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Sunday, November 15 at Paradise Point Resort/Mission Bay was where over 100 people showed up to support the efforts of Team River Runner in their work with our Veterans. Two TV stations were there to record the event, and interviewed several people.

Lynne Warner (left photo above) does considerable work with TRR, and is registering a safety paddler at the start point at North Cove. Gilbert Siegel is seen turning on the steam around the second marker in one of the races (middle photo), and Joe Mornini (right photo above), the founder of TRR, is going for the finish in another race.

There was a wide range of people in the Recreation Paddle, including a few families. Time around the island was from 28 minutes to just over an hour. All who participated seemed to be having a great time.

After the paddles, the lunch and raffles took place at the Barefoot Bar. The person in the above right photo with the clipboard is Dale Osborn, the organizer of the paddles, and is the San Diego TRR Chapter contact person.

Jen Kleck donated a boat for the raffles, and is shown with friends enjoying the event. Aqua Adventures also helped with boats, etc for the paddles, as it does each month with ongoing TRR paddles. Thank you Jen for all you do.

Team River Runner (“Helping our Wounded Veterans”), is a national organization working with our vets and active military through on-the-water activities. To learn more about TRR, here is their website:

http://www.teamriverrunner.org/

Decals can now be purchased for $2 at Aqua Adventures, with $1 of the proceeds going to the club for skills lessons taught at AA (to be announced). The decal measures 4 3/4″ in diameter, and is great for placing on your car window or your kayak. While you are in there pick up some SDKC business cards to hand out also, and help spread the word.

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Ten people turned out for the fall skills practice session at Mariner’s Cove. Jane Hardy, and Gennifer Gatan (on far right) from CKF lead the group in practicing the “Heel Hook Rescue”, the “T-Rescue”, and the “Cowboy Recovery”.

There were some new people there, and it was so good to see Robin on the water again.

The Cowboy Recovery (above photos, first two) may be difficult to master, but it is a great way to develop your balancing skills. The T-Rescue (not shown) is a basic skill that everyone should learn. Photos of that will be added when this report is turned into a safety article.

The Heel Hook Rescue is the easiest way to get back in your boat. For fast rescue in high wind and cold water, it does not matter which way to have the bow pointing, and can be performed as Jane and Erin are demonstrating below (first 4 photos) with a bow-to-bow configuration, but is more efficient if the boats are bow-to-stern. The rescuer holds the boat as shown, while the other person faces aft and hooks the heel inside the cockpit toward the bow, then pull up and roll onto your stomach, assisted with your arm while straightening your leg. If you are using your right heel, then your right arm is used to reach across your boat to assist in the rotation. Grab both your deck line and the other boat’s deck line with that hand, which will keep the boats together, making the entry more stable, especially in rough water. The Heel Hook is easier than other reentry methods because our leg muscles are much stronger than our arms, so let the leg do the work.

There are videos on the web showing these and other methods of getting back into your boat, but the best way to master them is to take a class at Aqua Adventures and come out to our practice sessions. Hope to see you next time.

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Thirteen of us went up to the June Lakes Loop north of Mammoth on Oct 14-18 for the 3rd Annual Fall Colors Paddle and Hike trip.

Cool temperatures and some rain gave us that great fall experience. We paddled Mono Lake, Silver Lake and up the inlet, and Gull Lake.

The two day-hikes took us up to Parker Lake, and around Gull Lake.

Some of us drove up to Conner Summit to see the Aspens in deep red, orange, and yellow colors. Everyone who went said they had a great time, and we hope you join us next year.

Photos: Dale Osborn, Kirk Rozelle, Jay Murdock

September 12th was an ideal day for refreshing our kayaking skills, with warm air and water temperatures. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Learning and practicing “Safety Skills” is very important for any level of paddler. Some practiced the “Roll”, while others concentrated on Self-Rescue and Assisted Re-Entry.

Two basic skills to learn and practice are the “T-Rescue” and the “Heel-Hook Re-Entry“. Both are easy to understand, and not that difficult to execute. The Heel-Hook is great for using with a paddle float self-rescue, and with the assisted re-entry. If you are a beginner, you need to learn them. Take the basic skills class from Aqua Adventures, and “up” your level of being a safer kayaker. Then come practice those skills with us.

Jane demonstrated her flexibility when she practiced the Balance Brace and then attempted standing up…good exercises for developing your balancing skill. Gilbert helped several people with pointers, and did a few nice rolls.

John appeared out of nowhere on his SUP looking dapper (but missing something?), and everyone had a good morning of practice. It was time well spent.

