are different things.
NOT THE USUAL SUSPECT
I claim to be one of the world’s least computer-savvy people. I’m generally afraid of
anything high-tech. I’m not a fan of cell
phones, and I still believe in writing letters
on actual pieces of paper and sending them
with stamps.
So when a friend told me he’d signed me
up for a listserv of sea kayakers around Portland, you can probably imagine my reaction—that’s great, but I’m sure I won’t use
the listserv very much.
To my surprise, the online paddling
listserv grew, went through a few minor
bumps, and evolved into a real paddling
community in which we’ve built skills and
found new paddling partners. More and
more of us (yes, even myself) are getting
hooked up to the internet. So I offer this
guide for making online paddling networks
work.
Boats ashore near little Cape Horn.
WINTER PADDLING
As you’d expect, the first thing that happened was a bunch of us went paddling. I
generally paddle through the winter, and
several of us simply sent messages to the
list announcing low-key paddles to winter
wildlife spots around Portland. People I’d
never met in Portland’s small-world
kayaking community showed up, and our
electronic paddling community was off to
a great start.
One weekend a few of us headed to the
lower Columbia River for a winter paddle
through Lewis and Clark Wildlife Refuge,
where winter conditions range from placid
to anything but. Our paddle was calm and
uneventful, but it raised the question of preparedness when you’re dealing with an
unknown group. We started asking the
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natural questions: what if someone shows
up who’s unprepared, ill-equipped, or not
dressed for the conditions, not up to speed
on rescues and other safety skills? When
someone suggests a trip, are they leading it
or just providing a meeting spot? What’s expected of them and others who join?
The online discussion got lively—and
quite heated. Balancing safety with accessibility, informal learning from others with
professional instruction, and spontaneity
with careful planning, are among the issues
that came up. In retrospect, the strong feelings don’t surprise me. We were trying to
strike the hardest balances in any group
activity, without imposing any top-down
leadership.
HASHING IT OUT
After this debate had gone on for awhile,
my friends Dan and Tony had the idea that
made the difference. They got a bunch of
us together at Tony’s house for a potluck.
Dan (an instructor) gave a short overview
of basic kayaking skills and equipment for
some of the new paddlers, we ate some
good food, drank Tony’s home-brewed beer,
and got to meet each other face-to-face.
Bellies full, we talked about the list and
our visions for it. We ended up back at the
original concept: use the list to get as many
people on the water, as often as possible,
and use the vast collective paddling experience of the group to keep things safe and
to build and practice skills.
wave@visitmarshallislands.com
A few weeks after our potluck, we had a
good test: the paddle along the lower Columbia that Sunday in March. Sure enough,
the wind picked up, and for much of the
day we fought big wind waves that cleaned
our decks.
But it worked. We got a bunch of
paddlers of varying skill levels out in some
rough water, with lots of expertise but nobody in charge or dictating to the group.
We got a great workout, and some of us
stretched our paddling horizons in a good
learning environment, with plenty of supportive people around.
INFORMAL SKILL-BUILDING
Not too long after the Columbia paddle,
a few of us organized something called
‘Splashfest’. The idea was to encourage
people to hone their paddling, bracing, and
boat control skills in a safe, fun setting.
Having these skills in common would give
us a more solid basis of safety for listservgenerated trips, as well as provide some
great informal learning opportunities. We
picked a day in early summer, met along
the Columbia, and practiced rescues, bracing, leaned turns, paddle strokes and towing, and a few people worked on their rolls.
There were plenty of experienced folks to
help coach, and plenty of food to go
around. We keep threatening to repeat it.
Now, two people post a ‘weekly navigation quiz’ on everything from navigational
aids to predicting paddling conditions under various weather conditions. There’s usually a paddle of some kind at least every
other week through the summer and
monthly, full-moon paddles.
MAKING IT WORK
If our experience in Portland is any guide,
an online paddling community can be fun
and valuable—even for a technophobe like
me. Of course, there are also lots of awful
listservs out there. Here are my tips to making it work.
1. Encourage all skill levels. One of the
benefits of our group is that we’ve got everyone from new kayakers to those with decades of instructing under their belt. But
anyone can and often does organize and
post trips, and ask and answer questions.
That helps us achieve the second goal,
which is to....
3. Establish some standard for posting trips.
The flip side of being encouraging and
spontaneous is that you never know everyone’s level of experience or knowledge. We
came up with a few general guidelines.
First, when anyone ‘posts’ a trip, they are
responsible for describing the paddle, distance, likely weather and sea conditions to
be encountered, and skills that people
should have. Once we’re on the water, we
travel as slow as the slowest boat and look
out for each other.
4. Practice safety and skills as a group.
Practicing provides a common denominator for basic safety skills on group trips. It
also provides an opportunity for informal
learning from others to supplement (but not
replace) professional instruction.
5. Meet face to face. Email is a strange
method of communication. It’s great for
sharing information, but it really takes effort to thoughtfully debate topics about
which we feel strongly. Sometimes people
will be more accusatory and less respectful than they would ever be in person. Our
potluck helped us to sort out how we
wanted to operate, and was a watershed
moment because it was the first time most
of us had ever met. Having faces (and food)
attached to email addresses creates a human bond and makes these discussions
easier.
6. Expect evolution. All groups evolve and
usually the changes happen quickly in the
early stages. (Experts in community development call this the ‘form-norm-storm-perform’ process.) The members will always
be changing, so your focus and the way you
relate to each other and paddle together will
also change. A constructive conversation
about the list itself, again face-to-face, is a
good thing every once in a while.
So take it from someone who often
wishes computers were never invented:
electronic kayaking groups can be lots of
fun and a good connection to local
kayakers. Just don’t forget to put down your
mouse, pick up your paddle, and go get
wet! ❏
2. Get on the water. A lot of electronic
groups, on whatever subject, end up being
about gear. While we certainly share info
on equipment, we’ve also done a great job
of getting our boats wet.
© Neil Schulman lives in Portland,
Oregon, where he does nonprofit
environmental work and generally
tries to stay out of trouble.
15
The Fellowship of Dive Kayaking
Story and photos
by Barb Roy with
Tallen Patrick
P
eople join paddling clubs to be around
others who share similar interests, to
gain additional knowledge and training, to
participate in organized activities, and become part of a supportive ‘fellowship’ network.
Since my 16-year-old daughter Tallen and
I enjoy both kayaking and scuba diving, we
decided that joining a dive kayaking group
would be a great way to experience both
worlds. Safety in numbers was on my mind
while group fun and camaraderie was on
hers.
Our task of finding a club specifically for
dive kayakers, however, proved to be quite
a challenge. It was either sea kayaking or
scuba diving only. Then we discovered
Divers Down Under, a dive club sponsored
by Adventures Down Under in Bellingham,
Washington, which was dabbling in the use
of dive kayaks. Since the club mainly catered to divers, they encouraged us to organize several outings and see if an interest developed.
Accepting the challenge, Tallen and I organized four group excursions during the
summer: Clear Lake in Oregon; Barkley
Sound, Porteau Cove and the Powell River
area in British Columbia. Little did we know
the popularity the dive kayak combination
would generate!
Clear Lake was a big surprise to everyone. At an altitude of 3,100 feet, located
two hours east of Salem in the Willamette
Dive kayaking at Porteau Cove, British Columbia.
National Park off the McKenzie Highway,
this crystal clear lake was born from a volcanic eruption around 1000 BC. Only nonmotorized crafts are allowed, making it very
quiet both on and around the lake.
When we weren’t diving or snorkeling
in the 41-46°F water, we fished for trout or
checked out the lava fields bordering almost an entire side of the lake. Underwater, the main attractions were several ancient trees, resembling tall spears rising out
of an ash-white, volcanic moonscape. Visibility was at least 70-100 feet in the north-
ern (clearest) section. Camping is available
at both ends of the lake (May-October) or
accommodations can be found at the Clear
Lake Resort. While water and pit toilets are
available, it was necessary to bring everything else in. We found this site great for
hiking, photography, birding and mountain
biking.
Barkley Sound, on the west side of Vancouver Island, is an awesome place to explore anytime of the year, weather permitting. We chose August and launched our
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16
kayaks in mothership style, from a larger
dive charter boat (Rendezvous Dive Ventures), which transported us to the outer
edge of the Sound near Austin Island. This
way we were able to dive the wreck of the
Vanlene, sunk in 1972 with a cargo of new
cars. Once finished with the dive, we paddled over to check out several sea caves
and photograph a group of Oyster Catchers. Tallen was fascinated with the overlapping fronds of a huge kelp forest around
us.
“This is science at its best!” I thought,
watching her get all wrapped up in the
fronds. The ultimate field trip.
Rainey Bay, where the lodge is located,
offered protection for paddling when the
weather kicked up and for practicing our
entries and exits from the sit-on-top kayaks, loaded with scuba gear. It was great to
have the convenience of a warm place to
return to after six hours on the water.
Porteau Cove Provincial Park in Howe
Sound, about 13 miles east of Horseshoe
Bay, is easy to get to and painless to launch
from, divable year-round, and a relaxing
place to spend the day. Besides having picnic tables and a few camping sites, the park
is a wonderland for divers, with an array of
underwater enhancements placed there
many years ago. The prime attraction is the
136-foot minesweeper, Nakaya, scuttled in
1985.
Not liking long surface swims to get to
the Nakaya, we found that dive kayaks
worked exceptionally well in getting us
safely to the wreck. After diving, several of
us paddled up the coast, checking out new
areas to dive and snorkel.
Tallen hefts an inflatable dive kayak.
competition for camping sites, no long ferry
lines and no problem launching the kayaks.
Tallen had discovered online that the
Malaspina Coast between Grief Point and
Sarah Point had numerous sheltered bays
and coves between. We decided to check
them out.
Mermaid Cove seemed to be a great
place to start. In 1989, a nine-foot tall
bronze statue, the Emerald Princess
sculpted by Simon Morris, was placed in
60 feet of water to greet divers. This was a
‘must see’ for the group and we paddled
out to the buoy marking her location.
Saltery Bay, the downtown Powell River
waterfront and Lund were other good
launching areas, we discovered. Having
other dive kayakers along gave Tallen and
me (who are not that experienced) a chance
to check out dive and birding sites that we
would not have attempted on our own. Add
this to the experience Tallen received when
she encountered hundreds of harmless garter snakes in Lund—it was an unforgettable trip.
Since our dive kayaking group excursions
began, the dive club has also sponsored two
dive kayak demo sessions for other divers
and non-divers.
During one of the sessions at Lake
Samish, south of Bellingham, we were able
to try a new inflatable dive kayak, the Dive
Yak made by Sevylor, and the rigid-hulled
Tarpon made by Wilderness Systems. Both
boats proved to be exceptional for transporting us and our gear. I found the Tarpon
to be a good platform for viewing shore
birds. The Dive Yak however, was easier to
fold up and pack into my car.
➝
The Powell River area drew us for an
outing in September. With the tourist and
fishing seasons were over there was no
www.canoeandkayakcentre.com
paddlers@canoeandkayakcentre.com
17
Barkley Sound: Rendezvous Dive
Ventures, 877-777-9994
www.rendezvousdiveventures.com
or Vancouver Island Tourism:
www.vancouverislandtourism.com
Porteau Cove: www.shorediving.com
or www.BritishColumbia.com
Powell River: 604-485-4701
www.discoverpowellriver.com
Adventures Down Under/Divers Down
Under Club: 360-676-4177
www.adventuresdownunder.com
For starting your own club, see www.siton-topkayaking.com ❏
© Barb Roy is an outdoor adventure
photojournalist living in Vancouver, BC.
Preparing to dive at Samish Lake, Washington.
The future holds endless possibilities for
the dive-kayaking portion of the club. Since
we have became part of this unique fellowship, Tallen and I have increased our skills,
added to our traveling experience, and met
some awesome people who share our
favorite interests.
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Clear Lake: Willamette National Forest,
www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette, 541-2256300 or Cold Water Cove Campground,
877-444-6777.
POPEYE’S
Marine & Kayak Center
Sales and Rentals featuring
814 13th Street, Everett WA
on the waterfront, north side
Everett Marina
425-339-9479
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18
How I Spent My Birthday
I
t’s Saturday, February
22nd and I’m up at 7:30
a.m. It’s my one day to sleep
in, but instead, I’m standing
in the Ocean River Sports
shack on Victoria’s Gorge
waterway, coldly clutching
an outrigger paddle.
I’m trying to hog the spot
in front of the propane
heater, but others seem to
have the same plan and being serious racers, are more
competitive about it. I think
about burning my paddle
for heat.
Today is my birthday. I am
thirty-nine years old. The Teamwork is what it’s all about.
Who’s rock anthem ‘My
Generation’ seems to be
ringing in my half deaf ears—‘hope I die before I get old’. Well I’m
not dead but my back surely hurts. The only reason I’m here is
because an alleged friend, Steve, signed me up to race in a sixperson outrigger. Our team will be a rag-tag group of folks who
have never paddled together. Most have never met.
True to my word, I am here, but I would rather be snuggled in
bed back at home being spoiled with birthday breakfast in bed.
Alex Matthews
Besides, I’m a kayaker; I
don’t know anything about
canoes, big or small.
Most of the other crews
consist of people who seem
to actually know one another. This is not a good sign
for us. Our steersman tries
to get our names straight.
He doesn’t know it yet, but
we are about to get our
asses kicked. We will not be
edged out at the line for last,
no, we will establish a lock
on last from the very start.
Our losing will never be in
doubt, we will hold all the
Brian Henry photo
other boats off to secure a
thundering defeat.
