the gear to get you here - Paddle Press Media

DREAM DESTINATION 2 – ST KILDA
RAJA AMPAT: PADDLING NIRVANA
SEA SURVIVAL REVISITED
ROUGH WATER HANDLING
NIGEL FOSTER’S ENCOUNTERS
THE P&H ARIES
WIN A ZEGUL BAIDARKA
AND MUCH MORE…
£4.99

Hello and welcome to Issue #29 of Ocean Paddler – the last of 2011.
In this issue you’ll find articles on Sea Survival, the Five Essentials of Rough Water
Handling, the dangers of sun exposure and on a true ‘Dream Destination’, St Kilda.
There are reviews of the P&H Aries, the Zegul Baidarka and of two Schwarzer
paddles. We’ll tell you how to warm up and stretch properly and for how long and
we’ll transport you to the Paddling Nirvana of Raja Ampat!
Our digital version of this issue, links to which will have been emailed to all our
subscribers, has additional content not in the printed version. This additional
content includes Kayak Rolling with Helen Wilson and a write up of a 4* Assessment
by Duncan Smith. There’s a whole lot more in there – so make sure you go view it
online or download it in PDF format to your e-reader or iPad… You’ll also receive
links to a digital ‘Play the sea’ buyer’s guide. Don’t miss this additional digital
content which effectively doubles the size of this issue of Ocean Paddler.
Any subscribers who haven’t received an email with information on how to access
the digital issues and buyer’s guide need to get in touch as we don’t have an email
address for you.
By the time you read this we’ll have published an update to the digital Expedition
buyer’s guide – this first update includes the 2012 Tiderace line up, Lendal North
America’s XRANGE series and a whole lot more… see the OP web site, Facebook
group or your email inbox for links.
And for this issue and indeed this year that is just about that – all that’s left
for me to do is wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Sláinte!

Dealers, Distributors and Expedition Centres SKUK Dealer Lendal Dealer Expedition Centre
Adventurous Experiences
‘The Shack’, Ballabrooie, Patrick Road
St Johns, Isle of Man, IM4 3BR
www.adventurousexperiences.com
info@ adventurousexperiences.com
01624 843034
Sea Kayaking Cornwall
Dove House, Tregoniggie Industrial Estate,
Falmouth, Cornwall, TR114SN
www.seakayakingcornwall.com
info@seakayakingcornwall.com
07768 382010
Sea Kayaking UK
Newry Beach Road, Holyhead
Anglesey LL65 1YD
www.seakayakinguk.com
info@seakayakinguk.com
01407 765 550
Nanuk
K. Nicolai, Strasse des Friedens 4 a
23942 Rosenhagen, DE 213995604
www.Nanuk.de
Nanuk-Nicolai@t-online.de
Tel. 038826 86843
God Tur Norge AS
C.Sundtsgate 64, N-5004 Bergen, Norway
www.god-tur.no
www.padlefestivalen.no
www.northernexposure.no
info@god-tur.no
Sea Kayaking Finland
Jalavatie 19; 04480 Haarajoki
(40km N/NE of Helsinki) Finland
www.seakayakingfi nland.com
info@seakayakingfi nland.com
+358 40 732 0290
Terra Santa Kayak Expeditions
www.seakayak.co.il/terra-santa-kayak-expeditions
terrasanta@seakayak.co.il
+972 54 480 4943
Seekajak.at
Franz Weymanng. 24, A- 2102 Bisamberg
www.seekajak.at
thomas.aigner@seekajak.at
+43 664 3155543
Seekajak.ch
Art-outdoor René Schellenberg
Länggstrasse 15, CH-8308 Illnau-Effretikon
www.seekajak.ch
info@seekajak.ch
41 44 586 08 80

Specialists in Sea Kayaks,
Expedition Sea Kayaking,
Courses and Paddles
Sea Kayaking UK www.seakayakinguk.com info@seakayakinguk.com 01407 765 550
Adventure Crafters
School of Coastal Kayaking
7109 Main Street, Queenstown, MD 21658
www.adventurecrafters.com
info@adventurecrafters.com
888 529 2563
Maine Island Kayaks
70 Luther Street, Peaks Island, ME 04108
www.maineislandkayak.com
info@maineislandkayak.com
207 766 2373
Bay Creek Paddling Center
1099 Empire Boulevard / Rochester
New York 14609
www.baycreek.com
info@baycreek.com
585 288 2830
Kayak Waveology
53 Emanuel Church Rd, Killingworth CT 06419
www.kayakwaveology.com
coach@kayakwaveology.com
860 304 4000
Kayak SW Florida
8951 Bonita Beach Road, Suite 525-386
Bonita Springs, FL 34135
www.kayakswfl orida.com 239 963 7296
Chicago Kayak www.chicagokayak.com
Lendal North America
3800 Monroe Avenue, Suite #19C
Pittsford NY 14534
sales@lendalna.com
877 496 3584
Sweetwater Kayaks
13060 Gandy Blvd., St.Petersburg, Florida 33702
www.sweetwaterkayaks.com
theshop@sweetwaterkayaks.com
727 570 4844
Comox Valley Kayaks
and Canoes
2020 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay
British Columbia, V9N 2L3 Canada
www.comoxvalleykayaks.com
250 334 2628
Sea Kayak Baja Mexico
25 Hidalgo, downtown Loreto,
Baja California Sur, Mexico
www.seakayakbajamexico.com
info@seakayakbajamex.com
SKUK and Lendal paddles have many more dealers see www.seakayakinguk.com for details

ISSUE 29
CONTENTS
FEATURES
14 DREAM DESTINATION 2 – ST KILDA 26 RAJA
AMPAT: PADDLING NIRVANA 34 SEA SURVIVAL
REVISITED 38 ROUGH WATER HANDLING: THE FIVE
ESSENTIALS 42 NIGEL FOSTER’S ENCOUNTERS
46 THE DANGERS OF SUN EXPOSURE WHEN SEA
KAYAKING: A PERSONAL STORY 50 STRETCHING
FOR KAYAKERS 54 CRABBING FROM A SEA KAYAK
REGULARS
08 NEWS 56 REVIEW: THE ZEGUL BAIDARKA
58 REVIEW: THE P&H ARIES 60 REVIEW: SCHWARZER
PADDLES 64 COMPETITION – WIN A ZEGUL BAIDARKA
DON’T MISS THE ADDITIONAL DIGITAL CONTENT:
DREAM DESTINATION 2 – ST KILDA GALLERY RAJA AMPAT GALLERY
WINTER WARMERS 4* ASSESSMENT KAYAK ROLLING WITH HELEN WILSON
AND DON’T MISS THE DIGITAL ‘PLAY THE SEA’ BUYER’S GUIDE!
contributors:
month’s this to you
Cover image
Photo taken by: Geir Haukursson Thank
Photo: Alexander Vogel
Dr Douglas Wilcox, Franco Ferrero, Julia Bond, Alexander Vogel, Jeff Allen, Nick Cunliffe, Lizzie Bird, Jason Self, Mark Tozer, Helen Wilson, Duncan Smith and the Ocean Paddler test team.
Special thanks to Copy Editor Elaine Rowan for her continuing hard work and patience!
Copyright 2011 Paddle Press Media. All rights reserved. ISSN 1755-0165. Nothing in the magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher.
We cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs or for material damaged or lost in the post.
The publisher, editor and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue or following issues or for any error and omissions.
The views expressed within are not necessarily those of the publisher or anyone else but the author of the editorial.
Ocean Paddler magazine is published 6 times a year by Paddle Press Media.
Important: Kayaking is a dangerous sport and should not be undertaken without the proper training and the use of relevant safety equipment. Ocean Paddler magazine and its publisher therefore accept no responsibility for any injury or
accident or illness which may occur as a result of any advice or photographic images published in the magazine or on the magazine’s web site.
Contact us on 01202 730691 (UK) or on 00 44 1202 730691 (Overseas)
Design by Daniel Bowes daniel@atomika.co.uk

NEW
Perfect for fitness training, fast lightweight touring and sea kayak racing.
feature synonymous with all Tiderace kayaks.
pace 18
G-Core Lite
G-Core Lite
G-Core Lite
Colourways :
Length
overall Waterline
length ***
WidthDepthCockpit Front Foredeck Day Rear
Cockpit
Total
volume
548.6 cm 548.3 cm 53 cm 31.5 cm 87 x 49 cm 110 ltr 6 ltr n/a 120 ltr 137 ltr 373 ltr
FEATURES :
24 cm
Round hatch
B C
B
Oval hatch
C
15 cm
Foredeck hatch
PACE 18
D
20 cm
Day hatch

NEWS WHAT'S ON / WHAT'S NEW
6TH UK STORM GATHERING:
ORGANISER’S REPORT
Following on from the traditions of coastal
Scandinavian fi shing communities, Storm
Gatherings have become a means for like-minded
people to get together and celebrate a fruitful
and rewarding summer on the water with some
excellent paddling in often challenging conditions
as well as unparalleled entertainment in the
evenings, before the long winter nights take hold.
The 6th UK Storm Gathering took place on
Anglesey in October, and was followed by a BCU
Week that included both BCU 4 and 5 star training
courses and assessments. The weather was true
to form and kicked up a fuss with southerly Force
6 winds building to Gale 8 in preparation for the
weekend. Undeterred, however, 90 paddlers from
across the UK and Europe including participants
from Switzerland, Sicily, Sweden, Norway, Finland,
and Denmark converged on Anglesey Outdoors for
an action-packed symposium.
The coaching team was also expansive in terms of
nationalities and experience. Helen Wilson, Paul
Kuthe and Warren Parker from the US along with
Axel Schoevers from Holland joined the likes of
Jeff Allen, Justine Curgenven, Steve Graham, Ollie
Jay, James Stevenson and Phil Clegg in providing
some excellent on-the-water workshops. A special
mention goes to Nick Cunliffe, who tackled
the tremendously diffi cult task of coordinating
participants and coaches each morning based on
some very exciting sea conditions.
Locations such as Rhosneigr, Trearddur Bay,
Penmon, Bull Bay, the Menai Straits and even
Due to popular demand, the Delphin is now
available with a top-end surf specifi cation. The
single-layer construction and full whitewater
outfi tting gives a solid whitewater-spec sea
kayak ready to take on the most extreme of
environments. The Delphin’s unique design has a
large-volume bow that rides high over waves and
prevents purling in the surf; the fl at midsection on
the hull makes it one of the most manoeuvrable
and exciting sea kayaks on the market. Experienced
08 OCEAN PADDLER
Llyn Padarn were used for a variety of workshops
including incident management, open water
rolling, rough water handling and surfi ng
among others. Participants were stretched
and challenged, but tired smiles and laughter
over a beer in the Paddler’s Return suggested
that the event was living up to expectations.
Paddlers were clearly thrilled that they had faced
conditions that they would not normally have
gone out in.
Each evening was also fi lled with activities and
entertainment. Friday night saw Jim Krawiecki,
Barry Shaw, Kate Duffus, Andy Morgan and
Roger Chandler present a series of short fi lms
and slideshows to get people in the mood as
they arrived. Nick Cunliffe and Matt Giblin put
on a sea kayaker’s pub quiz on Saturday night
that combined elements of a celebrity quiz show,
trivia rounds and various embarrassing party
games. Sunday night had everyone gather at
Rhoscolyn School to hear Jeff Allen present ‘Into
the Wind’, the epic account of a record-breaking
circumnavigation of Ireland he completed with
Harry Whelan earlier this year.
Thanks go to Kokatat, Tahne Marine and
Tiderace Sea Kayaks for supporting the event in
a numbers of ways including raffl e prizes, demo
boats and promotional services. Thanks also to
Joe O’Paddles, the Fat Paddler, Mitchell Blades
and Bluewater Kayak Works for donating some
wonderful prizes to the raffl e.
http://ukstormgathering.blogspot.com
P&H DELPHIN 155 AND 150 NOW IN SURF SPEC
paddlers are going to love the combination of a
kayak that comes alive on tide races and overfalls
and full-on Connect whitewater outfi tting to give
perfect control in extreme conditions.
THIS IS THE SEA
DVD BOX SET
Cackle TV are delighted to announce the release of
the entire This is the Sea collection as a DVD box
set. It's now possible to own all 4 DVDs in a snazzy
box so they sit nice and prettily on your shelf. The
DVDs contain over 8 hours worth of award-winning
sea kayaking fi lms, showcasing some of the world’s
most outstanding sea kayaking destinations,
cutting-edge documentaries of expeditions, breathtaking
action in tidal races and an insight into sea
kayaking’s most colourful characters. Packed with
adventure, wildlife, action, stories and talented
paddlers, these fi lms will inspire you to get out
on the water. The box set is competitively priced
at just £49.99, saving £30 on the retail price of the
DVDs. Destinations include Norway, Antarctica,
New Zealand, the Faroe Islands, Israel, Japan,
Baja, California, Florida and of course Wales and
Scotland. Perfect for winter weather!
If you already own some of the DVDs but want
to complete the set, then order the missing DVDs
from the Cackle TV website and they’ll send you
a box for free. The price is America is US $75 (a
saving of $45).
Cackle TV are importing a limited number of a
new sea kayak rescues DVD from world-class sea
kayaking coaches and paddlers, Shawna Franklin
and Leon Somme. Shawna and Leon, from Orcas
Island, Washington team up with award-winning
fi lmmaker Bryan Smith in Sea Kayak Rescues, a
comprehensive modern guide to rescues for all
paddlers. Using stunning slow motion to illustrate
details and real-time footage of rescues in tidal
races, dynamic water and the open coast, this
fi lm sets a new standard in sea kayak instruction.
Shawna and Leon break down self and assisted
rescues and show applications in fl at, dynamic and
rough water. Beautiful cinematography and worldclass
instruction combine in a unique and effective
instructional fi lm. The DVD is priced at £19.99 with
free shipping.
For more information, visit www.cackletv.com
For more information, see the digital ‘Play the sea’
buyer’s guide or visit www.phseakayaks.com

TIDAL WATERS @ SEA KAYAKING UK
'Nigel Dennis and Eila Wilkinson are delighted to
announce a brand-new and exciting development
within the world of sea kayak courses. Based in
Holyhead on the island of Anglesey, North Wales,
surrounded by world-famous tide races, stunning
scenery, wildlife and outlying islands, Nigel and Eila
are bringing new and challenging courses to all sea
paddlers. Tidal Waters can offer your something
if you have never been in a sea kayak and want to
experience and discover the wonders of the sea, or
perhaps you feel ready to tackle some rough water
(maybe you are looking to challenge yourself in
the tide races that surround the beautiful island of
Anglesey or are looking to train or be assessed in
any of the BCU personal skills or leadership awards
from 2 star to 5 star). Tidal Waters offer guiding,
training and assessment to any level.'
'We are also delighted to put together any tailormade
course to suit you or your group. As well
as a varied programme for 2012, Tidal Waters can
cater for individual private coaching from a half-day
to a week’s session, or bring your own group of
up to 8. If you are a group of two friends or more
looking for some specifi c coaching, Tidal Waters
can programme and design a course especially for
you. Tidal Waters will be offering Forward Paddling
Clinics, which are designed to help improve
effi ciency and effective paddling; these classes are
highly recommended for anyone suffering from
suspected paddling injuries.'
GAEL8
Gael8 are a small and inspiring UK-based company who
believe that, when it comes to clothing, a little bit of wisdom
goes a long way. Created 18 months ago, Gael8 have
been road testing the use of bamboo as a thermal material
and have found it to be an effective base layer for several
activities while being kind to the skin and not smelling! Gael8’s
environmental ethos is a huge priority: bamboo is kind to
the planet, being a naturally sustainable material, and all
designs are printed with water-based inks that don’t pollute
the seas. All at Gael8 really do believe that bamboo may be
the new merino!
For more information on Gael8, bamboo and the latest
products visit their new website at www.gael8.co.uk
'Other courses on offer will be rescue training,
rough water, tide races, incident management
and master classes for beginner to advanced
paddlers. We are holding an expedition course
in 2012 to the Outer Hebrides, with the option to
venture across to St Kilda (weather permitting). If
you want to book us to run an expedition for you,
then we will be happy to arrange this for you.'
'It goes without saying that if you do not own
your own kayak or are travelling from overseas
we have a full fl eet of Nigel Dennis, Sea Kayaking
UK kayaks available for use with Lendal paddles.
We can help you with accommodation with
bookings to suit every budget (from camping to
the pampering of a fi ne hotel or guest house to
some excellent self-catering options).'
Both Nigel and Eila are qualifi ed BCU coaches
and 5 star sea paddlers. Nigel has been paddling
for a number of years and his coaching and
expeditionary skills are legendary. Owner of
Sea Kayaking UK Kayaks and Lendal paddles,
Nigel was the fi rst person to paddle around
Great Britain along with Paul Caffyn. Eila has
circumnavigated the Outer Hebrides and Ireland
most of which was solo. Tidal Waters @ Sea
Kayaking UK can be contacted via the Sea
Kayaking UK website www.seakayakinguk.com
or email courses@seakayakinguk.com
or telephone +44 (0) 1407 765 550.
EXPLORER
ROMANY
PILGRIM
SEA KAYAKING UK
SPECIALISTS IN
SEA KAYAKS,
COURSES AND
PADDLES
SKUK: 01407 765550
Lendal: 01407 762525
www.seakayakinguk.com
www.lendal.com

NEWS WHAT'S ON / WHAT'S NEW
MIDWEST SEA KAYAKING SYMPOSIUM 2012
Run and organised by Kari-Tek (www.karitek.co.uk), the Midwest Sea Kayak Symposium is
aimed at novice to intermediate paddlers and will run from Saturday May 5th to Monday
May 7th, 2012. Last year’s symposium got off to a flying start with unseasonably strong
NE winds at Tayvallich in Argyll over the 3-day holiday weekend. Around 60 paddlers from
all over the UK joined the coaching team for a symposium aimed at helping novice and
improver sea paddlers increase their core kayaking skills.
As participant Ian said “The event was brilliant and fantastically well run, we came away
having learnt a lot and inspired to get out there and try it out as soon as we can. For us as
novice/intermediate paddlers, it was pitched perfectly and immense fun.”
The symposium’s coaching programme was put together by Colin McWilliams of Oban
Sea Kayak Guides and a superb 11-strong coaching team, who delivered sessions
including forward paddling, edging and turning, towing and rolling. Off-the-water
highlights included an illustrated presentation by expedition paddler and film maker
Justine Curgenven followed by a ceilidh organised by Tayvallich residents.
Kari-Tek were delighted by the feedback they received after the event and to hear
how much participants got out of the symposium. For more information and to see
photographs from the 2011 symposium visit www.midwestsymposium.co.uk
POST YOUR TRASHY PICS
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND’S NEVER-ENDING CLEAN-UP CONTEST
Three sea kayakers from Portland (Oregano) (Jason Self, Chris Bensch and Shay Bickley)
have teamed up to clean up the world’s oceans with their world-wide ‘Never-ending clean-up
contest’. To participate, simply ‘like’ their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gulfkayak
and post photos of the removal and proper disposal of rubbish from any waterway,
using any human-powered craft to their wall. The person or group with the most rubbish
removed at the end of each month wins prizes from their sponsors. Since July, the contest is
responsible for over 5000+ pounds of rubbish removed from waterways, and has awarded
winners with gear from Ibex Outdoor Clothing, Keen Footwear, Klean Kanteen, Aquapac,
Thule, Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe, Kokatat and more.
SEA KAYAK OBAN SEA SHUTTLE SERVICE!
Sea Kayak Oban on the West Coast of Scotland
with its coaching & guiding provider National
Kayak School have for several years been
looking for a Sea Kayak Shuttle vehicle. Now
this has been provided by working with Seafari.
They have specially designed fast RIBS that will
take up to 12 sea kayaks. From their base on
Easdale Island (30 mins drive south of Oban) it is
only 10mins to the play wave at the Grey Dogs,
15 mins to the Gulf of Corryvreckan or 40mins
to Loch Tarbert on the West Coast of Jura or
15 mins to the far west end of the Garvellachs.
National Kayak School have been using the
shuttle to make the most use of short winter
days and small good weather windows. The RIB
can be booked via info@seakayakoban.com

NEWS WHAT'S ON / WHAT'S NEW
SYSTEM X ANNOUNCES UK
DISTRIBUTION OF KOKATAT
GORE-TEX PADDLING WEAR
System X are delighted to announce that they have agreed
UK-wide distribution of Kokatat products. Kokatat design
and manufacture top-of-the-range Gore-tex drywear
for all types of paddling including whitewater, sea
kayaking, recreational, SUP and kayak fi shing. Their
range of dry suits, jackets, tops, dry trousers, boots and
PFDs is made in the USA and has been honed over 40
years of development. The company name is a regional
Native American word for ‘Into the Water’; this is highly
appropriate since Kokatat garments are meant for total
immersion. They strive to make the most comfortable,
durable and safe products possible such as Gore-tex
drysuits that carry a lifetime warranty or rescue PFDs worn
by guides worldwide. Kokatat products will be exclusively
stocked by a select number of UK paddlesport dealers.
View the full range of products at www.kokatat.com
or, for more information, contact info@systemxeurope.com
FEARLESS: ONE WOMAN,
ONE KAYAK, ONE CONTINENT
BY JOE GLICKMAN
Fearless is the story of a remarkable individual who accepts
no personal limits, including fear. Freya Hoffmeister, a
46-year-old former sky diver, gymnast, marksman and
Miss Germany contestant, left her 12-year-old son behind
to paddle alone and unsupported around Australia on a
year-long adventure that virtually every expert guaranteed
would get her killed. She planned not only to survive the
9420-mile trip through huge shark-infested seas, but to do
it faster than the only other paddler who'd done it.
As journalist and expert kayaker, Joe Glickman details the voyage of this Teutonic force of nature.
He captures interminable days on the water and nights camped out on deserted islands, hairraising
encounters with crocs and great white sharks and the daring 300-mile open-ocean crossing
that shaved three weeks off her trip. For 332 days Glickman followed Freya’s journey on her blog
(along with a far-fl ung audience of awestruck and even lovesick groupies) as she took on one
terrifying ordeal after the next. In the end, he says, “her vanity and pigheadedness paled next to her
nearly superhuman ability to master fear and persevere.”
Paperback: 224 pages. Publisher: FalconGuide (24 Jan 2012).
TAHE REVAL MINI LC PE
The Reval Mini LC PE model was introduced for the 2012 season due to the huge success of the
composite version. The Reval Mini LC was designed while keeping in mind a higher volume
version than the regular one. Although it ended up with a lot of similarities to the Reval Mini, it
is still a slightly different kayak. With a 2cm wider hull and more volume, this kayak is defi nitely
suitable for a medium-sized paddler who wants to enjoy a roomier cockpit area while paddling.
The LC cockpit with thigh braces provides a much easier entry and good support. The initial
stability of the Reval Mini LC is higher than on the regular version, providing a secure feeling.
The Reval series is for paddlers who want a British-style kayak. The hulls are designed with
more rocker and their upswept bows and sterns are designed to handle more challenging sea
conditions. The Reval series kayaks are equipped with retractable skeg or retractable
skeg/rudder option.
For more information, see the digital ‘Play the sea’ buyer’s guide or visit www.tahemarine.com

NEW NEW
Length
overall Waterline
length ***
Length
overall Waterline
length ***
WidthDepthCockpit Front Foredeck Day Rear Cockpit
Total
volume
WidthDepthCockpit Front Foredeck Day Rear Cockpit
Total
volume
550 cm 470 cm 61 cm 35 cm 89 x 52 cm 105 ltr 6 ltr 50 ltr 90 ltr 179 ltr 430 ltr
C
B B
D

Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: Oiseval, Village Bay, Dun with Stac Levenish in the distance from Mullach Geal ridge, Hirta.

