All zipped up.

Enter the Wildwasser Convertible Pocket System Zip Spraydeck. It’s made of a waterproof, breathable nylon so it won’t get too hot. It has a mesh pocket on front to hold your camera or a couple snickers. But most importantly – it has a zipper! That’s right, a water resistant zipper runs down the middle of the skirt, allowing you to open it up for venting or even to unzip it and leave it on the boat when you hop out for lunch.

I took one out for my workout paddle the other day – it was 65 deg. and sunny, your typical Cali winter day. I started off with the skirt zipped up and under my PFD as a normal skirt and it worked just like a normal skirt. But once I started warming up and I wanted to unzip it I realized that I couldn’t access the zipper under my PFD. So I stopped and rearranged things – I put on my PFD and then the skirt (with it’s suspenders) on the outside. This allowed me to zip and unzip as needed and it also took better advantage of the tent-shape design of Wildwasser skirts to prevent pooling. This approach may not work the best at keeping water out when rolling, but that’s not really the point of this skirt. It worked perfectly fine for paddling in a little wind chop – I remained dry underneath.

Skirt unzipped.

But just to test out the zipper I created a nice little puddle in my lap and kept paddling. While the zipper is not meant to be waterproof – only water resistant – I didn’t notice any water leaking through. The only thing you have to be aware of is that if you unzip the skirt while there is a puddle then it will all drop into your lap.

And getting into or out of the boat while leaving the skirt attached is made slightly more complicated by the pocket. The skirt doesn’t unzip all the way so it’s not going to be a large enough opening to pull your legs out while in the seat – you have to scoot back onto the back deck first. But a pocket is such an awesome convenience that it is totally worth it.

Overall I think the Wildwasser Convertible Pocket System Zip Spraydeck is a great warm weather, flat water skirt. If you’re not hitting the surf but you want to keep yourself dry or the sun off your legs then it does a great job. I also allows you to adjust the ventilation as the day warms up. And the pocket holds all the snacks for a long day of paddling and some emergency gear as well. Check it out – we have a few at our Sacramento store right now.

self portrait using the GoPro Surf Hero HD

At first it was difficult to stay in position, but after several attempts I finally got a really nice surf.  Turns out it was a passing passenger ferry that created the wave.  The ferry wake mixed with the waves of the tide race and created a nice set of waves – up to 2′ each, at least four of them at peak height.

Between passing boats I made my way into and out of the current practicing ferry glides and maneuvering.  Balancing the board in such confused water is pretty difficult and bracing is absolutely crucial.  I found myself bracing much more than I would normally brace while in a sea kayak in those conditions.  After playing in the waves for awhile, I paddled up the tide race into the eddy above.  It was a workout paddling up current at a fast cadence and reinforces the need to develop proper stroke technique.  While taking a breather in the eddy above, another boat passed and by the time I made it back down to the tide race, the wake had reached the top and turned into four nice, steep, clean waves.  With more skills I would’ve spun the board around and tried to surf them, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen so I headed straight into them.  I couldn’t resist the chance to plow the board over those waves at a quick speed.  I did pierce cleanly through the top of one while maintaining my footing.  After the charge I pulled into the eddy, took a break and then played for another 20 minutes.  As I paddled back to Horseshoe Cove the rain began falling again, the skies grew darker and in my mind I began planning my next trip here.

first good surf at yellow bluff. GoProHD

returning to the launch. GoProHD

If you’re going to venture out onto San Francisco Bay on a paddleboard, be sure to bring your skillls up to par first.  Take a course, practice as much as possible and learn what you’re doing on flat water before paddling in wind, chop, current or surf.  SF Bay is very complex so take the time to develop an understanding of tides and moving water before you consider paddling an SUP out there.

