Kayaking around Coronado island

Call for support paddlers! The 3rd SEAL Memorial Swim is looking for some support paddlers for this event. They start just north of the rocks in front of Hotel Del and go all the way around and exit at Boy Scout landing by Glorietta Bay park.

The event is Saturday, September 15th The swim will start at 0700 and check in for the event starts at 0600.  They are looking for 2 paddlers. One to be the safety paddler to trail the group and the other to be the support paddler.

Most swimmers will be on relays and swimming for 20 minutes at a time and supported by relay boats. There will be a few solo swimmers who will all need their own kayak for safety and support.

It’s a great event and if anyone would like to help we will be having a luncheon afterward on a nice yacht right in the bay and they would be invited to participate.

If you can help out, contact Jeff Utsch <jsutsch@wrsf.com>

Alaska Trip Report

Many in our group contributed to these photos

-by Jay Murdock, SDKC Safety Editor

Nine of us (Mary, Lois, Kirk, Gary, Debbie, Miki, Mark, Sheri, and I) ventured to Alaska in June of 2018, and Kayaked Blackstone Bay in the Prince William Sound for four days. Alaska Sea Kayakers was the outfitter, and our guides Victor and Cornelius were great. Victor is a very good cook, and really spoiled us. This bay has 7 glaciers, steep walls, and several waterfalls, making it one of the most popular places to kayak in Alaska. We were awe-struck by the beauty.

Click on photos to enlarge

In Alaska, the rain does not stop most activities. Only high winds can do that. We had both on our first day, so we were shuttled in by boat. When the wind died down, we kayaked toward the head of the bay and saw four glaciers, waterfalls, and many small icebergs, called “Growlers”, which are not more than 3 feet high from the sea surface.

 

On our 17 mile paddle back to Whittier on days 3 and 4, we saw several Bald Eagles up close, paddled next to many water falls, and even saw some blue sky and sunshine. At our last campsite a humpback whale was swimming close by for hours, an unexpected “gift” to us from Alaska’s bounty. The following day, as we approached the end of our paddle, we were already wishing it would last longer. That is the magic and wonder of Alaska.

  

From Whittier, we drove back through the narrow tunnel that is open to vehicle traffic and trains by a tight schedule that allows both to travel safely in each direction. You are actually driving on the train track, with the nagging thought “did they get the schedule right?” We then drove up to Talkeetna, the embarkation point for climbing Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet. Our cabins were out in the woods near a 70 sled-dog kennel, with an occasional howling of the dogs sounding like wolfs. That was haunting, but very cool!

The next day we boarded a DeHavilland Turbine Otter and flew along the south side of Denali, landing on a glacier just under the cloud cover. That was one of the most thrilling experiences for all who took the flight, and one we will never forget. Our Alaska trip was amazing, with wonderful experiences (like seeing a moose up close), and we became good friends with lasting shared memories of a real adventure.

 

Robin Kedward – In Remembrance

Click on Photos to Enlarge

-by Jay Murdock, SDKC Safety Editor

A memorial paddle and service was held on May 26th at the Aqua Adventures site to honor a great friend and teacher to many of us through the years. Robin was also a great guy to paddle with, always optimistic and fun-loving. He often had a good joke to tell on a day or overnight paddle, and looked at the bright side of events that could have discouraged someone else. A diving co-worker told a story at the service which summed that up, of them surfacing a quarter mile from their boat, with some students in tow. Robin simply said “It is lovely day for a swim”, and that was the essence of how he approached life.

Robin’s struggle with the cancer that eventually took him on May 8 was a lesson in courage to us. The last time I saw him, he looked frail and tired, but just finished an ocean paddle that would have been a challenge to many of us. He did not complain a bit about the disease that was consuming his body, and only talked about us planning some new paddles for the club.

Robin graduated from the Royal School of Military Engineering and went on to serve with the British Royal Marines, leading expeditions to North Africa, the Middle East and to Eastern Europe. He also spent some time Salvage Diving in the North Sea. Immigrating to America, he and his family lived on their 45 ft sailboat and were able to take several trips down the Baja. After receiving his Captain’s License, he operated a number of craft including a private yacht and several Dive Charter boats. He loved Baja, and spent a lot of his time kayaking, hiking and camping there. He was also a good musician, playing the guitar and singing, or just listening to Italian Opera.

  

I spoke with Robin’s wife at the service, and told her how he loved to entertain us on our paddles with his many jokes, and that on one occasion heading to the Midway, the two of us were discussing the strange behavior of a certain bird, which suddenly struck us as extremely funny. We laughed so hard that we almost capsized, and that was why it was special to know him: he knew a great deal about a lot of technical things, from navigation to astronomy, and would gladly teach you what he knew. And the next minute he was telling a great joke in a clear and unbroken way with his Royal Marine swagger and dramatic presentation that made the moment very entertaining. The telling of jokes around a campfire transported him back to his military days that he loved, and which we were able to witness. I have since forgotten many of his jokes, but will forever have vivid memories of the way in which he told them. Like Herb, he was a man’s man. Those of us who were privileged to spend time with Robin will miss him, and are thankful that we were blessed to know him.  

 

 

Skills Practice Session

Paddlers!  Come play with us.

We’ll use the usual format – buddy up and work on whatever suits you.

Generally, the veterans join in to help coach, so novice paddlers are welcome to get wet with us and be prepared for plenty of laughs.