Originating in Hawaii,
the six-person outrigger consists of a narrow 45’ canoe, stabilized
by an outrigger or ama. Without the ama, an outrigger canoe is
impossible to paddle, as keeping it upright is simply not an option.
Without the ama, the canoe should be thought of, not as a boat,
but rather a rigid swimsuit for six. Making the craft so very long
and skinny results in very little wetted surface area on the hull, and
even with the addition of the ama, the boat is very efficient.
➝
19
Alex works on his stroke in the Gorge Waterway, Victoria.
With six strong motors powering the four
hundred pound boat, these babies can go
very fast for extended periods of time. Good
teams will pull on their paddles in perfect
unison, resulting in great forward glide and
little or no bob. The paddlers alternate sides,
switching to the count every 12-15 strokes.
Five of the crew supply the power, the sixth
paddles stern. This is a key position because
the stern steers the boat and many a race is
won or lost by the steers-person.
The paddles used are bent shaft units and
the key to a powerful stroke is good strong
torso rotation and a powerful ‘catch’. The
catch is the initial planting of the blade at
the beginning of the stroke. The goal is to
maximize reach by rotating the lower hand
forward from the torso and then, unwinding, to pull the boat forward to the blade,
which ideally remains stuck in that same
first bit of water. It is a short, powerful stroke
when performed properly and mirrored by
the other paddlers in the boat.
Outriggers also come in two-person and
single or solo configurations and are very
seaworthy in the hands of experts. They’re
at home in open water and surf, and handle swell and wind waves very well, although capsizes or ‘hulis’ are not unheard
of. In Hawaii, teams will often huli a boat
at the end of a workout just to cool off. This
is decidedly less popular in Canada in February.
As our boat finally crosses the finish line
and we suffer the fate of most teams hastily
thrown together—being thoroughly crushed
by the competition—I realize I have had a
great time. We are all sweaty in abject defeat and quite pleased with ourselves. We
are happy. There are lots of grins and vigorous handshaking and discussions on why
we sucked so badly. We even pretend to
remember one another’s names.
It’s a wonderful way to start my birthday
and I still make it home in time to have
lunch in bed. And next year, at the great
old age of forty, if I can get my walker down
the dock and my geriatric specialist says it’s
okay, I would love to start the day in an
outrigger with a bunch of perfect strangers.
Happy birthday to everyone! ❏
© Alex Matthews resides on Vancouver Island
where he can easily indulge his
obsession with paddling.
See Alex’s new gear review column, page 32.
In Victoria the outrigger resources are:
Ocean River Sports: 1824 Store St. Victoria, BC, V8T 4R4. Phone: 250-381-4233 or
1-800-909-4233. www.orspaddlingclub.com
The Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club: 355 Gorge Road West, Victoria, BC V9A 1M9
www.vckc.com
Gorge Rowing & Paddling Centre: 2940 Jutland Road, Victoria, BC, V8T 5K6
Phone: 250-380-4669. www.f2000p.org/gorge
For more on outrigger paddling in other areas: www.jerichooutrigger.com/links.html.
20
Why Join a Club?
Alan Wilson with Mercia Sixta
recently called BC’s ‘doyenne’ of paddling
clubs, Mercia Sixta, to ask her thoughts
on the value of joining a club.
I first met Mercia when I attended the
Coast Kayak Symposium on Thetis Island
many years ago, and she’s still the main organizer of this popular May long weekend
event. The 19th Symposium will be held May
21-24, 2004.
I had been so impressed with Mercia’s
work on the Symposium that I asked her to
help us with WaveLength’s Ocean Kayak Festival on-water programs. And she did a great
job despite her other heavy workload.
Formerly on the executive of the Sea Kayak
Association of BC, Mercia is now President
of PIKA, the Pacific International Kayak Association, and deeply involved with CORK,
Creative Options for Recreational Kayaking,
helping the disabled to paddle. She can be
reached at Western Canoeing and Kayaking When you’re on the
in Abbotsford, BC: 604-852-9320.
anything goes!
PIKA offers a couple of different trip options every month of the year and more in
summer: from 2 hour beginner sessions to 3-4 week wilderness
expeditions. They also train volunteers for their sister organization,
CORK, teaching new rescue skills and adaptive equipment. To reach
PIKA or CORK, write PO Box 32073, Langley, BC V1M 2M3.
WaveLength photo
I
eager to learn. However, one of the motives
for women joining a club is simply to get the
help they need moving their kayak and gear!
• While there are commercial paddling
operations in many communities where you
can learn basic skills and take courses or
trips with highly qualified people, some beginners feel safer in a club environment and
costs are usually lower.
• Clubs usually have instructional programs with graduated levels, to increase
paddlers’ skills to the point that they can
then lead and pass on what they’ve learned
to others. This ‘mentoring’ process plays a
central role.
water with Mercia,
• Clubs usually teach classes in risk assessment and problem-solving through onland and on-water scenarios to foster leadership. (‘What if _____ happened?”)
• Well organized clubs offer courses such
as seamanship, navigation, marine biology, knot tying, low impact
camping, and a whole range of other options, both on and off the
water.
• Most people tend to stay in clubs for an average of about five
years until they reach a stage of independence and move on. Fortunately there’s usually a backbone of members who stay on to
help provide continuity.
MERCIA ON CLUBS
• Paddling is a very social activity. While many people are first
drawn to paddling for the independence and self-direction it offers, they often find it more fun to share the experience with others.
• There has never been a fatality of a paddling club member in
BC despite the many thousands of people who have passed through
these organizations over the years—proving the value of the
mentoring process. ❏
• Clubs are the natural meeting place for experienced paddlers
looking to share their skills with less experienced paddlers who are
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21
Profile of a Model Club
O
riginally formed by a small group of enthusiasts in 1981 as
the Vancouver Ocean Touring Kayak Association, the Sea
Kayaking Association of British Columbia (SKABC) is now a thriving club of 350 recreational paddlers. As one would expect in such
a group, there is a wide variety of kayaking experience,
expertise and associated interests, but the common
denominator is an enthusiasm for paddling. The success of the club stems from this enthusiasm and
from the willingness of the members to help organize and participate in a full range of kayakrelated activities. The club promotes high levels
of kayaking skills, safety, concern and respect
for the environment, and above all, the enjoyment of sea kayaking.
TRAINING
SKABC offers a comprehensive schedule of training courses ranging from basic instruction for beginners to leadership training.
Courses typically incorporate dry land training, pool sessions and
open water activity. These are only available to club members and
are moderately priced, reflecting the volunteer instruction recruited
from within the club. The courses are not designed to compete
with commercial offerings and do not include any certification. To
ensure that SKABC has a consistent, standardized and up-to-date
approach to teaching skills and safety, the club has compiled a set
of comprehensive training manuals for instructors.
22
Tony Clayton
TRIPS
SKABC has a year-round schedule of trips ranging from day paddles to multi-week expeditions. Trips are designed for all levels of
ability and each trip has an alpha-numeric rating to assist people
to select trips appropriate to their skills and endurance. Club
trips are organized and led by club members.
The shorter trips are on local waters such as Howe
Sound, Indian Arm and the Gulf Islands, while longer
trips range from Alaska to Baja. Weekends trips with
themes such as bird watching, sketching and kayak
cuisine, are very popular. Each summer, a number
of one and two week expeditions to the remoter
parts of the BC coast are a major feature of the
trip schedule.
SOCIAL
The club has monthly meetings, September through June, which
are both social and informative. Meetings typically feature a speaker,
either a club member giving a slide show on a noteworthy trip or a
guest presenter. We’ve been treated to a tour of the BC coast from
Alaska to Ambleside, a visit to Belize, and an expedition to Greenland. Other guest speakers have given presentations on BC marine
mammals, on preventing and treating injuries, and on building skin
boats. Whatever the topic, there is always time to visit with friends,
to meet new members and share information about past and
planned trips.
In addition to the regular club nights,
there are special events such as a Thanksgiving weekend, a Christmas party and an
evening celebrating poets Robbie Burns and
Robert Service. During the summer, meetings move outdoors to a local beach where
we enjoy a barbeque.
COMMUNICATIONS
Paddle, the monthly newsletter published
by SKABC, has been a feature of the club
from the early days, and in recent years has
blossomed into an impressive and colorful
14-page newsletter. In addition to a current
schedule of trips, the training program and
meeting notices, Paddle contains accounts
of recent trips and timely items related to
the local kayaking scene. Frequently there
are humorous contributions and occasionally an article that is DNK (i.e., definitely
not kayaking-related).
Thanks to some creativity and hard work
by a few dedicated people, SKABC has a
dynamic and informative website that is
rapidly growing in both scope and popularity. The web is the fastest way to find out
about the club and its current activities. The
web site also provides links to an expanding list of other interesting and useful web
sites.
The club has a telephone Trip Line where
members can obtain or leave information
for planned kayak trips. This is a great way
to find a partner or two for an impromptu
paddle at any time.
And last, but not least, the SKABC library
is a wonderful resource full of information
in books, magazines, charts and videos.
ALLIANCES
SKABC has been a strong supporter of
BC Marine Trails Assocation, is an active
member of the Outdoor Recreational Council of BC, and has affiliations with other BC
kayak clubs.
THE OUTLOOK
SKABC has recently experienced growth
in membership, enthusiasm and energy. It’s
exciting to see this development but it will
be an ongoing challenge to meet the aspirations of so many keen kayakers and to
maintain the objectives of the organization.
At the same time, all paddlers face the
challenge of maintaining access to our
beautiful British Columbia shorelines that
we have perhaps previously taken too much
for granted. We also need to be increas-
ingly aware of the threats to the coastal
environment and be prepared to be active
in protecting this heritage.
To this end, SKABC is seeking stronger
links with other kayak clubs, outfitters,
guide organizations and paddlers in general, in order to present a strong and cohesive front on issues of common interest.
SKABC is also becoming more active in
encouraging kayakers to join the club both
for personal enjoyment and for common
cause. Consider this your invitation to join
us.
To find out more about SKABC you can
go to www.skabc.org or write: SKABC, Box
751, Postal Station A, Vancouver, BC V6C
2N6. ❏
© Tony Clayton is a member of SKABC.
You can also contact the organization at
membership@skabc.org.
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23
From the Rainforest
Leadership
Story by Dan Lewis
Photos by Bonny Glambeck
L
eadership is a touchy topic, particularly
on trips with peers. When you sign up
for a guided tour, it’s pretty straight forward—the guide leads, the people follow!
But when a bunch of friends get together to
paddle, chaos can ensue. People’s egos can
kick in, or their issues with authority figures can sometimes create a complex and
unpleasant situation. I offer the following
as a starting point for discussing the issue
of leadership in peer groups.
I believe any group needs some amount
of communication in order to function collectively rather than as just a bunch of individuals. If people’s skills and experience
levels are appropriate to the paddling conditions, then not much is required in the
form of leadership. A simple ‘what shall we
do tomorrow?’ discussion the evening before might suffice to outline the route options, the likely weather conditions, and the
group’s desires.
As groups get larger, or there is a wider
range of abilities present, there might need
to be more effort put into crafting group
decisions that meet everyone’s needs and
are appropriate to their abilities. You need
an experienced paddler who can help to
outline options and draw out people’s desires and concerns.
Route planning is a great way to involve everyone.
What is an appropriate form of leadership in a group of peers? We used to talk
about the three styles of leadership: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire. Nowadays we also talk about a fourth style,
namely consensus, which is my preferred
approach. Let’s take a look at each of these.
Authoritarian leadership is only really
needed when things start to go wrong. There
is not enough time when the poop hits the
fan to have a touchy-feely discussion about
what to do. Someone needs to take charge,
and tell people what to do. The key with
this type of leadership is to use it only when
absolutely necessary.
The reality is, when push comes to shove,
the person who truly does have what it takes
to be a leader will probably take charge.
The most experienced paddler might not
be the best leader. They might be busy performing rescues, tows, etc., while someone
with better leadership qualities (loud voice,
good verbal skills, big-picture thinking, a
‘people person’, ability to delegate) is calling the shots. Sometimes the true leader of a
group is lurking in the background, un-acknowledged. It is healthy for a group to agree
in advance who will be in charge if things
get out of hand. The worst case scenario is
two people with differing opinions, both trying to take charge during a mishap.
Democratic leadership is a bit old
school. Basically, you vote, and the majority rules. This can work in situations where
a consensus is not easy to reach, as long as
the decision is not going to create a safety
issue. It just doesn’t make sense to vote on
whether or not to do a crossing, if one or
24
Laissez-faire leadership (come-whatmay; no-one in charge) is something I’ve
never really liked. One experience in particular convinced me. While paddling with
a couple of friends, I got the feeling they
didn’t appreciate my attempts to provide
leadership at times when I felt we needed
it. So I backed off, without announcing my
intent to do so. One paddler, a beginner,
got into conditions way over her head. I
kept wondering why she was not asking us
to turn around. Meanwhile, she was wondering why I was not insisting we turn
around on her behalf, as I obviously had
better judgement and the conditions were
clearly too much for her.
She finally freaked out and was barely
able to turn around in the huge swells. I
vowed then and there to not let myself get
into a situation like that again. Since then
I’ve always been careful to have discussions
with groups of peers about who is in charge,
what commitments we’re making to each
other about staying together, and when to
bail-out.
Consensus is a newer form of leadership. Using this method the group attempts
to craft decisions which meet the needs of
all group members. In order to work, consensus needs a commitment by group members to participate in decisions, and to be
honest about their true desires and concerns. You may not get everything what you
want in a consensus decision, but voicing
your opinion helps to shape the result. The
decisions might not be perfect for everyone, but at the end of the day should answer the key question, Can we live with
this decision?