FEATURE DREAM DESTINATION 2
By Douglas Wilcox seakayakphoto.com
ea kayaking round the ‘islands at the Edge
of the World’, as our ancestors described
these remote but once inhabited isles,
has been the most stunning experience
of my sea kayaking lifetime. Everything about
these islands is a superlative. The wonderful
thing is that the islands are not just accessible
to experts, who can tackle the committing and
exposed crossing; good, intermediate paddlers
can also visit them. The secret is to go on a
guided trip using a support vessel.
The St Kilda archipelago lies 66 kilometres west
of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. Despite its remote
situation, it was inhabited from prehistory until
1930. Its history and natural environment combine
to make it one of only 24 double World Heritage
sites. I have set off for St Kilda six times and have
only got there twice; that should provide a hint as
to how special a visit to St Kilda is for any visitor
(not just sea kayakers). The first three times were
on a 36-foot yacht in the 1970s. We set off from
the Oban area but only managed to reach Canna
on the first attempt, Loch Maddy on the second
and then Mingulay on the third. In 2006 we took
sea kayaks on a converted trawler from Oban and
managed to get to Loch Reasort on the west coast
of Harris before being beaten back by the weather.
The trouble with leaving from Oban is that it takes
4 days to get to and from the Outer Hebrides. This
typically leaves just 2 days (out of a 6-day trip)
for an attempt on St Kilda which lies more than
90km WSW of the nearest sheltered anchorage in
16 OCEAN PADDLER
Loch Reasort. As there is no sheltered anchorage
on St Kilda, there is no guarantee that even a
large vessel will risk the crossing in anything less
than fair conditions. To maximise the chance of
a successful trip to St Kilda, I believe the best
option is to go on a boat from the west coast of
Lewis or Harris.
I have now been on two successful trips to St
Kilda: the first for one night and the second
for two nights. Both were on the MV Cuma,
which is skippered by Murdani MacDonald who
formerly fished for lobster and crabs round the
archipelago. The Cuma sails from Miavaig, a
sheltered port in Loch Roag on the west coast of
Lewis. To reach Miavaig you can drive over the
Skye Bridge to Uig and take the ferry to Tarbert
on Harris then drive to Miavaig. Alternatively,
drive to Ullapool on the NW coast, take the ferry
to Stornoway on Lewis and then drive to Miavaig.
On the first trip the sea kayak leader was Murty
Campbell and on the second Gordon Brown; I can
thoroughly recommend both.
The Cuma normally leaves Miavaig on a Saturday
afternoon with 12 kayakers on board, including
guides. The kayaks are tied round the gunwales
of the Cuma with a couple on the saloon roof. It is
advisable to bring some old foam camping mat as
padding and your roof rack straps to secure your
kayak. If you have access to a polyethylene kayak,
it would be worthwhile bringing this rather than a
lightweight carbon fibre special! If the weather is
fair, the Cuma might leave directly for St Kilda as
soon as the kayaks are on board. On the two trips
I have been on, however, she has spent the first
night in the Loch Reasort area on the west coast
of Harris. From there she will either head out to
St Kilda if the weather is good or explore Scarp,
Taransay or the Monach islands while waiting
for a weather window. Visitors to this part of the
world need to understand that the weather rules
all and that Murdani’s prime responsibility is the
safety of his passengers. In one exceptional week
of June storms, the Cuma was unable to leave the
shelter of Loch Roag on Lewis.
As the Cuma approaches St Kilda you will
first see some clouds on the horizon; the most
amazing series of jagged islands and stacs will
then rise beneath the clouds. As the Cuma motors
into Village Bay you will see the cluster of houses
that line the village ‘main street’. They are backed
by surprisingly green slopes that are covered with
hundreds of strange stone-built cleits (simple
store shelters). Every viewpoint on the Cuma will
be taken when the anchor chain rattles down the
chute. You have arrived.
Cicumnavigation of Hirta
The circumnavigation of the main island Hirta
by sea kayak is something to dream of. I will
describe an anticlockwise trip. The kayaks are
launched from the Cuma by lowering them down
to assistants in the Cuma’s inflatable dinghy,
which is tethered alongside. The kayaker then

climbs down into the dinghy and from there into
the kayak. Paddling in Village Bay, the green bowl
of the valley above the village contrasts with the
deep blue sea and the jagged dark rocks of Dun.
The Bay is full of rafts of puffins, guillemots and
razorbills that nest on Dun. Leaving the mooring,
you pass under the villagers’ storehouse and the
abandoned naval gun (installed after a German
U-boat shelled the wartime Royal Navy radio
station in WW1). Erosion from winter storms
has affected this section of the bay but soon
you are under the cliffs of Oisevasl and the bare
rocks fall sheer into the sea; they even overhang
the surging swells below in places. In 1906,
15-year-old Norman Gillies drowned here when
he fell from the cliffs while fishing with his two
brothers. Although it was calm, none of them
could swim. As you round the most easterly
point of Hirta (Rubha Uisge, NF 112 991) you will
enter the shade and probably encounter some
wind against tide confusion. It can sometimes
be so rough that it might take a while to realise
that there is an astounding view of Boreray and
the stacs to the northeast. They are tantalisingly
close, but you will be lucky to make the 7km
crossing of the open Atlantic.
Continuing round Hirta, you might be able to
paddle inside of the first satellite stac (Sgeirr nan
Garbh, NF 111 993) but watch for rogue swells.
The sky above will now be filled with wheeling
stiff-winged fulmars which nest on the cliffs
under Oiseval and Connachair. The villagers
lowered themselves over the cliffs on rocks to
harvest first the eggs, then the chicks. Ewan
Gillies (No. 12 Main Street) and John MacDonald
(No. 9) fell to their deaths while fowling here on
12th August 1916. The summit of Connachair
will almost certainly have a cap of white cloud.
A mixture of the swell and the dizzying heights
above can make you feel quite unsteady.
Lowering your gaze will hardly reduce your
sensory overload. Ahead stretch some of the
highest sea cliffs in Britain and you will shortly
be paddling beneath them. I say this in the literal
sense, as there are some amazing overhangs and
caves on this coast.
With luck, you will also be able to paddle
between Mina Stac and the cliffs at the foot of
Connachair (NA 104 007). Legend has it that
this was once a great arch but it was brought
down by the masts of a Spanish galleon from
the Armada which was driven into the gap and
wrecked in a storm. If you stick close under the
cliffs of Connachair, you will come across the
great cave of Geo nan Plaidean (NA 101 004).
The wall above it rises almost to the summit
of Conachair 430m above. There is room for
more than 12 kayakers in the depths of this
cavern. Next, you arrive at Bradastac. At any
other location, this would be a giant among
stacks; here it is dwarfed by the soaring cliffs of
Conachair however. You might be able to paddle
through the U-shaped bend behind Bradastac
where the sun never shines; the dark walls are
DREAM DESTINATION 2 FEATURE
Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: Stac Lee (172m), Stac an Armin and Boreray from the south.
brightened only by some peculiar fluorescent
green lichens.
Further west you come to Geodha na h-Airdhe
(NA 088 008) which is a 140m long tunnel right
through the headland of Gob na h-Airdhe. The
scale of the tunnel is difficult to describe; the
swell surges through and sometimes from both
ends, meeting in an explosion of foam in the
middle. Watch it carefully for a while before
deciding whether to enter. Once through you are
in Glen Bay. There is no beach at its head, only a
sloping rocky slab which is washed by the swells.
In exceptional conditions, it might be possible
to land here (NA 083 003). Dr MacDonald, the
19th century minister who went on to build the
church, schoolhouse and manse, had to land
here as it was too difficult to land at Village Bay.
Glen Bay suffers from unexpected and vicious
offshore gusts that can rush down the glen even
from a clear blue sky. A trip led by Gordon Brown
suffered several capsizes in a sudden squall,
followed by some extreme rafted towing.
Until now Cuma will have kept a discrete distance
from the party, enhancing your sense of isolation.
As you approach the Hirta Soay Gap (NA 074 014)
she will appear and probe the channel. Any wind
over tide can make this passage near impossible
and you may need to board Cuma and have lunch
to wait for slack water or even abandon the trip at
this point. Skipper Murdani will discuss the best
course of action with the kayak guide.
OCEAN PADDLER 17

FEATURE DREAM DESTINATION 2
I have been lucky and paddled the gap from both
directions. As you approach from the north, the
dark cliffs of Soay might emerge from a cap of
cloud that often obscures the summit. The sky
will be full of birds, mostly fulmars, and invariably
there will be more wind here than on the rest of
your trip. As you swing round An Campar (the
northwest point on Hirta), you will see that the
channel is nearly blocked by two tall stacs: Stac
Soay and Stac Biorach. They stand like the portal
to another world. Kayakers who have come this
way before you have named this gap the ‘Gates
of Hell’. You might be surprised if your guide
continues west for a while, past the main channel,
but all will be revealed: there is a tunnel right
through Stac Soay (NA 073 013). Even in calm
conditions the wind will shriek through this gap,
but once through you can reach the ‘shelter’ of the
exposed west coast of Hirta. At low tide it might
be possible to land nearby on a boulder beach on
the southeast point of Soay (NA 069 012).
Once through the gap, you will hopefully be
back in sunshine. The cliffs on this side of Hirta
are no less impressive than on its north side,
but are broken by occasional grassy slopes and
ledges. You come to a series of interesting small
stacs and skerries and, if swell allows, you can
paddle through the surging waters of the gaps
between them and cliffs above. From the summit
of Mullach Bi (358m), the great headland of Carn
Mor plunges precipitously into the sea. As you
approach, you might see light coming through
what first appears to be a cave. It is actually a
long tunnel (Geo Creag an Arpaid, NF 079 990)
which goes right through from the west coast to
the south coast of Hirta!
Once through this wonder, you come across
the cave of Rubha Mhuirich (NF 087 986). This
huge cave is about 100m deep and runs straight
into the cliffs. The light extends right to the back
of the cave, where there is a sandy beach at
low tide. One can only imagine the force of the
ocean’s fury in here in an Atlantic storm. More
dizzying heights and overhangs lead to the
Ruaval peninsula where, if you are leaving Dun
for another day, you will turn to the northeast
through the Dun Gap. This narrow channel is
full of rocks and nearly dries out at low spring
tides. The St Kildans had slung a chain between
Ruaval and Dun so that they could cross on foot
at low water, but hang on if any rogue swell
broke through the gap. Thankfully, there was no
rogue swell on the day we visited. You might
find a combination of swell, strong winds and
tides result in rough water in the Gap, but once
through you enter the relative calm of Village Bay.
Only rafts of puffins now separate you from the
Cuma or the nearby landing stage (NF 102 990;
where you will leave the kayaks if planning to
paddle the next day).
Exploration of Dun
Do not underestimate how long the exploration
of Dun will take. Paradoxically, on a calm day
when you can explore all its nooks and crannies,
this would make a complete expedition in itself!
From Village Bay, head along Ruaval towards the
Dun Gap. High on the grassy northeast slopes
of Dun, old lazy beds (which took advantage of
the sunlight from the midsummer evening sun)
18 OCEAN PADDLER
reveal where the St Kildans grew crops. They
also harvested puffins which nest on these slopes
and wintered lambs on the island. There was a
‘landing’ place on Dun near the northeast entrance
of the Gap. On a glorious calm day in May 1918,
a party of five St Kildan men were trying to
land here. Their boat overturned and Norman
MacQueen (No. 11), his brother John (No. 10) and
Donald MacDonald (No. 16) were all drowned.
Once safely through the Gap, you will turn left
along the southwest coast of Dun. In contrast
to the sloping northeast coast, the southwest
side is so steep that it often overhangs the
sea. If the conditions are calm you can hug the
bottom of the cliff inside the skerries, but watch
out for rogue swells (one of our party took an
unexpected swim here). Continue into the rocky
bay to the east of A’Bhi. At the back of the inlet
(NF 100 976), turn hard right into a hidden tunnel.
This leads into a large cavern and emerges after
about 100m on the other side of the An Fhain
promontory. Turn hard right again when you exit
and you will find a narrow tunnel (which is little
more than a slot) which goes back through the
promontory and emerges in the inlet of A’Chlaisir.
Now paddle round the south tip of the An Fhaing
promontory and head north again, passing the
two tunnels you have just explored on your left.
Follow the cliffs until you come to an unnamed
skerry; paddle behind it and you will come to the
entrance of a large cave (NF 102 976).
This cave was used as shelter by the St Kildans
when they were fishing at night. In the evening
they would sail or row up to 5km off the
southwest coast of Dun and leave baited lines
attached to floats. They would return to this cave
and spend the night in its shelter before returning
for their catch in the morning. As you enter the
cave you find yourself in a large dark space; there
is a sloping shelf on your left, across which the
swell surges. If you turn hard left after the shelf
you will find a narrow sloping slot. At the end
you will see a glimmer of light. If swell allows,
paddle through this (your blades will clatter off
the sloping roof as the swell rises and falls).
You will emerge into a dimly lit cavern with red
walls. A little further (after about 120m from the
entrance) you suddenly emerge into sunlight at
the entrance to Seilg Geodha in Village Bay (NF
102 977): you have paddled right through Dun!
The impossibly green slopes above Village Bay
may tempt you to land and explore Hirta on foot,
but not yet. Turn right and now paddle towards
the southeast point of Dun.
On your right you will come across the great Arch
of Dun (NF 107 973). There are two entrances
to the arch on this side which join in the middle
forming a Y-shaped tunnel. If it is calm enough,
go in through the first entrance and emerge on
the southwest side of Dun again. Now turn left
towards the southeast tip of Dun, where you will
see the offshore tide race heaving on the horizon.
If conditions allow continue round the headland
at Gob an Muce, the most southeast point of Dun.
Even in calm conditions, don’t expect flat water
here. There is supposed to be a small tunnel right
through the Gob itself but, when we were there,
the water was so rough that we didn’t even see it.
Pass a further headland (Gob an Duin) and enter
Village Bay, yet again! Paddle northwest until you
come to the larger of the two northeast entrances
to the Great Arch of Dun. You can expect swell,
wind and tide to make the arch interesting. It
is further complicated by having a rock right
in the middle. The swell breaks over this in a
most entertaining way. Following the left wall is
probably the safer route and, with luck, you will
soon be back on the southwest coast of Dun.
Now turn northwest below overhanging cliffs
towards the Dun Gap. Be careful at the back
of some of the geos (inlets) as there are large
precarious-looking rocks above recent rock falls
in several places. There will be more lively water
round Giumachsgor, which is the southerly tip of
Dun. You will find calmer conditions round the
point, but only the very brave will go through
the small tunnel at the foot of Bioda Mor (NF 103
973). You are now on familiar waters again, so
make your way without incident back to the Gap
and hence through to Village Bay. Expect to be
literally gobsmacked and disorientated by the
scale and complexity of Dun; this is truly the seakayaking
trip of a lifetime.
Crossing to Boreray and the Stacs
You will really be pushing your luck to expect this
trip as well! You will probably start from Village
Bay and, depending on inclination, tide and
weather, you can paddle either west or east round
Hirta. We went west and had lunch aboard the
Cuma. (She lay to the southwest of Stac Dona at
the south entrance to the Soay Hirta Gap.) After
getting back into the kayaks, we paddled through
the tunnel under Stac Soay in rather interesting
conditions and emerged with the expanse of
the North Atlantic before us. The horizon is
broken only by the bold outline of Boreray and
the Stacs some 8km away to the northeast. You
will be crossing a tidal stream with the two most
memorable transit markers you will ever use: the
summit of Stac Lee is directly below the summit
of Boreray. The Cuma will remain near the gap
to ensure that all kayakers get through the tunnel
safely. She will then motor directly to Boreray,
leaving the kayaking party alone. You will feel
dwarfed by the scale of the cliffs on one side and
the empty ocean on the other. On the crossing,
you will encounter large ocean swells and not
all the party will be visible at the same time. As
you approach the Stacs, the sky will become
thick with gannets. They never seem particularly
interested in boats but they seem fascinated by
kayakers. It is an amazing sight to see a gannet
fold its wings then dive into the sea from a great
height and emerge while swallowing a fish, just
metres from your bow. Aggressive skuas will
chase a gannet until it disgorges its fish. The
skuas then catch the fish in midair, before it falls
to the sea again.
Coming into the base of Stac Lee will have you
trembling with excitement. The long easy motion
of the swell on the open crossing changes to
confused clapotis. Your ears are deafened by the
noise of the waves and the constant croaking of
thousands of gannets that nest on the ledges. The
top of the stac is dazzling because of the white
of their feathers and a thick layer of their white
guano. Your nostrils are assailed by the smell of
the guano, a pungent mix of fish and ammonia.
Only the wave-washed rocks at sea level are black.

Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: Dry stone wall, possibly to protect vegetables, at An Lag high above Village Bay, Hirta.
The rocks plunge straight into the sea; there is no
place to land but the islanders would leap from
a boat and cling on before climbing the cliffs to
harvest the gugas (young flightless gannets).
Straight ahead lies the island of Boreray.
Its soaring ridges make it look like a great
stegosaurus emerging from the ocean. Cliffs
fall straight into the sea below its green upper
slopes. The St Kildans kept sheep and latterly cut
peat here as the peat beds became exhausted
on Hirta. They also harvested the gannets.
There is no place to pull a boat from the water
so they were dropped off from the boat which
returned to Hirta, leaving them for a week or so
at a time during summer fair weather. They had
three underground shelters on the island and
could signal messages to Hirta by cutting peats
in different places. In the 1920s, the very last
expedition to Boreray was marred by the death
of Donald Gillies (No. 2 Main Street) who was
only 36 and a father of four. It is thought he died
of appendicitis but he was beyond access to any
medical help; there was no doctor, even on Hirta.
You will spot the entrance to a huge cave on the
west coast of Boreray (NA 150 051). The whole
party will have room to spare inside. At low
tide, there is a boulder beach at the back of the
cave which might allow a landing in exceptional
circumstances. For the bold there is a narrow cleft
that runs to the north from the back of the cave; it
emerges after over 100m in pitch darkness
(NA 150 052). If you can’t land and don’t fancy the
dark cleft, don’t worry; turn around and you will
be rewarded by a stunning view of St Kilda that is
unique to sea kayakers. Your companions will be
silhouettes in the foreground as the dark arch of
the cave forms a perfect frame for Stac Lee in the
middle distance. The Hirta Soay Gap (from where
you have just paddled) is in the distance just to
the left of Stac Lee. The air is full of wheeling
gannets and your ears will be deafened by the
boom of the waves and their echoes inside the
cave. Simply stunning!
If you have time, it is worth paddling north to Stac
an Armin which gives a similar experience to Stac
Lee (but is even bigger and is in fact the biggest
British stac). Once there, turn to the southeast
for the most incredible view of Boreray. A series
of rocky pinnacles soar into the sky filled with
gannets. At a height of 384m and an area of 77
hectares, Boreray is the smallest Scottish island
to have a summit over 304m (1000 feet). It is
inhospitably steep all round, with nowhere to keep
a boat. Amazing remains of a permanent Iron Age
settlement were discovered in June 2001 high
above the cliffs on the steep grassy slopes of the
southwest side. Cuma will probably pick you up
in the lee of Boreray, which is likely to be on the
northeast side.
As you motor back to the shelter of Loch
Reasort on Harris and the outline of the St Kilda
archipelago recedes over the western horizon,
you will feel an enormous satisfaction at having
paddled in one of the world’s most unique
situations. You will feel sad even though your visit
was only for a day or two. Imagine how the last
St Kildans felt when they were finally evacuated
in 1930. Contact with the Navy in the First World
War had given the young people knowledge of the
opportunities in the outside world. Emigration and
a series of accidents meant there was not enough
man power to continue their hard way of life. You
will now have an enormous amount of respect
for the St Kildans, who used small boats to fish
and harvest sheep, birds, crops and peats on the
islands and stacs of the St Kildan archipelago. The
tourists who arrive in the comfort of a liner can
never experience first-hand the waters that the St
Kildans knew in the way that you have just done.
DREAM DESTINATION 2 FEATURE
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Murdani MacDonald, Murty
Campbell and Gordon Brown. Without their
help, this article could not have been written.
Further reading
There is an archipelago of books written
about St Kilda by non-natives. The only
book by a native which I have discovered is
the Truth about St Kilda by the Rev. Donald
John Gillies. These are really just a selection
of his memoirs, written in his 80s. It is not
edited into chapters or indexed and there
are frequent repetitions but, as he was born
on the island in 1901 and left in 1924, it is a
unique first-hand account of life on the island
during its final decades.
Maps
All grid references are British Ordnance
Survey Landranger format, which covers a
grid of 100m x 100m. One of the most useful
maps is the Ordnance Survey Map of St Kilda
or Hirta and Adjacent Islands and Stacs,
6 inches to 1 mile map (1:10,560) surveyed
by John Mathieson and published in 1928. It
is available free from the National Library of
Scotland website. Admiralty Chart BA2524-6
covers St Kilda and Boreray at 1:25,000.
Google Earth has recently updated highresolution
satellite photography of St Kilda.
Tides
The NE-going stream (flood) begins at +0545
HW Ullapool and the SW-going stream (ebb)
begins at –0030 HW Ullapool. The Admiralty
pilot gives the spring rate as 3 knots close to the
islands, but Murdani Campbell of the MV Cuma
reckons on 6–7 knots between Dun and Levinish,
2–3 knots in the Hirta Soay Gap and up to 5 knots
west of Say and north of Boreray.
OCEAN PADDLER 19

FEATURE DREAM DESTINATION 2
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS? By Franco Ferrero
F
ive years ago, after a lifetime of sea
kayaking, I dipped my toes into the world
of sailing. I bought a lovely Trintella
29 called Firebird. She was a small
(29 foot) but very seaworthy combination of a
modern sloop rig above the water and a more
traditional long keel below it. It was glorious
sailing to Scotland, Brittany and even the Azores.
The problem was that having travelled to these
wonderful places under sail, it was extremely
frustrating not being able to explore in close with
the finest ‘shoal keel’ vessel ever designed: the
sea kayak. There is nothing new about the concept
of ‘motherships’, but these are usually large (50
foot or more) boats that groups of kayakers have
to hire. Could it be done in a relatively small boat?
I’d tried an inflatable kayak once, but once was
enough. In an effort to squeeze two kayaks into
little Firebird my partner Kath and I decided
to explore the possibilities that folding kayaks
offered. Thanks to Dave Felton at Knoydart we
were able to borrow some Feathercraft boats
20 OCEAN PADDLER
and give them a trial. The problem was that I
am so used to the wonderful feel of a really stiff
composite sea kayak that I came to the conclusion
that I was too inflexible to adapt to their ways.
The only remaining solution was three-piece
kayaks. Deep in our hearts we were slowly coming
to the conclusion that little Firebird wasn’t really
spacious enough for the length of trips we have
in mind in the future. So we took the plunge,
sold Firebird and bought Caramor (Cornish for
sea-lover). She is a 23 year old Rustler 36, a boat
of considerable reputation for build quality and
seaworthiness. Just as importantly, she has a huge
quarterberth (a bunk space at the back of the boat).
We were confident we could fit kayaks in there.
As they were primarily going to be used as
day-boats and space was at a premium we went
for relatively short kayaks. After numerous trials
Kath opted for an Avocet LV and I chose a Pilgrim.
They were delivered in early April and we took
them down to Falmouth to join Caramor. Try as
we might we could only fit five of the six pieces
in the quarterberth. However, the main reason we
could afford Caramor was that, although she had
a sound hull and rigging, she needed a lot of work
doing. One of these jobs was replacing the rotting
foam-backed vinyl lining. Once we had removed
the lining and the plywood that it was glued to,
there might be enough space.
Joined by my brother Tony as extra crew, we
sailed to the delightful Helford River, then to
Newlyn and on day three to the Isles of Scilly.
The winds were light, the sun was shining and
we were strolling about in T-shirts in early April.
At anchor in South Cove, between the islands of
Gogh and St Agnes, you could have been forgiven
for thinking you were in the Caribbean. It was
time to ‘commission’ the sea kayaks. This, our first
attempt, was a real eye opener. We were going to
have to come up with a better way of doing things
if we didn’t want to injure our backs or damage
the kayaks or Caramor. Another issue was the way
the kayaks were held together. Sea Kayaking UK
(who make the Pilgrim) use a clip system and I

could put my boat together in about 2 minutes.
However, the GRP around the clip fittings was
very thin and I was not totally confident it was
strong enough. The Avocet, made by Valley Sea
Kayaks, had a bolt-together system that took
us 30 minutes to assemble. This is fine when
you want to fly a boat somewhere, assemble it,
paddle for a month and then take it apart: having
to assemble it every time we wanted to use it was
not such an attractive option.
On our return to our home port of Holyhead I
got in touch with Peter Orton at Valley, who was
very understanding. He took the boat back and
retrofitted a clip system for us. Nigel Dennis was
equally helpful and had the clips reinforced to my
satisfaction. (Thanks guys!) Meanwhile we also had
a great deal of work to do to make Caramor ready
for our big trip of the summer. In fact, we ended
up using the first five days of our holiday working
on her. It was time well spent as she proved to be
a comfortable, reasonably fast and very seaworthy
vessel. The other good news was that, after
removing the lining from the quarterberth, all six
pieces of the kayaks fitted in (just)!
Plan A had been to sail to the Faroe Islands. As
we had lost five days already we decided that
DREAM DESTINATION 2 FEATURE
this would only be feasible if the winds were
favourable and we had a fast passage. We shot
up the Irish Sea, but the winds died completely in
the North Channel. The forecast was for the calm
to last a couple of days so we motored into Red
Bay in Northern Ireland and anchored. Oh well,
time for Plan B: the Outer Hebrides and, weather
permitting, the archipelago of St Kilda. This turned
out to be a blessing in disguise as the Faroes were
battered by gales for most of the month of August.
Meanwhile we had an excellent opportunity
to experiment with the system for launching
and loading the kayaks that had been gradually
Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: Hirta’s Glen Bay, An Campar peninsula and Soay from the summit of Mullach Mor (361m), Hirta.
OCEAN PADDLER
21

Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: The west ridge and summit of Stac an Armin (196m).
evolving in my mind. Kath had made shaped bags
from foam-backed cordura that fitted over the
end pieces of the kayaks. These both protected
the kayaks and Caramor and made the slippery
kayak pieces easier to handle; they were soon
nicknamed KKKs (Kath’s Kayak Kondoms). Prior
to assembling the boats I tied sausage-shaped
fenders that are normally used to protect the
yacht when you go alongside to the coachroof.
These acted like padded roofracks to sit the
kayaks on. When we were ready to launch we
lowered the ladder, tied our remaining fenders
alongside, removed the guardrail (easily done)
and finally tied a sausage-shaped fender to the
toerail on the edge of the deck; this acted as a
roller. We then tied a length of rope to the stern
of our kayaks, and slid them along the fenders
and into the water almost effortlessly. The reward
was a pleasant paddle down a stretch of Northern
Ireland’s coastline and back.
Bringing the boats back on board was almost
as easy, but stowing them turned into a bit of
a nightmare. At Holyhead we had managed to
get all six pieces in the quarterberth, but here
it seemed impossible to repeat the feat. We
discovered that they could only fit in a specific
sequence. It took us two hours of struggle and
much cursing and swearing to find the solution to
this 3D puzzle (which we carefully recorded with
a diagram and written instructions in order to be
able to repeat it).
Now all we had to do was get to the Outer
Hebrides. This was achieved in a roundabout
way as initially the wind was blowing from the
northwest. We headed up the Sound of Jura and
anchored at Pulldobhrain (otter’s pool) on Seil
Island. With a north-westerly 6–7 the next day,
we took the day off and went walking. We also
treated ourselves to a meal in the Tigh an Truish
Inn. The name means ‘House of the Trousers’ and
the story goes that, when the wearing of highland
22 OCEAN PADDLER
dress was outlawed, islanders would borrow a
pair of trousers from the tailor who lived there
before leaving the island.
We then crossed to the Sound of Mull and beat
to windward as far as Tobermory. We ended up
having a race with a more modern racing style
boat. They overtook us eventually, but we gave
them a good run for their money! It poured with
rain for the next day, so we vegged out and
enjoyed the delights of this picturesque little
town where all the buildings on the waterfront
are painted in bright colours. This included the
Café Fish, where they bring in the catch from
their own boat around four in the afternoon
and serve it to you the same evening. The
langoustines were delicious!
The weather improved and we had a long day’s
sail to Loch Skipport in South Uist, arriving just
before dark. As my brother Tony would say: “If
I didn’t know you better I’d have thought you’d
planned it”. The Outer Hebrides at last! The next
day was another foul one (a pattern seemed to be
emerging here). The dry warm saloon of our yacht
was a considerable improvement on the confines
of a small tent if you are weather bound. Kath
baked fresh bread and lasagne, I read a book and
drank cups of tea … it was hell.
The next day saw us flying along in a fresh breeze
(force 4–5). We reached the southeast entrance
to the Sound of Harris near Lochmaddy on North
Uist. The forecast was for windy weather with
sunny periods, so we decided to find a really
sheltered anchorage and explore the Sound
of Harris in our kayaks, while we waited for a
weather window that would enable us to visit
St Kilda. We chose a small, enclosed bay called
Bagh an Chaise which was described by the pilot
as being the best sheltered anchorage in the area
with good holding for the anchor. It also stressed
the absolute necessity of identifying the leading
marks (a painted rock and a small cairn) in order
to avoid drying rocks and reefs. We couldn’t find
the marks, but we were lucky enough to arrive
at low water: I could see the rocks described and
make up our own transits in case we needed to
get out at high water. We entered very slowly with
Kath acting as bow lookout and me as nervous as
a young bride on her wedding night.
The next day the wind was a breezy force 5–6 but
the good holding and our heavy ground tackle
(anchor and chain) inspired confidence; we were
happy to leave Caramor and go exploring. The
Sound of Harris is a maze of tiny islands, rocks,
reefs and bays, painted with a vivid palette of
yellows, greens and browns. The large inlets on
the North Uist coast were emptying out, providing
mini tide races to play on. Despite the brisk wind,
it felt great to be paddling in such a fascinating
environment. We worked our way along the coast
towards Berneray, but didn’t see much wildlife
until we went out to some islands for lunch where
we saw a number of grey seals. I wondered if the
fish farmers cull them, because they were really
timid compared to the seals in Wales.
On the way back I ran the bow of the kayak onto
a patch of kelp to have a rest and heard Kath
exclaim: “Is that a cat!” A female otter walked up
onto the top of the rock behind which we were
sheltering and looked at us curiously. She decided
we must be harmless selkies (half seal-half man
creatures of Scottish mythology) and walked down
our side of the rock to enter the water less than ten
metres away. She swam a few metres, pausing
to take one last good look at us, and then dived.
We paddled back to the mothership as high as
kites: being sea kayakers makes us such privileged
people. I hadn’t worn enough clothing and was
quite cool by the time we had tied the kayaks
down on their fender-rack, so changing into warm
clothes in a warm cabin and drinking hot real
coffee was a great finish to a great day’s paddle.

Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: Ruined cleit, Glen Bay, An Campar peninsula and Soay from Mullach Geal ridge (the south ridge of Mullach Mor), Hirta.
On the second day we decided to explore the
islands in the middle of the sound. We had only
gone a short way when a large dog otter, looking
very different with dry fur, ran down from the
top of an island and dived into the water. A
brief glimpse compared to the previous day. We
worked our way to leeward of the islands and
were rewarded with another fabulous sighting.
An otter popped up a few metres ahead of our
kayaks with his back to us and an item of prey in
his mouth. It landed the prey on a rock and ate
whatever it was with relish. We were so close
that we could hear crunching noises! Eventually
it finished the meal and noticed us. It swam off,
keeping a wary eye on us but didn’t appear to be
overly concerned. In two days Kath had doubled
her otter sighting count and I had two of the best
I’ve seen. After lunch we came across two grey
seal colonies on skerries in the middle of the
sound. Having observed that they were quite wary
here, we kept well off to avoid disturbing them.
The following morning the forecast was for winds
to slowly moderate followed by a weak ridge of
high pressure. The downside was that they were
now westerlies, which would mean a long beat
to windward. The 53 nautical miles to St Kilda
would become more like a 100 and we didn’t
want to arrive there in the dark. We decided to
go through the sound by the Stanton channel
at early afternoon slack water and sail there
overnight. We left the anchorage in a complete
calm, but it soon built up to a force 6–7. As we
had been expecting to motor through the sound
into a headwind with little room to tack, we didn’t
immediately put up any sail. This was a mistake
as Caramor, like most good sea boats, is much
more comfortable under sail. We could see blue
sky to windward so we hoisted the main with
two reefs and tacked back and forth across the
entrance to the channel waiting for the wind
to ease. Eventually it did and we motor-sailed
through the channel. The leading marks were not
easy to see, but all the buoys were in place and
it was relatively straightforward. On leaving the
channel we set more sail, had dinner, and then I
went to bed as we started our three hours on and
three hours off watch system.
It was a beautiful moonlit night and at 0436, in
the ethereal light you get just before the sun
rises, Kath woke me up to behold Boreray and
Stac Lee. It was a stunning sight and our next
tack took us quite close on our way over to
Hirta, the main island. Later Kath commented
that she almost wished we had turned back
after the purity of that moment as she wasn’t
aware that the MOD have a base there (the
ugliest collection of prefab buildings you can
imagine). However, despite the military’s best
efforts, Hirta is still a place that should be on any
sea kayaker’s places-to-go-before-I-die list. We
dropped anchor in Village Bay and went back
to sleep until lunchtime. By then we were quite
slick at assembling and launching the kayaks,
so used them to go ashore in the afternoon. On
the beach, a very friendly warden asked us if we
would mind landing at the pier. The beach was
closed for safety reasons while they pumped fuel
ashore from the landing craft that was beached
there. After a look around the museum and the
street where all the long-gone inhabitants used
to live, we went for a walk up to the col behind
the village. You walk up a gentle slope and the
transition to a huge drop with a sheer cliff face
below you is quite disconcerting. After reaching
the summit of the island, we did a bit of a circuit
and eventually made our way back to the village
and onto Caramor.
The next day was flat calm and sunny and we set
off to paddle anticlockwise around Hirta and Soay
at about 0930. The cliffs are spectacular, but what
really gets you is the feeling of being right out
there on the edge of the world. Other than Village
Bay, there was only one possible landing place
on the opposite side of the island (and then only
if there was no swell). We surprised a number
of amazingly athletic seals who appeared very
unused to kayakers. One almost leapt clear of the
water, which I have never seen a grey or common
seal do before. There were seabirds in abundance:
mostly fulmars and gannets across from Stac
Lee. Lunch had to be taken rafted up on the water,
which was no hardship in the calm conditions. The
best was kept till last as the small island called Dun
was laced with numerous vast sea caves.
Back on the mothership we sunbathed on the
foredeck. The water was so clear that we could
see the sandy bottom and our anchor and chain.
Kath even went for a (very brief) swim. I think
the word she used was “Bracing!”, but I may
have misheard. Alas, our idyll was not to last. As
we enjoyed afternoon tea in the cockpit a gale
warning came though. Village bay is no place
to be in a southerly gale so we put the kayaks
away, hoisted the anchor and motor-sailed over
to Boreray. Stac Lee is a huge gannetry and we
passed though the gap between it and Boreray.
The sky was filled with gannets and pursuing
skuas whose piratical antics had Kath seething
with anger. The look on her face and her cry of
“Get your own dinner, you lazy gits!” had me
doubled up with laughter.
As we left Boreray a fitful wind picked up and we
sailed away in the evening light towards the Isle of
Lewis. The view as we looked back at the islands
was breathtaking … truly the best of both worlds.
About the author
Franco Ferrero is the author of Sea Kayak
Navigation and Whitewater Safety and Rescue.
He works as a publisher and is the owner of
Pesda Press, which specialises in canoeing,
kayaking and mountaineering titles (www.
pesdapress.com). He is occasionally a BCU
Level 5 Coach Sea.
OCEAN PADDLER 23

FEATURE DREAM DESTINATION 2
ST KILDA CROSSING By Julia Bond
“ HAD IT BEEN A LAND OF DEMONS IT COULD NOT HAVE APPEARED MORE DREADFUL, AND HAD WE
NOT HEARD OF IT BEFORE, WE SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT, IF INHABITED, IT MUST BE BY MONSTERS. ”
R.A. SMITH, 1879
Put this quote in front of a hopelessly
addicted sea kayaker and you have
only one outcome: the aim to kayak
unsupported to St Kilda.
Anticipation and anxiety bubbled as we watched
the sunset over Hirta and Boreray, barely visible
on the horizon. Four months of training had led
Rab Burns, Ron Downie and myself to a twoweek
window on North Uist to fulfil our St Kilda
paddling ambition.
The archipelago of St Kilda is the most remote
part of the British Isles. Forty-two miles
west-northwest of North Uist, the islands rise
imposingly from the North Atlantic and comprise
four main islands: Hirta, Boreray, Dun and Soay
as well as sea stacks Stac Levenish, Stac Lee, Stac
An Armin, Stac Biorach and Stac Dona. Hirta is
the largest of the islands and its natural harbour,
Village Bay, provided a home and landing to the
populations that survived in this hostile place
for over 2000 years. Notorious for big seas and
relentless winds, we hoped we would be spared
the storms that reputedly left the villagers ‘deaf
for a week’.
St Kilda proved elusive for the first week. At times
force 7 winds and 15-foot swells battered the west
coast; a healthy insight into the force of the North
Atlantic. However much we wanted to go, safety
was paramount.
On May 1st we had a window. The shipping
forecast predicted easterlies force 3–4, backed by
spot forecasts of easterlies 1–3. A 5-foot westerly
swell was perfect for landing at Village Bay
(easterly swells are notoriously difficult) and, to
top this, the sun was to shine.
Rising at 3am (to launch at 4am), Ron was not in
full health and had to pull out: a painful but wise
decision. The implications of a two-man paddle,
24 OCEAN PADDLER
as opposed to a three, were considered carefully
due to narrowed safety margins. We launched
from Balranald, N. Uist at 6am as the first rays of
sun hit the water.
The islands of Haskier eight miles offshore offered
the only landfall before St Kilda. Passing by to the
south, delight in the conditions was bolstered by
the visibility of St Kilda on the horizon. As a minke
whale gracefully breached the swell, the smell of
its blowhole shattered all thoughts of perfection.
Like all long crossings, time takes on a new
dimension. Senses are heightened by the
exposure of your position and vastness of the
sea, exemplified on this crossing more than any
other. The flight and colours of birds contrasted
vividly against the deep blue of the rolling swell
and sun-soaked sky. Puffins gorged on sand eels
and fulmars and gannets circled, surveying from
above. A basking shark, not so curious, took one
look and continued on its journey.
The crossing was broken into 12km blocks with a
break between each to check progress, tidal drift
and, more importantly, to eat, drink and attend
to bodily functions! Another milestone passed
as we crossed the shipping lane for ‘heavy-laden
tankers’; only one crossed our path.
Pausing at the 21-mile half-way point, we
assessed our position. Hirta and Boreray still
teased on the horizon, and behind us nothing was
visible. No other land was in sight. Conditions
were better than we had dared to dream for, but
we were always aware of our vulnerability. Small
changes are far-reaching in an environment such
as this.
As we neared St Kilda, Levenish stood out against
its Hirta backdrop. Stac Lee shone guano-white
and Boreray, impressive and unforgiving,
dominated to the north. The swell, now 9-foot and
confused, teased us for the final stage. On the
third hour of a spring tide we paddled to the west
of Levenish to catch the northwest stream into
Village Bay, and landed 10 hours and 18 minutes
after launch.
St Kilda’s story has been told many times: the
UK’s largest sea cliffs, gannet and puffin colonies;
the St Kildan’s climbing abilities, parliaments
and survival; the Village, Lady Grange, smallpox,
the indigenous mouse and wren. It was now our
turn to explore the islands and put these stories
into context. With the excitement of children we
pitched the tents, climbed the ‘Gap’ and watched
as the sun threw its last rays onto Boreray.
Paddling to St Kilda was not about bagging
a route. For me, this extraordinary island
group warranted an arrival that exemplified its
remoteness and celebrated its unique story of
human survival. This was an ambition fulfilled
by the most perfect of sea craft.
Disclaimer
This is a committing crossing and should not
be attempted unless suitably experienced.
Safety equipment and procedures were in place
and we were in full communication with the
coastguard. Permission is required from the
NTS to camp on St Kilda.
National Trust for Scotland:
http://www.kilda.org.uk
St Kilda:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Kilda,_Scotland
About the author
Julia loves nothing more than exploring the
coastline and seas of Scotland. Her eight years
of paddling have taken her to Norway and
Greenland as well as a brief but inspiring paddle
in New Zealand.
Photo: Dr Douglas Wilcox: Stac Lee and Stac an Armin
from The Gap between Connachair (376m) and Oiseval
(293m), Hirta.

WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND
BY SEA KAYAK OBAN
SHOP
RENTAL
GUIDING & COACHING
www.seakayakoban.com info@seakayakoban.com +44 (0) 1631 565 310
OCEAN PADDLER 31

Photo: Thomas Haider – This is Fam. This is paddling Nirvana.
It was my dream to paddle in an exotic location
with no crowds. I have to be honest, my search
for that original, untouched and pristine (the
most overused word in travel literature and
brochures) destination ended the day I paddled
into that remote little village in the Solomon
Islands. Some of the local kids had never
seen a white face before, but everyone knew
David Beckham and half the population wore a
Manchester United shirt instead of the oncecommon
grass skirt (the other half were obviously
Deutschland supporters). You can only marvel
at the antics of people like Oskar Speck, who
paddled from Germany to Australia in his folding
kayak in the 1930s and who encountered the
‘real’ stuff while passing through exotic waters
(especially in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea)
on his 7-year-long journey. Those were the days
when washing up onto the shores of Papua New
Guinea meant either breakfast, lunch or dinner for
the locals (you being the main ingredient), or else
friendships for life. Those days are over.
I am under no illusion that there is anything
pristine left out there (except maybe in some
Antarctic crevasse) but there are still places
that come damn close to this illusion and Raja
Ampat is such a place. However, my dream did
not involve Raja Ampat – I hadn’t even heard
of the place until about two months ago. My
dream was to paddle the Mentawai Islands off
the southern shores of Sumatra, Indonesia. Ever
26 OCEAN PADDLER
since my brother had come back from one of the
first surfing safaris to those mystical islands in
the 1990s I had wanted to go there. In my pre-sea
kayaking days I just wanted to island hop by
whichever means available; once the kayaking
bug had infected me the urge to go there became
even greater.
After the Solomon Islands trip in 2010 my new job
had taken me to the city of Singapore (population
6 million). Accepting the offer to work in
Singapore had nothing to do with any perks of the
job; the reason was location. Singapore is located
smack bang in the middle of, well, everywhere.
Fancy a quick jaunt down the coast of Thailand?
Vietnam? Borneo? The Mentawais? All within easy
reach with a dizzying array of budget air carriers
to choose from. Getting to the Mentawais was
going to be easy; however, the unresolved issue
upon my arrival in the city state was still which
kayak to use? Previous trips had taken me down
the sit-inside and sit-on-top route and I found
merit in both types. In Singapore the deciding
factor was going to be space and mobility. Living
in Singapore is insanely expensive, and storage
space for a kayak was a luxury.
Which kayak?
About 9 years ago I picked up a copy of a book
by Hannes Lindemann (another crazy German)
who paddled the Atlantic in a Klepper folding
kayak. The trip fascinated me although I made the
(incorrect) assumption that folding kayaks were of
another era and no longer available. Just before
my trip to the Solomons the folding kayak issue
resurfaced; after lots of research, I concluded that
a Feathercraft K1 Expedition might suit my needs.
The price tag (a small king’s ransom) initially put
me off, however. The other fact was that I had
never seen or sat inside one of these craft, nor did
I know anyone who had any experience in this
regard. At 5000 Euro, it was too great a risk.
While trying to find a solution to my ‘which
kayak’ problem here in Singapore, the folding
kayak idea popped right back into my head. As
luck would have it, Feathercraft has an agent
right here in Singapore. The rest was easy: phone
Huey, talk to Huey, make date to see kayak, sit
inside kayak, buy kayak. The other options were
very limited. There was no way that I would be
able to store a 5.3m hard-shell kayak in a 80sqm
apartment, and trying to get close to any kind
of navigable water with such a weapon using
public transport was probably going to provide
me with a one-way ticket to the infamous Changi
prison and a paddle in it’s moat. A folding kayak
was the way to go and after the initial IKEAlike
experience while assembling it for the first
time (and almost holding a lit match to it in
frustration) I became more proficient and started
to rediscover the logic behind my purchase. The
huge bonus was that I would be able to take it
along with me to Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo

etc. with a certain degree of ease. With all the
restrictions on carry-on and checked luggage
that airlines impose these days, it was going to
be easier to take along a large bag resembling a
slightly oversized gap-year backpack than a 5.3m
long Scud-missile-like object.
Expert George
Huey did not only sell me a kayak for a price
usually reserved for oil tankers in the hands
of Somali pirates, he had also given me a
contact number for THE expert on kayaking
the Mentawais. This ‘expert’ (another German)
was the guy to talk to regarding these islands.
George has lived in Indonesia for 18 years and
the Mentawais are his ‘hood. George’s reply to
my initial query was prompt and to the point:
forget the Mentawais, go to Raja Ampat! He had
included a link to a blog that he kept on some
obscure kayaking website and the first picture
made me an instant believer. My 3 weeks of leave
were less than a month away and I was going to
change plans on the spot.
“Located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head
Peninsula on the island of New Guinea
(Indonesia’s West Papua province), Raja Ampat or
the ‘Four Kings’ is an archipelago comprising over
1500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding
the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta
and Waigeo and the smaller island of Kofiau.”
(Wikipedia).
Who wouldn’t go weak at the knees reading a
description like that? Well, my girlfriend for one,
so I was once again condemned to go it alone. But
rather on my own than not at all!
Expert George had some vital contact information
in his blog and, a nanosecond after reading
about his adventures, an email was zipping
down the fibre-optic cables of Singapore’s cyber
infrastructure heading towards Sorido Bay Resort,
Kri Island, to the home of Max Ammer. Max is
a Dutch national whose search for WW2 relics
had taken him to this remote part of Indonesia.
Twenty years later he is still there, still looking for
the same relics, but running two very successful
dive resorts on the side. The marine biodiversity
around Raja Ampat is said to be the highest
recorded on Earth; it is the epicentre of the Coral
Triangle. This and the fact that Max was trying
to establish the first sea kayaking operation in
the area made him the perfect choice as a first
contact. Luck was once again on my side, as
Max responded very enthusiastically to my initial
query (which remained the tone of all further
contact that we had).
Indonesian air travel
The next challenge was booking the flights.
Logging on to the internet, searching via Google
and punching in the credit card details is a
routine that most people are well acquainted
with nowadays. Air travel in Indonesia is different
however, so booking a flight is different as well.
Using the usual flight-booking websites proved
to be a fruitless exercise, there seemed to be no
flights to Sorong (the gateway to Raja Ampat)
from anywhere this side of the planet. A little
reverse psychology saved the day and eventually I
found some flights, chose the best connection and
then excitedly plugged in the credit card details.
I was then told that bookings can be only made
with Indonesian-issued credit cards; I felt like I had
been transported back to the Stone Age. Finally, 6
hours later, I had all the flights organised, booked
and paid for.
This trip was going to be a bundle of firsts: my
first time in Indonesia, my first trip in a folding
kayak and my first flight with an EU-blacklisted
airline. Sriwijaya Airlines had been placed on the
EU airline blacklist in 2007 and, according to the
EU, I was risking severe injury or even death by
travelling with them. (Fortunately, as an active
airline pilot myself, I take the EU warnings with a
pinch of salt.)
My favourite topic had started to rear it’s head
again: saltwater crocodiles. They were a genuine
concern of mine while paddling in the Solomon
Islands. Raja Ampat is within their natural
range and I was going to ask Max some pointed
questions about my scaly ‘friends’. His answer
was reassuring: there are crocodiles in the area,
but not many and fatal attacks are unheard of.
OCEAN PADDLER
27

FEATURE RAJA AMPAT
Max owns an experimental sea plane with which
he conducts regular surveys of the marine life so
his answer did carry quite a bit of weight. Contrast
this to the Solomons, where an unofficial estimate
put the annual death toll from crocodile attacks at
between 30 and 40 (I wasn’t quite convinced of the
accuracy of these figures, but every village had a
story to tell).
Since the kayaking operation that Max was trying
to set up was still in its foetal stage, we agreed that
I’d make my way to Kri Island, meet with him for
a day or two to load up on all the necessary info
and then set off on my own for a 14-day paddle.
Max was training local Papuans to act as guides
on kayaking trips and I was hoping to take one of
these guides along with me. Unfortunately, the
training wasn’t completed so no guide would be
available for me. The language barrier was the
biggest issue since English is not the first, second
or even seventh language spoken in Papua. None
of the guides spoke any English so we decided that
I’d stock up on good maps and enjoy a thorough
briefing from Max before setting off on my own.
Not only was I looking forward to the physical
paddling but also to the travels with my new
folding kayak. Neatly tucked away in its carry bag,
it weighed 25kg. With my additional 15kg of gear
I was 20kg above the maximum checked baggage
weight that airlines now impose with religious
zeal. I knew that I was going to be hit hard with
excess baggage fees, but not by how much. Expert
George had recommended NOT phoning the
airline ahead of time but rather to just hope for the
best as miracles do seem to happen. Well, the first
miracle happened right here at Singapore airport
when my brand-new (hard-fought-for) local credit
card actually worked when the check-in agent hit
me for 210 Singapore Dollars (about 120 Euros)
in fees. That didn’t seem too bad, but this was
sector number 1 of a total of 4. As I was going to
change airlines and not just flights in Makassar
to connect to Sorong, I knew that the credit card
would probably have to perform to a similar
standard another 3 times. Amazingly there seemed
to be an almost linear decrease in the amounts
charged as my travels progressed: Makassar was
enriched by 40 Euros and, on the return, I only
paid 20 in Sorong and a big fat ZERO for the sector
from Makassar back to Singapore. Throwing in a
couple of choice words about the check-in lady’s
Amy Winehouse-like beehive in between the eyelid
batting routine certainly seemed to pay off!
Making an entrance
My landing in Sorong resembled an explosion;
the whole town probably woke up due to our
7am impact. Within minutes I had all my gear and
three new friends: two were backpackers who also
wanted to go to Raja Ampat and the third lady was
the manager/owner of a sparkling new dive lodge
on an island called Pulau Pef. They would all play
an important roll in making my trip a success. The
backpackers were first in performing their good
deed. In order to travel around Papua province
the local authorities require all foreign travellers
to register with the police and obtain a free travel
permit (surat jalan). Dealing with male bureaucrats
becomes easy when accompanied by two young
ladies. Rene, a Belgian, spoke some Indonesian
as well so things happened at warp speed and we
were hugging our shiny new permits within an
hour instead of hours. An essential ingredient for
success (in addition to a sprinkling of pretty ladies)
is to have bagful of passport photos and passport
copies, including of the visa page, when arriving at
the police station.
28 OCEAN PADDLER
Food was next on my agenda and a local
supermarket was plundered. I was hoping to
purchase some food as I was progressing along
my route but both Max and Expert George warned
me that I’d turn into a stick insect if I relied too
much on local food. The problem wasn’t quality
but rather availability, as there are very few
villages in Raja Ampat. Be warned when buying
food in Sorong as monosodium glutamate and
tartrazine are unavoidable!
Next on the agenda was a 3-hour ferry ride
to Waisai, the largest town in the archipelago
situated on the island of Waigeo. The ride was
surprisingly pleasant: despite being packed in
like sardines, the seats were comfortable and air
conditioning ensured that the odour of humanity
usually prevalent under such conditions was
barely noticeable.
Koh Island
Max had a boat waiting for me at Waisai and, after
a quick transfer from the ferry, I was on the final
30-minute leg of the arrival journey to Kri Island.
My ‘home’ for the first two nights was not going to
be on Kri itself; I was going to get a first taste of a
local ‘homestay’ located on Koh Island. The size of
a postage stamp, Koh Island is separated from Kri
by a deep channel and offers pure tranquility and
an unbeatable view of, well, water. It does NOT
offer: satellite TV, internet, room service, a bed,
a toilet, a shower, a door, a window, or anything
that you would expect when hearing the term
‘homestay’. This little wooden hut on stilts, with it’s
banana leaf roof and dry access only during spring
low tides, was one of the most spectacular and
relaxing places I have ever stayed at however, and
I was tempted to spend my whole leave there.
The initial desire to do nothing for more than
two weeks vaporised within minutes of my first
meeting with Max, thanks to pictures of Raja
Ampat taken from his sea plane and shown on
his 27” iMac. The National Geographic-like shots
left me breathless. Max told me about amazing
places and showed me the pictures to back up
those stories. Where was I going to paddle? To
be honest, I was just as clueless after seeing all
the pictures as I was when I first heard about Raja
Ampat those 3 weeks earlier. There was just so
much to see and I wouldn’t be able to see even
0.1%. Eventually, while paddling back to Koh Island
after sunset with a full moon to guide me, I made
the decision that I would circumnavigate Gam
Island clockwise and include a 24km open-water
crossing to Fam Island. This would be a 14 day trip
of about 180–200km, while taking a couple of 2–3
day breaks along the way to soak up Raja Ampat.
Trying to cover as many miles in the time available
was not part of my plan; leisure and pleasure was.
Water was going to be my biggest headache. The
limestone formations that dominate Raja Ampat
lack rivers, streams or any other freshwater feature
that would aid me in restocking my supplies. I
have a very bad habit of not drinking enough
water, but even I manage to drink up to 5 litres of
water a day in tropical conditions. Carrying water
for 14 days was just not practical, and Max pointed
out a couple of wells on the maps that I was going
to take along with me.
The adventure begins
Day 1 of the paddle trip found me packing
my K1 for a multi-week trip for the first time.
Apprehension gave way to joy when I found that
I had judged the available space just perfectly.
The K1 has 2 hatches: a small one on the bow
and a larger one on the stern. These hatches are
not intended to be used for packing but rather as
access points. The actual packing is done via the
cockpit, with dry bags being inserted into the cockpit
and then shifted into their respective positions by
sliding them towards the bow or the stern. This
design didn’t really appeal to me in the beginning
(it requires a bit more pre-planning to pack than
a conventional hard-shell kayak) but, as the trip
progressed, I become very comfortable with it.
The royal blue water in the 6km wide channel
between Kri and Gam islands was mesmerizing. I
stopped paddling every 10 minutes or so and just
did nothing except drift and look down into the
water, trying to imagine what could possibly be
staring back up at me from those depths. My first
goal was to locate a lagoon that Max had pointed
out to me, the home of thousands of non-stinging
jellyfish. The entrance I found was tucked away in
the finger-like protrusion that formed the eastern
corner of Gam Bay, exceptionally well camouflaged
by opulent mangrove growth. (Although thinking
back, I doubt that this was the entrance that Max
meant as it was extremely shallow even on a
pushing spring tide.) Intended entrance or not,
it was still to be my gateway to the wonders of
Gam Bay. These were some of the best mangrove
channels that I’d been in! Twisting and turning
my way through the channels I was riding on the
incoming tide and literally going with the flow. Time
seemed to slow down together with the water as I
entered the first of a series of lakes.
Protected from the wind and the waves by the
mangroves and limestone formations, the gurgling
of the water as it flowed through the mangrove
channels could be heard until it faded away the
further I drifted into the lake. A paddle stroke
sounded like a clap of thunder when I tried to move
things on a bit. The jellyfish were exactly where Max
had said they would be, pulsing along as jellyfish
do in a basketball-court-sized lagoon in the jadecoloured
water; they took no notice of me in my
green kayak. However, the wind had no say in this
cauldron formed by the limestone embankments
and the tropical vegetation growing on top of it: I
needed to get out of there to cool down.
The exit from the lakes was probably the entrance
that I had been looking for earlier as it was much
wider and deeper than what I had paddled through
earlier, but it was still tiny and well hidden. I was
paddling towards another wall of mangroves, but
the changing water colour and the appearance
of knobbly sea stars (a species which I have only
noticed in such numbers in mangrove channels
that lead directly to the open ocean) highlighted the
presence of the ocean behind that wall of branches
and leaves. It was getting late and I needed to find a
place to camp.
Raja Ampat camping
Camping in Raja Ampat can be a hit-or-miss affair.
Not all of the islands are endowed with sandy
beaches, a problem that I also encountered on
the Solomon Islands. As a consequence I tended
to finish my sightseeing activities by 3pm and
would then concentrate on the search for a suitable
campsite. Even while enjoying the sights, I would
make a mental note of areas that I thought suitable
for camping just in case I couldn’t find anything
later on. If it meant a 10km backtrack, at least I’d
know I was heading for a suitable site rather than
continuing into the unknown until dark and maybe
even sleeping in the kayak. A hammock tent was my
portable mansion on this trip and was perfect for the
conditions that I encountered. A good night’s sleep
Right (Clockwise from top): mushroom islands of Gam Bay. A Willy Wagtail on final approach to his nest.
Snorkeling near Melissa’s Garden, Fam Island. Monitor lizard – my mate for 3 days while relaxing in a “homestay”.

I DRAGGED MY KAYAK THROUGH THE 30M LONG AND ABOUT 1M HIGH TUNNEL
AND POPPED OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE INTO MY OWN LITTLE JURASSIC PARK
(OR THAT’S WHAT IT FELT LIKE). GONE WERE THE MANGROVES AND GONE
WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD REMIND ME I WAS AN OCEAN KAYAKER – THIS
WAS A FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENT WITHIN A DENSE PAPUAN FOREST.