CCK is the only Bay Area paddling school with ACA certified SUP instructors and offers classes in Oakland and Half Moon Bay.  SUP classes resume in February – check our calendar for dates.  Book one today to improve your balance, technique & speed.

warming up with the hokey-pokey

This year we met at our facility on Pillar Pt. Harbor next to the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club. We started with some icebreakers and dancing to warm up before a brief classroom session on teaching models. We all wanted to try out the new ideas and since the forecast was for deteriorating conditions we quickly got dressed and headed out onto the water. Everyone got a chance to practice teaching a stroke or two and there was a lot of good feedback and suggestions for what works and what doesn’t. One of the best things about being a part of a large group of experienced instructors and a program that has been around for decades is the wealth of knowledge that is brought to the table. But even better than that with this particular group of people is a willingness to embrace new ideas and concepts, to embrace what works and keep striving for improvement.

the crew on the water

We headed back in for lunch and some inspirational words from CCK’s owner, president and living legend Keith Miller. Keith pointed out that 2012 marks the 40th year of operations for California Canoe & Kayak – quite a feat given the nature of our sport and the rise of big box stores and corporate conglomerates in our present day economy. We are all proud to still be a part of a family owned and operated adventure that focuses on making people into paddlers and giving back to the paddling community for all that it has given each of us.

launching for the towing race

During lunch the wind had picked up, turning the harbor into a frothy mess and a kite surfers paradise. But with the crew looking like the Kokatat Dry Suit Modeling Team we headed back out to work on towing drills into the wind. We had a short race which proved educational – if the person being towed needs support and they can hold onto someone else’s boat then that someone else can still paddle, making the whole process that much more efficient. (the teams that did not think to have the supporter paddle as well claimed cheating, but their protests were denied by the rules committee). After that we worked on contact tows (no tow line) and it served as a reminder that little details can really make a difference on functionality – contact tows work best when the two paddlers are facing one another and the towee hangs on to the tower’s front deck a couple feet in from the bow. This makes the tow more stable and situates the low part of the towee’s boat next to the tower, allowing easier paddle strokes.

a little playing during a beach break

Then we reviewed the scoop rescue – an essential for instructors. Having an unconscious or incapacitated swimmer is one of your worst fears when teaching students but knowing how to get them back in their boat and upright is the starting point for handling such situations. After that we called an early end to the afternoon – not because anyone was cold or tired but because the 49er game was starting. The yacht club had a big screen going and Keith had some pizza waiting. The game didn’t end as we would have liked but at least everyone had some fun and learned a thing or two beforehand.

Oakland Ferry Terminal

The Port of Oakland is perhaps not the most obvious place to go for a moonlight paddle but since our shop is right on the water in Jack London Square, and I spend all day talking about kayaking, it is great to be able to grab a boat and go paddling.

With a full moon rising above downtown Oakland, I paddled north with the intention of taking some night time shots of the Bay Bridge and downtown San Francisco. You immediately enter a world of leviathans, massive cranes that according to urban legend inspired George Lucas to design the AT-AT Walkers that featured in Star Wars.

Animal or machine?

Paddling on the Oakland Estuary at night requires you to be alert. You will encounter tractor tugs, the Oakland/Alemeda Ferry, party boats, Coastguard, Sheriff Marine Patrol and the occasional late returning yacht as well as some of the biggest container ships in the world. These massive structures line up along the Oakland shoreline like bloated cows at milking time.

Like cow's at milking time.

As soon as you leave Oakland Inner Harbor the South Bay opens up to the south and the Bay Bridge leapfrogs Yerba Buena Island, from San Francisco in the west to Emeryville to the east. There are lights everywhere, and discerning the channel marker buoys proves challenging but they provide useful stepping stones on the way to the bridge.

Red Right Returning

As I passed underneath the benign but watchful gaze of Yerba Buena Lighthouse, I was careful not to disturb the dozens of Harbor Seals sleeping on the rocky beach.

Passing under the Bay Bridge you not only hear – you can feel the pulse of the city as traffic thunders overhead on one of the busiest bridges in the nation. If the bridges are the arteries of the Bay Area’s cities, the Bay itself is its soul and the ebb and flow of the tide maintains the equilibrium so vital for life. It is remarkable how peaceful one feels gliding upon a silken carpet bejewelled with a thousand reflected lights gazing in awe at Human-kind’s creations.