Another key to making consensus work
is to create an atmosphere of respect in the
group. The strongest voices tend to be those
who are ready and eager to get going, but
you need to listen to those who are being
quiet. It isn’t easy to be the one who says ‘I
don’t think we should do this’.
If the group isn’t open to hearing this
message, you may later find out, while towing someone halfway across a channel, that
they knew before they left they wouldn’t
be able to make it, but were afraid to ruin
everyone’s day by telling them so! A quick
round, where each group member gets to
speak uninterrupted, is a good way to make
sure all voices are heard.
Some of my favorite trips are with a small
group of friends who have a similar level of
skill. We all know where we are, where
we’re heading, and what we’re out there to
do (bag miles, toodle, boulder-bash, lie on
the beach, or whatever…). We could all do
it alone, but we have chosen to share the
experience together.
On the other hand, I’ve paddled in situations like that where, without some preagreed commitments (stay together but if
you do want to split up, don’t take off without letting us know) chaos has ensued. Take
the time to talk frankly with your paddling
partners about leadership and you will be
a stronger team! ❏
© Dan Lewis and Bonny
Glambeck operate Rainforest
Kayak Adventures in
Clayoquot Sound.
1-877-422-WILD,
mail@rainforestkayak.com,
www.rainforestkayak.com.
Mark Hobson photo
more group members are saying they won’t
be able to make it! But if people are tired
and the outcome just isn’t that important,
voting can work great (‘Shall we have chili
tonight and pasta tomorrow, or pasta tonight
and chili tomorrow?’).
25
Paddling Clubs Directory
Check out ‘Clubs’ at www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
for hotlinked listings with additional text descriptors.
Some clubs have sent us 50 word descriptions about themselves which we include in the hotlinked web version of this Directory. We
continue to invite club information and will add it to the web Directory on an ongoing basis. Please note that we are also offering a
WaveLength ‘Club Sub’ subscription to any paddling club member, at a saving of $5.00 off the usual rate of $15/yr. Send in the form on
page 42 with a note explaining which club you belong to, along with a check for $10 (+ GST for Canadians), and you’ll receive a full year
of WaveLength mailed directly to your home or business address.
CANADA
ALBERTA
Bow Waters Canoe Club, Calgary
www.bowwaters.org, 403-235-2922
bwcc@telusplanet.net
Cochrane Kayak Club
www.ramriver.ca
Oldman River Canoe and Kayak Association
Lethbridge, www.horizon.ab.ca/ace/
ORCKA.html
False Creek Racing Canoe Club, Vancouver
www.fcrcc.com, 604-684-7223
info@fcrcc.com
Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia
(SKABC ), Vancouver, www.skabc.org
info@skabc.org (see p. 22)
Fort Langley Canoe Club
www.fortlangleycanoeclub.com
Island Paddlers, Saltspring Island
250-537-1116
Kelowna Canoe & Kayak Club
business.silk.net/kckc/
kckcnewsletter@shaw.ca
Vancouver Kayak Club
members.axion.net/~vkc/vkc/
604-879-8028, vancouverkayakclub@telus.net
Komoux Valley Paddlers, Comox
geocities.com/komouxpaddlers, 250-339-2176
Vancouver Island Whitewater Paddling Society
Nanaimo, www.surfkayak.org, 250-754-6296
info@surfkayak.org
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Beaver Canoe Club, Burnaby
www.beavercanoeclub.org, 604-943-2341
beavercanoe@dccnet.com
Nanaimo Canoe & Kayak Club
www.nckc.nisa.com, 250-758-4052
nanaimo@crbc.ca
Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club
www.vckc.ca
Blackwater Paddlers, Quesnel
www.quesnelpaddlers.com, 250-992-2427
errinevans@hotmail.com
Nanaimo Paddlers
members.shaw.ca/npeditor/
npeditor@shaw.ca
Victoria Sea Kayakers Network
dspittlehouse@telus.net
Burnaby Canoe and Kayak Club
imackenz@sfu.ca
Nelson Kayak and Canoe Club
www.crisco.kics.bc.ca/, 250-354-4838
cjkolmel@netidea.com
Campbell River Paddlers
oberon.ark.com/%7Ehodikof1/
crpaddlers@softhome.net
North Island Paddle Association, Port Hardy
250-949-8599
MANITOBA
Manitoba Paddling Association
www.mpa.mb.ca/indexMPA.html
Ocean Kayak Association of BC
PO Box 1574, Victoria, BC
Paddle Manitoba
www.paddle.mb.ca/mrcawebsite/who.htm
Pacific International Kayak Association (PIKA)
Langley, mercias@telus.net (see p. 21)
NEW BRUNSWICK
Atlantic Kayak Association, Moncton
www.geocities.com/atlantic_kayak_association/
atlantic_kayak_association@hotmail.com
Chilliwack Centre of Excellence
www.whitewater.org/cce/, 604-858-0877
slallen@telus.net
Cowichan Kayak and Canoe Club, Duncan
www.cowichansports.com/kayakandcanoe
250-748-6608, rbbird@cowichan.com
Creative Options for Recreational Kayakers
(CORK), Langley, mercias@telus.net (see p. 21)
Recreational Canoeing Association of BC
(RCABC), provincewide
www.bccanoe.com, 250-383-1805
info@bccanoe.com
Dogwood Canoe Club, Vancouver
www.dogwoodcanoe.com, 604-522-1239
Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club, Maple Ridge
geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/5360
Whitewater Kayaking Association of BC
www.whitewater.org
admin@whitewater.org
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Kayak Newfoundland and Labrador (KNL), St.
John’s, www.kayakers.nf.ca,
armitage@roadrunner.nf.net
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Paddlers for Parts Association, Yellowknife
gregloftus2.tripod.com/paddlersforparts/
ONTARIO
Barrie Canoe Club, Kempenfelt Bay
www.canoeclub.barrie.on.ca/
Georgian Bay Kayak Club
www.kayakontario.com
Great Lakes Sea Kayaking Association, Toronto
www.glska.cjb.net
glska@canada.com
Toronto Sea Kayak Club
blacktower.dyndns.org/tskc/, 416-486-9563
tskc@canada.com
QUEBEC
L’ Association Québéquoise des Pourvoyeurs
en Kayak de Mer
www.decouvreurs.com/francais/
Association%20AQPKM.html
info@kayakdemer.com
Viking Canoe Club, Laurentians
wilma.wiemer@sympatico.ca
26
Cruisin’
Wampanoag Paddlers
www.geocities.com/Colosseum/4153/
MARYLAND
Chesapeake Paddlers Association, Greenbelt
www.CPAKayaker.com,
coordinator@cpakayaker.com
MASSACHUSETS
Boston Sea Kayak Club, Boston
www.bskc.org
MICHIGAN
Raw Strength and Courage Club,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
wind.prohosting.com/~qayaq/aboutrsck.html
West Michigan Coastal Kayakers Association
Grand Rapids, www.wmcka.org
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Canoe Association, Minneapolis
www.canoe-kayak.org, 952-985-1111
mca@canoe-kayak.org
UNITED STATES
ALASKA
Fairbanks Paddlers
www.fairbankspaddlers.org, 907-479-6790
fbxpaddlers@mosquitonet.com
Knik Canoers and Kayakers, Anchorage
www.kck.org
ARIZONA
Central Arizona Paddlers Club
www.azpaddlers.com
CALIFORNIA
California Kayak Friends
www.ckf.org
Gold Country Paddlers
www.gcpaddlers.org
Penguin Paddlers, Redding
www.penguinpaddlers.com, 530-247-1978
penguinpaddlers@charter.net
San Diego Kayak Club
www.sdkc.org/polo
San Francisco Bay Area Sea Kayakers (BASK)
www.baskers.org/
DELAWARE
Delmarva Paddlers
groups.yahoo.com/group/DelmarvaPaddlers/
North Star Ski Touring Club, St. Paul
www.north-stars.org/paddling/paddle.htm
952-924-9922
FLORIDA
Emerald Coast Paddlers, Fort Walton Beach
www.geocities.com/ecpaddlers, 850-837-1577
ecpaddlers@yahoo.com
Twin Cities Sea Kayaking Association
Minneapolis, mca@canoe-kayak.org
952-985-1111
Florida Sea Kayaking Association
www.fska.org
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Canoe and Kayak Club, Jackson
www.mspaddle.org
South Florida Bush Paddlers, Miami
yakhalesnavy.homestead.com/yakhales1.html
cfa@arazoza.com
NEVADA
Southern Nevada Paddling Club, Las Vegas
www.kayaknevada.org/
Tampa Bay Sea Kayakers
www.clubkayak.com/tbsk
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Ledyard Canoe Club, Hanover
www.dartmouth.edu/~lcc ➝
GEORGIA
Coastal Kayaking Association
www.angelfire.com/ga/ckapaddlingclub
Atlanta Kayakers
www.atlantakayak.com
GULF OF MEXICO AREA
Gulf Area Sea Paddlers (GASP)
www.gasp-seakayak.org
Santa Barbara Kayak Association
www.sbka.org
ILLINOIS
Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association
www.caska.org
San Onofre Surf Kayak Association
members.aol.com/Kayaksrfrs/main.html
Illinois Paddling Council
www.illinoispaddling.org
Sequoia Paddling Club, Santa Rosa
www.sonic.net/~chinglin/index.html
Mackinaw Canoe Club, Central Illinois
www.rivers-end.org/mcc/mcc.html
Stanford Kayak Club
www.stanford.edu/group/KayakClub
KANSAS
Kansas Canoe Association, Manhattan
www.kansas.net/~tjhittle/, 785-539-7772
tjhittle@kansas.net
Tsunami Rangers , San Francisco
site.netopia.com/tsunami/door/
Western Sea Kayakers
www.westernseakayakers.org
COLORADO
Colorado White Water Association, Englewood
coloradowhitewater.org
Pikes Peak River Runners, Woodland Park
www.pprr.org, 719-687-1470
bigchief@codenet.net
Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club, Denver
www.rmskc.org/
CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Sea Kayakers, Storrs
www.connyak.org/
KENTUCKY
Bluegrass Wildwater Association, Lexington
www.surfbwa.org, 859-278-0764
webmaster@surfbwa.org
LOUISIANA
Bayou Haystackers Paddling Club
Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi
www.bayouhaystackers.com
Lafayette Paddle Club
www.lafayettepaddleclub.com
info@lafayettepaddleclub.com
MAINE
Maine Island Trail Association
www.mita.org/index.php
27
Monadnock Sea Kayak Club
www.rpgwebs.com/kayak/index.html
Merrimack Valley Paddlers
www.mvpclub.org, 603-432-6870
NEW JERSEY
Atlantic Sea Kayakers
www.atlanticseakayakers.com
info@atlanticseakayakers.com
Garden State Canoe Club, Stirling
www.gardenstatecanoeclub.com
The Hackensack River Canoe & Kayak Club
www.geocities.com/hrckc
Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association (JSSKA)
www.jsska.org, jsska@aol.com
Paddling Bares Canoe Club, Milltown
www.canoeing.org, info@paddlingbares.org
South Jersey Canoe and Kayak
groups.yahoo.com/group/sjcanoeandkayak/
NEW YORK
Central New York Kayak Club
www.cnykayakclub.com
info@cnykayakclub.com
Columbia University Kayak Club
www.columbia.edu/cu/kayak
Hudson River Watertrail Association
www.hrwa.org
Kayak and Canoe Club of New York
www.kccny.com/
OHIO
Keel Haulers Canoe Club, Westlake
www.keelhauler.org/kh.htm
North Sound Sea Kayaking Association
Everett, www.nsseakayaker.homestead.com
kayakjw@yahoo.com
OREGON
Lower Columbia Canoe Club, Portland
www.l-ccc.org, 360-835-8064
president@l-ccc.org
Seattle Sea Kayak Club
www.seattlekayak.org, info@seattlekayak.org
Oregon Ocean Paddling Society, Portland
home.teleport.com/~orops/index.shtml
Washington Water Trails Association, Seattle
www.wwta.org, 206-545-9161
Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club, Corvallis
www.wkcc.org
Whatcom Area Kayak Enthusiasts (WAKE)
Bellingham, www.wakekayak.org/index.htm
PENNSYLVANIA
Benscreek Canoe Club, Johnstown
www.benscreekcanoeclub.com
814-266-4276
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Wildwater Association
South Charleston, www.wvwa.net ❏
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Canoe/Kayak Association
www.ricka.org
Final Comment
TENNESSEE
Chota Canoe Club, Knoxville
www.korrnet.org/chota
TEXAS
Austin Paddling Club
www.austinpaddling.org/
Texins Outdoor Club, Dallas
www.outdoorclub.org
VERMONT
Lake Champlain Kayak Club
www.ckayak.com
St. Lawrence Valley Paddlers, Canton
www.slvpaddlers.org
csbolesh@usadatanet.net
Vermont Paddlers Club, Essex Junction
www.vtpaddlers.net, 802-879-1655
vpcnews@adelphia.net
Wooden Canoe Heritage Association
Blue Mountain Lake, www.wcha.org
VIRGINIA
Coastal Canoeists
www.coastals.org
NORTH CAROLINA
Carolina Canoe Club
www.carolinacanoeclub.com
Washington Kayak Club, Seattle
www.washingtonkayakclub.org
Scappoose Bay Paddling Association
groups.yahoo.com/group/
scappoosebaypaddlingassociation/
Metropolitan Association of Sea Kayakers
(MASK), New York, www.seacanoe.org
Yonkers Paddling & Rowing Club
www.yprc.org, jema99@yahoo.com
The Mountaineers, Seattle, Everett, Tacoma and
Olympia, www.Mountaineers.org
206-284-6310, clubmail@mountaineers.org
WASHINGTON
Bainbridge Island Paddling Society
www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Geyser/1356/
Desert Kayak & Canoe Club
www.dkcc.org
Crystal Coast Canoe and Kayak Club
Morehead City and Emerald Isle
www.ccckc.org, info@ccckc.org
ccckc_president@earthlink.net
Gig Harbor Kayak Club
www.harbornet.com/kayak, 253-851-2968
pberlin691@aol.com
Nantahala Racing Club, Wesser
www.nrcrhinos.com
Hole In The Wall Paddling Club, Skagit County
www.holeinthewallpaddlingclub.org
360-588-8846, oberstr@comcast.net
28
As I cruised the Internet to compile
this Directory of Paddling Clubs in North
America, I was struck by the sheer
number of paddling groups. It soon became evident that almost every major
community throughout the continent is
home to a group of people who get together to share their love of paddling
and the outdoors. The task of reaching
out to clubs became bigger than time
allowed, so not every club is represented
on these pages.