FEATURE RAJA AMPAT
Above: Entrance to Gam Bay, looking east.
was guaranteed while the creepy crawlies fought
it out 30cm below my bum to see who could climb
my dry bags the fastest.
Gam Bay
Gam Bay is worth more than just a perfunctory
glance. Scattered along the eastern edge of
the bay are dozens of little islands, exposure
to hundreds of thousands of years of erosion
giving them a mushroom like appearance. These
‘mushrooms’ come in many different sizes and all
of them are topped with dense tropical growth.
This vegetation seemed to be like a bird park with
no cages; the variety of feathered creatures was
beyond anything that I had ever encountered.
New Guinea is a bucket-list destination for
birders and even I (a non-birder) could see why.
Had I been paddling in Gam Bay as a blind
person I would still have noticed the variety.
The shrieks, squawks, cackles, hoots and other
noise, especially early in the morning and late
afternoon, was loud enough to dislodge any old
timer’s ear wax. The parrots were my favourite:
they’d approach a little island in their inebriated
flying style, appearing to be veering off course
at every hasty flap of their wings only to tumble
back onto course. They’d then dive-bomb onto
some unlucky piece of vegetation, where they’d
seem to take out their disgust at their own lack of
flying skills on the poor branch they just landed
on with some violent gnawing and squawking
at ear-drum-splitting volume. I’d take a couple of
strokes and then drift towards them, sometimes
managing to get right underneath their perch.
Being incredibly inquisitive creatures, they’d fall
silent while giving me the beady eye for quite
some time. However, any kind of movement on
my part would seem to re-awaken that flight
instinct and they’d take off in a whirl of feathers
and shrieks.
There is a little river that flows into the bay at
its eastern end; normally I wouldn’t have gone
near such an area for reptilian reasons, but local
advice overruled my common sense and I actively
sought the river planning to paddle up it. An ever-
30 OCEAN PADDLER
so-slight change in the water colour was the clue
that I needed to locate the river mouth. It was no
more than 10m wide and flowing slowly through
a mangrove forest. Once inside the forest the
sounds were very different to those encountered
on open waters; trying to work out who or what
was making them (so that I could put myself at
ease) made my head jerk around constantly. Treeclimbing
crabs splashed back into the water from
their woody perches, surprised feral pigs crashed
back into the dark depths of the bush and skittish
flathead mullet would launch themselves out of
the peaty (but clear) water in their attempts to
escape from me.
The river continued to twist its way towards
higher ground, becoming shallower and less
salty with every paddle stroke. At a distance of
about 1km from its mouth, I was in completely
fresh water and mud had given way to pebbles.
I eventually found what I was looking for when a
high ridge loomed up ahead and the river seemed
to vanish underneath it. I dragged my kayak
through the 30m long and about 1m high tunnel
and popped out on the other side into my own
little Jurassic Park (or that’s what it felt like). Gone
were the mangroves and gone was anything that
could remind me I was an ocean kayaker – this
was a freshwater environment within a dense
Papuan forest. The water was deep enough to
paddle and I tried to continue as far as possible.
My little inland expedition came to an abrupt halt
however when numerous fallen trees blocked
my path. I was keen to continue, but it was
getting late and I needed to return to the salty
environment before it got too late to set up camp.
I had already decided that I was going to use
the previous night’s site, but that was 2 hours of
paddling at full steam away.
Over the next 2 days I continued around Gam,
aiming for the western-most point of Pulau Pef
which was going to be my launching pad for the
24km crossing to Fam Island. At Pef I was able to
fill up on water again (courtesy of Maya Hadorn,
the third lady that I had met at Sorong airport).
After a shower and an excellent meal at her
brand-spanking-new dive resort, I was all set for
the crossing.
To Fam Island
Setting off at 8am in the morning I was expecting
to be on the water for at least 5 hours before
reaching Fam. If I were to run into any kind
of trouble, especially due to the ever-lurking
thunderstorms that usually arrived with a bang
between 12 noon and 1pm, there was a diversion
island about halfway across. To reach it would
require a little diversion, but at least there was
some shelter if needed. The morning started
out overcast with a fair bit of rain around but
no lightning (my other pet fear, beside the
crocodiles). This made paddling extremely
pleasant as the temperatures were in the low
20s instead of 30s. Progress was good, the
expected strong currents didn’t materialise and
entertainment was provided by bottle-nosed
dolphins and a very keen striped marlin.
The weather was always on my mind, however.
It didn’t clear up as expected but continued to
grow more ominous as the day progressed. After
a couple of thunder claps I decided to call it a day
and diverted to Eben Island. Due to the overcast
conditions it was difficult to see where the good
weather ended and the bad weather started. The
thunderstorms were embedded within that mass
and I didn’t want to be surprised by a sudden
flash of lightning looking to discharge itself on my
kayak’s aluminium tubing.
Nightmare Island
Eben is a picturesque little tropical island offering
the cliched white sand, palm trees and fringing
coral reefs – and sandflies! I nicknamed it
‘nightmare’ island after my feet started looking
like they had been hit by shotgun pellets and I
spent my whole time there either standing in the
water or zipped up in my hammock. Relaxing on
the beach was strictly for masochists. The weather
cleared a day later and I was on the water at

Above: Pitstop while paddling around Fam Island.
sunrise, eager to put some distance between me
and the island’s flesh-eating monsters. Nowhere
else did I have a similar experience; why Eben was
so ‘special’ is still a mystery to me.
The picture that is most often associated with Raja
Ampat in books, brochures or on the internet is
an aerial view of Waiag Island. The multitude of
limestone ‘beehives’ sprinkled amongst its coralladen
shallow turquoise waters are what make
it so picture perfect. I wasn’t going to reach it on
this trip however, as it was too far north for the
time that I had available. Fam is a smaller version
of Waiag and the reason why I had included
it on my route. The island certainly delivered
– there were so many little bays hidden within
other hidden bays, all with the most translucent
water imaginable and the trademark beehives
towering over me as I drifted past them in silence.
Mangroves fringed the shores and added another
shade of green to this wonderland’s aquamarine
colour scheme. The pictures I took while paddling
this Shangri-La are only good enough to prove
that I was there; none of them come close to what
my eyes saw.
The return to Pulau Pef took place on a perfect
tropical day: blue water, blue skies, no wind and
melting temperatures. An early 7am start gave me
some reprieve, but a paddle through the midday
heat was still going to be unavoidable. Sitting
out the midday heat on Eben would only have
guaranteed an encounter with a thunderstorm
while on open water later on during the day, and
taking a leg stretch there was not on my agenda
due to its carnivorous inhabitants. Instead, I made
a very brief pit-stop at Eben to collect some green
coconuts and up my energy levels by downing
their battery-charging content. My arrival at
Pef after 5 hours of paddling was well timed as
lunch was being served; I was asked to join after
taking a shower. (As water was such a precious
commodity on my trip, personal hygiene had been
limited to brushing my teeth.) I took the next day
off from paddling and recharged my camera and
satellite phone batteries.
Gam/Waigeo Channel
Northern Gam is very protected and is not blessed
with many sandy beaches. Setting off from Pef in
a perfect 5 knot headwind, I had an idea of where
I was hoping to camp that night: the channel
that separates Gam Island from Waigeo seemed
like a good spot. Being only about 9km from Pef
I expected to get there in less than 2 hours, but
ended up making extremely heavy weather of this
minor sector. The route took me past a pearl farm
and through its maze of buoys that marked the
spots where new high-end earrings and necklaces
were starting their life. The buoys also showed me
that I was being slowed down by a current that
seemed to be coming from the direction of the
passage. It took me 3 hours to cover the 9km.
Everybody knew about the passage, yet no locals
or dive operators could tell me in which direction
the current flowed and at which stage of the tide.
I crossed my fingers that luck would be on my
side and that the current would carry me through
the 1.5km long channel while I snapped awardwinning
pictures. With a width of 20–50m and of
unknown (to me) depth, I was not surprised to find
a current moving at approximately 6 knots when
I finally arrived at its western entrance. As luck
would have it, it was not going to be my friend.
The area that Max had suggested as a camping
site was on a steep rocky bank and, after surveying
it for some time from the water, I opted to take
on the channel there and then and look for a
camp site on its eastern side. I chose the northern
side for my attempt to pass through this liquid
jet-stream, hoping to use counter-currents formed
by the numerous eddies to propel me along its
thickly forested shores. The paddling up until then
had been easy – I hadn’t encountered any winds
in excess of 10 knots and the currents (despite the
full moon) were no factor at all. The channel was
going to be the first real challenge of the trip.
Unfortunately, it was not just a straight track
between the two islands; it was S-shaped and
that called for some strategic crossings as the
RAJA AMPAT FEATURE
main current would change its position after every
curve. I’d sneak up on the protected side until I
encountered such a curve and would then thrust
myself into the saltwater rapids, the kayak jerking
this way and that way as we transitioned from the
placid waters into the torrent. River kayakers would
have felt at home in these conditions; I don’t paddle
rivers however so this was quite a new experience
for me. Progress was slow but at least I was making
progress. From time to time I’d take in the sights
and was astounded by the array of hard and soft
coral within the channel, the rapid flow of water
obviously encouraging them to grow there. A large
school of bumphead parrotfish was feasting on
this opulence, their fleshy foreheads bobbing up
and down at the surface as they snacked their way
through the channel.
The eastern entrance was also unsuitable for
camping. The high limestone walls that guarded the
local mushroom islands were not inviting me to stay
the night so I had to continue. There was a small
river that Max had pointed out on the map that was a
possible source of water and had camping potential.
Getting there meant paddling past a multitude
of bays, all thickly wooded and all begging to be
explored. Finding the camping site was my priority,
so I ignored the magnetic pull of the bays to my right
and the feeding shoals of tuna and the diving terns to
my left and set out to find my bedroom for the night.
Again it was the change in water colour which
betrayed the presence of the little river, a tiny beach
with chocolate-tinted sand being another clue to
its presence. I waded ashore and was engulfed
by a cloud of mosquitoes – obviously I was their
manna from heaven. It wasn’t the blood suckers
which discouraged me from camping there; it was
the muddy terrain that did. The squishing and
squelching underfoot as I scouted for a hammock
hanging location was so off-putting that I made the
decision to continue paddling.
Hidden homestay
From my map I knew that there was another
‘homestay’ at the eastern end of Gam, probably
OCEAN PADDLER
31

Above: Scenery around entrance to Gam Bay.
another 3 hours paddling away. I was planning to
stay there for at least 3 days but hadn’t expected
to arrive there until the next day. With this
change of plan, I’d be arriving at the homestay at
around 6pm (about half an hour before sunset).
With threatening thunderstorms around there
was a good chance of a later arrival. Luckily the
limestone overhangs of the mushrooms offer
some excellent protection from bad weather and I
used one in anger when a storm was too close for
comfort. Even when it was pouring so hard that
it was hard to distinguish the sea from the rain, I
was bone-dry underneath my overhang. The little
islands might not have been my friends in terms
of camping, but they looked after me well when
the weather was a real danger.
The homestay was tucked away in a little bay
within a bay, within another bay (which I almost
missed because it was so well hidden). I spent the
next three days watching a myriad of fish, from
the drab to the esoteric, as they went about their
fishy business. My morning alarm clock was the
birds. The noise, which I loved, was loud enough
to wake the dead. The ‘whoosh’ of the giant
hornbill’s flapping wings as they skilfully navigated
their way through the almost impenetrable forest
canopy like a Formula 1 driver through the streets
of Monaco was one of the characteristic sounds of
the Gam bush. As the sun was setting, the noise
levels would pick up again as parrots would return
to their roosting areas from their feeding grounds,
their haphazard flight path suggesting that
they’d been out drinking rather than eating. On
occasions a green turtle would drift past the little
reef in front of my home. Dugongs are apparently
common in this area, but they weren’t interested
in making their presence known to me. A pair of
wagtails was nesting just 10m away from my hut,
a non-stop source of entertainment (even when
the rest of the natural world around me came to a
complete halt during the scorching midday hours).
Final days
Three days later, I reluctantly packed up and
paddled on; my departure date back to the rat race
was just around the corner and I was running out
of food anyway. One more night was going to
be spent in the ‘bush’ on Gam before making the
32 OCEAN PADDLER
crossing back to Koh Island. A stop-over in one
of the few villages to stock up on some snacks
was a linguistic disaster. My non-command of
Indonesian only managed to secure me a supply
of coconuts (and only because I was able to point
to them rather than by using the correct word). I
had written down a few basic words and phrases
before setting off, but these simply resulted in
blank stares or loud laughter. Fortunately I had
enough supplies for another three days but I was
getting sick of canned tuna with mayonnaise,
canned tuna in brine and canned tuna with chilli.
Just south of this village I found an area covered
in mangroves with a strong current flowing into
it. My map did not indicate any kind of channel
in this area, so I decided to have a quick peek.
Another wonderland greeted me: knobbly sea
stars littered the entrance and rainbow-coloured
coral formed the gateway to this enchanted
garden. The current was on my side and I let
myself drift, not knowing where I was going to
be spat out and not really caring either. Apart
from the odd paddle stroke to keep myself from
ramming a mangrove root I sat motionless,
watching the snow-white sand, the psychedelic
starfish and multi-coloured coral pass just
centimetres below me.
The current became wider and fed into a lake of
about 1.5km long and 400m wide. This lake was
just one of a series of lakes, all connected by a
narrow channel. About an hour after entering this
new world the water started clearing up again and
the current had turned against me. Within minutes
I found myself back on the ocean side of the
mangroves with Koh Island clearly in sight.
It took me a while to find a suitable camping site
as the southern side of Gam is dominated by a
100m high ridge which runs straight into the sea
with beaches no wider than a toothpick. I found
a beach the width of two toothpicks after a long
search and looked forward to my last ‘wild’ night.
I wasn’t going to be disappointed. The biggest
storm of the past 14 days decided to make an
appearance that night and brighten up my life
with endless lightning displays and torrents of
rain. My hammock and I had encountered similar
storms before, but this time I had made an error in
the rigging and ended up having a little stream of
water enter my sleeping area due to my oversight.
What joy to have to get up at 2am to solve a
problem, but after a couple of minutes all was
back to normal and I returned to my bed.
Not the end
Koh was my endpoint: after 14 days and about
180km I stepped back onto its pinprick-sized
beach. I spent two more nights there before
starting the petrol and jet-fuel-powered trip back
to Singapore. Those two nights were a relaxing
end to a trip which, although not as long as my
previous trips and lacking the excitement that
is inevitably encountered on a 3–5 month long
journey, nevertheless introduced me to a true
paddling nirvana. Angola and the Solomon Islands
had been bigger challenges and had provided
greater variety, but all this came at a much greater
physical cost. Raja Ampat is the closest that I have
ever come to a fantasy world. Fam Island was a
taste of what treasures the area holds. My mind is
already working overtime; I only visited one of the
four kings and I only paddled around his baby toe.
About the author
Genetically German, Alexander Vogel grew
up in Cape Town, South Africa, thus spending
most of his early years either on or close to the
sea. Alex then moved to Europe permanently in
1999 (though his soul has never really left the
southern hemisphere) to work as an airline pilot
in Vienna, Austria. Kayaking only became a part
of his life 10 years ago when he woke up one
morning in Vienna and decided that he’d love
to see the whole Angolan coastline in the most
pleasurable way possible. After about 10 minutes
of deep thought(!) he concluded that kayaking
would be the perfect way to do it. So, in 2003/4
he paddled 1000km up the Angolan coast. He still
ranks this huge undertaking as the best thing he
has ever done. Angola was only the beginning;
trips to Oman, the Solomon Islands, Australia and
most recently Raja Ampat followed. Alex tells me
that he doesn’t know what the future holds, but
he’s sure his kayak will continue to play a big role,
and that another multi-month trip will happen and
that it will be sooner rather than later...

33
OCEAN PADDLER

FEATURE RAJA AMPAT
Sunset on Pulau Pef looking towards Fam Island.
Koh Island as seen from Kri Island.
Koh Island “homestay” at low tide allowing almost dry access to the hut.

RAJA AMPAT FEATURE
Porcelain anemone crab in the shallows off Eben Island.
Max Ammer’s Kri Eco Resort as seen from Koh Island.
Acropora hard coral (also known as staghorn coral) at Melissa’s Garden, Fam Island.

FEATURE SEA SURVIVAL
34 OCEAN PADDLER
My first experience of sea kayaking took place while I was
doing my basic training in the army (the Guards Adventure
Training wing in Fremington, North Devon). Before any of us
could take part in the activity we had to perform a full capsize
drill in the water. Our Sergeant stood waist-deep beside us
and we capsized and exited the kayak. It was early January
and we had only our woollen jumper and a three-quarter
wetsuit for protection from the cold. Looking back now, I
realise that the majority of us suffered cold water shock. If
we took more than a second or so to exit and resurface, the
instructor grabbed us by the scruff of the neck and pulled
us clear of the water. This may be a bit brutal by today’s
standards; I am sure that if I did the same for some of my
clients on an introductory course, not many would return the
following day! This was real training for a real threat, however,
with real protection in the long arms of my drill sergeant.
Beginnings of sea survival
Back in 2008 (Issue 8) I did a relatively brief article on
Sea Survival for Sea Kayakers. This short article came
about after meeting a chap at a lecture I had given at the
Southwest canoe show in Exeter.
Dave Whiddon was the gentleman’s name and, at the time,
he was working as a sea survival trainer at the RNLI College
in Poole. Knowing that I had a regular feature in Ocean
Photo: Stan Mac Kenzie
Paddler, he asked if I was interested in spreading the word
about sea survival to the kayaking fraternity.
Dave invited me along to the college to attend a lecture by
sea survival expert and co-author of the book Essentials of
Sea Survival by Dr Michael Tipton. The lecture was not just
about sea survival, but also about modifications required
to make lifejackets safer. The lecture was attended by many
lifejacket manufacturers and/or their representatives. I was
the only person from the kayak industry.
I was also invited to attend a two-day sea survival course at
the college and leapt at the chance. This meant that I could
start to research and develop my own techniques for sea
survival, free of any obligation to manufacturers or sponsors.
I could offer my findings to other paddlers and also start
my own research into equipment often overlooked by our
industry. It gave me the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with
an expert in this field. I was to find that the equipment I had
been using fell far short of a real-life survival situation at sea
and, in certain cases, had potentially lethal flaws when it came
to certain aspects of sea kayaking and sea survival situations.
This whole project tied in neatly with the research for my
Incident Management and Rough Water Rescue courses
which I had been developing during the previous 4–5 years

(these are continuously under development). Sadly enough,
this whole project followed the tragic events surrounding
Andrew McCauley’s death after attempting to cross The
Ditch, the infamous stretch of water separating Australia
from New Zealand.
Purpose-built training
Over the course of the following few months, Dave and I
worked on creating an educational package surrounding
the subject of sea survival and how it relates to us as sea
kayakers. This was mainly a job that Dave embraced initially,
but it wasn’t too long before I had in my possession a
purpose-built presentation on Sea Survival for Sea Kayakers.
I then set about researching procedures and techniques
to answer the many threats which we face on the ocean
discussed in the presentation.
Upon completion (completion is probably the wrong word
to use here, because all things move forward and evolve) of
this project, I offered the course to my governing body free of
charge as a bolt-on package for the sea kayaking syllabus.
However, I didn’t receive a particularly encouraging response
from the powers that be and walked away feeling quite
disheartened. I was still committed to spreading the word
about sea survival, however. Looking back, I think the word
‘survival’ was probably the wrong word to use as it implied
that sea kayaking went beyond a recreational activity and
hinted at an element of danger connected to the activity.
I ran my first sea kayak survival course later that summer in
Maine, and followed up on this at our own symposium back in
Cornwall. To date, I have run about half a dozen courses of this
nature and feel they have been well received by participants.
Contrary to popular belief, sea survival is not just geared
towards your extreme ocean paddler or expeditionary such
as Ed Gilett, Peter Bray or Andrew McCauley. You don’t need
to be crossing an ocean to get into a sea survival situation;
in fact it can happen anywhere where there is water. Take for
instance the incident at Rhoscolyn in Anglesey in 2010 where
a paddler lost their life during a club day trip.
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing
When assessing at an introductory level, our guidance notes
inform us that students do not need to perform a full wet
exit. Instead, we can discuss in detail how they can wet exit
their kayaks. I assume that in any possible panic and gasping,
they will recall exactly what was said to them previously
on the beach. Fitted with a non-restrictive spraydeck, they
will probably kick themselves clear of the kayak and come
up searching for air. Panicking, they will probably find
their kayak and grab it for floatation while coughing fitfully
because of the water swallowed.
Sea survival is such a huge subject; all I can do here is
highlight a few areas where we may wish to adapt some
of our basic training when it comes to the capsize drill,
especially if paddling in a cold water environment.
The capsize drill
How often have you witnessed the capsized paddler
frantically trying to swim away from their kayak, but
still wearing their boats about their hips or trying to lift
themselves out of the water onto the top of their upturned
kayak, splashing water, flailing arms and a continuous
SEA SURVIVAL FEATURE
rotation of the kayak inadvertently being performed? We
attribute these actions to the novice or the panicked person
afraid of the water; the truth is, however, I have also witnessed
these same actions performed by a very skilled, competent
and experienced paddler suffering from cold water shock.
Cold shock is lethal and can kill very quickly. Cold shock
causes a rapid cooling of the body’s surface area, irrespective
of body size or fat content. When I witnessed cold shock in
action, the paddler was wearing a full drysuit and protective
headwear. The cold can penetrate your protective clothing
and you can suffer its effects regardless of how well-trained
you are. One way to prepare ourselves for this threat is by a
gradual acclimatisation to cold water.
I was informed some time ago that when the Royal Navy was
sailing south into the Falklands conflict, men serving onboard
the ships were to take a cold shower at the beginning of
each day. This regular exposure to cold water (habituation
training) can help to train the body to accept the physical
changes that occur during cold shock. It is quite often the
cold shock which comes as a result of sudden immersion
which can lead to drowning. You will often see competition
swimmers scooping a handful of cold water across the
back of their neck prior to entering the water. Open water
swimmers scoop handfuls of water across their torsos prior
to immersing themselves fully; this also helps to prepare the
body for sudden immersion.
Avoiding cold water obviously helps in the prevention of
cold water shock, but it doesn’t prepare us for the accidental
capsize. I think we can safely say that, in the early days of
our sea kayaking lives, we are probably going to experience
sudden immersion at some time!
Controlled and safe exposure to cold water may help to
prepare our bodies against the most serious effects of
cold shock, and can be achieved safely and effectively by
the following.
Before introducing beginners to the cold water environment,
check that they have visited their doctor and been deemed
physically able to attend cold water sessions; have them fill
out a PARQ (Physical Activity Readiness) questionnaire prior
to attending.
If you know that your students are going to be paddling in
cold water, encourage them to take regular cold showers.
Gradually increase their exposure to cold water, especially if
they are paddling in environments such as Scandinavia or NE
America (in fact anywhere that the water is cold enough to
be a shock).
Organise short-duration cold-water swims with safety cover,
close to shore.
Continue to train your rescues in the winter months as well
as the summer.
This may all seem a little too in-depth for teaching beginners,
making our sport a little less ‘fluffy’ than some would like. As
HW Tilman once said however, ‘One of the most dangerous
aspects to the ocean was the way in which man romanticises
about it’. I think we have an obligation to our students to
be realistic and informative about the threats of taking the
world’s smallest ocean-going vessel afloat.
OCEAN PADDLER
35

FEATURE SEA SURVIVAL
Cold shock explained
When suffering from cold shock, two things can
occur simultaneously:
1. Circulation: The peripheral blood vessels
constrict. Heart rate doubles with some irregular
beats and there is an increase in blood pressure.
DEATH CAN OCCUR DUE TO HEART ATTACK OR
INCAPACITATING STROKE
2. Respiratory: Initial gasp reflex increases the
breathing rate by up to 10 times. Breathing
becomes difficult and there is an inability to hold
breath underwater.
DEATH OCCURS DUE TO DROWNING
How to avoid cold shock
We can minimise cold shock by avoiding entry
into the water, wearing appropriate protective
clothing and floatation which will help to keep
airways clear of the water. In the same way as
swimmers prepare for immersion, we can enter
the water in a controlled way prior to a possible
capsize. Many buoyancy aids which paddlers wear
will not have the necessary amount of floatation
required to keep a paddler afloat or airways clear
of the water when in a survival situation. In fact,
only a lifejacket will do this, but we can’t exactly
paddle in a fully inflated lifejacket all the time. If
we wear an auto-inflated lifejacket, then we would
be perpetually working our way through CO2
36 OCEAN PADDLER
cylinders as the jacket would be inflating every
time it got wet. You may wish however to consider
a manually inflated lifejacket or a hybrid vest such
as the Kokatat SeaO2 vest; in these instances you
would obviously have to be conscious to initiate
the inflation process but if you find yourself in
a sea survival situation cut off from the group
(or possibly as a solo paddler) then this added
buoyancy may make a big difference. Another
option is that we take a lifejacket with us, so that in
the event of finding ourselves in a survival situation
we can put on the lifejacket when required.
Near drowning
If you are suffering cold shock then your breathing
rate rapidly increases and sudden gasp reflex
occurs, either above or below the surface of the
water. If this is the case, it means that saltwater
may have entered into the airways and lungs.
Near drowning can then occur, where a smaller
amount of water (less than lung capacity of
about 1.5 litres) has entered the lungs. This is
not enough to immediately drown a person but,
if left untreated, may result in death some time
later (especially if the water is saltwater, as it likely
will be when sea kayaking). The saltwater in the
lungs causes extensive irritation which has an
inflammatory effect; further moisture is drawn
into the lungs internally as a result. On mixing
with the saltwater, this moisture creates a frothing
effect which inhibits the normal gas exchange
which occurs when breathing. The blood receives
less oxygenation and, as a result, a loss of energy
Photo: Stan Mac Kenzie
ensues. This can be followed by unconsciousness
and potentially death if medical treatment is not
obtained rapidly.
If a student has had water enter into the lungs
you should seek immediate medical assistance,
evacuating that person off the water as soon as
possible. Do not leave the person alone until they
are in safe medical care and be prepared to carry
out EAV (Expired Air Ventilation / the kiss of life) or
CPR if need be.
Conclusions
All I have really mentioned here is the single
aspect of how cold water shock can affect us in
the subject of sea survival, leading to potential
drowning (wet, dry, secondary or near drowning).
There are numerous other aspects of sea survival,
such as the techniques and equipment we can use
to help prevent heat loss, the distress alerts and
firing sequences we can issue to raise the alarm
and the strategies we must follow to maintain life
in a survival situation or to prevent the loss of life
at sea, all of which will be covered in later issues.
The ocean is a wild and rugged environment;
it is a place for the realist and the prepared.
Occasionally the sea is white and fluffy, but
sometimes it can also turn very grey and grim.
Not all the knowledge and techniques for best sea
survival may be visible within our syllabuses, but
we do not need to go to sea unprepared, naive nor
ignorant of the dangers which face us.