City of a Thousand Lights

Camera shake or art? (you try shooting from a kayak at night!)

The new Bay Bridge construction is well underway and the main tower looks more like an Apollo Rocket at night.

Ready for launch.

A $6.2 Billion Dollar Project

 The Port of Oakland never sleeps and dredgers are hard at work ensuring the ships do not run out of water.

Could explain why the water in the Bay is so murky....

 Whilst the Oakland Estuary is not your normal sea kayaking destination, it has a beauty of it’s own and there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that whilst everyone else is stuck in traffic on the Eastshore Freeway I was witnessing the lifeblood of a nation.

America's lifeblood.

“Myself and a few friends got together for a paddle down the coast last Friday. The plan was to start a Linda Mar beach in Pacifica and head down the coast to Grey Whale cove while exploring the rocky features on the way. The forecast swell for that day was about 4-5 ft with a larger 9ft swell coming in late that night. We discussed before launching that we may get some bigger than average waves rolling in ahead of the upcoming surge. However we were not expecting the extreme change in conditions that occurred while we were working our way down the coast. Going back to the Half Moon Bay buoy history for that day this is what we found:

According to the HMB buoy:
                   Wv-Ht     DPd     APd
1:50pm          4.6        12        8.1
2:50pm          5.2        21        9.1

Note the 21sec period waves mixed in.

These readings came a short while after our incident occurred, but we were there for the preview. Since the longer the period swell travels faster than the short they will arrive first and since the height of the swell was almost the same as the short period swell these would be hard to see coming also break in deeper water so that would explain how that first set seem to have come out of nowhere on the outside of our position.

We paddled down the coast that day exploring many coves and features along the way. It was a normal day with very consistent sets of waves some bigger than the others but nothing more than an average day. As we neared Grey Whale cove our destination for the day we had paddled into the bay just north of it. This is an interesting area where you find constant waves reflecting off the wall of the cove and colliding with the on coming swell creating a zipper effect.We have been in this area before under what seemed to be at the time larger conditions and found it a very exciting area. Everyone who went close in to this area had a solid roll. We had been in that cove for a while that day and had seen where the biggest sets would break and were staying outside of that area. I was caught totally off guard to what happened next. A wave up from what seemed to be out of nowhere appeared just behind me and caught me totally off guard. It knocked me over and picked Mark up and dragged him quite a ways into shore. Since that wave was much further out than all the waves that day and I had seen nothing break in that spot, I made the mistake of watching Mark rather than looking outside like I should have. Then I turned around and saw a monster wall up on the outside. If you notice the shot in the video where Cass is backing his 17ft boat over this wave and narrowly escaping, the face of the wave is at least a few feet longer than his boat. There was not enough time to turn into the wave so I ended up getting broadsided and sent screaming toward the rocky shore. All I could do was lay the boat on its side with the boat between myself and shore and side surf awaiting the collision with the rocks that I was sure to come. To my great relief the wave pushed me into a small cove and let go of me. At that point I had no idea if the next wave would come crashing over me or not. So I decided to jump out of the boat and scramble up the rocks and asses the situation. At that point I saw Tony paddling up, note that Tony’s hatch cover got blown off and he made it to the beach paddling a boat full of water. Mark got washed into the same cove after he had lost his boat to a large wave that had blown his spray skirt just outside the rocks.”