This article will be soon be posted as one of the Safety Articles, and expanded on. The local Coast Guard Auxiliary Liaison Officer has read several of these articles, and has given them a “thumbs up“. There is a lot of information there that will help you in becoming a safer paddler, which is why practice sessions are so vital. Come join us next time we have one of these. They are fun and not intimidating.  We simply pair up and work on whatever you need to. The higher your skill level, the more you will enjoy this wonderful sport.

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Thirty five paddlers joined together to see the collection of tall ships at the embarcadero on September 5th. People came from not only the SDKC, but several from Valley-Wide, the San Diego Meet-Up Group, TRR, and CKF paddled with us. Chris Griffith took point, while Joe Morin brought up the rear as safety.

We had ideal weather and mostly calm waters throughout the 8 mile paddle, and more people joined us for the picnic. Even though Steve Wilson had an injured hand, he still managed to give us one very nice song, and we thank him for that. Many brought group food items, which turned out to be a great time of visiting with old friends, while meeting several new ones. We were even joined by a kayaker from Maine who discovered our website, and has become a fan. She even bought one of our hats, making the state of Maine now the most distant place from San Diego to have our hats worn! How cool is that?

Not only were there several beautiful square riggers, schooners, and yawls on display, but a very interesting outrigger canoe reproduction was of special interest to us, which is based on the original sailing canoes in the Mariana Islands. The person on board the canoe said an augmented version of that design holds the world speed record for vessels under sail.  For more information of all the vessels on display, click on this link, then the participating ships box:

http://sdmaritime.org/visit/public-events/festival-of-sail/

The replica of the San Salvador was also on display, which was recently launched by the Maritime Museum. Everyone who paddled up close was impressed by the craftsmanship of this wood vessel. We not only were viewing the Tall Ships event, we became part of it, as the Union Tribune included a photo they took of us in their write-up. Click on this link to see it:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/05/festival-of-sail-san-salvador-2015/

To everyone who participated in this fun paddle and picnic, the San Diego Kayak Club thanks you, and we hope to see all of you next year for this wonderful chance to paddle with friends from throughout southern California…and those visiting us from other parts of the country.

Kayaking affords a special view

The “First Annual SDKC Tall Ships Paddle and Picnic” will coincide with the “Tall Ships” event on the “Big Bay” this year. The Liberty Station launch ramp is the ideal place for us to gather, launch our boats, and have a  picnic afterwards. There is plenty of parking, and restrooms are close by, just to the south in the park. The “Tall Ships” will be tied up at the embarcadero area of downtown, and there will be “Gun Fights” on the bay throughout the day for us to view as we paddle.

Date: Saturday, September 5th

Launch Time:  9:00 am

Launch Location: Liberty Station launch ramp (see map below)

Who is Invited: SDKC members, CKF members, Night Herons, Valley-Wide Kayak Club, TRR people, Thursday Night and Meet-Up Paddle Groups, and any guests you want to invite. SOT’s & SUP’s are encouraged to join in on the fun.

Rentals of Boats & Stand-Up Paddle Boards Available:  Aqua Adventures is offering special “overnight rental rates” for boats, paddle boards, and foam car top carriers. You must pick yours up at AA on Sept 4th. Give them a call to reserve yours at (619) 523-9577.

Raffles to help raise money for the SDKC: To raise funds for ongoing expenses of web site fees, Skill Sessions subsidies, and promotion costs, there will be several raffles:

-Club hats ($15 value each)    -Special Kayaking Items from AA   -Two Jen Kleck Instructed SDKC Group Skills Sessions ($20 value each)  -One Jen Kleck Instructed Private 2 Hour Skill Lesson ($150 value)  -A few of Steve Wilson’s Hull Cracker music cd’s ($18 value each)

Picnic Following the Paddle: Around 1 pm…or when we return from the paddle. 

Music: Steve Wilson of “Hull Cracker” fame  will be there to sing some of his great songs, and will bring a few of his albums to the event.

Club Hats: We will have a few hats at the picnic to purchase for $15 (which includes tax).

Duration of the Paddle:  We will be on the water for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, checking out the Tall Ships and gun battles out on the bay.

SAFETY NOTICE: This is a intermediate-level paddle of at least 7 miles, not intended for beginners. Please read the “Disclaimer” at the end of this announcement.

There will be a lot of power boats, personal watercraft, and sail boats on the bay during this event, so we need to stay close to shore at all times. When we cross the open water between Harbor Island and the B Street Pier, we need to stay in large groups, in order to be more visible to other boaters.