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OCEAN PADDLER 37

FEATURE FIVE ESSENTIALS
by Nick Cunliffe
Photos: Nick Cunliffe and Ulrika Larsson
I’ve been coaching sea kayaking for about 20 years now in the dynamic
and challenging waters of the UK coastline. During this time I’ve also
coached at a similar level in white water kayaking, alpine skiing and
windsurfing. It has often struck me that, while these sports demand
different techniques, the core skills are remarkably transferable. I’ve met
many ‘talented’ individuals who seem to cross over with ease between
activities and environments, taking with them the same fluent performance.
Are these people the lucky few? Or can we all unlock the potential for highlevel
performance in our chosen sport? Perhaps everyone can discover the
secrets of precise, relaxed boat control in rough water environments. Don’t
worry – there’s no need to swap your sea kayak for a surfboard, mountain
bike or snowboard! The truth is that the best rough water kayakers take
the same approach to their skill development as the best surfers, bikers
and boarders. They develop an unshakably solid base of foundation skills
that underpin their performance in big water. They can paddle in tide races
because they can paddle. The evidence is clear in their relaxed efficiency
on flat water. Many paddlers, entranced by the wonder of our fantastic
sea kayaking environment, miss out on this crucial area of core skill
development – and never return to it. So let’s go back there together!
This series of articles will break down and explain the key components
of skilled sea kayaking performance, provide practical exercises and
progressions for self-learning and will offer a strip-down rebuild of your
paddling techniques in rough water. It’s a big subject, far beyond the scope
of one article. To kick-start the series, I’ve chosen five images (taken this
summer in my local tide races of Penrhyn Mawr and North Stack) that
illustrate the core foundations of effective kayaking performance. I call them
‘The Five Essentials’. They underpin advanced paddling technique in all
environments, can be developed in flat water venues and interact to give us
the speed, control, balance, coordination, timing and power to paddle with
grace and control in the challenging conditions of the ocean environment.
Later articles will focus on each of ‘The Five Essentials’ in detail; in this issue I
will introduce them together and take a look at their application in tidal races.
The Five Essentials are:
Boat speed;
Boat angle;
Boat trim;
Body position;
Stroke linking.
The Five Essentials are interrelated, of course. If we change one element
within a skill we often change other elements, either as a consequence or in
order to effect the original change. The images presented here clearly show
how these key components can work in harmony – with great results!
BOAT SPEED
This concept is easy to understand on flat water: the effort we put into each
paddle stroke produces ‘boat speed’ as the kayak slides through the water. In
dynamic water, with the combined or cancelling effects of wind, tidal stream,
swell and surf waves, it can become less clear just how much boat speed we
38 OCEAN PADDLER
have at any given moment. If we can develop an appreciation of our boat
speed in the many situations we encounter as sea kayakers, we can use this
knowledge to paddle more accurately, efficiently and dynamically.
We may need to produce acceleration when catching waves in a tide race.
It’s often necessary to ‘go up through the gears’ over a short distance
between two wave crests to achieve enough speed to make the ‘take off’.
There are also moments during a ride when we need to change speeds: to
climb higher or lower on the wave face or to respond to the kayak’s changing
boat angle. Short bursts of speed as we cross eddy lines are also a core
component of the tide race experience. An effective forward paddling action
and sense of balance in the kayak which allows a smooth transition through
a number of paddling speeds will contribute to our paddling efficiency.
BOAT ANGLE
We can consider a sea kayak’s ‘angle’ in relation to the different forces
acting upon it. Approaching an eddy line in a tide race, we can focus on
boat angle: 90 degrees (across the flow); 0 degrees (directly into, or away
from, the flow); 45 degrees, and everything in between. The boat angle
at which you paddle into or with surf waves has a considerable effect on

the outcome of a specific move. On open water, the angle of a sea kayak
to the swell as it passes underneath the kayak also influences the boat’s
movement through the water.
Choosing the correct angle in relation to any combination of these elements
can also improve our accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness.
BOAT TRIM
By ‘boat trim’ we specifically mean both the kayak’s trim laterally (edging
and balancing) and the kayak’s trim longitudinally (bow to stern). Both are
important and contribute to the hull shape (or ‘footprint’) that we present to
the water. Clearly, we can dynamically alter our kayak’s lateral trim through
edging and leaning. However, forward and backward weight shifts can
make small changes to the kayak’s longitudinal trim, as can good timing
in open water conditions (e.g. choosing moments when our position on a
wave unweights the bow or stern of the kayak).
Consider the following principles:
A sea kayak with a flat hull on the water is typically more directionally
stable than a sea kayak hull presented at an angle when edging. The longer
Above: Here I’m committing to a dynamic turn to set up a better
boat angle for the next Penrhyn Mawr wave. An extreme change
in boat trim produces a tight turn with rapid loss of speed: I’m
committed to the active blade that is anchoring the entire turn.
A second later, I sit upright and begin to accelerate in a new
direction to make the take-off.
OCEAN PADDLER
39

FEATURE FIVE ESSENTIALS
Top: On the top wave at Penrhyn Mawr, I quickly link strokes to accelerate onto
the wave face. Boat trim is flat and my posture is upright for maximum speed,
while the kayak’s position on the wave allows accurate changes in boat angle.
Above: At the top of the tide race at North Stack, Barry’s boat speed and angle
is perfect to slide sideways across the wave face. He’s focused towards his
new target, opening up the upper body and encouraging a change in boat trim.
Aware of his positioning, he’s taking a moment to actively relax and allow the
kayak to run with a minimum of input from the paddle.
Right: Here Justine sets up for a straight run on a smaller wave in the outer
race. Boat angle and trim combine effectively for a balanced ride, good body
position encourages an effective rudder and, as ever, Justine is remembering
to enjoy herself!
waterline length and bow/stern keel line of a flat hull reduces the kayak’s
manoeuvrability. An edged sea kayak is more manoeuvrable than a sea
kayak hull flat on the water. Also, the slightly reduced waterline length
and reduced grip of the keel line contribute to the boat’s manoeuvrability.
A sea kayak with a moderate amount of edge will lose only a small
amount of boat speed compared to a flat hull.
A sea kayak with a radical amount of edge will have noticeably slower
boat speed than a lesser degree of edging or a flat boat; it will also be
much more manoeuvrable.
Different situations in tide races can demand different boat trim, according
to the shape/direction of the waves and our position among them.
BODY POSITION
Rough water sea kayaking requires dynamic boat movements. This
principle refers to all aspects of our dynamic posture: head position, body
rotation, fore/aft weight shift, edging/leaning, connectivity within the
kayak and tension/relaxation of active/passive muscle groups. Good body
position is essential for accurate and efficient paddling, for example:
Head position: a sea kayak turning rapidly on a wave or across an
eddy line creates dynamic changes in boat speed and boat angle. By
anticipating the kayak’s movement, good head position allows us to
‘lead’ the kayak around the turn, improving balance and efficiency.
40 OCEAN PADDLER
Body rotation: if we can ‘lead’ with the head, we can also ‘lead’ with
the upper body by rotating into the turn, or pointing towards our
next target. This also ‘opens up’ the upper body for stronger and
more effective paddle strokes and encourages better and more
consistent edging.
Upright posture: the dynamic position of sitting upright and slightly
forward with the pelvis tilted forwards, maintains a strong, flexible back
position, encourages weight shifts to trim the kayak effectively in rougher
water and allows the upper and lower body to work independently.
Effective body position therefore encourages good balance, economy of
effort, power and accuracy. It underpins all our sea kayaking activities.
STROKE LINKING
Effective use of the previous four essentials will also greatly assist the
effective use of the paddle. In dynamic sea kayaking situations, rapid boat
movements will demand the efficient linking of different paddle strokes to
achieve the desired move or combination of moves.
The following key principles underpin all effective stroke linking:
Active blade: this refers to the blade immersed in the water, against which
pressure is applied to propel, turn, steer and brace the kayak. The ‘active
hand’, the one nearest to the active blade, controls that blade throughout the
stroke. The ‘non-active hand’ should remain relaxed to avoid compromising
the accuracy of the paddle stroke.

Light grip: in any situation a light grip, just firm enough to control the
movement of the active blade, will bring many advantages: reduced risk of
injury; improved body rotation and effective use of muscle groups; improved
feedback from the active blade; more accurate movements and better paddling!
Clean entry: a clean blade entry with minimum turbulence will also bring
advantages: a better grip in the water (especially if combined with a full
immersion of the active blade); more effective power transfer with less loss of
energy; and more accurate, precise moves.
Clean exit: all the above benefits!
Blade angle: many moves, especially steering and turning strokes, require
a changing blade angle to deflect water flow, generate blade pressure and
influence the kayak’s movement. A sea kayak’s relatively high boat speed and
relatively low manoeuvrability require the subtle use of minimum blade angle
to get the job done. Less is more! Start with zero blade angle (in relation to
the kayak’s movement at that moment) and gently increase the angle until the
desired effect is achieved (with minimum turbulence).
In conclusion, it’s clear that breaking down such complex skills into five
related ‘Essentials’ helps us to improve our understanding and organise our
practice time afloat. The real challenge, of course, is putting these components
together again to improve our performance. Later articles will focus on
unlocking these secrets and giving us the freedom to paddle dynamically in
challenging ocean environments.
FIVE ESSENTIALS FEATURE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Cunliffe is an active BCU level 5 sea kayak coach based
in Anglesey, North Wales.
He has over 20 years sea kayaking experience throughout
the world. Nick provides skills training, coaching and guiding
through Kayak Essentials.
Nick also runs sea kayaking events and produces skills
training DVDs. The most recent title from the team is Sea
Kayak Essentials Volume 1 (Intermediate and Advanced boat
handling skills). Volume 2 (Safety and Rescue) is due out in
early 2012.
For information on any of these courses and products, visit
www.kayakessentials.co.uk
OCEAN PADDLER
41

FEATURE 4* ASSESSMENT
OCEAN PADDLER
By Duncan Smith
In one of the recent ‘essential course’ articles we looked at the BCU 4* Sea training course. The premise
of the article was that the training course was a hugely valuable undertaking for any Sea Paddler.
However, for those paddlers who are interested in progressing through the BCU coaching scheme, then
the actual 4* assessment may also be considered. Having undertaken the assessment myself earlier this
year, this article takes a detailed look at what is involved in a typical assessment. The thoughts within
this article are based on my own preparations and discussions with other candidates and some of the
UK’s leading course providers.
Assessment pre-requisites:
1. Completion of 8-hour First Aid course
2. Completion of 4* sea training course
3. Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning course
4. Logged paddling (12 trips in relevant conditions, 5 as an assistant leader)
5. VR form (download from BCU website, completed and sent off to register for assessment)
Be aware that it takes a minimum of 2 weeks for the VR form to be processed, so this needs to be
completed and sent off in good time to ensure you have it back from the BCU prior to attending the
assessment. Also be aware that if you fill in forms on a computer and then print them out, you must sign
the form by hand. (A digital signature resulted in my form being returned for signing.)
Personal paddling skills
Demonstrating polished personal skills is very important throughout the assessment. We were
continuously observed and assessed in this area during the two days, as opposed to having specific
tasks set for us. Ensure you are comfortable paddling up to (and, I would suggest, beyond the remit
of the award): F4, sea state 4 and in swell/surf. Since you will be expected to demonstrate your ability
to focus on leading a group or deal with incidents/rescues in these conditions, you do not want to be
struggling with your own paddling skills or be at the edge of your personal ability. It is also important to
be able to perform skills on both sides; so ensure your stroke practice takes this into account.
With regards to rolling, I would heavily recommend you have a bombproof roll prior to assessment
and ideally be able to roll on both sides. I finished all my practice sessions with rolling and spent time
working on rolling on both sides. When asked to roll in a narrow cave entrance during the assessment,
I was able to roll on both sides in a polished manner. Only being able to roll on one side would not
cause you to fail the assessment if you are a strong candidate across the board; however, if you have
difficulties in other areas of the assessment this could be one more piece of evidence against you.
Self rescues
With regard to self-rescues, I would again suggest ‘polished’ is what you are looking for. In terms
of creating the right impression, a quick and uncluttered self-rescue is required. Think through the
rationalisation for this: if you are leading a group and did wet exit, you need to be back in your boat
and able to lead the group as quickly as possible.

4* ASSESSMENT FEATURE
Photo: Stan Mac Kenzie
BE AWARE THAT IT TAKES 2 WEEKS FOR THE VR FORM TO BE
PROCESSED, SO THIS NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED AND SENT
OFF IN GOOD TIME TO ENSURE YOU HAVE IT BAK FROM THE
BCU PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE COURSE.
OCEAN PADDLER

FEATURE 4* ASSESSMENT
My personal preference is a straddle rescue, and I practised these
thoroughly prior to assessment in as rough conditions as I could find. I
find the straddle self rescue empties the most water from the boat and
is quick to do while keeping good visual contact with a group. After a
re-entry and roll self rescue, there is a large time-consuming amount of
water to pump out and the time and effort of setting up a paddle float
during a self rescue is an extra hassle. That said, all three forms of selfrescue
are valid for assessment as long as they are performed quickly
and efficiently.
Rescues
From my assessment it became obvious that four types of rescue were
being looked for, with different scenarios presented appropriate to each
rescue. The four rescues to consider/practise are:
1. Assisted T-rescue (standard deep-water rescue where the paddler has
the strength to climb in)
2. Sling-assisted rescue (where the paddler is too tired to climb in unaided)
3. Scoop rescue (if the paddler has an injury to prevent climbing in e.g.
a dislocated shoulder)
4. Hand of God (used for an unconscious paddler).
One of my scenarios involved a tired paddler in the water who did not
have the strength to climb back into their kayak unaided. I actually used
the scoop rescue which worked fine and took care of the situation. On
reflection however, a sling-assisted rescue may possibly have been a
better option as it does not leave you with vast amounts of pumping
out to do before setting off again. It is quicker to execute the actual
rescue part of the process, however.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, slick execution is highly
recommended: plenty of practice is therefore required prior to
assessment. It’s also very important to listen to the entire scenario set up
by the assessor, as the information they give may dictate whether or not
beginning a tow during the rescue/pumping out stage of your response
is required.
OCEAN PADDLER
Towing
There was plenty of towing involved during our assessment. This was not
necessarily for long sustained periods; however, the number of scenarios
we encountered did require constant deployment and then repacking of the
towline. Being well-practised at this and having a towline design that aids
swift repacking is therefore recommended. I had invested in a new Peak
towline for the assessment, specifically as this was so much quicker to pack
than my old throw line.
Ensure you are comfortable with setting up all of the following:
1. Single distance tow
2. Chain distance tow (two or more towing)
3. Contact tow
In addition, consider the clean-line principle and ensure there are no snag
hazards on your towlines. You may also be instructing other members of the
group to tow using their kit, so keep an eye on any issues you may spot. In
dealing with one incident, I asked a group member to start towing while I
dealt with a casualty. As he was towing two rafted boats, I initially asked him
to feed his line under my bow deck line and then clip the casualty’s deck line.
I have half a boat length of clean line on my towline before the float to allow
for this type of set up, but the other group member didn’t. I luckily noticed
this as he was setting up the tow; I quickly reversed my decision and asked
him to simply clip to the casualty’s boat (explaining why).
Group management and leadership
A whole day of the assessment was taken up with leading a group on a
typical day trip; from meeting the unknown group, assessing their desires/
needs from the day, planning a suitable route, briefing the group and then
leading them safely for the day while providing an enjoyable experience.
Typically, the group will be around 3* standard.
The assessors will watch the whole day, potentially having to move between
small groups on the water. The ‘guinea pigs’ you lead may also be asked for
feedback on the day.

While the obvious emphasis is on safety, CLAPT should be uppermost
in your mind while on the water, which stands for
1. Communication: verbal and non-verbal
2. Line of sight: keep all group in sight
3. Awareness/Avoidance: of dangers, potential issues and
pre-empting them
4. Position: put yourself in the position of most effectiveness
5. Top tips: helping group develop as paddlers.
Although the 4* sea award is not a coaching award, in terms of top tips
above think about setting a range of challenges or tasks during the day to
provide learning experiences. Strike a good balance between playing on
features you find and getting round the route in good time.
We were fortunate with our group day and had very calm seas with a high
tide, but plenty of tidal flow due to big spring tides. This allowed us to
paddle from Freshwater Bay, around the Needles and heading towards
Yarmouth. Along the route we were able to have our group playing in
caves, around stacks, playing in rock gardens, trying to keep their boat as
close to the vertical cliffs as possible and experimenting with a range of
strokes to decide what worked best.
We also had paddlers in a range of boats and using both European and
Greenland Paddles, so could have good discussions about different kit as
we paddled along.
You may find, as we did, that in order to provide opportunities for us to
lead a group in an area suitable for the award you have to step ‘out of
remit’. For us, this meant paddling in tidal flows above the remit of the
award. In this case the situation will be explained fully by the assessors
along with their reasoning.
You may also find that although you are asked to plan/suggest/justify a
suitable route for your group, you may then actually be directed to use a
4* ASSESSMENT FEATURE
Photo: Stan Mac Kenzie
different route simply based on the logistics of having two small groups
on the water and the assessors needing to move between them (this
would not be possible if the groups headed off in different directions).
If this is the case, think about the route you are being asked to use
– are you happy with it and is it a sensible route? On our assessment
a purposeful curve ball was thrown in at this stage to see if any
assessment candidates would pick up on it and have the conviction to
say ‘are you sure’?
Written papers
There are two theory tests involved in the assessment: a navigation
exercise that involves planning a day trip in an unknown area and a
general theory paper covering a range of sea kayaking topics (buoyage,
weather, equipment, navigation, safety, etc).
This was my weakest area of the assessment and I was not slick
enough with the navigation exercise. The route I planned was fine,
but I faffed about for too long producing it. This was down to lack of
navigation planning practice (I spent too much time on personal, rescue
and leadership skills) and constantly trying to second guess what the
assessors wanted to see in the route rather than simply planning a good
route for a group of 3* paddlers out for a day. I also failed to revise basic
buoyage information; again, not enough time spent with charts and
associated materials.
Conclusion
Any assessment is stressful and the 4* sea is no exception, but the
sense of achievement makes all the stress worthwhile. More importantly
however, is the fact that the process of preparing for the assessment
has the potential to develop and improve your sea kayaking skills. The
final debrief also provides a clear roadmap for those paddlers wishing
to progress further with qualifications and the chance to discuss their
performance over the two days in detail.
OCEAN PADDLER

GETAWAYS - WINTER WARMERS
CARMEN ISLAND EXPEDITION LORETO
NATIONAL PARK
FEB 2-11, 2012. $1999
Enjoy a winter getaway- ten paddling
days in the National Marine Park of
the Bay of Loreto. This trip is pitched
at those who have or are working on
skills on par with the BCU 3-star sea
award. Loreto was the first mission
to all the Californias, both north and
south of the Mexican border. It remains
a tranquil fishing and tourist village,
remotely located on the Baja California
peninsula. Carmen and the other islands
of the National Marine Park belong
to a World Heritage Site, noteworthy
for the proximity of a complex desert
environment with the youngest and
richest ocean on the planet. Also for
its spectacular scenery, bordered by
mountains and colorful islands. The Sea
of Cortez is home to 1/3 of the world’s
marine whale species, and they are
particularly active this time of year.
Sea Kayak Baja Mexico features top
quality equipment including Nigel
Dennis Kayaks, Kokatat PFDs, Werner
paddles, and Seals skirts. Leaders are
PHOTO: GINNI CALLAHAN
BCU certified, knowledgeable about the
area, and fun.
For more information see:
www.seakayakbajamexico.com
LORETO NATIONAL MARINE PARK
EXPEDITION PRIMER
MARCH 5-10, 2012. $1290
A relaxing six days on the water in the
sunshine is the perfect kick-start to
your paddling season. The Expedition
Primer is designed for building dynamic
water confidence and for enjoying the
calm days. Snorkeling is usually good
this time of year, as is stargazing. The
peaceful town of Loreto lies at the
foot of the mile-high Sierra la Giganta
mountains, on the edge of the sea.
Its islands comprise the first National
Marine Park ever requested by the local
people, and are part of a World Heritage
Site. Dramatic beauty and scientific
uniqueness combine for a fascinating
and soul soothing kayak trip.
Sea Kayak Baja Mexico features top
quality equipment including Nigel Dennis
Kayaks, Kokatat PFDs, Werner paddles,
and Seals skirts. Leaders are BCU certified,
knowledgeable about the area, and fun.
For more information see:
www.seakayakbajamexico.com
ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
JAN 28- FEB 15, 2012
This sea kayak tour in Southern Thailand
leads us through a bizarre landscape of
Karst-mountains and exotic islands. Our
days will be spent island hopping in the
amazing Indian Ocean.
During the first part of our tour, we will
be able to soak in the wild and unique
atmosphere of the Phang Nga Bay. We
will be kayaking through a beautiful
tropical landscape, discovering Karstislands
with lonely and sandy beaches.
We will explore several caves, which are
only accessible at low tide and will spend
our nights on the edge of the jungle,
surrounded by abundant vegetation.
Similar scenery can only be found in
Vietnam or China. Here we will also
find the distinctive rock of the so-called
‘James-Bond Island’, one of Thailand’s
most famous film locations.

We will then cross the bay to discover
the islands Ko Yai Noi and Ko Yao
Yai, the biggest islands in the area,
for the second part of the tour. Local
people in their traditional Longtailboats
will come alongside and we will
spend an unforgettable evening with
a rural family. Long sandy beaches
and a rocky landscape compliment
the impressive marine wildlife. The
water is clear, sunsets are amazing
and we will be passing many
romantic evenings on lonely islands
throughout our journey in the Indian
Ocean.
For more information see:
www.aex-reisen.de
THAILAND EXPEDITION
FEB 6-22, 2012
A fascinating mosaic that describes
the charm of the Far East: long palmlined
beaches with smooth waves,
tropical vegetation with abundance of
jungle and the exotic culture of South-
West Thailand create the setting for
this extraordinary seakayak-trip in the
Indian Ocean.
We will be able to soak in the wild and
unique atmosphere of the Phang Nga
Bay: a beautiful Asian landscape with
bizarre Karst-mountains rising up to
300m out of the Sea. We will discover
lonely and sandy beaches, we will
explore several caves, which are only
accessible at low tide and will spend
our nights on the edge of the jungle,
surrounded by diverse vegetation.
We will meet local people in their
traditional Longtail-boats and we will
visit local markets in small settlements.
Little rivers and Khlongs will bring us
into remote areas where dolphins and
dugongs compliment the impressive
marine wildlife. The islands Ko Boda, Ko
Jum and Ko Lanta, overgrown by jungle
have beautiful long white beaches which
invite us to rest. The water is clear and
sunsets are amazing.
This sea kayak tour is an adventurous
Robinsonade at the edge of civilisation,
a trip, which explains the marine
landscape of Southern Thailand with
its innumerable tropical islands.
Experiences and adventures that will
never be forgotten…
WINTER WARMERS - GETAWAYS
For more information see:
www.aex-reisen.de
THE BAJA EXPERIENCE
JAN 26-FEB 6, 2012
1490 EURO
This is a 12 day adventure to the wild
and undeveloped Baja Peninsula of
Mexico, to sea kayak in the warm waters
of the Sea of Cortez, in Mexico’s 1st
National Marine Park, Parque Nacional
Bahia de Loreto, and watch the giant
gray whales frolic with their young on
the Pacific coast of Magdalena Bay. As
well as kayaking, we will be snorkeling
amongst thousands of tropical reef
fishes, exploring coral shelves, hiking
the dramatic desert landscape, not to
mention waking up to flaming sunrises,
pristine beaches, fresh fruit and seafood,
beach combing, dune jumping and
sipping margaritas at sunset.
The magic of this tour is that we
combine five days of incredible
kayaking in the turquoise waters of
the Sea of Cortez, based in Parque
Nacional Bahia de Loreto, with four
days whale watching and sea kayaking

GETAWAYS - WINTER WARMERS
in Magdelena Bay on the Pacific coast.
Before, during, and at the end of these
two amazing experiences, you will
spend a night in the Plaza Hotel in
Loreto to relax, regroup, and have a
night out on the town!
The Sea of Cortez, also called The
Vermillion Sea, or the ”Worlds
Aquarium” is better described as
aquamarine, with incredible visibility
and biodiversity. The sea is alive with
fish of all kinds, colour and size, from
the tiny sergeant major to giant manta
rays, dolphins, fin, and blue whales. The
sunrises and sunsets are spectacular
and the scenery stark and dramatic. Isla
Danzante and Isla Carmen are within a
National Park, uninhabited and visited
by permit only, and is a fantastic base
for exploring and kayaking. The camping
is very comfortable with cocktail hour
and camp cooks who pride themselves
in their culinary skills!
Price includes: Whale watching, all
activities, all meals and beverages while
on the expedition, four nights hotel with
bed and breakfast, end of tour dinner, all
kayaking equipment.
Not included: Food on first day, dinner
on middle day, sleeping bags and
snorkeling equipment, Air Fares.
For more information see:
www.atlanticseakayaking.com
EAST SICILY'S BEST SPOTS
FEB 10-15, 2012. £515
Sicily has short and mild winters, with
temperatures around 14°C, while sea
temperature can reach 16°C. Moreover
and very interestingly, in 2012,
meteorologists expect milder weather
than normal...
The east coast is the most varied, going
from white Mediterranean coastal
landscapes to black lava cliffs at the
base of the Mount Etna volcano with its
snow-capped summit and active craters.
Portopalo, our headquarters for this 4
day excursions is 9 miles south of the
latitude of Tunis. This is the extreme
south of Sicily, a place that geologically
belongs to the African tectonic plate.
In this season the crowd of bathers
disappears, and the sea becomes the
undisputed realm of sea kayakers.
Price includes: Pick up and drop-off at
Catania international airport on Feb 10
and 15. Five nights B&B. 4 day guided
sea kayak trips. Rent of equipment
(kayaks, paddles, PFD and spray deck).
Places available: 6
Minimum 2 paddlers.
Payment is required via bank transfer
15 days in advance.
For more information see:
www.maremotu.it
BAJA, THREE ISLAND
EXPEDITIONARY TRIP
JAN 14-22, 2012. $1899
Escape the cold this January and join us
in Baja, Mexico as Geneva Kayak teams
up with Sea Kayak Baja Mexico for this
intermediate paddling trip in the rugged
and beautiful National Marine Park of the
Bay of Loreto. While others are shoveling
snow, we’ll be paddling with whales,
dolphin and sea lion as well as camping
on pristine islands with white sand
beaches, and snorkeling aqua blue waters.
On July 19, 1996, the National Marine
Park of Loreto Bay was established.
Called "Bahia de Loreto Parque
Nacional" in Spanish, the park
encompasses 2,065 square kilometers
of uninhabited island jewels such as
Carmen and Danzante and the deep
rich pristine Sea of Cortez just off shore
of the little seaside town of Loreto.
Blue, fin, humpback and other whales,
dolphins, sea lions and all kinds of fish
and sea life thrive there.
The Three Islands Expeditionary Trip
is rated Level 3 - and incorporates a
significant open water crossing (7 mi),
paddling days of up to 15miles, and
layover days for custom coaching.
We’ll focus on building competence
in open water conditions through
development of paddling technique,
seamanship, and group management
while visiting three spectacular islands
- Coronados, Carmen, and Danzante.
Designed for paddlers with reliable
boat-handling skills, and overnight
experience, this 8-day, 7-night paddling
adventure will be lead by Ryan Rushton
(BCU 5 Star Leader, ACA L5 Adv Open
Water Instructro trainer). Some of the
skills we will cover include: engaging
the core, refining boat control in
conditions, navigation, food and meal
management, paddling in 10-20kts wind
(as available) situation management in
conditions, expedition decision-making,
contributing to group safety, and sharing
in group leadership.
Included in the price of the trip are
fiberglass boats and kayak gear (you
may choose to bring your own) such as
paddle, spray deck, and pump. It also
includes 2 nights of lodging in Loreto, 1
on either side of the kayaking portion,
and meals while paddling.
Includes: Fiberglass Sea Kayaks,
Transport to/from La Paz to Loreto,
Cook Gear, 1 Nights Accommodation in
Loreto, Training and Guidance.
For more information see:
www.genevakayak.com
TERRA SANTA KAYAK SYMPOSIUM
JAN 9-14, 2012
Terra Santa’s Kayak Symposium takes
place annually in January.
The Israeli winter provides optimal
conditions for training in various sea
conditions. During the season one can
enjoy the caressing sun and a glasssmooth
sea, as well as winds and
waves. And the water temperature? 19
degrees Celsius.
The symposium draws some of the
world’s best sea kayakers who offer
classes and presentations.
For more information see:
http://seakayak.co.il
THE SEYCHELLES - PADDLING
IN EDEN. FEB 18-25, 2012
An archipelago made of 115 granite and
coral islands, the Seychelles lie north of
Madagascar and have been described as
"a string of pearls set in the azure waters
of the Indian ocean."
This trip is all about kayaking in a
paradise of many islands which can
only be reached by sea. Many are
uninhabited and untouched with an
abundance of wildlife and clear blue
seas, each with its own character, beauty
and charm with lush tropical vegetation
clinging to steep mountain sides.
Kayaking between the islands will give
us the opportunity to experience the
Seychelles' uniqueness.
For more information see:
http://seakayak.co.il
Does your company arrange trips that
you'd like to be considered for inclusion
in this new 'Getaways' feature? Get in
touch to discuss details:
richard.parkin@paddlepressmedia.com