DATE:                            Saturday, May 19

RALLY TIME:                  9:30 am

LAUNCH TIME:              10:00 am

DURATION:                   1 – 2 hours

LAUNCH SITE:               Aqua Adventures Dock

VENUE:                          Mariner’s Cove, where there is a nice beach and bathrooms

OPTIONAL:                    Getting wet, or not

RECOMMENDED:          Warm paddling clothes with a splash jacket or a dry top/dry suit

 

PLEASE NOTE:

These paddles are not sanctioned San Diego Kayak Club or Aqua Adventures events. 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 in small surf

Aids to Navigation

Aids to Navigation can provide a boater with information similar to that which drivers get from street signs, stop signals, road barriers, detours, and traffic lights. This booklet will give you, the recreational boater, the basic information you need about the U.S. Aids to Navigation System (USATONS). This information will help you recognize, understand, and navigate by the colors, shapes, numbers, and lights you will encounter on the water. It will also give you the basic tools you need to read a nautical chart. In addition, you will find information on safety, the proper way to interact with other vessels, tips on boating at night, and how to handle special situations you might encounter, like bridges and locks

http://www.uscgboating.org/images/486.PDF

Baja Kayak Fest


This is a rough water event for experienced sea kayakers.  You don’t have to be a superstar, but you should be comfortable paddling 10-15 miles in a day and are well-practiced at capsize recovery techniques. You should be comfortable in small surf and bumpy water.  Our location is a rocky peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean and provides the perfect playground for kayakers!  We will offer day trips for pure fun and rock-garden play, as well as skills development courses. Top coaches from the Pacific coast will mentor groups of 4-6 paddlers at a time!

You’ll find costs detailed on the registration form.  3 days of courses (including most meals) costs $525 (limited scholarships are available for professional guides who live and work in Mexico – ask us!).  Follow links for “accommodation” and “meals” for more cost information.  Round trip transportation from San Diego is available for $70 or we can help arrange to carpool with other participants.  Look around the site – you should find most of the answers to your questions!

http://www.bajakayakfest.com/

Bahia Point Paddle and Appreciation Day

Saturday. March 10th – 9am

Come out and show your appreciation for all that Bahia Point has to offer.

If you don’t know, there are plans underway for the Bahia Hotel to expand their footprint, taking away all the parking access on Gleason Road and around Bahia Point. Come show the city and the media that this land is much too popular and valuable for the Bahia to take away from the public.

For more information: http://www.keepmissionbaypublic.org/

Yukon Paddle (Aka Whale Watching)

John O’Hagan, Kirk Rozelle, and Dave Beckman are going to lead a paddle out to the Yukon wreak, with a possibility of sighting a whale along the way. According to two sources, apparently the whales like to migrate at depths between 100 ft and 165 ft, but whales have been spotted a mile west of the Mission Bay jetties in the past. That means we may be able to see some on this paddle. The Lat/Lon for your GPS of the Yukon on the map below is N 32 46.786, W 117 16.981, which is at the 105 ft bathymetry line. (The whale site on the map is just where we have paddled to in the past, and the red buoy is no longer there).

LAUNCH TIME: 9 AM  (be there at 8:30 to set up)                                                  

LOCATION: Aqua Adventures dock 

DETAILS: Paddle out to the Yukon and back – about an 8 mile paddle. Open to all types of craft (kayaks, surf skis , SUP, etc..) as long as you can self-rescue. AA has a few rentals, so call them in advance to check that out: 619 523-9577

WHAT TO BRING: Suggested: Camera, sun glasses, hat, snacks, GPS, sun screen.  We will have people with VHF radios. If you have one, bring it.  

Required: We do want you to have a life jacket, compass, water, whistle, bilge pump, and paddle float as minimal equipment.  

WEATHER: According to the Magic Seaweed surf report, and NWS forecast, the weather and water conditions look very good for this paddle. A 4 to 5 mph head wind on the way out, and an 8 mph wind at our backs going in, and very little swell.  

Bahia Point Access!

Bahia Point is a terrific launch spot and is used by many of us.  There is a proposal to eliminate the parking along the Point which would shut down access to this portion of the Bay.  Please take the time to show up at this critical meeting. 

Following is a summation by Alan Chalom of a proposal to remove all of the parking spots used by paddlers at Bahia Point. Here is the location and time of the meeting where the proposal will be discussed:

Paddlers! This next Tuesday night (02 Jan 2018) will be a very important meeting of the Mission Bay Park Committee affecting all of us who use Bahia Point to launch boats, hang out and enjoy our access to the water.

The Bahia Hotel wants to expand their footprint and take away all public parking along the shoreline where we now park. Over 250 public parking spaces are to be eliminated along the water and relocated far from the shoreline! This proposal has been in the works for many years but is now active and up for approval. The hotel owner, Bill Evans is very politically connected and will succeed unless there is an overwhelming public outcry over this proposal.

Your involvement is required!! The Mission Bay Park Committee is an advisory committee to the Park and Recreation Department, the Park and Rec Board and the San Diego City Council. Their opinion counts and we have to persuade them that this proposal is extremely detrimental to our way of life! We need everyone to show up and be prepared to say something about how this would affect your access to the water and how important this access is to all of us! You don’t have to make a speech, but your concern/outrage needs to be made clear to the committee.

 If you want to appear and speak at the meeting, you will need to fill out a speaker slip, even if you only want to make a short statement. If you want to attend but don’t want to speak, that’s OK too because I have a longer statement prepared but I need others to cede their time to me so I can talk for longer than the usual one minute allowed to speakers.

 Please spread the word to anyone and everyone you know who uses and values the parking along the water at Bahia Point! That includes SUP paddlers, OC1, surf ski, swimmers, paddleboarders, families who just want to BBQ, and anyone else who finds this idea offensive.

 I can’t stress enough that this is a real threat and our overwhelming active involvement is the only thing that will save our access to the water at the Bahia!