As I visited clubs’ websites for contact information, I was also gratified to
see that most clubs have a ‘preserve and
protect’ component as part of their
raison d’etre. This made me realize how
potentially powerful we are as a collective group to influence the decision
makers on both sides of the Canada/US
border, to ensure that we do not destroy
the environment we love so much. We
can add our voice to the growing movement that understands the earth and its
wildlife are not here to be exploited, but
to be enjoyed in all their beauty.
—Diana Mumford
Web Paddling
Prepare for the Unexpected
I
f you tried to view the WaveLength
website at the end of October, you would
have found we had disappeared from view
for 48 hours when WaveLength’s web server
computer in Texas “fried its hard drive”.
Just like many who think themselves
competent in their field, I thought I had it
all together. Things were well backed up
and I was ready for any trouble. Foolish me!
Sure, I had backed up all the info, but it
was the configuration, like email and database set-ups, where I was missing the boat.
Little did I know that the back-up process had not been set up on the server. To
make matters worse, I had 40 something
websites on that server, so when all 40+
went down at once, along with all their
configurations, it wasn’t long before my
phone started ringing (sending me an email
was out, as my personal website and email
was also on that server).
So just a word from the somewhat
wiser—don’t assume you have it all together. Being thorough and having a backup plan is the key to safety. In my case, all
it cost me was a little time and work, but if
you’re out in a kayak and the unexpected
happens, the cost could be much higher.
So be like the proverbial boy scout and always be prepared. Have the proper training for the level of paddling you are doing.
Make sure your gear is adequate. Leave a
float plan with your family or friends, or at
least tell someone where you plan to paddle and when you will return.
But probably the biggest safety precaution you can take is to have a paddling partner. It’s also usually a lot more fun that way.
Knowing this, WaveLength has made an
effort to provide a structure on our website
to make it easy for people to find partners.
PADDLING CLUBS PAGE
If you find you have no one to paddle
with, the best way to find someone is to
locate a paddling club and get to know the
local paddlers. The WaveLength website
maintains a list of paddling clubs which
either have a website or a contact email
address.
If you plan to travel somewhere new to
paddle, find a club in the area you’re going
and make contact with them to find partners and/or the best local paddling spots.
It’s very useful to also ask about local conditions.
If your club isn’t already on the list, don’t
hesitate to get in touch with us and we will
be happy to post a web link to it.
PADDLING PARTNERS PAGE
The WaveLength website also provides
another method to find a paddling partner.
If you go to our Paddling Partners page, you
will find a list of more than 450 people who
have submitted their names, email addresses and paddling areas. This is a great
way to find others who are looking for
someone with whom to paddle.
You can view the whole list or search
specific geographical areas. If you like,
you can also add your name and info to
the list. ❏
Ted Leather
© Ted Leather is the WaveLength
Webmaster and owner of
Clayrose Internet Creations
on Gabriola Island.
www.clayrose.com.
For Sale
Kevlar Kayaks for Sale
2 Current Design Solstice kevlar kayaks, all equipment, Thule roof racks, &
clothing for sale. Hardly used. Email
mullin@telus.net for complete list, or
call 604-583-9809.
Kayaks For Sale
Current Designs Solstice GT, GTS, GTH
fiberglass kayaks. Prices: $2380.00 to
$2700.00 (newer boats still on warranty). Lots of colors and sizes, all in
good condition. For more information:
majestic@island.net or 1-800-8897644.
Northern Gulf Island Kayak Business
for Sale. Located on one of the Northern Gulf Islands in BC, this kayak business has been successfully operating
for 15 years. Asking $60,000. Includes
all equipment, automobile, and a solid
customer base. Call 250-335-2726
(leave message). Financing will be considered.
Alert Bay, BC
the friendliest little island in Johnstone Strait
See tall totems, visit the world famous
U’Mista First Nations museum, enjoy
historic landmarks, browse gift shops,
stroll boardwalks and nature trails.
250-974-5403
250-974-5024
umista@island.net
info@village.alertbay.bc.ca
29
Know Your Neighbors
Paddling Without Partners
A
h, the joy of paddling partners. They provide great conversation,
wise advice and a safety net for potential trouble. They inspire
us to get out on the water, help with the camp chores and keep us
warm and occupied on cold rainy nights. This issue is full of reasons to love your paddling partners.
But paddling partners aren’t always convenient. You’ve probably
heard the excuses. Go kayaking? I’d love to, but I work that week.
My in-laws are visiting. My new boyfriend doesn’t like it. My trick
elbow has been acting up. Maybe after the kids are 18…
So every now and then you get civilization weary and consider
going on your own. A solo trip. Perhaps just a day, perhaps longer.
You start to grumble about the problems with paddling partners.
They constantly babble when you crave quiet and their “wise” advice always gets you soaking wet. When you think about it, your
group hasn’t actually practiced an assisted rescue since kayaks were
made of sealskin.
Well, what about going solo? Could you do it? Should you?
There are advantages. On your own you’re quieter and will likely
see more wildlife, you can fit into the tiniest little campspots, and
can choose whichever route you like. You eat what you want, when
you feel like it, and make all the decisions on whether to stay or
move on. Sound pretty good?
It’s not for everybody. Many people are uncomfortable with their
own thoughts and work hard to avoid confronting them. They have
busy jobs, busy social lives and switch on the TV the minute they
get home. These people are uncomfortable in the wilderness, even
in groups because occasionally they end up alone for a moment or
two with no loud distractions.
Most of us paddlers aren’t that bad, but few of us really spend
much quality time alone in the wilds, where Ms. Nature can captivate, terrify, humble and bore us all on the same day. Solo, it’s just
you and her, and in the quiet moments she loves to leave you alone
with your thoughts. People have been seeking peace and personal
wisdom by venturing alone into the wilderness for thousands of
years—go on a solo kayak trip and you might find a piece of what
everyone’s looking for.
Then again, cold and rainy nights alone are still cold and rainy,
plus they’re a lot more boring. Nothing can replace a warm and
affectionate tentmate—especially when the weather isn’t cooperating. If you do decide to venture out on your own you’ll find a
solo trip can be very different than a group trip—even on the same
route. When all the decisions are yours alone, you’re forced to
accept responsibility for your actions, whether you want to or not,
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KAYAKS, CANOES, GEAR
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30
www.middletonsboats.com
Bryan Nichols
and if you solo much there will be times when those decisions are
difficult. Your personal learning curve will be steeper but ultimately
very satisfying—the feeling of self sufficiency you get will be good
for your self esteem, even back in our strange world of pavement
and pop culture.
For this issue I’ve chosen ten non-human “partners” to bring along
on a solo trip. Everyone will have a different list of course, but
these will provide some food for thought. I’m not really a gearhead—
food, shelter and clothing are necessities that take me there and
keep me alive but they’re not things I drool over or spend happy
hours meticulously preparing. I don’t dream about the brand of my
paddling top or sinfully covet my neighbor’s cool sprayskirt.
Instead I’ve chosen five objects for safety and five for sanity. On
a good solo trip you need to keep both your mind and body intact,
and hopefully improve them. These will help you along the way.
© Instead of working diligently on his dual masters
in Journalism and Marine Science, Bryan Nichols
is probably off paddling solo amongst the gators of
south Florida. Drop him a line at
brynichols@wildmail.com.
TIPS FOR GOING SOLO
• Tie your boat! Bring an extra long bow line and always tie
your boat, at night, at lunch stops, whenever. It will seem a
bit anal on occasion, but the habit will save your solo butt
some day when the tide, a gust or a freak wave steals your
kayak from a remote island shoreline. You might even see it
happen—but you sure don’t want to be swimming alone in
treacherous waters after a kayak skating away on the wind.
• Keep your tent small. You might long for more room when
the weather gets ugly, but you’ll really appreciate being able
to get into tiny spots that you’d never consider with a group.
A big tent will limit you.
• Know your tides, know your weather, know your chart. In
theory, you should be aware of these things every time you
get into your kayak, but unless you actually lead trips, you’ve
likely let them slide now and again. Maybe you’ve let them
slide a lot, but ignorance is not bliss when you’re alone. There’s
no one around to cover for you if you didn’t do your homework.
• Leave a Float Plan. Again, you’re “supposed” to do this on
every trip, but maybe you haven’t been the one doing it—or
it hasn’t been done at all. For soloing it’s critical—call one of
the partners who bailed on you because they had to work or
raise a family, and let them know where you’re going and
when you expect to be back. Tell them who to call if you
don’t return, and specify when they should. Besides the obvious rescue safety blanket, this forces you to plan carefully
and allow extra time for unforeseen delays.
• Constantly reassess dangers. Before you charge in between
that sea stack and the cliffs, remember where you are and
who’s around. Sure you’ve done stuff like that before, but
you had friends watching and cheering and making sure you
came out the other side upright. Soloing will require you to
gracefully defer to caution more often, especially when you’re
in remote areas.
Ten Good Buddies for Solo Trips
For Your Body
GUIDE BOOK
The places you can just randomly explore are increasingly few and far between, particularly if you
want to come back intact and on time. Though it’s
probably safest to only solo areas you know, that
may not always be practical. A good guide book
will be invaluable when you don’t have a professional guide, an experienced friend or knowledgeable trip leader
along with you. It will tell you what to avoid, what shouldn’t be
missed and help out with the logistics of coming and going.
For Your Mind
NATURAL HISTORY FIELD GUIDES
It’s great to paddle with someone who really knows their stuff, but on your own
you’ve got the time to poke around with a
couple of field guides and learn more of
the local life. I usually bring along books
that cover invertebrates, plants, seaweeds
and birds—plus a star book. You’re more likely to remember what
you see while on your own because you’ll pick things that really
interest you and work a bit to find out what they are.
GOOD SELF RESCUE DEVICE
This doesn’t mean a hunk of something
strapped to your back deck that’s been
there so long you forget its exact purpose.
While those ubiquitous paddle floats can
be effective, you must practice. Self rescue is one part equipment and four parts
practice. You’re on your own out there—if you end up swimming, you’d better be able to get back into your boat and it had
better end up more stable than it was when you tipped. The outrigger effect of a good paddle float will do this, and there are
other gear possibilities (I often carry sponsons) but the most important thing is to practice. If you’re not confident about getting
back into your boat by yourself in choppy conditions, you’d best
stick to paddling with people who can help you.
CAREFULLY CHOSEN BOOK
I love reading but prefer to keep my sense of place
intact when I’m visiting the wilderness or a different culture. Instead of bringing along the latest
sleazy lawyer bestseller, I try to find relevant historical novels, stories by local authors, etc. After
all, why do you need escapism when you’re on a
kayak trip? It’s better to use someone else’s insights,
research and experience to help you develop a greater understanding and appreciation of where you are.
VHF RADIO
I admit, I’ve fallen in love with BC’s automated
weather reports voice, though she can’t replace
a warm companion on cold nights. Aside from
love, though, a VHF radio is your first and best
line of communication on the water. Who ya
gonna call? Probably no one, but you sure want
to be able to. Some may choose to supplement
it with a cell phone (useful only where there’s
cell coverage) or satellite phone (if you’ve got money). As far as
enjoying a solo trip, an important thing about these buddies is
they don’t talk unless you switch them on, and unless it’s for a
weather check or an emergency, don’t. I’ll be a bit clearer for
you cell phone junkies—leave the cursed thing off!
EXTRA PADDLE
Few people carry a spare paddle in a
group, but on your own this is crucial. My
extra paddle also provides blade variety—
I can use either depending on whether I
want to play (regular blade) or cruise
(much narrower blade). Strap it to your deck so you can get to it
whenever you like, and reconsider a paddle leash for your primary paddle if you haven’t used one before. You sure don’t want
to be floating alone with no paddle.
GOOD CHARTS
I’m a map & chart junkie—I pore over them,
imagining routes, planning day trips, eagerly
exploring the nooks and crannies with my
mind. In that sense, they’re good for body
and mind, because in addition to keeping
you out of trouble, they allow you to connect the meanderings of
your mind, your body and the great big world.
PENCIL & NOTEBOOK
Ah, there’s nothing like living in the wilderness and keeping a journal of your thoughts.
This is difficult when you’re with a group—
distractions abound. However when you’re
alone, trapped by bad weather or uncooperative tides, you’ll have plenty of time to wax poetic. When the
sun comes out and you’re basking naked on some spectacular
little beach, your notebook (or PDA) will allow you to jot down
epiphany after epiphany as you meld with nature’s oneness. Most
of it will turn out to be junk of course, but there will likely be
some gems. Either way, it’s good to write.