“Sergey was also hit by the same wave but was out of my camera range. He ended up loosing his spray skirt to that wave and we have been impressed how he has done a great job building his skill level in the short time he has been paddling. This is his account of what happened and I would like to share it:

“As for the incident I believe that boat full of water worked as a sea anchor that prevented me to be washed ashore at the same spot as you guys. I did rolled back after a first set of huge waves but realized that I am flooded and can not make over breaking stuff due to instability. I tried to swim away from impact zone and empty the boat enough to scramble in. I almost did that but was knocked over by the
second set. Then I kept swimming to the right side of the cove seemed to be more safe and eventually trying to empty the boat. I had 2 possible options in the mind in the case of failure – abandon the boat and swim toward Cass and Peter or let the wave wash me and the boat onto the same spot as you. But at that moment from what I saw I was not sure that we can hike out of the spot. Luckily I did not have to make such a decision
since I put my foot onto some solid surface. Probably that was rather a top of the rock than a sea floor because later I was not able to reach it. It was enough to partially empty the boat and do re-entry and roll. Then I punched through another set of breaking waves and paddle out to safety in submarine mode. Peter tried to reach me but I sent him away as we were still in breaking zone. Then we left the zone we did T-rescue to dump all water out.”
Best,
Sergey.

“This is a good reason why you should use a high quality white water skirt and have float bags in the hatches when paddling on the coast. I will leave it here as I have a video below that explains the whole incident very well”

Bill Vonnegut

Thanks to Bill and the Neptune Rangers for sharing thier experiences. As you might imagine, the incident has generated much discussion and comment. Feel free to add yours below. You might also want to check out Eric Soares excellent blog post on seal landings that covers a similar topic. If you didn’t know, Eric is a founding member and Commander of the Tsunami Rangers – the rock garden pioneers and inspiration for Bill’s Neptune Rangers.

If you are interested in learning the skills to paddle in rock gardens then check out CCK’s Open Coast and Rock Garden Safety & Rescue Classes or sign up for similar classes at this year’s Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium. At least that way, like Bill’s group, you will know what you are getting into and have a good chance of getting out safely when things go wrong.

Sean Morley

First, I’m calling this a mini-review since I’ve only been able to get the Stomper 80 out for one day on a class III stretch. Not nearly enough time or enough whitewater to really evaluate it. But since we are in a record winter drought who knows when I’ll get a chance for more so I thought I would post up my impressions so far – I was able to learn a fair bit. The Stomper 80 is Liquid Logic’s new creek boat at 8’2″ and 80 gallongs; I’m 6’0″, 170lbs. and had no gear in the boat with me. My normal creek boat is the Jackson Villain S and I’m preferential towards displacement hulls.

The first thing I noticed was how loose the hull was. Just spinning in flat water you notice the flat bottom and lack of edges. Even compared to other planing hull creekers like the Burn and Hero, the Stomper just spins. There’s nothing for the water to grab. But once I got on a wave for a little surfing there was enough edge there to carve it up, the same when pulling into or out of eddies. And the flair on the sidewall makes it incredibly stable when leaning onto that edge, very reassuring when pulling out into fast current.

The drawback of a loose hull is that it tends to lose focus a little when you want it to stay straight. While it was really easy to control, it did take some controlling while ferrying (whereas I feel the Villain more easily stays on line without effort). The other main issue I have with all planing hulls is a harder landing off big drops – something I really didn’t get the chance to test out on a class III run. But in the waves and drops I found the Stomper did a good job of going through things and accelerating out of landings.

And a little about the Liquid Logic outfitting. Most people love it. For me it just doesn’t seem quite right. The extra firm backband really locks you in tight and the seat envelops you – works for some but not me. I also feel like it’s harder for me to stay forward – that somehow the seat angle doesn’t make it easy to engage my knees (in my Jackson I use the adjustability of the sweet cheeks to move the foam forward to help push my knees up). But that’s really just personal preferences and ergonomics – nothing wrong with the boat itself. And I did have the seat slightly back from neutral which is something I would change next time – I think just forward would work better for me and my weight, especially if I had some gear in the back. And speaking of getting gear in the back – they new flip up access to the stern is a HUGE improvement that’s found on all the 2012 Liquid Logic boats.