WINTER WARMERS

ENCOUNTERS NEWFOUNDLAND BOAT-BUILDERS
NEWFOUNDLAND
BOAT-BUILDERS
by Nigel Foster
www.nigelkayaks.com
Nigel Foster takes a sideways glance at wooden knees while kayaking in Newfoundland
England’s first colony, Newfoundland
developed as a summer fishing ground
for fishermen from Europe, including
Britain. For a time British fishing
companies persuaded Parliament to discourage
settlement on the east coast to reduce competition.
The Admiralty benefited from the pool of seamen
who honed their skills on a triangular route from
UK to Newfoundland, to Spain and Portugal with
dried and salted cod, and home to England with
wine, olive oil, cork and fruit.
Although homesteading was forbidden for a time,
timber and supplies could be gathered near the
shore and shore stations were used every season
for drying and salting fish.
It is little wonder that many of the people
who eventually did colonise Newfoundland
came with shipbuilding skills, were sailors and
fishermen, and passed their skills down from
generation to generation.
When I was kayaking there for the first time in the
late 1970s (before the cod fishery collapsed) there
were huge areas set aside for drying cod; the
fish were gutted, opened like a book and spread
flat in the sun to dry. Most of the fishing boats
were built from local timber, cut from the forest.
Many of the older men we talked to had spent
their lives on a seasonal timetable: cutting timber
in the interior every winter, sealing on the ice
off Labrador and northern Newfoundland in the
spring, and fishing along the coast through the
summer. Somehow they also managed to build a
house and raise a family!
Hiding in our tent in a rainstorm not far from
the nearest village Carmanville, we emerged
at the sound of voices outside. Two men stood
examining the kayaks. They had learned from a
fisherman who had spotted our tent that we were
42 OCEAN PADDLER
camped here and had come out to find us. Our
tent was not very weatherproof; Tim’s sleeping
bag was soaked by rain blowing under the side
of the tent in the night, and both of us must have
looked wet and bedraggled. When the men invited
us back to get warm and dry we gladly accepted.
We were driven to the house where Ray Butt
lived with his wife Pearl. It was a small two-storey
wooden house that Ray’s brother had built a
bit further down the hill then dragged up to its
present position to be in line with some other
houses. Fortuitously he found a spring beneath
the house, and it turned out to be the only water
supply nearby that never dried up in summer.
Pearl immediately began frying a lunch of salmon
for us, while Ray told us he had built several of
the other houses nearby and that he also built
wooden boats. We readily accepted their offer of
a place to stay in the dry until the bad weather
passed. They hosted us for several days.
Ray enthused about his boats and proudly rowed
us in a small wooden dory to the 26-foot-long
slender sailboat he had also built himself. He
started up the 12 horsepower engine and took us
further from shore into the wind and tide until,
with every launch into the air, the bow would pitch
so deep into the next wave that water deluged
over our heads. Then we turned and headed back,
the boat rolling crazily as we took the sea from
the beam. It was a short and damp run! It was
clear that Ray loved boats; he delighted in telling
us tales of his childhood aboard various boats in
the area and of the sailing schooners that used to
trade along the coast when he was younger.
Then we got to talking about whales, of which
we’d already seen a lot during our trip. Ray told
us of a bay not far from there with more than 100
whales in it. In the past, the whales would have
been killed to prevent damage to the nets. With
a government protection order, however, the
fishermen were experiencing a lot of expensive
damage to the nets. “There are sharks too”, he
added. “There was a boat capsized near here with
two men clinging to it. Moments later one got his
leg bitten off.” I made a mental note to keep my
toes out of the water.
Ray explained his next project which would be to
build a long-liner, but he needed some timber. He
could cut the straight logs for the planking and
the ribs in winter along with firewood, dragging
it over the snow behind his snowmobile to store
by his beach-front sawmill until he needed it. For
a $2 permit he could cut 12 cords of wood for
firewood or for building. (A cord is the stacked
volume of timber, 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet.) With
an additional special permit he is also allowed
to cut the angled timbers needed to build a
boat, which are more difficult to find and bring
home. Newfoundland is a land of conifer forest,
so angled timbers such as the oak boughs the
British once used to cut from their own forests,
are simply not available. Instead timbers must
be located and cut from the base of a tree, where
a large enough root projects out at the required
angle. In winter that part of the tree is buried
under snow, so these timbers must be cut in
summer and carried out of the forest by hand.
Ray suffered from a bad back, so he could not
carry the timbers himself.
We offered our services, of course. Driving a
distance from town Ray turned off the highway
and drove a few hundred yards into the forest
along a small track. (The government doesn’t
allow people to cut timber within 100 yards of the
highway.) Soon we found ourselves following at
his heels into the forest, where he blazed a trail
by chipping bark from an occasional tree so we
could find our way back out.

ENCOUNTERS NEWFOUNDLAND BOAT-BUILDERS
THE BEAST WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE ESCAPED A HORROR MOVIE.
AND HORROR-MOVIE-LIKE, IT HAD THE ABILITY TO COME BACK TO LIFE
AFTER A BLOW THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED A BEAR. IT TWITCHED, SHOOK
ITSELF AND MOMENTS LATER LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR AGAIN. BUZZING
LIKE AN ANGRY CHAINSAW IT BEGAN TO CIRCLE MY HEAD.
It was a windy day, but in the forest the
mosquitoes gathered around us in hordes,
whining around our ears and settling on our
exposed arms and faces. We heard a sound
like an electric shaver approaching and finally
spotted the small radio-controlled helicopter
approaching fast! Ok, that’s not entirely accurate.
The helicopter turned out to be a ‘copper-eyed
stout’, named for its stout size no doubt and it’s
copper-coloured eyes. I swear it was the size of
a small bird; it perched on my hand and stared
back at me. I then felt the sensation of a blunt
nail being driven into my hand and was finally
spurred into action. I whacked at it with my other
hand and felt a certain revengeful satisfaction
when it fell with a damp thud into the moss at
my feet. Nursing my wounded hand I crouched
down to look more closely at this vicious creature.
Yes, it truly did have huge hemispherical coppery
eyes, but also a stout proboscis with which it
had punctured my hand. The beast was large
enough to have escaped a horror movie. And
horror-movie-like, it had the ability to come
back to life after a blow that would have killed a
44 OCEAN PADDLER
bear. It twitched, shook itself and moments later
launched into the air again. Buzzing like an angry
chainsaw it began to circle my head. My arms
wind-milled wildly and it was all I could do to stop
myself from running! “Where’s that stiff upper lip,
Foster?” I demanded reproachfully. “Just above
this loose flabby chin!” I heard myself quiver.
If the stouts were about, at least we could
hear them coming. But like Second World War
doodlebugs, the tension began whenever the
noise suddenly stopped. There would be just
enough time to brush every reachable part of my
body in an attempt to dislodge it (if indeed it had
landed on me) before the stab-wound reached
through my t-shirt into the middle of my back: the
part I hadn’t reached. Now I knew why Ray had
climbed into a sturdy boiler suit before entering
the forest.
We examined a number of possible trees before
he found one he considered suitable. Firing up his
chainsaw he then bent to the task, carving out the
piece he needed. Pulling it aside, he trimmed it a
little to make it lighter to carry. It was an L-shaped
slab about 4 feet tall by 3 feet long and 8 inches
thick. It stood beside the now-fallen 50-foot spruce
tree that had the misfortune to have once owned a
‘knee’. “What about the rest of the tree?” I asked.
Ray shrugged and said he’d probably return with
his skiddoo in the winter to collect it.
Leaving the timber where it stood, Ray strode
away, checking tree after tree until he found
another that looked good; a slightly larger tree.
Scr aping away the blueberry undergrowth
around the root with his axe he eyed it up for
size before once again grabbing the chainsaw
and tugging the engine into action. Soon he had
his second timber. That was enough for now, he
announced. We could start carrying them back
to the pick-up. Grabbing one end each, Tim and I
heaved the heavy piece up between us and were
surprised at how heavy it was. Like a four-legged
pantomime horse we stumbled from tree root
to mossy man-trap, stirring the mosquitoes and
stouts from the undergrowth as we went. Now
we knew how Ray got his bad back!

Greece: 7th - 15th April £695
Brittany: 2nd - 9th June £595
Alaska: 6 - 15th June £1395
5 day Explore Cornwall: 30th April, 18th June,
9th July, 10th Sept £395
Scillies Intromediate: 28th July - 4th August £395
Scillies Intermediate: 31st March - 7th April £395
Scillies Intermediate: 21st - 28th July £395
Scillies Advanced: 4th - 11th August
Scillies Ladies Only: 7th April - 14th April £395
Norway: Dates and Price TBC
Brittany Rough Water Week: 15th - 22nd Sept 2012
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FEATURE DANGERS OF SUN EXPOSURE
46 OCEAN PADDLER
By Dr Douglas Wilcox seakayakphoto.com
I guess I should have known better. My father had fair hair and skin and after
a lifetime of sailing he developed a basal cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer
caused by sun exposure) on his cheek. He ignored it too long and, by the time
he went to see about it, the ulcer had spread throughout his skin and nearly
half of his face had to be removed and replaced with a graft of skin from his
shoulder and back. This had to be moved up to his face leaving a tube of skin
going down to his shoulder until the graft successfully took.
After this I was a bit more careful in the sun but since I am dark haired (at
least I was) and took a good tan, I didn’t think I had much to worry about.
By careful, I mean I started wearing a broad-brimmed hat in the sun but
there are not that many sunny days in the west of Scotland. However, I had
underestimated the cumulative effects of spending long hours outdoors.
Even on cloudy days the sun’s rays can still do damage. Since childhood I
have spent most of my weekends outdoors: sailing, windsurfing, hill walking,
mountaineering, mountain biking and (since 2002) sea kayaking.
About 2005 I was aware that I had developed a small pigmented ‘mole’ on
my right cheek. It was just slightly darker than my skin and it was smooth –
I couldn’t feel it. Its border with my normal skin was also very even; it was not a
ragged mixture of my normal skin and pigmented skin. It didn’t hurt, it wasn’t
itchy, it didn’t bleed and it didn’t develop a crust. It was growing only very
slowly and was only about 4mm in diameter, so I didn’t think I had anything
to worry about. I did start using Factor 30 sunscreen even in winter, however.

Then in 2009 I noticed it had grown to about 8mm with a little darker lump
in the middle, which was a bit bigger than a pin head. I went to my GP. He
looked at it with a magnifying glass and referred me to a dermatologist. I
didn’t have long to wait and I soon saw the consultant. She asked me how
long I had had it. She asked if I had a family history of skin cancer and I told
her about my father. She then asked if I had ever been sunburned as a child
(I had) and if I ever sunbathed or used sun beds (I didn’t). Next she asked
if I had an indoor or outdoor job (I work indoors) and if I had any outdoor
hobbies (I had to own up and plead very guilty at this point). The consultant
then examined my mole with a very bright light and binocular magnifying
lenses. She also examined my back, front arms and legs and asked if my
four other moles had changed at all. I told her that I had had those ones from
childhood and that they had not changed.
She told me that she thought I had an early form of skin cancer. The mole
looked like something called lentigo maligna and the dark lump might be a
melanoma in situ. Yikes, I’m not a dermatologist but I know that a melanoma
can be a really serious form of cancer. She reassured me that it was at an
early stage and unlikely to have spread out of the top layer of skin (in situ)
but it would need to be removed. I started to put my jacket on. She said it
might be better not to get dressed just yet as they would take me through to
the operating theatre next door, right now!
I lay there under an operating light that seemed brighter than the sun. Tissue
paper was laid over me covering everything but my right cheek. I hardly felt
the local anaesthetic being injected and was aware only of a tugging sensation
as the dermatologist cut the mole away then sewed my skin together. She
told me that she had removed it completely and put 4 small stitches in. She
said the mole would be sent to pathology where they would examine it with
a microscope and make sure there was a safe border of healthy skin all round
the mole. I was given a letter to take to my GP to get the stitches out and the
consultant said that should hopefully be the end of it.
A few weeks later I was quite pleased with the result. You could hardly see
the scar except for a little brown bump that came out of the middle of the
scar. I was half wondering whether to go and see about this when I got a
phone call: “Could you come back to the Dermatology clinic? Today please.”
Two hours later I was back in the operating theatre. The consultant told me
that her suspicion had been correct. I did have a melanoma, it was still likely
to be ‘in situ’ but the biopsy had abnormal cells right up to one edge. She
said she would now take a wider excision. If this one had normal cells all
round the edge then I would most likely not need further treatment. If there
were still abnormal cells to the edge of the biopsy then I would need further
treatment, which could include chemotherapy. I came out in a cold sweat,
despite the tissue paper and the hot lights.
This time the excision was bigger and I had 8 small stitches. Fortunately for
me, pathology confirmed that all of the melanoma had been excised this
time. All I am left with now is a slight puckering of the skin on my cheek,
although I still have annual check-ups. Luckily my skin cancer was detected
at an early stage and the treatment has apparently completely removed it.
Not everyone is so lucky. Bob Marley, the Jamaican musician, died from a
malignant form of melanoma. Although he had dark skin (and skin cancer is
less common in dark-skinned people) he had inherited a genetic susceptibility
from his white father.
DANGERS OF SUN EXPOSURE FEATURE
How common is skin cancer?
First of all, skin cancer is subdivided into two main types depending on
what skin cell type the cancer grows from: (1) malignant melanoma (from
melanocyctes or pigment cells) and (2) non-melanoma skin cancer (from basal
cells and squamous cells). Melanocytes are the cells that form moles and
freckles and also allow you to tan. Table 1 lists the number of new cases and
number of deaths of both types of skin cancer in Scotland in 1985 and 2009.
Table 1. Skin cancer in Scotland (population approximately 5 million) (new
cases and deaths data extracted from the Scottish Cancer Registry and the
National Records of Scotland, respectively)
Malignant melanoma
Non-melanoma skin cancer
New cases Deaths
1985 2009 1985 2009
429 1181 95 185
3163 10,469 47 68
The first thing to note is that the number of new cases of skin cancer has
approximately tripled between 1985 and 2009. This is thought to be mainly
due to increased exposure to the sun and increased use of tanning beds over
that period. Next, although non-melanoma skin cancer is more common, it
causes fewer deaths than malignant melanoma. This is due to a number of
reasons: melanoma is both more likely to spread to other parts of the body
and it is more difficult to treat.
How do we reduce our chances of developing skin cancer?
To answer this we need to understand the risk factors that contribute to
developing skin cancer. Some of these are unavoidable but some are
avoidable; see Table 2 for a complete list of both types of risk factors.
Unavoidable risks
Family history of skin cancer
Multiple moles
Unusual mole(s)
Freckles
Fair skin
Red or blonde hair
Blue or green eyes
Age over about 50 years
Having any other rare skin disorders
Any treatment that might suppress
the immune system e.g. treatment
for another cancer or following an
organ transplant
Avoidable risks
Number of blistering sunburns under
the age of 20 years
Total time exposed to sun
Number of intermittent exposures to
strong sun
Indoor occupation/outdoor recreation
Tanning bed sessions
If you have any of the unavoidable risk factors in Table 2, then you need to be
even more careful to take note of the avoidable risks. If you are over the age
of 20 years then previous sunburns will now be an unavoidable risk, but take
particular care of the youngsters in your family. We obviously can’t avoid
exposure in our chosen outdoor recreation of sea kayaking, so we literally
need to undertake some serious damage limitation. It goes without saying
that unless we are deep inside a cave, sea kayakers spend much of the day
out of the shade. We don’t just get blasted by the sun’s rays from above:
reflections from the water hit us at all angles.
OCEAN PADDLER
47

FEATURE DANGERS OF SUN EXPOSURE
Dressed for the Scottish summer: broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses and wearing Factor 30 (note sun protection bottle on back deck beside splits). Photograph by Donald Wilcox.
The sun is at its strongest between the hours of about 10am and 3pm
when it is high in the sky. Despite being stronger in the tropics, note that
in northern latitudes in summer it makes up for being lower by shining for
longer. The midsummer sun is above the horizon for 17.5 hours a day in
sunny Glasgow. The most damaging parts of the sun’s radiation spectrum
that penetrate the atmosphere are the ultra-violet (UV) rays, especially UVA.
The majority of these will still reach sea level even when it is overcast. UVA
can penetrate deep inside the skin cells and damage and mutate their DNA,
which is necessary for the cells’ normal function and division. Melanocyte
cells produce the pigmented protein melanin, which helps block the UVA rays
from penetrating the skin (especially in dark-skinned people, but remember
Bob Marley). Sun protection products are designed to work like melanin and
block the UV radiation from penetrating skin. The higher the protection factor
the better, which is especially of benefit to light-skinned people.
A broad-brimmed hat provides a head start as melanomas can occur on the
scalp of even dark-haired and dark-skinned people. In the UK we will often be
wearing a cag when sea kayaking (even when it’s sunny), but that still leaves
the hands, face, lips, neck and ears exposed.
Several applications of Factor 30 water-resistant sun protection should be
applied throughout the day. I particularly like Ambre Solaire transparent
protection spray. It is Factor 30, non-greasy and water-resistant. It doesn’t
affect grip on the paddle and doesn’t seem to sting the eyes as much as some
products. If you wear a hat, you can avoid putting protection on your forehead
(so that when you sweat, it won’t carry the product down into your eyes). When
wearing a short-sleeved top in warmer weather, remember to cover exposed
areas of the arms and neck with sun protection. Check that the material of
the top also offers sun protection (not all do). Remember to keep covered up
when you stop for lunch as this is when the sun will be at its highest and UVA
radiation is strongest. If you take your cag off, be sure to apply sun protection
to any exposed skin. I keep the bottle handy under the short loop of deck
elastics which are designed to retain paddle shafts. The Ambre Solaire bottle
has some useful indentations in which the elastic can sit.
Fair-skinned people from northern latitudes who sea kayak in the tropics
(where UVA rays are strongest) may require additional measures such as
gloves to protect the backs of the hand, UV face buffs or complete sun-block
cream for sensitive areas such as the lips or the bridge of the nose. Sun block
is usually zinc-based and may be opaque white or sometimes even garish
fluorescent colours.
Finally, it is important to let a little sunlight reach your skin now and then, as the
skin is only able to make vitamin D in the presence of sunlight. Dark-skinned
people in northern latitudes need to be especially careful about this. However,
a ‘little’ sun does not mean several hours of unprotected exposure at midday.
How to spot early skin cancer
Skin cancer takes a long time to develop and early cancer will appear as a small
48 OCEAN PADDLER
slow-growing lesion on the skin, which may or may not be pigmented. Most
people commonly describe any small lesion as a ‘mole’. So how do you know
if a mole needs to be seen by a doctor? Basically, any mole that is changing
needs to be assessed by a doctor. There is also an ABCDE rule that can help
you decide whether a mole should be seen by a doctor.
A. Asymmetry: normal moles or freckles are symmetrical. Seek advice if a
mole has an irregular shape.
B. Border: a normal mole has an even border with the surrounding normal
skin. Seek advice about a mole with an irregular border.
C. Colour: a normal mole has an even colour. Seek advice about a mole with
two or more colours.
D. Diameter: a normal mole is usually less than 6mm in diameter; seek advice
about a bigger mole.
E. Elevation: normal moles are usually flat; seek advice if a mole is raised
above the skin, particularly if it is getting higher.
In addition to the ABCDE rule, any mole that becomes itchy, painful, scaly,
forms an ulcer or oozes fluid or blood needs to be seen by a doctor. If you
become concerned, the first person to see is your GP. He or she will examine it
and then decide whether to refer you to a dermatology consultant at a hospital
outpatient department.
Cataracts
UV rays do not just damage skin; they also damage the clear lens of the eye
causing the development of cataracts in later life. Clouding of the lens caused
by cataracts can seriously affect vision and you may need an operation to
remove the damaged lens to restore vision. Although cataracts take many
years to develop, it is worthwhile taking preventative measures while you
are young because, like skin cancer, the risk of cataracts is increased by the
total time exposed to the sun. You should consider wearing sunglasses while
sea kayaking, even on cloudy days and in winter. Don’t just buy sunglasses
because they look good; check the label and ensure they block at least 95% of
UVA and 99% of UVB rays. If they don’t, they might be worse than useless as
they can cause the pupil to dilate letting in even more UV rays than if you were
not wearing them at all.
Conclusion
Don’t be complacent about the sun just because it feels nice. A sea kayaker’s
lifetime exposure to the sun will be very considerable, so reduce your
exposure, wear a broad-brimmed hat, regularly apply Factor 30 sun protection
to any exposed skin and wear good-quality sunglasses, even when it is cloudy
or in the winter. Of course, too much sun not only causes skin cancer and
cataracts: unless you want to look like a prune (old, wrinkly and brown), stay
out of the sun!

Tracer 165
You don’t paddle this boat...you carve with it. It’s as light and stiff as composite
boats costing much more. With the British-inspired subtle rocker and moderate
V hull, this kayak dances on the water. There’s plenty of storage and plenty of
comfort in the cockpit. The Tracer even comes with a drop skeg for added handling.
You want a gorgeous boat that looks and performs like composite? You got it.
Weight: 22.68kgs Length: 5.0m Width: 55.8cm Cockpit Size: 83.8x45.7cm Maximum Weight Capacity: 147.4kgs
Demo at www.seakayakoban.com and www.seakayakingcornwall.com
www.systemxeurope.com www.hurricaneaquasports.com
OCEAN PADDLER 57

50 OCEAN PADDLER
‘Lizzie Bird is a registered osteopath and sports
masseur; living in Cornwall, Lizzie often treats
paddlers, surfers and sailors. She is a keen surfer,
runner, paddler and world champion surf boat
racer and writes regularly for both national and
international press’.
lizzie@parkclinicfalmouth.com

Kayaking can either limit or
permit our natural motion.
The constant spiralling action
required during kayaking, as
mentioned in my first article
(‘Preventing Injuries’ OP27) can
be compared to the spiralling
motion of the ocean. To be able
to kayak well without injuring
ourselves, we must rely on
the suppleness of our muscles
and connective tissue.
Connective tissue or fascia links muscle to muscle
to synchronize motion within the body, creating a
chain of movement e.g. a forward stroke or a roll.
In my first article I talked about the importance
of total motion in kayaking, i.e. using the whole
body for each stroke instead of overusing one
part. Tightness anywhere along a muscle chain
will respond like a snag in a woolly scarf.
Flexibility is an indicator of how much we can
twist and bend. Stretching helps improve our
flexibility by training our muscles and nearby
tissues to elongate, thus enabling our joints to
twist and bend further in our boats. This can also
help us kayak with more vitality.
HOW PLIABLE IS YOUR PADDLING?
Think about the spiral motion that begins in the
foot and snakes up the body when we forward
stroke, or when we need to turn and lean to
manoeuvre our kayaks. Consider the sequence
of muscle that enables us to upright our boats
during a roll. Unless we have pliability throughout
the entire body, our ability to transfer energy from
our legs to our upper body becomes arduous and
is often the reason why we injure ourselves.
Regular stretching increases our flexibility.
Flexibility naturally decreases with age; in fact
it begins to decline from the spritely age of just
20. Unless you are a keen yoga participant or a
dancer, most people do not stretch enough.
Stretching can be divided into two main
categories: static and dynamic. Static stretching,
as the name implies, elongates muscle and
fascia without moving our joints; dynamic
stretching helps improve our flexibility while
we move. We should regularly do both types of
stretching as they mutually prepare our muscles
for the ever-changing ocean water.
In a close-packed position while kayaking
dynamic environments, our lower bodies
are more static. Although we have less
manoeuvrability inside our kayaks, we
still require flexibility in our lower body to
manoeuvre ourselves through vigorous water.
When water is calmer, we reposition ourselves
into a less connective position; we have more
movement available, so we require more
dynamic flexibility.
WHEN TO STRETCH
It is best to stretch dynamically before we kayak,
and static stretch afterwards. There is plenty of
evidence that indicates that static stretching is
pointless before any form of exercise. Dynamic
stretching is good for warming up as it helps
gently lengthen muscles, ligaments and tendons
SEA KAYAK INJURIES FEATURE
through a controlled, slow swing or bounce
motion, and helps to prepare our joints for action.
Ballistic stretching is often confused with
dynamic stretching. Ballistic stretches are
devised to be fairly demanding and almost force
joints beyond their normal range of motion. This
type of stretching may be appropriate for kick
boxers or acrobats, but ballistic stretching is not
suitable for kayakers.
Some kayakers stretch when they are inside their
boats (which is fine), but it is much better to also
stretch prior to launching as it is difficult to fully
prepare muscles and joints once we are wedged
inside our kayaks and floating on water.
All stretches are far more effective and safer if
muscles are warm, i.e. when blood flow to our
muscles is stimulated through a few minutes of
gentle aerobic exercise. Any activity that raises
your heart rate a notch and makes you slightly
breathless will suffice, such as running or
marching on the spot.
Static stretching immediately after kayaking is
not often suitable in cold, windy weather or with
tired, wet bodies. Alternatively, find time during
your week to stretch such as in front of the TV
or before bed when your muscles are likely to
be warm. Stretching for just 10 minutes at least
three times week is enough for beginners.
HOW LONG, HOW FAR
Static stretches can be used to develop muscle
and connective tissue length by executing the
stretch for a period for at least 30 seconds,
but no longer than 60 seconds. This might
sound a bit fastidious, but evidence suggests
that any stretch held longer than a minute has
diminishing returns.
Tension and discomfort are your inner guides
for stretching; these are two very distinctive
sensations, especially important for static
stretching. I don’t need to explain their
dissimilarity; you can feel the difference between
them. Try to sense tension during the stretch
and then gently push through it so the muscle or
muscles can relax and change length. Ease off
the stretch when there is discomfort.
Finally, an important element of any stretching,
not just for yoga, is using your breath to guide
you through stretches. Stretching has a relaxing
effect on the body and likewise on the mind. It is
always best to use the out breath as you increase
the stretch, especially with static stretches when
you are trying to develop muscle length. Use
your inhalation to recover or prepare.
OCEAN PADDLER 51