CAUTION: The ramp at our Liberty Station launch site can be very slippery, so be careful when you walk down that concrete ramp.

Our Plotted Course is in Yellow

What to Bring: All safety gear (life jackets must be worn by all paddlers), VHF radio, camera, zinc sunscreen for skin and lips, sun glasses, water and snacks for the paddle, hat (a few of our new club hats will be available to purchase for $15), food and drinks for the picnic (everyone brings their own, and no glass bottles please), and a blanket to sit on. There is a grassy area next to the ramp for cleaning off your boat, so bring water for that.

Directions to Liberty Station Launch Ramp:

From I-5 south and I-8 west, take the Rosecrans exit (which is Hwy 209 on the map). Take Rosecrans to Lytton Street (at the Sail Ho golf course) and turn left. Take the first right, into Liberty Station. Follow the one way street to Sims Road and turn left. Turn left on Historic Decatur, a one-way street which takes you back toward the entrance. You will immediately see another street named Perry on your left. Turn into the parking lot on your right at that juncture. The ramp is at the east end of that lot (LS Launch on the map). There are restrooms just south in the park (follow the sidewalk along the canal/park).

Liberty Station Launch Site

PLEASE NOTE: The announcer of this event is not the leader of such, merely a “coordinator”.

Disclaimer: We will have experienced paddlers on this trip, but they will not be responsible for telling you what is or is not safe for you to do. We watch out for one another and assist one another, but all individuals are responsible for, and manage their own safety. This responsibility includes assessing your gear, skill level, and physical conditioning relative to conditions and location, as well as making decisions about what you will or will not do. Participants acknowledge that kayaking on the open sea or bay is inherently dangerous and can lead to physical injury including death as well as property damage. Participants, on their behalf and on behalf of their heirs and assignees, agree to hold the announcers and other participants blameless in the event of such injury, damage or death. Please join us if you want to mildly stretch your capabilities, but please stay home if you would be wildly stretching them. Participants should have bracing skills, be able to self-rescue and assist in the rescue of others. They should be able to launch and/or land along the rocky bay front.

Colors: Chrome, Black, Kaki

Club hats are now ready for a special initial order at a great price. These are good quality, low profile, 100% cotton washed twill, with hook and loop closures (one size fits all). The colors are chrome with navy blue embroidery, black with grey embroidery, and kaki with black embroidery (that paddle length will be the same as on the other two hats).

Jen at Aqua Adventures will be selling these hats starting later this summer, but we are having an initial “Roll-Out” special-priced offer for prepaid orders starting now for only $12 each, which includes tax. Embroidered hats of this quality typically sell in stores for over $20 + tax. After this initial order, the price will be higher at AA, so now is the time to get a great looking hat at a good price.

Quote from Jen: “I love them!  Yes, please!  I want to sell them.  I think visiting kayakers will like them and maybe some locals who don’t know about the club will find out about it”.

Not a club member? Simply sign up on the website, at no cost to join. But you don’t have to be a club member to buy a hat.

Deadline for placing your order: July 15

Distributing the hats to you: I will bring them to some paddles in August and September (like the San Salvador and SDKC/Tall Ships paddles). In case that does not work out for you, yours can be picked up at AA, but that should be a last resort please.

How to order:  Simply reply to the email sent to the club on 6/26/15 (or the one which will be sent on July 8) , and tell me the color you want. I will then give you an address to send your check to, which must be received by July 15 to get the special price…and, at this price you should consider getting two, or all three colors!

So, get a hat. They not only look cool, but are great advertising for our club and this fun sport!

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To thank those in the medical community for their good help in treating skin cancer (see Safety article on “Protecting Yourself from Overexposure to Sunlight“), we took some paddling on Saturday, May 30th. Jen at Aqua Adventures really stepped up to help on this, and contributed boats and her time for the paddle. Her new helper, Ben, also paddled with us, having just arrived from back east.

Jim Alsup and Joe Morin helped out as safety boats. My thanks to them and Jen for a good morning on the water, while treating medical care-givers to a fun experience of kayaking.

-Contributed by Jay Murdock

There have been several occasions that I wanted a club business card to give out to someone interested in what we do, so here they are. Jen has agreed to display them on her counter at Aqua Adventures, and that is a great place for anyone in the club to stop by and pick some up. Take as many as you can use, and let’s get the word out about our paddles and this great sport. And while you’re in Aqua Adventures, check out the new items Jen has, and take home something…like a new kayak!