Winter Jaunt

I went on a little jaunt with my good friends Val Storfer and Johna Johnson on Saturday. While the air temperature was 26 F, there was little wind, and it was sunny. We went across the river to Morris Canal and back.

Johna wrote a great writeup on her blog - which is a great blog in general, full of amazing kayak adventures the likes of which the cowgirl only aspires to. We'd all been off the water a while, so a little trip like this one was perfect.

Here's a little video I slapped together.

When we got back, we found out hatches, lines, and spare paddles covered in ice - potentially a problem had we needed o use any of them. I'll be doing a little research on how to better prepare for icy conditions. Cold water is once thing, but ice is a whole 'nother element to content with in winter paddling.

Mixin'

The last trip I ran out of the shop was a mixed group. What happened was, a couple who had a gift certificate from mom signed up for a trip, and then a visiting Norwegian signed up as well. I was the only guide on at that time so we put them both together.

Not for nothing but the girl half of the couple and the Norwegian had similar-sounding names, so at first we thought they were the same person.

The Norwegian's experience warranted a Tiderace instead of a Chatham. The thing about Norwegians is, they know what cold water paddling is and they're generally a cut above the typical turista. Mind you, they aren't always amazing paddlers, but they are generally competent paddlers.

So we went across. The couple was a little nervous but after their first wake wave settled in. One was a bit slow, so I kept them all together as we crossed the Hudson. We arrived at Morris Canal, paddled in a bit, and I pointed out the sights before turned around back.

Going back was a bit slower owing to less current. We did stop a couple of times to outwit traffic - the least of which was a large cruise ship which we let pass before even beginning to venture out. On the way back, following seas made for some nice faux-surfing for our Norwegian friend.

It was a simple trip, but it's easy to forget how fantastic simply being out in the lower Hudson can be for our clients. Everyone was amazed, seeing the city from a completely different angle. This is particularly true for people from out of town. They've getting a vacation, and an unusual paddling destination!

Surf City

Last week, the night before I went to Piermont, I went along on another trip with some friends downtown.

JT Paddles to Jersey City.

For weeks I had wondered what "Surf City" was on the shop's trip calendar. Of course, I learned earlier that week when we took clients, but still, I kick a kick out of Surf City: it's a waterfront pub, not surfing in the slightest sense.

Tracy heading down current. Cruise ship and fireboat in the distance.

So, half a dozen or so of us set out on a friendly trip to Surf City. We left Pier 40 at low tide, moving quickly down and across the river. It's not far, perhaps three miles, with the current doing most of the work.

JT observes some sunfish.

As we paddled in to Morris Canal, we saw a quartet of small sailboats moving in formation, parallel, then in a line, then whirling in a line.

Warming by the Fire.

Surf City has a gas-powered fire pit. We took it over, ordered food and drinks, and settled in.

A Tall Ship.

My camera doesn't capture night shots well, but I did get a couple: an unusually tall-masted sailboat, and lower Manhattan from across the way.

Kayaks at the ready, Manhattan in the background.

There were steady winds from the southwest, and as we headed back, they kicking up a steady following sea. By the time we got back to Pier 40, a steady surge of waves was carrying us in. One to two feet high, we surfed in - surf city after all.

Practice, Practice, Practice

All the major coaches were at the dude ranch this morning. There was a lot on the schedule - a river trip, a trip to the Statue of Liberty, a kayak class, an SUP class. However, clients failed to materialize for half of these activities, and so I was nicked by one of the senior coaches for a practice trip to Morris Canal.

The highlights? As usual, a bit of role-play,with me as the trip leader bringing across two paddlers at the top of my ability to teach. I caught some major helicopter prop wash, which was awesome. I paddled deep into the Morris Canal, and got some clarification on some stern rudder techniques and cros-bow rudder practice - not to mention tips on group management, trip leading, and finding lessons to teach on the way.

The key point to the first is that as a coach, or instructor, I have to tailor my style to my students' abilities. Most of my instruction has been to new paddlers, but dealing with somewhat experienced paddlers is a completely different style. There's less micro-management, and the teachable moments are completely different.

As far as the prop wash goes: there is a helicopter landing pad on the waterfront, in front of the Goldman Sachs building (appropriately enough). It's possible to paddle underneath that pier, which is topped with what is more or less just a metal grate, which allows air to flow. Our lead coach led us underneath, to a choppy area he likes to practice in, and I was passing directly below the landing platform right as a helicopter came in. Oh my God, it was like five seconds of intense weathercocking - all of a sudden my boat was being pushing sideways and downwards. I actually edged towards the spray, and when I came out, my left side was soaked and my right side was dry. It was an intense experience.

In the canal, we talked a bit about traffic, and did some more lessons and learning. We went back behind the marina, to where it becomes marsh before hitting a dead end. We paddled back and took a break for lunch.

We did have one client, a woman who had bought a boat and some kit but did not have a lot of experience. We took turns teaching and demonstrating techniques. I learned a little how to make kayaking seem fun. By the end though, the other assistant and I were practicing rolling and rescues. Turns out my forward sweep rolle is better than I thought.

It all flows out to the sea.