FEATURE SEA KAYAK INJURIES
I have chosen a few, important examples of both static and dynamic stretches
suitable for kayaking; the list is far from comprehensive, but a good start for beginners.
With all stretches think about your whole body position, not just the muscles you are
stretching. Stretch out individual muscles, but also linked muscles chains that we use when
we kayak. The triangle pose is a great stretch for kayakers, as it helps elongate several of the
muscles used in the corkscrew action of kayaking. Readers not interested in yoga don’t need
to skip this article: I have explained how to execute the triangle pose below. Alternatively, just
stick with the individual (and less complicated) stretches to begin with.
The problem is that, outside
of sport, modern living has
removed our need to remain
fl exible. Persistent decline in
our fl exibility restricts us when
we kayak but also how well
we move about throughout
the day. If we remain infl exible
through kayaking, we also
remain infl exible in the rest of
lives. To effortlessly bend and
twist is not just important
for kayaking, but also for our
overall health.
STATIC STRETCHES
Spend 20-60 seconds on each of the following stretches.
Hip fl exor stretch: Kneel on one foot and the opposite knee. The knee should remain over the
ankle. Gently press your hips forward until you feel tension in front of the thigh. To increase
the stretch place your knee further back. Be sure not to overstress your lower back by lifting tall
through your torso or support yourself for balance. (Fig 2)
Lying spinal twist: Lie on your back with your arms out to the side and bend both knees, then
gently allow them to fall to one side. Repeat the other side.
Leg stretch: Raise one foot onto a table or a high surface and lean your chest into your bent knee.
Repeat with the other leg.
Shoulder stretch: Standing upright, place one hand behind your back with your fi ngers pointing
upwards then reach up between your shoulder blades. Repeat with the other arm.
The triangle pose: Stand with your feet apart by about one leg length, then turn both feet to the
right. Turn the right foot to 90 degrees and the left foot at 45 degrees. Keep your heels in line.
Stretch out your arms to the right and gently press your hips to the left, then bend at the waist
by reaching out further to the right with your outstretched arm. Keep the arms straight as the
right arm tries to reach the ground and the other reaches upwards. Turn your head to look
upwards and stretch out the palm of the hand. Repeat on the left side. (Fig 3)
52 OCEAN PADDLER
DYNAMIC STRETCHES
Spend 30-60 seconds on each of the
following exercises.
Using a wall or another kayaker for
balance, gently swing your leg back and forth.
You can gradually increase the height of the swing
but don’t allow the leg swing to become frenzied. This
movement gently prepares the leg muscles and also
encourages fl uid and nourishment into the hip and
pelvic joints – the foremost joints of kayaking.
Holding your paddle on your shoulders, slowly swing the
upper body to the left, to the right and then from one side
to another. Be careful not to strain muscles instead of gently
stretching. I’ve often seen kayakers and their instructors aimlessly
twisting the body with no real control whatsoever, which defeats the
object of the stretch.
Stand with your legs apart, your arms remain straight, holding the
paddle out in front of you. Mimic the forward stroke, paddling left and
right using your entire body as you would do if you were paddling
your boat. Build up to a light swinging rhythm but keep it slow and
controlled; consider all the muscles (and joints) you are stretching while
you air paddle. (Fig 1)

I
Never Stop Exploring...
OCEAN PADDLER 53

CRABBING
FROM A
SEA
KAYAK
By Jason Self
If you paddle in saltwater the chances are you
have seen crab, either on the beach or below
the surface, scurrying about the bottom of some
sandy cove or river mouth just out of reach. Many
times I have found myself floating over huge
swarms of crab while taking refuge behind a rock
or jetty, catching my breath in a river mouth or
taking shelter from the sun against a cliff wall.
One day it occurred to me that kayaks are ideal
craft for accessing those hard-to-reach locations
that bigger boats cannot reach, and I set out to
catch some tasty Dungeness crab.
My first attempt at crabbing from my sea kayak
involved bumbling float buoys, 200 feet of rope
and a 25 kilo power-boat-sized crab trap. After
two of us struggled for half an hour to get the trap
back on deck without capsizing, I decided it was
time to work out a system more conducive to sea
kayaks. One day while paddling along a headland
I noticed some gentlemen casting what looked
like mesh books with regular rods into the water
and reeling in crab every few seconds. I have
been using hand lines for fishing from my kayak
for quite some time, and the pairing of this small
lightweight crab trap with a hand line seemed the
perfect solution.
A few Google searches later revealed that the
crab traps the fisherman were casting are called
‘Crab Hawks’ and are made right here in Oregon.
I set about getting one and hit the coast. Within
minutes of deployment, the hand line/Crab Hawk
combination proved ideal for catching crab from
a sea kayak. The entire set-up can fit in a hatch
or under deck rigging and weighs less than 2 kg,
making it a perfect addition to your expedition kit.
Strategy
There are a few things to remember when
hunting crab. First, they come in towards the
beach, cove, river mouth, bay or estuary with the
tide, scavenging for whatever biotic material the
rising water will take them too, then they head
back out with the ebbing tide. For the best results,
drop your first trap at low slack (two hours before
low tide). As the tide rises, move closer to shore
to follow the crab. Second, crab hate freshwater.
If there has been a large amount of rain recently,
bays, estuaries and river mouths are going to
be less productive. Large tide exchanges or a
minus tide will likely limit success as well. Finally,
crab love sand. Sand is the ideal habitat for crab
because they can quickly bury themselves in it to
hide from predators.
Bait
I like to use raw chicken legs for bait whenever
possible. Crab love them, but pesky seals and sea
lions typically leave them alone. On a multi-day
trip, I will freeze the chicken legs at home and
plan on doing some crabbing within the first day
or two of the trip before they spoil. When chicken
is not an option, you can use raw bacon, food
scraps, clam/shellfish meat or the leftover bits or
carcasses from fish you catch with your hand line
(see OP Issue 22 for kayak fishing tips). Anything
will work as long as its meat and oily.
Set-up
The Crab Hawk opens and closes like a book.
Start by attaching the hand line to the Crab Hawk
by clipping it on to the swivel. A quick tug on the
line should close the trap instantly. Next, attach
a weight to the trap. I use several 3 oz banana
weights secured to the perimeter of the Crab Hawk
to keep it on the bottom in a few knots of current.
Make sure the trap still opens and closes properly
with the weights attached. Secure the hand line to
your kayak with a paddle leash for the inevitable
fumble and drop. Finally, drive the needle in the
centre of the trap through your chicken leg or
other bait and close the clasp.
Technique
Paddle over an area with a sandy bottom and
hold your position. Spool off enough line from
the hand line for your trap to reach the bottom.
Open the Crab Hawk, hold it upright over the
surface of the water and gently drop it in. Make
sure there’s plenty of slack in the line as it sinks to
the bottom. Any pressure on the line at this point
will likely close it or flip it upside down. Once the
trap has reached the sea floor, reposition your
boat until you are directly over the trap or your
line is running straight down from your hip. Every
minute or two, give the slightest little tug on your
line. Does it feel heavy? Do you feel twitching? Is
it pulling back? Pull the line in as quick and steady
as possible in order to keep the trap closed and
keep any riders (crab on the outside of the trap)
attached. With one fluid movement, while making
sure the trap stays closed, pull it up onto your
spray deck.
In Oregon, the regulations allow us to keep male
Dungeness crab larger than 5.75 inches. This is
much easier to check while the crab are still in the
trap and on your spraydeck rather than squirming
about freely on deck. Once you’ve determined sex
and size, open the trap and flip it upside down
to release females and undersized crab, then
stow your keepers in a mesh bag tethered to the
deck. When you’re fishing you can plop the bag
overboard into the water to keep them alive and
fresh. When you want to get paddling, just pull the
bag up and onto your deck and away you go.
There are limitless recipes for crab. You can cook
your catch on a camp stove by boiling or steaming
them in sea water, or wrap them in foil and broil
them over a camp fire. Make cocktail or cakes and
crack open a cold beer. Any way you chose, it is
going to be one of the best meals you’ve had on a
multi-day sea kayak trip.
Jason Self is a Kayak Guide/Coach for Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe in Portland, Oregon
www.kayakangler.blogspot.com

CRABBING
FROM A
SEA
KAYAK
By Jason Self
If you paddle in saltwater the chances are you
have seen crab, either on the beach or below
the surface, scurrying about the bottom of some
sandy cove or river mouth just out of reach. Many
times I have found myself floating over huge
swarms of crab while taking refuge behind a rock
or jetty, catching my breath in a river mouth or
taking shelter from the sun against a cliff wall.
One day it occurred to me that kayaks are ideal
craft for accessing those hard-to-reach locations
that bigger boats cannot reach, and I set out to
catch some tasty Dungeness crab.
My first attempt at crabbing from my sea kayak
involved bumbling float buoys, 200 feet of rope
and a 25 kilo power-boat-sized crab trap. After
two of us struggled for half an hour to get the trap
back on deck without capsizing, I decided it was
time to work out a system more conducive to sea
kayaks. One day while paddling along a headland
I noticed some gentlemen casting what looked
like mesh books with regular rods into the water
and reeling in crab every few seconds. I have
been using hand lines for fishing from my kayak
for quite some time, and the pairing of this small
lightweight crab trap with a hand line seemed the
perfect solution.
A few Google searches later revealed that the
crab traps the fisherman were casting are called
‘Crab Hawks’ and are made right here in Oregon.
I set about getting one and hit the coast. Within
minutes of deployment, the hand line/Crab Hawk
combination proved ideal for catching crab from
a sea kayak. The entire set-up can fit in a hatch
or under deck rigging and weighs less than 2 kg,
making it a perfect addition to your expedition kit.
Strategy
There are a few things to remember when
hunting crab. First, they come in towards the
beach, cove, river mouth, bay or estuary with the
tide, scavenging for whatever biotic material the
rising water will take them too, then they head
back out with the ebbing tide. For the best results,
drop your first trap at low slack (two hours before
low tide). As the tide rises, move closer to shore
to follow the crab. Second, crab hate freshwater.
If there has been a large amount of rain recently,
bays, estuaries and river mouths are going to
be less productive. Large tide exchanges or a
minus tide will likely limit success as well. Finally,
crab love sand. Sand is the ideal habitat for crab
because they can quickly bury themselves in it to
hide from predators.
Bait
I like to use raw chicken legs for bait whenever
possible. Crab love them, but pesky seals and sea
lions typically leave them alone. On a multi-day
trip, I will freeze the chicken legs at home and
plan on doing some crabbing within the first day
or two of the trip before they spoil. When chicken
is not an option, you can use raw bacon, food
scraps, clam/shellfish meat or the leftover bits or
carcasses from fish you catch with your hand line
(see OP Issue 22 for kayak fishing tips). Anything
will work as long as its meat and oily.
Set-up
The Crab Hawk opens and closes like a book.
Start by attaching the hand line to the Crab Hawk
by clipping it on to the swivel. A quick tug on the
line should close the trap instantly. Next, attach
a weight to the trap. I use several 3 oz banana
weights secured to the perimeter of the Crab Hawk
to keep it on the bottom in a few knots of current.
Make sure the trap still opens and closes properly
with the weights attached. Secure the hand line to
your kayak with a paddle leash for the inevitable
fumble and drop. Finally, drive the needle in the
centre of the trap through your chicken leg or
other bait and close the clasp.
Technique
Paddle over an area with a sandy bottom and
hold your position. Spool off enough line from
the hand line for your trap to reach the bottom.
Open the Crab Hawk, hold it upright over the
surface of the water and gently drop it in. Make
sure there’s plenty of slack in the line as it sinks to
the bottom. Any pressure on the line at this point
will likely close it or flip it upside down. Once the
trap has reached the sea floor, reposition your
boat until you are directly over the trap or your
line is running straight down from your hip. Every
minute or two, give the slightest little tug on your
line. Does it feel heavy? Do you feel twitching? Is
it pulling back? Pull the line in as quick and steady
as possible in order to keep the trap closed and
keep any riders (crab on the outside of the trap)
attached. With one fluid movement, while making
sure the trap stays closed, pull it up onto your
spray deck.
In Oregon, the regulations allow us to keep male
Dungeness crab larger than 5.75 inches. This is
much easier to check while the crab are still in the
trap and on your spraydeck rather than squirming
about freely on deck. Once you’ve determined sex
and size, open the trap and flip it upside down
to release females and undersized crab, then
stow your keepers in a mesh bag tethered to the
deck. When you’re fishing you can plop the bag
overboard into the water to keep them alive and
fresh. When you want to get paddling, just pull the
bag up and onto your deck and away you go.
There are limitless recipes for crab. You can cook
your catch on a camp stove by boiling or steaming
them in sea water, or wrap them in foil and broil
them over a camp fire. Make cocktail or cakes and
crack open a cold beer. Any way you chose, it is
going to be one of the best meals you’ve had on a
multi-day sea kayak trip.
Jason Self is a Kayak Guide/Coach for Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe in Portland, Oregon
www.kayakangler.blogspot.com

CRABBING
FROM A
SEA
KAYAK
By Jason Self
If you paddle in saltwater the chances are you
have seen crab, either on the beach or below
the surface, scurrying about the bottom of some
sandy cove or river mouth just out of reach. Many
times I have found myself floating over huge
swarms of crab while taking refuge behind a rock
or jetty, catching my breath in a river mouth or
taking shelter from the sun against a cliff wall.
One day it occurred to me that kayaks are ideal
craft for accessing those hard-to-reach locations
that bigger boats cannot reach, and I set out to
catch some tasty Dungeness crab.
My first attempt at crabbing from my sea kayak
involved bumbling float buoys, 200 feet of rope
and a 25 kilo power-boat-sized crab trap. After
two of us struggled for half an hour to get the trap
back on deck without capsizing, I decided it was
time to work out a system more conducive to sea
kayaks. One day while paddling along a headland
I noticed some gentlemen casting what looked
like mesh books with regular rods into the water
and reeling in crab every few seconds. I have
been using hand lines for fishing from my kayak
for quite some time, and the pairing of this small
lightweight crab trap with a hand line seemed the
perfect solution.
A few Google searches later revealed that the
crab traps the fisherman were casting are called
‘Crab Hawks’ and are made right here in Oregon.
I set about getting one and hit the coast. Within
minutes of deployment, the hand line/Crab Hawk
combination proved ideal for catching crab from
a sea kayak. The entire set-up can fit in a hatch
or under deck rigging and weighs less than 2 kg,
making it a perfect addition to your expedition kit.
Strategy
There are a few things to remember when
hunting crab. First, they come in towards the
beach, cove, river mouth, bay or estuary with the
tide, scavenging for whatever biotic material the
rising water will take them too, then they head
back out with the ebbing tide. For the best results,
drop your first trap at low slack (two hours before
low tide). As the tide rises, move closer to shore
to follow the crab. Second, crab hate freshwater.
If there has been a large amount of rain recently,
bays, estuaries and river mouths are going to
be less productive. Large tide exchanges or a
minus tide will likely limit success as well. Finally,
crab love sand. Sand is the ideal habitat for crab
because they can quickly bury themselves in it to
hide from predators.
Bait
I like to use raw chicken legs for bait whenever
possible. Crab love them, but pesky seals and sea
lions typically leave them alone. On a multi-day
trip, I will freeze the chicken legs at home and
plan on doing some crabbing within the first day
or two of the trip before they spoil. When chicken
is not an option, you can use raw bacon, food
scraps, clam/shellfish meat or the leftover bits or
carcasses from fish you catch with your hand line
(see OP Issue 22 for kayak fishing tips). Anything
will work as long as its meat and oily.
Set-up
The Crab Hawk opens and closes like a book.
Start by attaching the hand line to the Crab Hawk
by clipping it on to the swivel. A quick tug on the
line should close the trap instantly. Next, attach
a weight to the trap. I use several 3 oz banana
weights secured to the perimeter of the Crab Hawk
to keep it on the bottom in a few knots of current.
Make sure the trap still opens and closes properly
with the weights attached. Secure the hand line to
your kayak with a paddle leash for the inevitable
fumble and drop. Finally, drive the needle in the
centre of the trap through your chicken leg or
other bait and close the clasp.
Technique
Paddle over an area with a sandy bottom and
hold your position. Spool off enough line from
the hand line for your trap to reach the bottom.
Open the Crab Hawk, hold it upright over the
surface of the water and gently drop it in. Make
sure there’s plenty of slack in the line as it sinks to
the bottom. Any pressure on the line at this point
will likely close it or flip it upside down. Once the
trap has reached the sea floor, reposition your
boat until you are directly over the trap or your
line is running straight down from your hip. Every
minute or two, give the slightest little tug on your
line. Does it feel heavy? Do you feel twitching? Is
it pulling back? Pull the line in as quick and steady
as possible in order to keep the trap closed and
keep any riders (crab on the outside of the trap)
attached. With one fluid movement, while making
sure the trap stays closed, pull it up onto your
spray deck.
In Oregon, the regulations allow us to keep male
Dungeness crab larger than 5.75 inches. This is
much easier to check while the crab are still in the
trap and on your spraydeck rather than squirming
about freely on deck. Once you’ve determined sex
and size, open the trap and flip it upside down
to release females and undersized crab, then
stow your keepers in a mesh bag tethered to the
deck. When you’re fishing you can plop the bag
overboard into the water to keep them alive and
fresh. When you want to get paddling, just pull the
bag up and onto your deck and away you go.
There are limitless recipes for crab. You can cook
your catch on a camp stove by boiling or steaming
them in sea water, or wrap them in foil and broil
them over a camp fire. Make cocktail or cakes and
crack open a cold beer. Any way you chose, it is
going to be one of the best meals you’ve had on a
multi-day sea kayak trip.
Jason Self is a Kayak Guide/Coach for Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe in Portland, Oregon
www.kayakangler.blogspot.com

feature KayaK rolling
OCEAN PADDLER
by Helen Wilson
Photos: Mark Tozer

The Greenland competition rolling list consists of 35 different rolls that can
be broken down into three categories: layback rolls, forward finish rolls
and sculling rolls. Here we will look at a common layback roll that is often
taught as a first roll (the Standard Greenland Roll or Kinnguffik paarlallugu in
Greenlandic) and the first sculling roll of this column: the Vertical Sculling Roll
(Qiperuussineq Paatit Ammorluinnaq). The latter is a somewhat advanced roll, but
a good place to start when first attempting sculling rolls.
KayaK rolling feature
OCEAN PADDLER

feature KayaK rolling
1
(1) AbOvE WATER sET-UP POsiTiON
3
(3) UNDERWATER sET-UP POsiTiON
5
(5) THE RECOvERy
Standard greenland roll (KinnguffiK paarlallugu nerfallaallugu)
A Standard Greenland Roll is often taught as a first roll. Despite the name,
it can be done with any type of kayak and any type of paddle. When done
correctly, it is gentle on the body and can be a reliable fallback roll when
knocked over in rough conditions. The roll will be described here using a
right-sided recovery.
To begin, place an extended paddle parallel to the left side of the kayak.
The front blade should rest flat on the surface, and your hands should grip
the back blade of the paddle palms down. Turn your body to the left so that
your shoulders are parallel to the side of the kayak, and enter the water in
a diving motion (forehead first). Remain in this position until your body
becomes stationary on the opposite side of the kayak. In this underwater
set-up position, your body should be tucked, your face should be very
close to the surface and your palms should face up.
Check to make sure that your elbows are bent and push your right hand
towards the sky, lifting the bow-side blade above the surface. Try to lift it
six inches above the surface. If it does not reach, push your left shoulder
toward the ground, which will square your shoulders and put you in the
correct rolling position. This will also allow your right hand to clear the
surface of the water. Your left hand should remain relaxed and above the
OCEAN PADDLER
2
(2) THE CAPsizE
4
(4) THE sWEEP
6
(6) FiNisH POsiTiON
left side of your chest, and your left elbow should remain tucked against the
left side of your body. Your palms should face the sky.
Using your right hand, gently sweep the paddle along the surface keeping your
shoulders square. The path of the paddle will be a wide arch, with the bow-side
blade starting parallel to the bow of the kayak and finishing perpendicular to
the cockpit. Engage your right knee as you begin the sweep. Engaging the knee
will cause the kayak to rotate to an upright position and you will start to feel it
do so. During the sweep, push your eyebrows underwater, putting an arch into
your back. Your left elbow should remain tucked against the left side of your
body, and your left palm should face the sky to prevent the paddle from diving.
Keep your left hand relaxed and think of turning your knuckles towards your
nose during the sweep to keep the paddle in the correct angle.
To recover, continue to apply pressure with your right knee and slide onto the
back deck with your chin in the air. Your finish position should be a relaxed
position, either hanging over the back deck or resting on it, but don’t strain
to touch the back deck. Your personal finish position will be where your body
hangs naturally. Check to make sure that your left palm still faces the sky and
that your left hand is still over the left side of your chest. Your paddle should be
perpendicular to the cockpit.

Vertical Sculling roll
(QiperuuSSineQ paatit
ammorluinnaQ)
A sculling roll differs from a layback or a forward
finish roll in that the paddle is not swept along
the surface. Instead it is used in a sculling motion
underwater to right the kayak. Because the paddle is
sculled throughout the roll, the paddle will go deep
and sufficient water depth is required. The Vertical
Sculling Roll looked at here will be described using
a left-sided recovery.
To begin, place your right hand close to the end
of the paddle with your palm facing towards you
and your wrist on the left side of the paddle (it’s an
awkward position). The left hand should grip the
paddle further down in the same manner and at
a comfortable distance from the right hand. Turn
your body to the right and place the paddle vertical
in the water with the upper end of the blade about
eye level. Capsize to the right, keeping the paddle
vertical. Hang your body below the kayak so that it
is also vertical in the water. Once directly below the
kayak, rotate your torso so that your body faces the
recovery side.
With your left hand begin a wide sculling sweep
through the water. Adjust the angle of the paddle
using your right wrist until you find the angle in
both directions where you have the most purchase.
Once you have oriented yourself with the correct
angle, apply firm pressure to the left knee and
continue the sculling motion. Use wide strokes and
allow your body to climb in the water. Your body
should emerge with your shoulders facing the left
side of the kayak. Keep your head dropped forward.
The paddle should remain vertical throughout the
conclusion of the roll.
In the next rolling feature, we will look
at Paddling Upside Down for Distance
(Pusilluni Paarneq) and the Elbow Roll
(Ikusaannarmik Pukusuk Patillugu).
Helen Wilson is a professional
sea kayaker who lives in Arcata,
California. She instructs and performs
rolling demonstrations worldwide.
Helen competed in the 2008 and
2010 Greenland National Kayaking
Championships. She has also released
the DVD Simplifying the Roll with
Helen Wilson. For more information,
visit www.greenlandorbust.org.
7
(7) AbOvE WATER sET-UP POsiTiON
8
(8) THE CAPsizE
9
(9) THE sCULL
10
(10) CLiMbiNg iN THE WATER UsiNg THE sCULL
11
(11) FiNisH POsiTiON
KayaK rolling feature
OCEAN PADDLER

REVIEW ZEGUL BAIDARKA
56 OCEAN PADDLER
ZEGUL BAIDARKA SPECIFICATIONS
LENGTH: 548 CM WIDTH: 55 CM CAPACITY: 140 KG COCKPIT: 72 X 40 CM WEIGHT: CARBON-ARAMIDE: 24-26 KG / CARBON: 20–22 KG
STORAGE: FRONT ROUND HATCH 24 CM; REAR OVAL HATCH 44 / 26 CM RETRACTABLE SKEG RRP: FROM: £2190
The Zegul Baidarka has been a huge talking point
among all paddlers that have seen me paddling it
or transporting it around on the car. It turns heads
immediately as it is so different in design to the
standard Euro or Greenland-style sea kayaks we are
used to seeing.
ABOUT THE TEST: PADDLING
CONDITIONS AND PADDLERS
The Baidarka was tested over a 3-month period on
a range of paddles in conditions from F1–5 and a
variety of sea states. It was paddled both empty and
loaded, with loads varying from standard weekend
to fully loaded on one occasion. The test paddler
weighs in at 88kg.
MANUFACTURER’S SUMMARY
Russian mariners sailing the Aleutian Islands in
the 1700s gave this uniquely shaped kayak the
name ‘Baidarka’, meaning ‘small boat’. The lower
portion of its upswept bow is extremely narrow,
allowing for clean entry lines. The upper section is
fuller and wider which increases buoyancy, causing
the Baidarka to rise over the oncoming waves.
Baidarkas are known for their unusually fast speed.
With their Swede-form shape and high-volume stern,
they produce an incredibly high hull speed.
Our Baidarka is designed unlike any other kayak we
have ever paddled. We designed it to handle almost
any conditions exceptionally well. With the skeg
retracted the Baidarka handles like a kayak half its
length, making it ideal in tight conditions. With the
skeg fully deployed, it paddles so straight that you’d
think it’s on rails. Since we gave it a fully adjustable
skeg, it’s like having many different kayaks in one.
Many who have paddled it tell us it is the fastest
touring kayak they have ever paddled, allowing them
to keep up with surfskis. The Zegul Baidarka is for
the paddler who desires a unique-looking boat with
performance, light weight and beauty.
(Manufacturer’s note: due to its unique design
we recommend a slightly longer test paddle than
you might do otherwise, with the skeg in several
different positions.)
DESIGN
The most striking aspect of the Baidarka is its
design: it sports a true Swede-form shape with a
large upswept bow with pronounced bow point. The
stern is wide and flat before leading to an unusual
stern that slopes away to each side and finishes at a
stubbed end. Although this boat is long (17 feet 11),
the wide Swede-form design gives the illusion of a
much shorter kayak.
CONSTRUCTION, FINISH, FITTINGS
AND ERGONOMICS
The finish of this kayak is pretty special. A beautiful
lay-up and attention to detail was obvious
throughout, with a gleaming white finish. Looking
at the deck, the first thing that strikes you are the
unusual deck lines. Three pairs of teak strips form
the lashing point for a series of criss-crossed deck
bungees. These are situated at the bow, between the
front hatch and cockpit and on the rear deck before

the rear hatch. In terms of deck safety lines, these
only run along the very stern quarter of the Baidarka
from the rear hatch to the stern.
The front hatch cover is a round clip-on style with
the rear hatch using an oval rubber hatch cover. The
compartments are roomy, particularly the cavernous
stern with watertight bulkheads. The oval hatch cover
provides easy access to the compartment when
packing larger items. Both hatches fitted snugly and
remained watertight during the test period.
The cockpit is a keyhole style, although reasonably
short and narrow compared to some kayaks. The
coaming is well pronounced from the deck, ensuring
that the spraydeck fits easily. It is, however, a little on
the ‘thin’ side for my liking and potentially a fragile
point on the boat.
The seat is a simple affair with a flat, padded
backband providing support. This requires removal
of two bolts to adjust but, once set, proved
comfortable and did not experience the twisting or
‘misshaping’ that some adjustable back supports
suffer from. I found the seat to be comfortable on
extended paddles with the thin layer of dense foam
padding working well.
In terms of thigh grips, I felt the Baidarka was a little
lacking ‘out of the box’ and would certainly require
some work to pad it out and achieve that nice lockedin
feel. Foot room was however very reasonable,
and allowed for a comfortable fit even in my stocky
wetsuit boots. Adjustable footrests are fitted as
standard and do the job solidly (although not to the
extent of Yakima-style footrests). On the plus side,
they are easily adjustable while sat in the kayak via
the use of long ‘wands’.
The skeg control is fitted on the left-hand side of
the boat, just about midway along the length of
the cockpit. It worked smoothly to drop the blade
skeg and has a reasonable amount of adjustment
for setting the skeg at varying heights. The actual
controller was not over-pronounced from the deck,
as it can be with some systems.
PERFORMANCE
The Baidarka is a surprising boat; at first glance it
gives the impression that it will be slow and hard to
turn with any speed. I was very intrigued on the first
trip out to see how it handled.
The initial stability of the Baidarka is lower than I
expected, with a definite tendency to settle into the
secondary stability. The secondary stability is nice
and solid as long as the edge is kept ‘soft’ and not
overcooked. There is a definite point of no return
with the Baidarka, where the secondary stability
vanishes and the boat wants to invert. Loading the
boat improves the initial and secondary stability
exponentially; fully loaded it is a lot more stable.
Paddlers more proficient with their edging will
quickly be able to suss out the stability nuances
and feel comfortable with the Baidarka. This is
perhaps the feature which makes it more suitable for
intermediate paddlers and above.
Speed wise, the Baidarka is a reasonably quick
boat. The Swede-form design gives a sense of
the boat cutting through the water and it holds a
decent cruising and sprint speed. It proved to be a
comfortable boat to paddle throughout a long day,
and presents a nice dry ride with the raised bow and
shape of the deck shedding water nicely.
In terms of manoeuvrability, the Baidarka responds
well to edging and is remarkably agile for its length.
However, it did not produce the agile turns which
other similar-length Euro Swede-form designs (e.g.
Valley Etain, P&H Cetus) are capable of. Without
edging, the Baidarka requires decent sweep strokes
to initiate and maintain turns; a confident use of edge
is required to get the most out of this kayak. The
need to pad the thigh braces becomes more evident
when edging the Baidarka.
In lower wind conditions, the Baidarka tracks very
well. Once the wind picks up, the skeg becomes
more vital but works very well keeping the kayak
running true. The skeg worked very smoothly
throughout the trial period.
Rolling the Baidarka was straightforward, although
you will be aware of the size of the boat and the
need for padding around the thigh braces to allow
you to lock into the boat during the roll. Working
through some self-rescues, I certainly noticed the
lack of deck lines along the full length of the boat; I
was forced to use the more fragile bungees as grab
points instead. The actual straddle re-entry works
fine once you are accustomed to the initial stability
of the boat, however (something I find with every
new boat I paddle).
CONCLUSION
The Baidarka may not be the fastest or most nimble
kayak you will paddle; however, it still performs
very well over a range of conditions. With confident
edging and some padding for the thigh braces, it can
deliver an agility not expected from a near 18 feet
long kayak. Aesthetically, there is something striking
about the design that I personally love. I suspect this
could be a ‘marmite’ sea kayak however – paddlers
will either love or hate the design. The quality of
the finish and fittings is superb and the teak deck
fittings are a lovely touch. Would I switch from my
Euro-style sea kayak to the Baidarka? The answer is
definitely no; however, I would love to own one as a
fast cruiser and to be able to paddle something with
such a rich history behind its design.
MANUFACTURER’S RESPONSE
We very much appreciate the review of the testers.
We are truly delighted that the review confirmed the
quality of the Zegul kayaks that we have aimed for,
especially the quality of finishes. This confirms that
we have successfully achieved our target. It is very
rewarding that the test paddler summarised in the
conclusion many of the key elements which we aim
for in Zegul kayaks. Readers can also find many of
the valuable characteristics in the review which make
the Zegul brand unique.
Marek Pohla, Zegul Kayaks Team
ZEGUL BAIDARKA REVIEW
THE FINISH OF
THIS KAYAK IS
PRETTY SPECIAL. A
BEAUTIFUL LAY-UP
AND ATTENTION TO
DETAIL WAS OBVIOUS
THROUGHOUT, WITH
A GLEAMING WHITE
FINISH... THE QUALITY
OF THE FINISH AND
FITTINGS IS SUPERB
AND THE TEAK DECK
FITTINGS ARE A
LOVELY TOUCH.
OCEAN PADDLER
57