CANVAS FOR YOUR VISUAL ART
Bring a camera not so much to record the
trip (here I am in front of the sea cave, here I
am cooking dinner…) but to work on capturing a piece of the magic you feel in the
wilderness. Sketchbooks or watercolor kits
are great alternatives. Your pictures will never
match “being there”, but the time can be well
spent, encouraging you to see things in new
ways and to appreciate how light paints our
world.
STUFFED PENGUIN
Eventually, you’ll need someone to talk to,
or your voice will get rusty and scare people
when you return. Lyle Lovett sang about how
sensitive penguins are, and he’s right. With
your stuffed penguin you can discuss trip
plans, politics, existentialism and even gossip about friends and coworkers—and it will
seldom disagree. When it does get contrary,
you’ll know you’ve been on your own too long and it’s time to
head back to civilization and all the myriad joys of human company. ❏
© 2003/2004. Text and photos by Bryan Nichols.
No reproduction without permission.
31
Gear Locker
Aquabound’s AMT Carbon Paddle
This issue marks the start of Alex’s regular
gear review column. Next issue he looks at
a Kokatat drysuit. You can reach Alex at
matthewsalex@hotmail.com.
F
or this issue of the magazine focusing
on paddling partners, I tried to think
about who or what my most constant companion on the water has been. People come
and go depending on schedules. Clothing
is temperature and condition dependent.
Heck, I’ll even take off my PFD for warm
weather fitness sessions on sheltered waters. But one item that I hold hands with on
every excursion is a paddle.
Aquabound is a Canadian company located in Surrey, BC. Over the past decade
or so they have quietly developed an excellent range of paddles and come to be a
very important player in the paddlesports
marketplace. Part of their success is due to
their topnotch customer service and dedication to filling orders promptly. They excel at shipping product quickly, regardless
of the size or makeup of the order.
The Expedition is their most popular touring design. Like all Aquabound touring paddles, the Expedition is available in either
AMT Carbon or AMT Glass. AMT stands
for ‘Advanced Moulding Technology’. The
blades of these paddles are a gas-assisted
injection moulded material called
polythalamide. This thermo-plastic is reinforced with fiberglass fibres for the AMT
Glass, and carbon fibers for the AMT Car-
bon. Carbon AMTs are assembled with carbon fiber shafting while AMT Glass paddles get aluminum or glass shafts depending on price. The ferrule, which connects
the two halves of the paddle in the middle,
is an injected molded reinforced nylon
material. This serves to minimize tolerance
problems and insure a good snug fit between the two paddle halves. Grooves on
the ferrule help to prevent the buildup of
sand and muck in this critical area.
The AMT Carbon blade is pretty light and
stiff, although not as ‘feather’ light and super stiff as a top quality paddle of conventional composite carbon construction. But
AMTs are unbelievably tough. I once inadvertently drove over the blade of an
Aquabound paddle in my van. There wasn’t
a mark on the thing! This sort of durability
has made the Aquabound an absolute
favorite with rental operations and touring
outfits.
Review by Alex Matthews
Photos by Rochelle Relyea
The Expedition is a dihedral-shaped
blade measuring 6.25” x 20”. As a fairly
long and narrow blade, the Expedition is
clearly designed for general touring. The
blade is quiet and well behaved in the water, transitioning from one stroke to the next
nicely. The blade enters the water cleanly
and the power on the catch is about what
you would expect from a general touring
paddle. It’s possible to overpower the blade,
but when driving a loaded boat forward for
mile after mile, the forgiving nature of the
Expedition is very appealing and appropriate for touring. While bracing, sculling or
rolling, there is plenty of support. The shaft
is only slightly oval in shape where the hand
rests, and some paddlers may wish to add
a fingerboard in order to increase indexing
to more clearly orient their grip.
There are definitely lighter and stiffer
paddles on the market, and many are twice
the price of the Expedition. They won’t offer the absolute bombproof durability found
in the Aquabound but they will have a lower
swing weight and exhibit no flex in the
blades at all. If you are on a budget or are
really hard on gear, an Aquabound paddle
should be at the top of your list to demo. It
is a very competent touring paddle with
bulletproof construction at an attractive
price. Within the context of mid-priced
kayak paddles, this stick is awfully good and
you may find it very hard to justify paying
more. I highly recommend it. ❏
© Alex Matthews has worked as a sea kayak
guide, safety-boated on river trips, managed
an outdoor store, shaped boats, and been
marketing manager for a major kayak
manufacturer.
Aquabound AMT Expedition Paddle
Weight: the 230cm paddle weighs 33
oz Carbon, 37 oz Fiberglass
Sizing Range: 210 cm to 250 cm at
increments of 10 cm
Format: 1-piece, 2-piece, 4-piece
Blade Angle: adjustable to 60 degrees
right or left, and unfeathered
Blade Size: 6.25” x 20”
Pricing: 2 piece carbon shaft: $250
2 piece fiberglass shaft: $190
2 piece aluminum shaft: $145
(Canadian Suggested Retail)
Contact: sales@aquabound.com
Web: www.aquabound.com
32
Alex Matthews testing AquaBound’s
AMT carbon paddle
North Island Kayak Rentals & Tours
Two Locations:
Telegraph Cove and the
Port Hardy Adventure Center
1-6 day Guided Trips & Rentals
Toll Free 877-949-7707
nikayak@island.net
www.KayakBC.ca
33
Paddle Meals
Most Delicious Moments!
O
ne of my most delicious moments on the beach was eating
big honkin’ mussels that had been steamed with fish in triplewrapped foil, smothered in butter and dozens of garlic cloves. We
stood over the foil pouch eating the spoils with our fingers. The
flavor just socked into our mouths!”
This was on day 5 of a paddling trip through the Queen Charlotte Islands that Cathy Richards took a decade ago. She recalls
waking to the whoosh-whoosh of a raven flying over her flyless
tent. Another day, a Haida paddler imitated the sounds of a fawn,
and a doe walked up the grassy narrows to nuzzle him. Cath recommends enjoying the ‘beautiful silence’ of the islands. Delicious
sights and sounds in Haida Gwaii. Here are some delicacies you
can share around your campfire.
“
HOT TUNA PASTA
Feeds 2 hungry paddlers or 3 with an appetizer
While heating a pot of water for the fusilli pasta, sauté in olive oil:
2–4 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 1/2 onion till soft
Toss in 5-6 chopped tomatoes and
1 jalapeno, chopped with seeds
1 tin of tuna with the liquid (smoked tuna is wonderful!)
3 handfuls of other veggies such as carrot coins or green beans
1/4 jar of capers and their juice
1 tablespoon of jalapeno jelly
Cook the pasta. Drain off most of the water and add the noodles to
the sauce to soak in.
Cathy Richards with Deborah Leach
Tip—use the rest of the jar of jalapeno jelly and capers for the
appetizer with another meal.
SNAPPY APPI
Set out an array of ingredients and let paddlers build their own
appetizer:
Stoned wheat thins with red pepper
Very finely sliced Vidalia sweet onions
Capers
Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese or Jarlsberg cheese
Jalapeno jelly
THE BEST BREAKFAST!
Make whole wheat pancakes to top with canned blueberries and
real maple syrup.
Bring along cornstarch in a zip lock bag—about 2 tbsp dissolved
in a little cold water will thicken one can of berries when you warm
them in a pot over the fire. Grate in some orange rind as a finishing
touch. Top with pecans or walnuts to boost your paddling power. ❏
© Deborah Leach is a health
promotion consultant in
Victoria, BC.
One kit, 60 hours,
a lifetime of
ADVENTURE
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discriminating paddler who prefers the
beauty, light weight and efficiency of a
wooden kayak.
• Kits include only the highest
quality materials.
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Ph: 775-882-2535 www.LightPerformanceWorks.com
• Easily built by anyone with
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You can
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Email: kayak@royfolland.com
www.royfolland.com
2000 E. Clearview Dr. Carson City, NV 89701 Fax: 775-882-2760
34
From the Archipelago
Rivers of Life and Death
Story and photo by Alexandra Morton
T
he warm breeze carried the
away from its wild perfection.
smell of mint and rotting
However, we hope that by profish as Claudia, Glen and I foltecting DNA from the naturally
lowed the latest path of the
very high mortality that salmon
Viner River. Every few years the
suffer during their life as eggs
river, seemingly tired of forever
and freshly hatched alevins,
bending the same way, carves
we can maintain a fish popua new sluiceway. When we ran
lation while its river stabilizes.
out of water, we slipped overWhen a river’s banks are
board up to our waists, leadlogged, the first round of iming the boats like obedient
pact can come from the loss of
water ponies, tethering them to
living trees. Trees keep water
the mud bank.
temperatures low with their
The ravens were talking.
shading branches, and even
Cackles, bells, screams and
more important, their roots
growls came from the treetops.
slow the effects of the rainfall,
They have a language that is
preventing floods. When a matheirs alone, though the rest of Spawning chum salmon.
ture tree falls across a river, it
the forest listens to them
creates essential habitat for
closely. They are the sentinels and many
to declining pink salmon stocks in some arsalmon. A river without logs across it scours
furry ears no doubt understood the sounds
eas? We don’t know.
all life away, so a second impact is from
coming from the treetops—‘humans are
Glen dragged the beach seine onto a
the lack of dying trees. The Viner River was
here on the banks of our banquet’.
small gravel bar and Claudia waded to her
once home to more than 70,000 chum
The Viner River cuts deep into the westarmpits, careful not to lose her footing in
salmon; now only hundreds come her way.
ern shore of Gilford Island, originating from
the relentless seaward flow. The bright,
But this is up from tens, so we are hopeful.
a mere crease on the west face of Mount
white cork floats on the net snaked out into
There is no substitute for a truly wild run,
Reid. It is a gentle river, wide-hipped and
the dark brown water. The pool was still. A
but in the face of all we have done to the
alder-shaded, the perfect place for chum
young raven sat in the enormous spruce
salmon, taking a small proportion of fish
salmon to spawn. Chums are large, with
towering over the pool, watching us. As the
out of a run and boosting survival rates in a
slender tail stocks, not nearly as athletic as
net came ashore, the dark water we had
hatchery, may give fish the precious time
the coho or chinook. We could see their
corralled began to swirl, then froth, then
that will make the difference.
silver, tiger-striped forms streaming up river,
come alive as fifteen chum salmon came
Most of the fish in the net had already
resting beneath sweeps of cedar and fir that
to us. They slithered up the beach, over the
spawned, and so we only counted them,
overhung the bank, digging redds (nests)
net and against our legs.
checked their condition and then released
and chasing each other.
We were there to take some eggs to rear
them. A stunning, deeply-reddened coho
Every few steps I passed pieces of chum
in a hatchery. Hatcheries are rightfully comwas released along with one lone male pink
salmon, flesh-stripped jaws revealing feroing under increasing scrutiny. Once a husalmon. The coho had a lovely hump and
cious, white, curved teeth. Heads with magman decides which fish should combine
would be considered ever so handsome by
gots teeming in empty eye sockets and deeggs and sperm, the fish population drifts
a female if only there was one to catch his ➝
caying into the ground. A fin here, a tail
there, tufts of eagle down fluttering against
decomposing scales. The nutrient bearers
were here and all were doing their part to
spread the riches up and down the food
odyssey@island.net
chain.
There was one carcass left intact, scarcely
www.odysseykayaking.com
covered with grass and alder leaves. “Grizzly did that”, Glen commented. All around,
carcasses were shredded, claimed, devoured, but none had touched this one set
aside by a grizzly bear. In the end the magGIVE US A CALL
gots got it.
Grizzly bears are rare on Gilford Island.
if you’re planning a paddling
Every few years the guys in my community
trip on Northern Vancouver
argue whether they are here or not, but this
Island or the Central Coast.
year grizzlies have been seen and their sign
is becoming more common. They have also
been seen on more of the islands near west1-888-792-3366
Serving Port Hardy, Port McNeil
ern Knight Inlet and on Vancouver Island.
and Telegraph Cove
250-902-0565
Are their movements natural or in response
ODYSSEY KAYAKING
35
eye. His hump would proclaim his successful life—“I went to sea and returned with
this much extra”—demonstrating his genes
were the best.
Several chums were over 30 pounds. The
new arrivals were silver bright, the spawners
were an alternating pattern of maroon and
black, and the spawned-out ones were
rough-skinned and white. The males knew
how to use their teeth and one turned and
bit me. I hurt but I had deserved it, and with
blood running down my arm, I felt connected for an instant to a fish that held my
greatest respect.
Wolves howled nearby and the weight
of eagles perched above us sent small twigs
falling into the river around us. The pulse
of life was visible with every flash of salmon
running up the river.
In contrast, a few weeks earlier I had
stood on a bridge overlooking a stretch of
spawning gravel as wide as a highway. The
light had been perfect for seeing into the
river, shallow for lack of water in the late
summer sun. I had seen two trout and four
coho seek cover under the bridge, but the
stones of the Wahpeeto River, tributary to
the Wakeman River, had borne no sign of
pink salmon.
Pink salmon are well known for their prodigious ability to move rocks. They are
!
E
V
I
AL
Orcinus orca
AKA Killer Whale SOUTHERN RESIDENT
Ardea herodias
AKA
Great Blue Heron
Haliotis kamtschatkana
AKA
Northern Abalone
Sebastes species
AKA
Rockfish
These critters are in big trouble! Three of them are endangered,
threatened or of “special concern” and the fourth is under special review.
Toxic chemicals, vessel traffic, oil spills and overfishing are all taking a
toll. Your help is needed to ensure they stay alive.
Likely whereabouts: the Orca Pass International Stewardship Area
in the transboundary waters of BC and Washington.
Join the posse! Support the Orca Pass International Stewardship Area.