And that’s another thing to point out – I was in the 80 which felt like the right size when unloaded. I’m not sure how it would feel with an overnight load but when I sat in the 90 it came up very high on my sides – not a comfortable feeling and rolling would take some work. I assume the 80 rolls just fine – it was some chilly water and was being a big baby and I didn’t want to get my hair wet But my buddy who normally paddles a Jefe tried out the Stomper and said it (the Stomper) rolls much easier. Anyone much larger than myself (height or weight) will definitely want to start by looking at the Stomper 90.

So my overall impression is that this a great new planing hull creeker, especially for those that like the LL outfitting or like the Jefe but want a little more control and ease of adjusting. It’s also worth a try if you currently paddle a flat bottom creeker but want something a little more forgiving.

And I’ll also mention that my Wildwasser Eldo XT was once again dry as a bone. I keep loving that skirt on everything I try.

Here’s the Liquid Logic factory video showing the Stomper in a little more action:

- South Branch of the Middle Feather

- Big Sur (the entire coast)

- Rolling an open canoe

- Camping on Angel Island

- 49 to Bridgeport on the S Yuba

- Chamberlain Falls on the NF American

- Channel Islands (Southern California)

- Looping at First Threat

- SUP in the surf

- Rolling at Yellow Bluff

- U.S. Surfski National Championships

- ACA Level 5 Whitewater certification

We at CCK have been trying to keep this blog entertaining and educational, avoiding too much commercialization. But there is a new trend in the retail world that is a little disturbing and Amazon has launched a program that is a direct attack on brick and mortar stores like ours. Amazon is offering up to $5 off for people who go into a store, use their smart phone app to scan the price of an item but then buy the item through Amazon. This takes a general trend of people visiting our stores and then looking to buy online and pushes it to a new level. So let’s address this issue.

California Canoe & Kayak has been in business for almost 40 years. We have two physical stores (Oakland and Sacramento) and a couple more teaching facilities (Half Moon Bay and Lotus). We employ over 20 retail staffers over the course of a year (and dozens more as instructors), all paddlers of some form or another. We pride ourselves on educating our customers and having a large inventory of boats and accessories to show people (as well as generous rental rates and demo programs to allow people to try them out). And as a company we recognize that we have online competitors and we generally match their prices on what we have in stock. But quite frankly and humbly, what we provide goes way beyond what you can ever possibly get from the internet. (Not to mention our Support Strokes fundraiser, our support of local non-profits, paddling clubs, youth programs, etc.)

But it does cost money to employ knowledgeable staff, to house the inventory, to pay for the heat and lights in the stores. We feel our customers benefit from this and will hopefully understand that it is part of what they are paying for when they shop with us (or any such physical establishment). The idea that you can use a physical store to examine goods, try on clothes, sit in boats, get information from salespeople and then buy it online for a few dollars less is ultimately shortsighted. If you value and use a physical location but then spend your money elsewhere then ultimately that physical location will not be around. And then where do you go to demo paddles or learn the difference between swede form and fish form?

Now don’t get me wrong, I shop at Amazon myself. There are things that I don’t need to see or feel that I can get cheaply and shipped right to my door.  But the idea of specifically going into a store to use their services only to buy from an online retailer is downright rude.

So while we as a business do recognize that price is paramount and the internet makes it easy to shop around, it is also up to the customers to recognize what the true cost of an item is and what value there is in having experts who can physically show you an item and explain and demonstrate its benefits. So during this holiday season we encourage everyone to express your appreciation for mom and pop stores that are part of the community by giving them your business and a chance to serve you as only real people can.

Happy Holidays from all of us paddlers at California Canoe & Kayak!

One brand of kayaks that I really want to spend more time in are the TideRace boats. They are a relatively new British company but with a long history of boat design behind it. Their boats combine some classic lines with some new ideas and a focus on hardy construction and seamanship. As with most of the Brit companies, they build boats to perform and be used, not just to look pretty on a sunny day on the lake.