REVIEW P&H ARIES
P&H ARIES
SPECIFICATIONS
LENGTH: 472 CM
WIDTH: 57 CM
WEIGHT: 25 KG
COCKPIT: 81 X 42 CM
VOLUME: 290 L
RRP: £2249
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
WWW.PHSEAKAYAKS.COM
58 OCEAN PADDLER
ABOUT THE TEST: PADDLING
CONDITIONS AND PADDLERS
The Aries review was conducted over a three-month
period by a BCU level 4 coach (with a background
in both coaching and touring) in conditions ranging
from mild to wild and in a range of locations.
MANUFACTURER’S SUMMARY
The Aries takes the dramatically different design
features and benefi ts from the Delphin and refi nes
them for composite material systems and for the
lower-impact environment where composite kayaks
excel. Hard chines and a pronounced deck are
smoothed, producing a very forgiving, speedy and
lighter-weight kayak.
The Aries is ideal for anyone looking for a versatile,
lightweight and stable kayak to explore the coastline
and will excite those looking for a kayak to trip out to
tide races to play the sea. The Aries will cater for the
day paddler, and those that weekend from their kayak
will not be disappointed.
Rocker: Super manoeuvrability when surfi ng and
prevents purling.
Quick resurfacing bow: Splits and sheds water
preventing nose burying on steep waves and helps
punch through waves on the way through surf.
Hard chines in the bow: Direct water onto planing
surface and bow allowing for a super-fast pick up on
the wave or, when angled, breaking in and out.
Planing surface and smooth chines in the stern:
Forgiving for beginners and when surfi ng.
Flat mid-section hull: The most manoeuvrable sea
kayak on the market; spins like a whitewater kayak
to get you out of those sticky situations such as
crossing fast-fl owing races.
Width around cockpit: Stable for beginners.
Squared off stern: Increases water length, speed
and tracking.
Rear weighting: Creates a long water line when
paddling on fl at water for speed and tracking.
Low back deck and cockpit: Easy to roll when the
wave wins.
Large rear and fore hatch: Lots of day-tripping storage.
Mini hatch: Access your essential gear on the move.
Skeg: Aids tracking capabilities in cross winds.
Rudder: An optional extra: beginners will love the
rudder, easy to control and confi dence-inspiring.
DESIGN
The P&H Aries is a real head-turner. It has an
aggressive ‘bulldog’ styling that looks every inch
a play machine.
CONSTRUCTION, FINISH,
FITTINGS AND ERGONOMICS
The fi nish on the test Aries is exemplary, both
inside and out. P&H have really gone to town on the
outfi tting and it is in this area, along with the actual
design of the Aries, in which I feel they have excelled
themselves. A variety of options with regards to

connectivity to the boat, comfort and quality are
provided. It is worth getting along to your nearest
P&H stockist to find a fit that (a) you are comfortable
in and (b) suits your needs. The following options are
on offer.
The Performance seat: This is a Vac-formed seat with
a padded seat liner and adjustable backrest.
Glass fibre, carbon kevlar: This is a tilting composite
seat with a floating back rest and fitted hip pads.
Here weight saving is minimal, but P&H feel that the
composite seat will give the paddler a more powerful
race position.
The Connect seat: This seating arrangement is
only available on the Aries and its plastic cousin
the Delphin. It incorporates an adjustable back rest,
thigh grips and seat to give (in the words of the
manufacturer) “an ultimate level of comfort and
control when paddling on moving or calm water”.
The model tested for this review came with this
seating arrangement and I can certainly vouch for this
statement. The Aries has quickly become one of my
favourite coaching and playing sea kayaks.
I would like to see a genuine day hatch fitted so that
we can easily access those bits of emergency gear we
need on occasion; the current foredeck ‘vanity hatch’
has little room for safety equipment. My personal
preference would be for a round or smaller rear
oval hatch. Paddlers will, undoubtedly, be pushing
boundaries in this kayak and the risk of an imploded
large oval back hatch has always been a fear of
mine, a fear that has been realised on more than one
occasion. These are fundamental aspects, which I see
as being ‘retro-realistic’ when it comes to safety on
the water.
PERFORMANCE
Positive connection between paddler and kayak
enables the Aries to respond well to the slightest
movement in hip or knee. The connectivity through
the ergonomic seating arrangement means that,
when vertical, a roll of the hips and a slight shift in
body and head position can have you pirouetting
and changing direction. The P&H Aries turns in an
instant and switches direction on the face of the wave
with ridiculous ease. This is the first design where I
have been able to change direction on the wave 180
degrees and link from a forward run to a reverse run
with relative consistency.
A low back deck helps with effective rolling in
dynamic conditions. Although short in length, the
Aries has plenty of volume and lifts well out of
descending green water and prevents purling. If it’s
purling you are after, however, just a slight shift in
body weight/position has you pulling both front and
back loops with relative ease (size, or lack of, beer
belly may affect this outcome).
The Aries is without question one of the most, if
not the most, effective playboat sea kayak I have
ever paddled. I am not exactly renowned for my
playboating ability (far from it), which beggars the
question: is the Aries a true sea kayak or is it the start
of a cool new breed, aggressively leading the way
into the playboat world of sea kayak development?
I believe it is.
I can see this kayak being a perfect weekend
adventurer, taking you out to that remote play spot
albeit (and understandably) slightly slower than your
average touring boat would do. Once there, however,
you are going to have the time of your life. Rock
hopping is another area in which the Aries excels. In
the surf zone and rock gardens, the Aries rocks!
As a coaching tool, the Aries’ ease of manoeuvrability
and positive initial and secondary stability allows
for perfect demonstrations. Good volume, superb
manoeuvrability and rock-solid stability make this
one of my favourite designs of all time. As ocean
paddlers, however, can we cope with just one sea
kayak that does it all anymore? With apologies to the
bank manager, I’d have to say no.
CONCLUSION
The Aries performs better than its plastic cousin the
Delphin, which you would expect from a composite
build. The designer and manufacturer have created
a kayak that advances the sport tremendously. I do
feel however that they have forgotten or possibly
overlooked some of the advances already made,
such as the day hatch and the skeg control. There
were several times on the water when I was looking
for that piece of equipment which normally resides
just behind my hip, and cursed the lack of a hatch to
get there. Both the Aries and Delphin are kayaks that
punch and punch hard into the world of playboat
sea kayaking. Their welcome presence will be felt for
years to come.
Build quality: 10 out of 10
Styling: 10 out of 10
Comfort level: 10 out of 10
Design features such as hatch
configuration and skeg mechanics: 6 out of 10
Natural competition to this design: SKUK Romany
Surf, Tide Race Xcite and Xtreme, the Rockpool Alaw
series and the Kirton Ctrek 16
MANUFACTURER’S RESPONSE
Thank you for such a positive review; it was as much
pleasure reading it as we have all had here at P&H
paddling the Aries. The Delphin and Aries are two
of the most exciting kayaks we have worked on in
a while. The final design was achieved through a
dedicated development process which incorporated
a number of prototypes to get the level of comfort
and performance just right.
We feel that the Aries is the flagship design for
composite sea kayak playboats, but also combines
features that make it a really flexible weekend boat.
Although designed initially as out and out play
kayaks, we have had many reports from centres and
personal users about how versatile the Aries and
plastic Delphins are as student and coaching kayaks.
With regards to speed, in flat conditions it is a little
slower but not such that a reasonable paddler can’t
quite easily keep up with an expedition kayak. We
have found that with a following sea, the easy
surfing can make Aries considerably quicker.
As the review suggests, there are a couple of areas
that we are continuing to work on. The Aries 155
was however originally designed for minimum
weight, hence the lack of a day hatch. Due to popular
demand, the Aries 150 (available spring 2012) is
likely to incorporate a day hatch and a round stern
hatch. If that’s successful, we will offer the 155 the
same way later in 2012 as an option.
P&H ARIES REVIEW
P&H HAVE REALLY
GONE TO TOWN ON
THE OUTFITTING
AND IT IS IN THIS
AREA, ALONG WITH
THE ACTUAL DESIGN
OF THE ARIES, IN
WHICH I FEEL THEY
HAVE EXCELLED
THEMSELVES... THE
ARIES IS WITHOUT
QUESTION ONE
OF THE MOST, IF
NOT THE MOST,
EFFECTIVE PLAYBOAT
SEA KAYAK I HAVE
EVER PADDLED.
OCEAN PADDLER
59

REVIEW SCHWARZER PADDLES
ABOUT THE TEST: PADDLING
CONDITIONS AND PADDLER
The paddle review was conducted over a threemonth
period by a BCU level 4 coach (with a
background in both coaching and touring), in
conditions ranging from mild to wild and at a
range of locations.
SCHWARZER COMPANY HISTORY
Schwarzer paddles are a Swiss company
specialising in top-quality wing and asymmetric
paddle manufacture and design. Owner Beat
Hausammann has been designing and building
paddles for many years. His background is not
solely in the design and manufacture of paddles,
as Beat has also been involved in the sport in a
recreational, coaching and competitive capacity
for many years. From a paddler’s perspective, this
gives credibility to both the form and the function
of his products.
MANUFACTURER’S SUMMARY
Several years ago the wing paddle was still a
strange choice for the sea kayaker; however, since
there was a growing interest we knew that a new
paddle was needed. The process started with
consultations with top athletes, hours of testing
on the water and comparisons with competitive
products. It quickly became clear that our ‘old
friend’ the Wing was an ideal base paddle form
for long distance touring.
Small modifi cations in the blade geometry
included the surface taking a drop form, a small
optimisation of the shaft angle, a more rapid
transition into the shaft and last but not least a
sophisticated wing geometry. We’ve invested
a lot of effort and thousands of paddle hours
in the prototype phase. The construction of the
paddle is like our previous paddles in that it
is 100% carbon fi bre with an Airex Sandwich,
manufactured using Pre-Pec process and cured
with Autoklaven. The paddle shaft geometry
on the right-hand side at the hand position is
ergonomically formed in a way that makes it so
60 OCEAN PADDLER
comfortable that you won’t want to let go. The
shaft to paddle blade is a beautifully smooth
transition. The paddle construction is a two-piece
design, which enables a quick and progressive
length (205-220cm) and angle change. The stable
line, the immediate pressure on the blade and
the light weight (approximately 570g) will allow
you to substantially increase your touring speed,
making the paddle your best friend on any
tour. The high-end fi nish also makes it also an
aesthetically pleasing masterpiece.
Sea kayaking is not only distance paddling; rock
hopping and surfi ng are ‘the extra something’ for
the paddler. After the success of the wing paddle,
there was a huge clamour to design a fl at paddle.
We had the target of developing a paddle which
fulfi lled all the requirements of a demanding
surfi ng session. In addition, we wanted to
develop a paddle which performed similar to the
wing but without any stable line problems (fl utter
free). We also wanted the new fl at paddle to be
optically similar to our Wing 2010. The paddle
has exceptional buoyancy characteristics due to
the thickness (separate foam core), which enables
a smooth immersion and a continuous precise
control stroke. As with the Wing, each of the two
parts of the New Flat is produced in one piece
and has the same hand-hold design. Together
with the Institute for Material Science and Plastic
Production IWK at the University of Rapperswil,
Switzerland, we have developed a form for the
New Flat which enables us to manufacture it by
utilising the latest technology production process
(Resin Transfer Moulding or RTM). A paddle
has been created with exceptional aesthetic
properties and performance characteristics. The
ambitious paddler quickly feels the unlimited
potential of the New Flat.
THE REVIEW
Here in the UK we are slowly becoming more
accustomed to a gradual increase in European,
US and Asian products arriving in our kayak
shops; a more open marketplace allows us easy
access to a wider range of products. Reception
to these imports has been at times a rather
mixed affair: the attraction of being more
affordable (yes), attractive designs (yes) and
good quality (not always a yes on that front). It’s
not simply that many of these products aren’t
manufactured well enough, it’s more that many
of these products which are developed abroad
just aren’t built strong enough for the UK
coastal environment.
Here Schwarzer differs; yes, their paddles are
attractive (exceptionally so, in fact they are
almost fl awless). Yes, they are strong enough
(exceptionally so). But are they affordable? This
depends on the depth of your pocket, as well
as your priorities. Retailing at around the £600
mark, you would expect them to be faultless
in both design and manufacture; you would
also expect them to perform well (at that price,
bloody well). So how do they perform?
THE SCHWARZER FLAT
I have used this paddle extensively over the last
three months for coaching, playing in the surf
and on a selection of short journeys ranging
from between 10 and 20 miles distance. There
is a full 15cm of adjustment in the two-piece
paddle, which allows you to transform from play
to touring with ease.
The paddle is immaculate in appearance and
you cannot see a join between the shaft and the
blade. The blade has a relatively small area and
has a degree of twist in the design; the angle of
the dihedral face would indicate that it is best
suited for a high-angled paddling style, although
when I did use it in a low-set position there was
nothing too unbalanced in its performance. For
such a small blade area, it packs a fair degree
of power and stability in the water. This may
have something to do with the torque in the
blade as it gives the fl at a very similar feel to
that of paddling with a wing blade. The twist
encourages the blade to travel away from the

Schwarzer Wing: 100% Carbon / Airex sandwich blade,
100% Carbon shaft, One-piece shaft / blade, Includes angle
and length adjustment, Standard length: 205–220cm, RRP: £595
For more information see: www.schwarzer-paddel.com
Schwarzer Flat: 100% Carbon / Airex sandwich blade,
100% Carbon shaft, One-piece shaft / blade, Includes angle
and length adjustment, Standard length: 205–220cm, RRP: £520
For more information see: www.schwarzer-paddel.com
side of the kayak into clean water, which for me
was not a problem having used wings before.
The difference in feeling to a normal asymmetric
blade was slight and there was absolutely no
indication of paddle fl utter at all.
The transition between linking strokes both fore
and aft of the paddler’s position was exceptionally
smooth. The small blade area generated minimal
resistance when making slight changes, allowing
for smooth linked strokes.
The paddle is light at 570 grams, probably the
lightest paddle on the market. Swapping the
blade over to allow others to have a go became
a burden as every other paddle in the group was
almost twice (if not three times) as heavy. I have
a fair few paddles in my closet, but until I have to
give this one back I am guessing they are going
to be staying in there.
WINGS AND SEA PADDLING –
A SHORT HISTORY
The fi rst time I really experienced wings in the
world of sea kayaking was after paddling for a
day with Sean Morley. Although I had deemed
the wing as being a fl at-water race blade, Sean
effectively destroyed this myth with an amazing
demonstration of rock hopping and swell surfi ng.
This opened my eyes to the wing blade as being a
possible option for future expeditions.
Wing paddles fi rst began appearing on the
ICF racing circuit back in the 1980s. They were
developed in Sweden by Stephen Lyndberg in a
desire to maximise effi ciency in Olympic racing.
Further improvements on the design were made
several years later by Einar Rasmussen from
Norway, and practically all wing blades now in
production can trace their lineage back to these
two men and their efforts. Although sea kayaking
is starting to contain a large degree of playorientated
paddling, it has always been about
the journey for me. Having a paddle that propels
me forwards most effi ciently has always held a
strong interest and this is where the wing enters
effectively into sea paddling.
My fi rst foray into using wings ended in disaster
as tenosynovitis played havoc with my wrists; this
was probably more down to poor paddling style
and over gripping of the loom than design choice,
however. Several years passed before I used
a wing again, but this was actually due to me
having lost one half of my paddle in the surf zone
than to any loss of empathy for the blade type.
DO WING PADDLES HAVE A
PLACE IN SEA KAYAKING?
I believe so. Sea kayaking offers such a crosssection
of activities that one paddle is rarely
going to satisfy all of your paddling endeavours,
be it expeditions, tide race playing, rock hopping
or surfi ng your sea kayak at the local beach.
Each one of these activities will benefi t from a
particular blade type and length of shaft.
But where does the wing slot into this
framework of multi-activities? The answer to
this is more than likely in the touring/expedition
part of our sport. For effi cient forward paddling,
there is no design out there that comes close
to the Wing blade for maximum effi ciency. In
my opinion, I have not seen another wing that
comes close to the Schwarzer 2010 (except
possibly the Epic Mid Wing) for lightness, build
quality or feel in the water. The Schwarzer Wing
is so light that you feel as if it could almost
fl oat away from you. This lightness for a longdistance
paddle would show you a very positive
return in energy saved as well as improved
effi ciency from the blade type. The teardropshaped
blade has a very positive and solid
catch; it fl ows fl uidly into and through the power
phase and exits with ease. At the time of testing
I had just completed a fairly long and arduous
expedition using an Epic Mid wing and thought
that I would never look at another blade again
for expeditions. Well, you know what they say:
never say never.
SCHWARZER PADDLES REVIEW
My only criticism of the two Schwarzer paddle
designs I tested are that the centre joint fi ttings
on the two-piece models stand out somewhat;
although I didn’t catch the fi tting on anything, I
can envisage this happening. With companies
such as Lendal and Werner having developed a
robust and solid recessed jointing system, this
is a design element which detracts from the
amazing Schwarzer quality.
CONCLUSION
In my personal opinion these paddles combined
would create for me the perfect balance for any
future paddling, be it for play or for the journey.
On all fronts (except for the centre joint), the
paddles score a solid 10 out of 10 in both form
and function. Yes, they are expensive, but when
you consider just how important the paddle is to
you (after all it is through the blade that we fi nd
connection to the water) I would say that it is
probably the most important investment we make
in our equipment purchase. To that end, why not
go for the best?
THE COMPETITION
The Wing: Epic Mid wing, Lettman Warp, Bracsia IV
The Flat: The new Lendal XRange series of Kinetik
paddles, the Lendal Archipelago, Werner Cyprus,
Epic Relaxed Touring series (625 grams) and the
Lettman Ergonom or Liberty range.
MANUFACTURER’S RESPONSE
‘We very much appreciate the review by the
Ocean Paddler test team and are proud to
have fulfi lled their expectations. Other users
agree with the tester’s declaration. We feel
justifi ed in having accomplished our aims.
We are aware that the joint isn’t perfect; as we
manufacture a small volume of paddles we
haven’t, yet, found a workable solution, but we
are working hard to accomplish this goal. In
conclusion the tester highlighted the features
that make our paddles unique – lightweight,
functionality, stability and beauty.’
OCEAN PADDLER
61

REVIEW SCHWARZER PADDLES

SCHWARZER PADDLES REVIEW

Thomas Aigner
www.seekajak.at
+43 (0)664 31 555 43
thomas.aigner@seekajak.at
62 OCEAN PADDLER
Anglesey Stick
Hand-crafted Greenland paddles
www.angleseystick.com +44 (0)1248 430075
Anglesey Sticks are light, easy to control
and encourage a smooth, powerful stroke,
reducing fatigue and injury
Stick Cottage
Self-catering cottage for 2-3 persons
Comfortable accommodation in SW Anglesey
Pick-up service for kayakers and walkers
www.stickcottage.co.uk
+44 (0)1248 430075
Intermediate sea kayaking at its best!
Guided trips, bespoke Coaching Courses
and Expeditions elsewhere
Equipment . Courses . Expeditions
Sea Kayak Austria
Guided day-trips with B&B
Multi-day camping expeditions.
We are located on Milos Island, GREECE.
www.seakayakgreece.com
KAYAK DEL MAR is the fi rst specialist sea kayak provider in the
Canary Islands. Come and join us for a warm paddle and discover
the natural beauty of Lanzarote and the surrounding islands.
We are active all year. Contact us for a full package quote
including accommodation, kayaking and mountain biking.
info@kayakdelmar.com www.kayakdelmar.com Phone 0034 630 223 962
Our own little expedition company,
specializing in Norwegian coastal epics
and south Greenland adventures
GREECE SEYCHELLES ISRAEL
WWW.SEAKAYAK.CO.IL
Norwegian kayakcenter
Carrying all the top brands in the city
of Bergen at the westcoast. Come
visit our Islands!

Packages to suit:
Paddling Bloggers
Freelance Instructors
Clubs
Outdoor Centres
thailand sardinia venice elba baltic sea 2012
www.seakayak-aex.com
Got
kit
kayaks
wildlife
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In Loreto.
www.seakayakbajamexico.com 360-849-4016
KOKATAT • WERNER • BEALE PADDLES • SKUK • SEALS • MSR
OCEAN PADDLER
59 63

COMPETITION ZEGUL BAIDARKA
The Zegul Baidarka is simply stunning, a genuine head turner and
talking point, of that there is no doubt.
Here’s your chance to be the envy of all your paddling buddies and
win the Baidarka we have recently had on test…
ABOUT THE ZEGUL BAIDARKA
‘Russian mariners sailing the Aleutian Islands in the 1700’s gave this uniquely shaped kayak
the name ‘Baidarka’, meaning ‘small boat’. The lower portion of its upswept bow is extremely
narrow, allowing for clean entry lines. The upper section is fuller and wider which increases
buoyancy, causing the Baidarka to rise over the oncoming waves. Baidarkas are known
for their unusually fast speed. With their Swede-form shape and high-volume stern, they
produce an incredibly high hull speed.’
‘Our Baidarka is designed unlike any other kayak we have ever paddled. We designed it
to handle almost any conditions exceptionally well. With the skeg retracted the Baidarka
handles like a kayak half its length, making it ideal in tight conditions. With the skeg fully
deployed, it paddles so straight that you’d think it was on rails. Since we gave it a fully
adjustable skeg, it’s like having many different kayaks in one. Many who have paddled
it tell us it is the fastest touring kayak they have ever paddled, allowing them to keep up
with surfskis. The Zegul Baidarka is for the paddler who desires a unique-looking boat with
performance, light weight and beauty.’
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 548 cm, Width: 55 cm, Capacity: 140 kg Cockpit: 72 x 40 cm
Weight: Carbon-Aramide: 24-26 kg / Carbon: 20-22 kg
Storage: front round hatch 24 cm; rear oval hatch 44 / 26 cm
Retractable skeg, RRP From: £2190
For more information see: www.zegulmarine.com
To enter: With ‘Baidarka Competition’ as the subject, email your name,
address, phone number and answer to the question below to:
competition@paddlepressmedia.com
Q. In what year were Zegul ‘born’?
Good luck!
Closing date 1st February, 2012.
64 OCEAN PADDLER

W: www.glenuig.com
E: bookings@glenuig.com
Tiderace Sea-kayak Hire
Local Guides & Coaches
www.seakayakarisaig.co.uk
paddle@seakayakarisaig.co.uk
Accommodation all year
Good food all day
T: 01687 470 219
M: 0795 735 6099
01687 470 219
0795 735 6099
All the gear
to get you here
Roof racks • Kayaks • Kit
Storage racks • Trailers
Shop instore or online
01292 571019 www.karitek.co.uk
OCEAN PADDLER
65

Tahe Kayaks has implemented new generation
Super Linear High Density Polyethylene Material
for even lighter, stiffer kayaks.
Many years of experience and operation means
quality and loyal customers for whom we can
create new innovative products with care and dedication.
Lifestyle 420 PE
Length:
Width:
Cockpit:
Reval Mini LC PE
Length:
Width:
Cockpit:
500 cm (16’4”)
59 cm (23¼”)
88x46 cm (34¾”x18’’)
515 cm (16’1”)
56 cm (22”)
78x42 cm (30¾”x16½”)
Summit to Sea
www.summittosea.co.uk
NorthShore Watersports
www.nswatersports.co.uk
Brookbank Canoes
www.brookbank.co.uk
Up and Under Watersports
www.upandunder.co.uk
Nucleus Watersports
http://www.canoes2go.co.uk
Length:
Width:
Cockpit:
420 cm (16’2”)
63 cm (24”)
88x46 cm (34¾”x18’’)
Lifestyle 500 PE
Length:
Width:
Cockpit:
490 cm (16’1’’)
54 cm (21¼”)
80x42 cm (31½”x16½’’)
Reval Midi PE