REWARD! Your grandchildren will thank you.
Georgia Strait Alliance
250-753-3459 gsa@GeorgiaStrait.org
www.GeorgiaStrait.org
36
small, but so abundant that they are major
architects in the rivers where they spawn.
But there, each smooth stone wore a blanket of algae, like the dusting of new fallen
snow. These pebbles had not felt the caress
of female salmon digging nests to lay their
eggs.
A set of grizzly tracks showed the bear
had not turned, had not entered the river,
had not found any food here. There was
one fish jaw on the beach, but no scent, no
eagles, no seagulls, only one lone water
ouzel, a dipper slipping beneath the water
searching for eggs.
It is hard to prove the absence of something in science, but the scene below me
spoke more eloquently than I ever could.
No pulse was beating here. No nutrients
were coming upstream here, only running
down. The insects required to feed the coho
and chinook salmon, which stay a year in
the rivers before going to sea, were not
hatching, no insect eggs were being laid in
rich salmon flesh. Another 12 months
would pass before food could come upstream again. Lean times were upon the
Wakeman Valley.
Pink salmon were down 80-90% for the
second consecutive year in the Broughton
Archipelago. These diminished stocks could
not replenish themselves nor their rivers.
Some who make their living in the
Broughton think we should not talk about
our problems because this might hurt tourism. I can understand their point. But the
Broughton is no less beautiful in her hour
of need.
She stands before me now in shades of
swirling grey, deep forest greens and silver
seas. Her white clam beaches are just as
inviting, loons still call and wolves still
howl. But without the currency of tourism,
I think she will be traded away to an industry designed towards boom and bust, yet
capable of leaving fatal tracks.
So I invite you all to paddle here. Fall in
love and breathe life into her. Come to the
Broughton as never before, help strengthen
tourism, put the Broughton on the map as
the place to see, and maybe you will do
what I have not been able to. Maybe you
will carry life into these waters as the
salmon should. Maybe each one of you has
become essential to this place. ❏
© Alexandra Morton (R.P.Bio)
is a marine mammal scientist
and author in BC’s
Broughton Archipelago.
www.raincoastresearch.org.
Editor’s note: if you’re thinking of visiting the
Broughton, check out Bill Proctor’s new book,
Full Moon, Flood Tide from Harbour Publishing.
See our last issue online for the review.
Sea Lice and Juvenile Salmon: Fatal Combination
Article and photo
by Alexandra Morton
A
s the planet’s most intelligent species, we have been slow to
upriver by spawning salmon. As a result the coast is clear of lice
learn that breaking natural laws comes at a terrible price.
when the baby fish appear in the spring. But tying a salmon farm to
Over the past three years, I have studshore is like building a heated subdivision
ied the sea lice epidemics that have
in the tundra. Now instead of dying off, the
emerged in the waters around my home
lice over-winter, multiplying relentlessly on
in the Broughton Archipelago, located off
the merry-go-round of confined fish, releasthe northeast coast of Vancouver Island.
ing billions of larvae to feed on the tiny
Concurrent with these epidemics has been
pinks and chums in spring. The biological
the greatest collapses of pink salmon numprinciple sustaining both louse and fish has
bers in recorded history.
2.1 gram pink salmon that died with one louse. been shattered, resulting in plague and pesIs there correlation between the proliftilence. When will we ever learn?
eration of salmon farms, sea lice epidemics and the collapse of
The fish farmers’ attempt to reduce lice with the pesticide SLICE
wild salmon stocks? I believe so, as do a number of international
solves nothing, while generating a bigger problem. When a pink
respected scientists, some employed by the federal Department of
salmon dies of fewer lice, it is just as dead, and we can expect
Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
SLICE to indiscriminately kill the essential food species young
Our politicians can no longer risk the optics of ignoring this little
salmon depend on, as well as our shrimp and prawns—in fact, all
pest. Absolutely everywhere net-cage salmon farming is practiced,
crustaceans.
lice outbreaks occur. The management of this parasite has become
Surely, destroying wild salmon is not a requirement to farm
critical to conserving the last wild salmon stocks in Canada, Scotsalmon. The solution is uncomplicated; salmon farms and very
land, Norway and Ireland.
young wild salmon must never meet. Currently salmon farms are
Sea lice are not ugly or nasty. For a parasite they are positively
located deep in the best wild salmon nursery grounds of BC, and
chaste, turning out astonishingly few offspring. Scientists marvel
this is not working. The farm salmon are dying of viruses and the
that they exist at all. To the lice, each fish is a planet unto itself, safe
wild salmon are dying covered in lice. Because salmon farms can
haven from the abyss. Youngsters are forced to disperse. They must
be moved and better contained, and our wild salmon cannot, the
sink or swim in the dog-eat-dog world of the plankton layer before
answer is clear: move the farms and better contain them. Our pogrowing what it takes to latch onto a fish.
litical leaders and DFO will have to be pressured to take this step,
because from here in the Broughton, it is painfully clear that wild
L. salmonis, the louse, gambled and has become a specialist. As its
salmon will not survive unless we, the people who value them,
name implies, it can only attach to salmon. On an adult salmon its
touch is light, as it does not want to kill its planet. But for tiny pink
ensure this happens. ❏
© Alexandra Morton, R.P.Bio, has been observing, recording and reporting
and chum smolts first voyaging to sea, even one louse can be fatal.
on salmon farming since 1987 when the first farms came to her area.
In Norway, scientists are encouraged to study sea lice on salmon
farms for the express purpose of protecting wild salmon, because
where salmon farms operate in their long narrow fjords, wild salmon
decline by 98%. The cause is considered to be lice. They found
that young Atlantic salmonids can survive with about one louse for
each gram of their weight. These salmon species spend a year or
more in rivers so when they enter the sea they are large enough to
bear about 10 lice. Norway mandates stiff measures on salmon
farms to try to keep lice on nearby wild salmon below that number.
In BC, however, this limit on lice cannot work, as pink and chum
salmon are much smaller than any other salmon when they go to
sea. Pinks and chum are newly hatched when they leave their natal rivers, and in the Broughton Archipelago weigh about 0.3 of a
gram when they reach the fish farms. This means they are likely
much too small to survive even a single louse.
Sea lice are a natural phenomenon, but they die when carried
LEADERSHIP COURSES
in Tofino, BC
with Dan Lewis & Bonny Glambeck
of Rainforest Kayak Adventures
Assistant Guides Course–2004
May 1-9
May 15-23
September 4-12
Plan ahead!
Call toll-free 1-877-422-WILD
www.rainforestkayak.com
37
BOOKS
Voyage of the
Dreamspeaker:
Vancouver/Desolation
Sound Highlights
by Anne & Laurence
Yeadon-Jones
Harbour Publishing,
2003
ISBN 1-55017-297-2
208 pp, color photos
and maps, $42.95 Cdn hardcover
www.harbourpublishing.com
In a departure from their previous cruising guides, this latest volume from Anne
and Laurence Yeadon-Jones is a more personal account of a four month trip spent
revisiting favorite anchorages and friends
between their home base in Vancouver and
Desolation Sound to the north.
Each of the fourteen chapters hops another step up the coast, taking a close look
at the pleasures, both cultural and natural,
to be found along the way, and introducing us to some of the people who have
made the coast their home.
Illustrated by color photos and Laurence’s
hand drawn maps, Voyage of the
Dreamspeaker is a wonderful read for armchair travelers or for all of us who share
Anne and Laurence’s love of the BC coast.
Previous titles in the Dreamspeaker
Cruising Guide series: Gulf Islands & Vancouver Island from Sooke to Nanaimo,
Desolation Sound & the Discovery Islands,
and Howe Sound & the Sunshine Coast.
Unnatural Law:
Rethinking Canadian
Environmental Law and
Policy
by David R. Boyd
UBC Press, 2003
ISBN 0-7748-1049-1
(paper), 416 pp
$29.95 Cdn softcover
A Guide to Sea Kayaking
in Newfoundland &
Labrador
by Kevin Redmond and
Dan Murphy
Nimbus, 2003
ISBN 1-55109-434-7
200 pp, color photos and
maps, $21.95 Cdn
softcover, www.nimbus.ns.ca
Actively involved in outdoor education
and paddling, the authors of this guide are
well qualified to inform and instruct those
who are considering sea kayaking on the
rocky eastern coast of Canada.
In the first four chapters they provide interesting information about the Newfoundland coastline, the natural history of the
region, ocean hazards, and preparing for
sea kayaking in general.
The second section contains specific information about more than fifty paddling
routes in five areas of the province: Labrador, Northern Peninsula/West Coast, South
Coast, Avalon and North East Coast.
The details of each trip are organized under consistent headings and accompanied
by a clear map. Although designed for sea
kayakers, this guide is a valuable and entertaining source of information for anyone
wanting to explore the remote areas of
Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s beautifully
illustrated with color photographs, serving
as an excellent introduction to this amazing coastline.
While the Canadian government asserts
that Canada is a world leader in
sustainability, Unnatural Law provides extensive evidence to refute this claim. This
comprehensive assessment of the strengths
and weaknesses of Canadian environmental law provides a balanced, critical examination of Canada’s record, focusing on laws
and policies intended to protect water, air,
land and biodiversity.
Although David Boyd has undertaken a
daunting task, the book is surprisingly accessible, well-written, and persuasive. Boyd
massively documents the facts every step
of the way, leaving the reader with no doubt
of the truth of the matter: that Canada is in
the rearguard of environmental law.
He notes that in a recent University of
Victoria study of environmental indicators
of 28 industrialized countries, Canada was
not among the top five in any category and
among the five worst countries on seventeen of the indicators. Despite enormously
high public support for strong environmental qualities and policies, the government
is clearly not doing enough. ❏
Reviews by Diana Mumford and Alan Wilson
BAJA MEXICO KAYAK TOURS
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See itineraries at www.gck.ca
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38
Silva Bay—Gabriola Island, BC
Cottages, Campground, Fuel, Moorage,
Laundromat, Showers, Diveshop,
Artwork, Charts, Books and
PRIME PADDLING!
ADVENTURE
OUTFITTERS
Flat Top Islands and
Drumbeg Provincial Park.
Also 2–9 day summer trips to:
• Johnstone Strait/Knight Inlet
• Queen Charlottes
• Clayoquot Sound
• Nootka Island
• Broken Group
• or Gulf Islands Weekends
www.gck.ca
910 Clarendon Rd., Gabriola Island, BC CANADA V0R 1X1
PH: 250-247-8277
PAGE’S RESORT MARINA
FAX: 250-247-9788
Established 1943
Call 250-247-8931
www.pagesresort.com
NEW KAYAKS & GREAT GEAR
ADJUSTABLE FOOT BRACE
FOLBOT ANNOUNCES BIRTH OF TRIPLETS
The Edisto is three boats in one: an open canoe with
easy access, a mini-skirted casual craft for calm waters,
and a fully enclosed ocean kayak with sprayskirt for the
rough going.
Born October 15th, 2003, the triplets weight 39 lbs, are
12’-6” long, with a beam of 30”. They are collapsable and
portable in carry bags or a backpack. The deck is coated
polyester. Hull is hypalon.
Introductory price (till February 27th, 2004): $1300 US.
Regular price: $1600 US. Contact the ‘little folding kayak
company inc.’, Canada’s exclusive Folbot Agent, toll free at
1-866-202-5343. www.folbot.com.
The SEA-DOG kayak
foot brace has 14” of adjustable travel in half inch
increments. Track, adjustment
rod and mounting clamps are
molded polypropylene. Stainless steel mounting hardware is
designed to retrofit most existing foot brace systems. Adjusting mechanism is maintenance free, selfcleaning and corrosion resistant. Easily adaptable to a
rudder control systems. Retail $36 US. Contact Matt Poischbeg
of SEA-DOG, Everett Washington, at sealect@nwlink.com, 425754 6153, www.sealect-usa.com. ❏
Go Undercover
Protect your investment!
SEMI-CUSTOM KAYAK COVERS
Various color options available
www.toughduckmarine.com
info@toughduckmarine.com
1.888.246.3850
JOLLY GOOD
CRABTRAP
A jolly good Christmas
present for the paddler in
your household is this
paddler’s crabtrap. It’s
30x40cm, made of 5/16” solid stainless steel, with
lifetime waranty. $49.99 Cdn retail. Buoy package (bait
bag, buoy, 60 ft. of line) is $14.99.
Contact Ray Surette, Ladysmith BC
250-245-7407 www.jollygoodtrap.com.
www.klepper.com
amscgyca@telus.net
Average time of assembly
39
© Chris Jones photo
NEWS
Les Ecrehous landfall.
EUROPEAN KAYAK SYMPOSIUM
Jersey Canoe Club’s 7th European
Seakayaking Symposium will be held in
Jersey Channel Islands (UK) May 28-31,
2004. Following three days of workshops
and paddling, participants will be able to
explore the coast and, depending on skills
and weather, paddle to the amazing islet
of Les Ecrehous 7 miles offshore, or even
Sark and Les Minquiers reefs 12 miles distant. Those who enjoy surf will have the opportunity to practice their skills at St. Ouens’
Bay, while the spectacular North coast,
where river and sea interlink, offers the
chance to undertake moving water skills.
For information contact Kevin Mansell,
Lesvrech, La Rue de La Corbiere, St.
Brelade, JE3 8HU, Jersey, United Kingdom.
Tel: UK 44 (0)1534 745936. Email:
kevin@seapaddler.co.uk.
