Sea Kayaking Articles from P&H Staff, Team Paddlers, and Friends

Tag: Chris lockyer

From Cold to Gold (en) Gate that is….

Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium www.ggsks.com

When I  left my home in Hilden it was -5 and we had just gotten a bunch of freezing rain. The heat on high I drive to the airport hoping the weather is warmer in San Francisco. I am also filled with excitement (which provides at least a bit more warmth) as I am heading to California to take part in the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium January 31 – February 2.

The schedule was action packed; three full days of sea kayak skills session including a standard day paddle around the San Francisco Bay, a paddling trip to Alcatraz, and 2 rock garden sessions. Event Organizers Sean Morley and Matthew Palmariello have really done a great job to plan what will assuredly be a great event. This would be the third Golden Gate event I had been to and I was sure there was going to be plenty of excitement.

I was joined by several P&H Paddlers at the event. This event is the official kick off to the season followed by several events that we P&H paddlers travel to all over North America.  We are truly privileged to be ambassadors for one of the leading sea kayak manufacturers.

Several of the team paddlers got out for a little Play the day before the event.

Day 1 – Bay Journey

Sunshine and calm seas.  What a great day on the water. We got to paddle over to Alcatraz with the flood which proved to be a very gentle paddle.  Once around the island we worked out way over to Angel Island where we would have lunch. Student got to work on tidal paddling and work out the angle we would have to take in order for us to cross the tail end of the flood tide. Everyone did well and were happy to get out for a bite and some route planning.  The day took us all around Angel island and through Raccoon strait where the Ebb tide had started which provided us with a little current and a eddy line to cross as well as some nice waves to play on.  All and all a wonderful day on he water. A big thanks to Sean Morley and Ginny for your leadership and great chats along the way.

Day 2 – Rock Garden safety and rescue

Another California sunny day was in store. I was paired with Paul Kuthe, my friend from Eastern Horizons to run a rock garden safety and rescue session along with Jarrod Gunn McQuillan. We had a very enthusiastic group that enjoyed there day in and out of their boats. We agreed to two themes for the day:

  1. Quick rescues instead of dry rescues
  2. Big picture zooming into little picture to deal with situations.

We feel the students got a great deal out of the day.  We worked around the Gate for most of the morning then went outside to enjoy some of the coastline and the swell that was rolling in. All and all it was a great day on the water.

Day 3 – Rock Gardening Advanced Play

We had every intention of launching from the beach at Rodeo beach but when we arrived the conditions had deteriorated from the time we had check in the morning till the time we were ready to paddle. The forecast was for he surf to build which might mean a very dangerous landing situation so we decided to launch from Horseshoe Cove and Paddle out through the Gate and play outside the gate.  The flood was in full flow when we attempted  to get around the corner and under the gate. With a stiff 20 knot wind from the South East it provided a good warm up for the group. Once outside the gate we had some fun on several areas to make the most of the day.

Weather/swell conditions aside, the Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium had a little bit of something for every kayaker and every ability;  Tidal streams, waves and rocky coastline, Top notch coaches and wonderful scenery  at every glance, The San Francisco’s famous Anchor Steam Beer did not disappoint either!!! I look forward to going back to this event next year and feel truly fortunate to have been a participant this year.

For more information on this year’s event and to stay current for next year’s event visit http://www.ggsks.com/ or follow them on Facebook. Search golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium

A huge Thanks you for goes out to P&H sea kayak for bringing boats down to the event and for your continued support for team paddlers.

Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium 2013

Photo Credit: Sue Hutchins

Photo Credit: Sue Hutchins

On September 20-23 paddlers converged upon the first annual Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium hosted at the Ye Olde Argyler Lodge in Argyle, Nova Scotia.  The event jumped in with both feet and welcomed over 120 paddlers to the picturesque Bay of Fundy coast.

The diverse locations found in Nova Scotia’s Yarmouth and Argyle counties were utilized to introduce paddlers from as far as Europe and the United States and from all across Canada to dynamic paddling environments created by the largest tides in the world.

Photo Credit: Nate Hanson

Photo Credit: Nate Hanson

The event brought guest coaches offering a variety of skill development sessions including rock hopping, surfing, coastal journeys and introductions to paddling in lumpy waters, however, the highlight was certainly focused on the paddling environment provided by the tides in the area.  Multiple sessions focused on paddling tide races and overfalls as well as finding fun and operating in the tidal currents that flow between the Tusket Islands and the archipelago within Lobster Bay. Team Paddles Paul Kuthe, Matt Nelson and Christopher Lockyer were at the event waving the Flag for P&H. Lots of people got a chnace to try the Hammer.

Photo Credit: Sue Hutchins

Photo Credit: Sue Hutchins

One of the highlights for attendees was the Saturday evening guest presentation from Justine Curgenven.   She provided a riveting and engaging recount of her adventure around Tierra del Fuego.  She finished her presentation with a brief video from only a few days earlier while she paddled amongst humpback whales in the Bay of Fundy with Christopher Lockyer, the Executive Director for the Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium.

Photo Credit: Sue Hutchins

Photo Credit: Sue Hutchins

The event started early for some with sessions on the tidal races and overfalls within the Shubenacadie Tidal Bore.  Guest coaches worked with keen and excited students on one of the most exhilarating 3 hours of paddling in the world, working on paddling in moving waters as well as surfing on big brown glassy waves and crossing strong eddy lines.

Photo Credit Clif Pratt

Photo Credit Clif Pratt

Coaches at Play

Coaches at Play

The coaches all had a go at the Walton Whopper as well Off 2 the Races Vol 1

The event was such a success and has received so much positive feedback that they have already set the dates for the 2014 event for September 12-15.

 

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