Paul Kuthe surfing the Xcite

I have paddled the Xcite a couple times and if I were to replace my Ikkuma it would be on the short list. It’s a great all around boat with a flatter stern but softer chines up front and a fair bit of rocker. And I’ve tried the Xstreme briefly – it’s a pure playboat with crazy rocker and performance. But I haven’t gotten the chance to try their expedition boats, the Xplore and Xscape, until yesterday.

Yesterday I got out in the Xplore-S and I loved it! While it is designed for the smaller person, at 6’0″ and 170 it fit me like a glove. It’s 17’6″ long and 20″ wide; a sleek missile of a boat. The seats on the TideRace boats are glassed in and feel really solid. The Xplore has a narrow knee position that was really comfortable and allowed me to push hard with my feet for speed. And it definitely has speed – I was leading a tour and even lilly-dipping I kept drifting ahead. And when I wanted to catch a boat wake or get out in front for pictures it just flew. It didn’t have the maneuverability of the Xcite but it wasn’t just a go straight boat – it accelerated quickly and put on edge it turned nicely. And speaking of edge…

Xplore-S hanging in the shop

The Xplore-S is a narrow boat but it didn’t feel like only 20″ – it was actually rather stable. The primary is a little loose, as you’d expect, but the secondary was phenomenal. Some boats can be edged far over and some boats are actually solid over there. This boat was rock solid. And this was empty – I think that loaded down it would be that much better. Though I did feel that if I added a 100 lbs. of gear to the S it might be a little much – I might want the regular Xplore for expeditioning at my size.

The Xscape is supposed to be a little more beginner friendly, but I really think that anyone with a little experience who really wants performance and a boat they can grow into should look at the Xplore. It’s a great cruiser and gear hauler that is still fun to take for a day paddle. And if you are worried about keeping up with others then this boat will put your mind at rest.

Werner Cyprus

Working in a kayak shop and as an instructor you get asked for recommendations a lot. Normally you give advice from experience. But with hundreds of kayak models and thousands of bits of gear I don’t actually have first hand experience with everything. So sometimes you give advice based on principles – long, skinny boats will be faster, a PFD with lots of pockets will store more gear, etc.When people come in looking for a high angle touring paddle I generally recommend the Werner Cyprus. It’s a high angle, foam core touring paddle with a mid size blade that I have heard lots of positive feedback on though I’ve never really gotten the chance to try it out myself. Many people come in looking at the Ikelos, which is the larger size blade. They want the extra power and extra support that a large blade will give them.

left: Ikelos; right: Corryvrecken

Now I have used the Ikelos. And I own and use a Corryvrecken which is the same size and shape as the Ikelos, just without the foam core. It’s a lot of paddle. I’m a fairly strong and fit paddler (it is my job after all) and it’s almost too much for me. But in the rock gardens I like that power even though it is hard on my body. I believe the average paddler is better off with a smaller blade and a faster, easier stroke rate, especially when touring. So that’s why I recommend the Cyprus even though I don’t use it personally.

left: Cyprus; right: Ikelos

But this past weekend I was teaching an ACA Instructor Development Workshop in Half Moon Bay and decided to take our demo Cyprus to use for the class. And now I can say from personal experience: the Cyprus is great! For modeling technique the high angle blade worked perfect and the foam core made for a clean exit on strokes. For our navigation exercises paddling around SF Bay the size of the blade was just right – I could cruise all day with little effort. In the surf zone I could kick up a really fast cadence and accelerate onto the waves. And when we had a minor issue that required me sprinting a mile back to the truck I never felt like the smaller blade limited my speed at all (though I did feel like I need more cardio work, but that’s another story).

My regular touring paddle is the Camano (or Kalliste for the foam core) and I don’t plan to change that – I’m a low angle paddler who likes to go long distances. And I will keep using my Corryvrecken in the rock gardens – I find the one stroke power move a useful tool. But anyone looking for a high angle paddle should put the Cyprus on the top of their list. It works for just about everything and unless you are an incredibly strong person your joints will thank you for the relief it provides.

left to right: Cyprus; Ikelos; Corryvrecken; Kalliste