ALASKA AND BACK
This fall, brothers Garth and Kevin Irwin
completed a major sea kayak expedition,
paddling to Glacier Bay, Alaska from Victoria BC, via the Inside Passage, and then
back to Victoria via the outer coast. The trip
was an amazing feat and Garth has recently
finished his website which documents the
journey. You can find information about the
planning process and a variety of slide
shows that document each leg of the journey: www.cankiwiskayak.com.
PADDLERS FOR PARTS
The Paddlers for Parts Association is a
group of sea kayakers and white water
paddlers based in Yellowknife, Northwest
Territories, which promotes organ and tissue donation and supports the aims of the
Kidney Foundation of Canada. Each year
the group undertakes a 1000 mile journey
either by kayak, canoe, bicycle or foot, in
an effort to raise funds for the Kidney Foundation. Their mission is to promote organ
and tissue donation, while promoting paddling. As a non-profit organization, they
raise funds to support the “Paddlers Bursary
Fund” which provides grants to mature students living with kidney disease who are
attempting to improve their lives through
education. See www.paddlersforparts.ca/.
20TH ANNUAL SUCCESS
The 20th annual West Coast Sea Kayak
Symposium at Port Townsend, Washington
this fall was enjoyed by almost 1500 registered attendees and thousands of curious
onlookers. Organized by the Trade Association of Paddlesports (TAPS), sixty-four exhibitors displayed kayaks and related gear,
under clear blue skies and 70°F+ temperatures. On-water instructors taught a wide
range of courses to beginners as well as seasoned sea kayakers. Land-based presentations covered a full spectrum, ranging from
practical knot tying to planning an international expedition. The beach was crowded
with eager participants trying the newest
kayaks, canoes and recreational boats. At
times, the biggest challenge was finding
enough water to paddle, as hundreds of
boats crisscrossed the patrolled demo area.
The 2004 event will be held September 1719, 2004. www.gopaddle.org. See photo
page 41.
DRAGON BOAT CHAMPIONSHIPS
Posnan, Poland this year played host to
the World Nation’s Cup Dragonboat Championships, the officially sanctioned world
championship by the International Dragon
Boat Federation. Canada won the Nation’s
Cup for the second time. The cup is awarded
to the country whose premier teams win
the most points during the competition. The
Canadian men’s premier team finished 1st
in 1000m, 5th in 250m and 500m. The
women’s premier team finished 1st in
250m, 2nd in 1000m and 3rd in 500m. The
premier mixed team finished 1st in 500m,
2nd in 250m. Next year’s Nation’s Cup will
be hosted by Shanghai in October 2004.
Thanks to Karen Lukanovich of Simon
River Sports, www.simonriversports.com,
who is a proud member of the team.
GUIDES ALLIANCE CHANGES
The 2003 Annual General Meeting of the
Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC elected
new members to the executive. Sue Handel
has been elected Coordinating Director.
Andrew Jones and Matt Bowes have been
elected as Members at Large. More at
www.skgabc.com.
HOOD CANAL WEB CAM
If you’re planning to paddle in Hood Canal, Washington, check out Kayak Hood
Canal’s new website. Their web cam is
pointed at the Great Bend of the Hood Canal and the Olympic Peaks. The Cam updates every 5 minutes. www.kayak
hoodcanal.com.
INNOVATIVE KAYAK STORE
Now entering its second year, BC Dive
and Kayak Adventures of Vancouver is already the top Seaward Kayak dealer in BC.
Guided in their development by Paul German (long time guide/instructor), the store
has developed new programs for buyers.
It’s the only kayak store offering a six month,
no interest/no payment plan as well as an
innovative Cash Back program (you get up
to 50% of your money back after three
years, no strings attached, if you remember
to mail in the coupons). Check out their
December Sale at 1695 West 4th Ave. Vancouver, 604-732-1344, www.bcdive.com.
NEW CONSERVATION AREAS
Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Jean
Chretien and BC Premier Gordon Campbell
recently announced their agreement to create three new national conservation areas
in BC over the next several years, including the proposed southern Okanagan National Park, and marine conservation areas
in Gwaii Haanas (Queen Charlotte Islands)
and the southern Strait of Georgia. The
southern Strait of Georgia conservation area
40
Courtesy of the Trade Association of Paddlesports
Busy beach at the 20th annual West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, Port Townsend.
will likely overlap geographically with the
Orca Pass International Stewardship Area
in the southern Gulf Islands and the San
Juan Islands, which is proposed by a coalition of citizens’ groups.
HISTORIC AGREEMENT
The Heiltsuk Nation and the Province of
BC have signed a Cooperative Management
Agreement for the Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy Area on BC’s Central Coast. The
area encompasses 70,000 hectares of marine waters and 50,000 hectares of terrestrial coastal environments that are home to
a wide array of species. The offshore banks
and waters surrounding the island archipelagos support kelp beds, grey and humpback whales, orcas, Pacific white-sided
dolphins, Stellar sea lions, a variety of sea
birds, including Brants, Rhinoceros Auklets
and Sandhill Cranes, as well as a renowned
salmon run in Hakai Pass. The Goose Group
of islands is particularly significant as it is
home to one of only two sea otter colonies
on the coast, as well as many sea bird colonies. The Conservancy Area is the largest
marine protected area on the BC coast and
accessible via BC Ferries’ Discovery Coast
ferry route from Vancouver Island. See
www.bcferries.com.
AQUATIC RESERVES DESIGNATED
Washington State’s Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland has designated
four sensitive areas of Puget Sound as
aquatic reserves and given special protections to two spots in Commencement Bay.
Sutherland said the protections are necessary to bolster the health of the Sound’s
marine life, which is faltering under the
pressure of urbanization, pollution, overfishing and population growth. The moves
mean the state will not lease state-owned
underwater land for marinas or other waterfront property uses.
COASTAL PROTECTION SIGNED
This fall, outgoing Governor Gray Davis
of California signed three bills that protect
California’s coast from cruise ship dumping and noise pollution from motorboats.
Among the bills are some of the strongest
laws in the nation dealing with discharges
from passenger ships. The two cruise pollution bills will ban cruise ships from
dumping oily bilge water, sewage sludge,
and hazardous wastes such as dry cleaning, photo chemicals and medical wastes.
Davis also requested a federal ban of discharges in four national marine sanctuaries along the coast. The bills require cruise
ships to report dumping such wastes to the
state within 24 hours, and impose $25,000
penalties for violating the law.
The Quiet Waters Act gives coastal waters the same level of protection from motorboat noise pollution as inland waters;
provides officials with safer, more efficient
techniques for measuring and enforcing
maximum noise levels for motorboats; and
extends existing motorboat noise limits to
include coastal waters within one mile of
the California coastline. For more: Teri
Shore, Clean Vessels Campaign Director,
Bluewater Network, San Francisco:
www.bluewaternetwork.org.
SALMON FARMS BANNED
Outgoing Governor Gray Davis has
signed into law a bill that formally bans
salmon farming in California waters. The
bill prohibits exotic species, salmonids and
transgenic fish from state waters. The implications of this legislation on aquaculture
development in the US has salmon farmers
very concerned.
CELEBRITIES FOR THE OCEANS
A group of 20 Hollywood celebrities has
joined the Shifting Baselines Campaign to
create a new public service announcement
spotlighting ocean decline. Check out
www.shiftingbaselines.org. Shifting Baselines is a partnership of The Ocean Conservancy, Scripps Institution of Oceanog- ➝
41
raphy, Surfrider Foundation, The Hertzberg
Foundation, and USC Wrigley Institute for
Environmental Studies.
LUNA TO BE RELOCATED
US and Canadian officials have agreed
to work together to bring the isolated young
male orca, Luna, back to his family, L pod
of the southern resident orca community.
This cross-agency, cross-border collaboration is a testament to the widespread public desire to help Luna and in so doing help
restore his family. But the effort has been
plagued with a variety of problems including lack of funding. As of press time, the
situation was still unresolved. Check
www.orcanetwork.org for updates.
OCEANS EXHAUSTED
In the September issue of Audubon magazine, Ted Williams covers the release of the
very important Pew Oceans Commission
report in his article entitled “The Exhausted
Sea”. See: magazine.audubon.org/incite/
incite0309.html.
FLOOD DAMAGE
Shut down and seriously damaged by
flooding of the Cheakamus River, the North
Vancouver Outdoor School (NVOS) in Paradise Valley north of Squamish, BC is asking
for aid. It has been British Columbia’s foremost environmental education field school
for over 30 years and a model for salmon
habitat restoration for over 20 years. Its
Coast Salish Bighouse has offered an awardwinning aboriginal education program for
almost two decades. Each year 5000 elementary school students, over 300 secondary school leadership trainees, and over
6000 eco-tourists, educators and retreat
participants experience this 165-hectare site
and its trail network, animal farm, ponds,
salmon hatchery, and winter gathering of
bald eagles in thousand year-old cedars.
Flood pictures can be viewed at
gallery.nvosas.ca/album10.
NVOS needs at least $250,000 immediately if it is to avoid further damage, get
programs running safely again, and repair
salmon habitat. Cheques made out to “Van-
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42
DJ03/04
couver Foundation for the NVOS Recovery
Fund” can be sent to Vancouver Foundation, attn: Linda Caisley, 1200 - 555 West
Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N6.
Donors will receive tax receipts.
WORKING FORESTS WON’T WORK
BC’s Liberal government has pushed the
Working Forest “Enabling” Legislation
through its second reading, ignoring the
input of local communities. The Union of
BC Indian Chiefs, dozens of First Nations
and the First Nations Treaty Summit (representing the vast majority of First Nations
bands in BC) have signed a joint statement
against the Working Forest Initiative and
other forestry privatization policies.
The government’s own report on its public consultation process states that 97% of
2700 respondents rejected their Working
Forest proposal, while only 1% supported
it. The Bill is fundamentally undemocratic,
as it gives sweeping, all-encompassing
powers to Cabinet to determine what happens to public lands and resources. It allows the Cabinet to make Crown Land use
designations and resource allocations to
private interests through Orders-in-Council, circumventing legislative debate and
media scrutiny about proposed legislation.
The Working Forest Initiative is designed to
give the timber industry “certainty” over
public lands but it would undermine the
establishment of new parks and forest protections on BC’s public lands, facilitate the
sell-off of Crown forest lands to private interests, and undermine fair and just First Nations land settlements. For more info,
www.workingforest.org or contact Ken Wu,
WCWC Victoria: 250-514-9910.
MAPS ONLINE
Check out www.livingoceans.org/
oog_maps.htm for maps related to proposed
Offshore Oil and Gas development, Rare,
Threatened, & Endangered Species, Herring
Spawn Shorelines, Anadromous Estuaries,
Benthic Complexity, Seabirds and more.
PINK SALMON MISSING AGAIN
While pink salmon returned this fall in
healthy numbers along most of the BC
coast, the rivers of the Broughton Archipelago, off northeast Vancouver Island, remained virtually empty for the second year
in a row.
While the Department of Fisheries and
Oceans has downplayed the issue, its own
data shows a drastic decline in four rivers
and a substantial decline worthy of concern in three others.
“My research predicted a 90 per cent
collapse of these salmon as a result of epidemic sea lice infections that are only found
near fish farms,” says Alexandra Morton,
biologist and independent researcher who
lives and works in the region. “In the
streams closest to the fish farms, this is exactly what we are seeing.” (For more, see
page 37.)
With growing evidence that fish farms
cause sea lice outbreaks, which in turn infect and often kill juvenile wild salmon,
many people are wondering why the federal and provincial governments are allowing open net-cage fish farms to expand on
this coast.
To view a map of the Broughton Archipelago showing the affected streams and
the location of the fish farms visit
www.farmedanddangerous.org/maps.php.
STUDY SLAMS FISH FARMS
A Stanford University study shows that
salmon farming poses a significant threat
to salmon fisheries in the Pacific Northwest.
Writing in the October issue of Environment magazine, the research team found
that since the late 1980s, the market share
of wild-caught salmon from Alaska, British
Columbia and Washington state has been
steadily eroded by fish farming.
The impact has been particularly devastating in Alaska, where salmon farming is
banned, and 10 percent of the workforce is
employed in some aspect of salmon fishing.
Alaska’s share of the global salmon market
has been more than cut in half, mainly because of competition from salmon farms.
In response, the Alaska state government
recently declared a state of emergency and
offered commercial salmon fishers a series
of financial relief programs.
Market decline is only one of the issues,
however. The report cites instances where
lice, viruses and other pathogens from fish
farms have contaminated wild salmon
stocks swimming nearby.
Even more serious is the ecological risk
to wild salmon from the escape of farm fish
from netpen facilities. Well over a million
salmon have escaped from farms in Washington and BC during the past decade.
“Escapees are capable of establishing and
reproducing in the wild and competing with
wild salmon populations for food and habitat,” says the report. Atlantic salmon have
been found in dozens of rivers and lakes
throughout BC and Alaska. The report also
found that open netpen aquaculture can
threaten other organisms by releasing untreated nutrients, chemicals and pharmaceuticals into the marine ecosystem.
“Unless some actions are taken on a national and international level, local communities and ecosystems will remain at
high risk from the expansion of the global
aquaculture industry,” the report concludes.
For more, contact: Mark Shwartz:
mshwartz@stanford.edu,650-723-9296.
FISH FARM AD
GETS ATTENTION
BC’s Coastal Alliance for
Aquaculture Reform has
launched a major market
campaign in the USA with a large
ad in the New York Times. This has
generated an enormous amount of
attention in the media and from the
salmon farmers!
www.farmedanddangerous.org.
FORCING FISH FARMING ON BC
Despite unanimous opposition from the
Union of BC Municipalities, the BC provincial government has passed Bill 48, which
allows Cabinet ministers to override local
government decisions that restrict fish farming practices in their communities. Bill 48
allows the province to designate coastal wa-
ters as farming areas where the ‘Right to Farm
Act’ will apply, giving the aquaculture industry protection against local bylaws and
nuisance suits, removing the right of local
governments to restrict fish farming practices.
For more info: www.GeorgiaStrait.org or
Suzanne Connell at 250-381-8321. ❏
43
BED & BREAKFAST ON THE BEACH
Gabriola’s south coast paradise.
Beachfront. Wildlife. Hot tub.
Gabriola Island, BC
• KAYAK RENTALS •
Ph/Fax: 250/247-9824
www.island.net/~casablan
Ph/Fax: 250-539-5553
RENTALS, TOURS, LESSONS
rbruce@gulfislands.com
121 Boot Cove Rd.
Saturna Island, BC V0N 2Y0
Explore the Western Edge of
Vancouver Island!
Kayak Nuchatlitz & Kyuquot:
Rentals, Tours, Transport, Water
taxi to Nootka Trail, 250-761-4137
www.zeballoskayaks.com
Mason’s Lodge, a haven for paddlers
Rooms & Restaurant, 250-761-4044
www.masonslodge.zeballos.bc.ca
Gwaii Haanas
“Place of Wonder”
Six-day Wilderness Voyages
Mothership Kayaking
Archipelago Ventures Ltd.
Queen Charlotte Islands Haida Gwaii
www.island.net/~archipel
Toll free 1-888-559-8317
AWESOME KAYAKING—FREE CAMPING
We Simply Offer a Better Experience!!
Excellent equipment, superior service
since 1991. Sechelt, BC
(at Tillicum Bay Marina).
SEA KAYAK & CANOE RENTALS, SALES, LESSONS, TOURS
info@pedalspaddles.com
www.pedalspaddles.com
BOOK AHEAD: 1-866-885-6440 or (604)885-6440
ANDALE KAYAKING
Salt Spring Island
Your north end Kayaking Connection. Rentals,
lessons, tours, kids’ boats. Wallace Island Marine
Park–1 mile away. St. Mary’s Lake nearby for
beginner and kids’ lessons. A variety of drop-off
and pick-up sites. We make kayaking fun and safe!
250-537-0700 (Apr–Oct)
allanmather@hotmail.com
ODYSSEY KAYAKING
LTD.
Toll free 1-888-792-3366
250-902-0565
odyssey@island.net
www.odysseykayaking.com
Belhaven Bed and Breakfast
Quadra Island, BC
Conveniently located in Heriot Bay, with a
panoramic ocean view. After your day of
paddling, stroll through the country garden or
relax in the hammock and watch the moon
rise over Rebecca Spit. All rooms ensuite.
250-285-3709 stay@belhavenbandb.com
GAIN ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
Plants & animals of rainforest, ocean, lake.
Instructor has 15 yrs experience as
BC Nature Interpreter/Biologist
ISLAND DISCOVERY & TRAINING
www.naturepark.com/kayak
250-716-1772
Nanaimo, BC
Different Seasons,
Different Seas
Come with us to Alaska, BC and Baja, Mexico for diving,
kayaking, whale watching & on-shore wilderness
excursions. Savour the comfort of our staterooms, the
taste of our hearty gourmet fare and the easygoing
camaraderie of like-minded adventurers.
www.nautilusexplorer.com
sales@nautilusexplorer.com
Toll Free: 1-888-434-8322
If you’re planning a paddling trip near
Northern Vancouver Island or the
Central Coast, RENT from us.
Sea kayak trips amid tropical
coral reefs & white sand beaches
of a Caribbean wilderness isle.
Tel: 831-786-0406
wpi@vena.com
www.westpeakinn.com
Tree Island Kayaking 3025 Comox Rd.
Courtenay, BC
V9N 3P7
tree@island.net
www.island.net/~tree
May to October
1-866-339-1733 or 250-339-0580
Rentals • Lessons • Tours • Necky Sales
VARGAS ISLAND INN
Affordable Wilderness Resort accommodation
in Clayoquot Sound on Vargas Island beachfront.
• 5k N.W. Tofino • Ideal for kayakers • Inn &
cabins • All self-catering • Passenger & kayak
transport from Tofino available • Lots to do!
CALL 250-725-3309
The February/March issue
of WaveLength will feature
‘Cultures of the Coast’
Following the huge interest in our last
First Nations issue, we again look at
traditional cultures of the Pacific
Northwest, including a Directory of
Eco-Cultural Tourism listing First
Nations tourism operations and related
cultural and community services.
COSTA RICA ECO ADVENTURES!
Kayak & Snorkel in the Nicoya Peninsula
Wildlife Watching in Tortuguero Nat’l Park
Volcanoes, Waterfalls, Hotsprings
Options for rafting, surfing, cycling
1-888-529-2567 or 250-537-2553
www.islandescapades.com
escapades@saltspring.com
Your home base
for Exceptional
GULF ISLANDS
Paddling!
Kayak Rentals, Lessons and Guided Tours.
Accommodation/Kayaking packages available.
www.bluevistaresort.com
1-877-535-2424
BEARS! WHALES! CULTURE!
Community owned & operated ecotours in
the heart of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest
Kayak rentals, transportation, accommodation
Klemtu Tourism Ltd.
1- 877-644-2346
info@klemtutourism.com
www.klemtutourism.com
MAYNE ISLAND KAYAK & CANOE RENTALS INC.
KAYAKING AT ITS BEST!
Rentals/Marine Tours/Lessons/Sales/Bicycles
Complimentary Ferry pick-up. Open year round.
A variety of accommodations available.
C-54 Miners Bay, Mayne Island, BC
Canada V0N 2J0
Tel/Fax: 250 539-5599
maynekayak@gulfislands.com
www.maynekayak.com
Southern Exposure
Abel Tasman National Park specialists,
New Zealand. Sea Kayak, Guided Tours,
Rentals, Backpackers, Water Taxi.
Sandy Bay, RD2, Motueka, 7160, NZ.
info@southern-exposure.co.nz
www.southern-exposure.co.nz
Deadline—December 15th
For WaveLength ads, subs,
or bulk orders: 1-800-799-5602
Info@WaveLengthMagazine.com
info@queencharlottekayaking.com
www.queencharlottekayaking.com
NORTH ISLAND KAYAK
Port Hardy & Telegraph Cove
Rentals & 1–6 Day Guided Trips
1-800-889-7644
Kayaks • Canoes • Gear
Toll Free 1-877-949-7707
www.KayakBC.ca
nikayak@island.net
Baja Sea Kayak Adventures
with Nahanni Wilderness Adventures
Explore Baja’s beautiful desert
islands in the Sea of Cortez.
Local guides/interpreters.
Based at Villas de Loreto.
Call Toll Free: (ph/fax) 1-888-897-5223
Email: adventures@nahanniwild.com
Website: www.nahanniwild.com
NEW ZEALAND
Seakayak & Cycle Tours & Rentals
Natural High, Adrenalin Dealers
WWW.SeakayakNewZealand.com
WWW.CycleNewZealand.com
adventure@natural-high.co.nz
64-3-5466936
64-3-5466954 fax
“Downtown By The Fishing Pier”
4 Star Accommodations
571 Island Highway
Campbell River, BC V9W 2B9
www.oceanfrontbb.com
Hostess: Patty Johnson
Phone (250) 286-8385
Toll Free 1-877-604-4938
patty@oceanfrontbb.com
The Villas de Loreto Difference!
Kick off your shoes & make yourself
at home. With our resort’s intimate
MEXICO size & friendly staff, you’ll feel like
family. New at Villas, a restaurant where dining
is as casual as you are. Activities are Kayaking, Diving,
Fishing, Cycling and Whale Watching. Come join us.
Ph: 011-52-613-135-0586
www.villasdeloreto.com
EXTREME
INTERFACE
Kayaks & accessories.
Sailing kayaks.
www.extremeinterface.com
250-248-2075
CATALA KAYAKING
Located “on the bay” in Port Hardy BC
Toll Free 800-515-5511
Rentals & Transportation
Bed & Breakfast
www.catalacharters.net
info@catalacharters.net
Bowen Island Sea Kayaking
Kayak & Gear Sale
September — October
5 MONTH KAYAK RENTALS
November 1st to March 30th — $350
1-800-60-KAYAK
GALIANO ISLAND KAYAKING
BC’S BEST SPRING KAYAKING.
Daily Guided Tours.
Costa Rica Sea Kayaking since 1987.
Ph/Fax: 250-539-2442
kayak@gulfislands.com
www.seakayak.ca
LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD GUIDES
Seeking marine biologist/ sea kayak/river guides
to work seasonally in Belize, Central America.
• Certification in Advanced Wilderness First Aid.
• Background in Education, Biology, natural sciences.
• Experience in tropical environments.
• Proven track record leading outdoor educational
programs for students & adults.
Forward resumé with references and salary history to:
info@islandexpeditions.com
604-452-3212
SALTSPRING KAYAK & CYCLE
Tours • Rentals • Sales
Located on the wharf at Fulford Harbour
next to the ferry terminal. Walk off the
ferry and step into a kayak or rental bike!
Ph: 250-653-4222 Fax: 250-653-9111
“Gateway to the Southern Marine Parks”
sskayak@saltspring.com www.saltspring.com/sskayak
ADVENTURE CENTER
WaveLength’s award-winning
website receives 33,000 visitors
per month (750,000 hits).
All ads appear in both print & web.
Kayak Rentals & Tours
Oufitting, motherships & kayak transport
8635 Granville Street Port Hardy, BC
Toll Free 1-866-902-2232
Adventure-ecotours.com
Sea Kayak Guides
Alliance of BC
www.skgabc.com
The next Guides Exchange
will be held in Vancouver
April 30–May 2, 2004. Details
will be posted on our website.
Contact Blake or Tracy for info.
.
.
WWW
SKGABC
COM
2004
ASSISTANT
GUIDE EXAMS
March 27-28, Victoria
May 8-9, Campbell River
June 5-6, Mid Vancouver Island
September 25-26, Gabriola Island
October 9-10, Victoria
2004 LEAD GUIDE EXAMS
April 2-4, Tofino
April 20-22, Tofino
May 14-16, Tofino
June 13-15, Tofino
September 24-26, Tofino
The Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC is a
non-profit society which upholds high
standards for professional sea kayak
guides and operators in BC. Through ongoing professional development and
certification, the Alliance strives to ensure
safe practices on an industry-wide basis.
SKGABC EXECUTIVE
PRESIDENT
Blake Johnson: blake@batstar.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Kerry Orchard: kolokayaks@shaw.ca
Ian ross: roscoe@saltspring.com
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Tracy Morben: majestic@island.net
COORDINATING DIRECTOR
Sue Handel: sue_handel@yahoo.ca
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Graham Shuley: gshuley@islandnet.com
Andrew Jones: andrew.jones@kingfisheradventures.com
Matt Bowes: mathewbowes71@yahoo.ca
SKGABC Membership
To become a member of the Alliance, mail
this form and a cheque to the address below.
___ Company Membership—$100/year
___ Individual Membership—$35/year
___ Associate Membership—$25/year
Name__________________________
Address________________________
______________________________
Phone_________________________
Email__________________________
Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC
P.O. Box 1005, Station A,
Nanaimo BC, V9R 5Z2
info@skgabc.com
Laurie MacBride photo
Calendar
The height of fashion in paddling partner sprayskirts.
46
Dec 6, Paddle the 7 Piers of Kirkland Washington, Juanita Beach Park,
www.7 piers.com cfox@isomedia.com
Feb 4-8, Vancouver International Boat Show, BC. Place Stadium.
604-294-1313, www.sportshows.ca/VanBoat
Feb 13-15, Outdoor Adventure Show, BC Place, Vancouver BC.
1-800-891-4859, www.outdooradventureshow.ca
Feb13-15, Iowa Paddlesports Expo, Indianola, IA. paddler@netins.net,
515-961-6117, www.canoesportoutfitters.com
Feb 20-22, Outdoor Adventure Show, International Centre, Toronto
ON.1-800-891-4859, www.outdooradventureshow.ca
Feb 28-29, Seattle Outdoor Adventure Expo, Sandpoint Magnuson Park, Seattle,
WA. doug@epiceap.com, 360-733-2682, www.actionsportsexpo.com
Mar 5-7, Nebraska Paddlesports Expo, Plattsmouth, NE.
canoesportne@alltel.net, 402-296-0522,
www.canoesportoutfitters.com
Mar 6-14, 4th Annual Everglades Challenge and WaterTribe Ultra
Marathon, St. Petersburg, FL to Key Largo, FL (Challenge); Placida, FL.
(Marathon) 727-535-7819 chief@watertribe.com www.watertribe.com
Mar 12-14, Canoecopia 2004, Madison WI. 608- 223-9300,
www.canoecopia.com
Mar 19-21, Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival, Santa Cruz, CA
dennis@asudoit.com, 831-425-4886, www.asudoit.com/kayak_fest
Mar 26-28, Outdoor Adventure Show, Stampede Park, Calgary AB.
1-800-891-4859, www.outdooradventureshow.ca
Mar 26-28, Jersey Paddler Paddlesport, Garden State Exhibition Center,
Somerset, NJ. Contact: Jersey Paddler, store@jerseypaddler.com, 88822-KAYAK or 732-458-5777, www.jerseypaddler.com
May 21-24,19th annual Coast Kayak Symposium, Thetis Island, BC. Write
PO Box 32073, Langley, BC V1M 2M3
April 16-18, 4th annual Port Angeles Kayak Symposium, Port Angeles, WA.
Dave@raftandkayak.com, 888-452-1443, www.raftandkayak.com ❏
47

available here - Wavelength Magazine

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