Tricked out kayaks Hitting the water - Wavelength Paddling Magazine

WaveLength 

Explore coastlines, 

explore the world of kayaking 

MAGAZINE 

Volume 20, Issue 4 

Winter 2010 

FREE at select outlets and 

online or by subscription 

Tricked out kayaks 

We add gear galore 

to create the world’s most 

tricked out kayaks ever 

Hitting the water 

We take you surf kayaking and 

standup paddleboarding 

PM 41687515 

There’s more online in our first-ever multimedia edition

2 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE WINTER 2010

Contents 

This month’s features: 

Regular items: 

8 Scavenging on the Edge 

Cleaning up the Coast on Haida Gwaii 

10 Paddling with a Shamrock 

Images from Ireland 

14 Kayaking with Cannibals 

The Solomon Islands 

by Dave Cauldwell 

24 Our Most Tricked Out Kayak Ever 

New Gear 

32 Surf Games 

Surf Kayaking 

by Neil Schulman 

36 Surf Kayaking 101 

Everything you need to know to start 

14 

36 

38 

6 News 

20 Tours and Services 

22 Paddle Meals 

by Hilary Masson 

35 Kayak-friendly 

Accommodation 

40 Planning and Safety 

by Michael Pardy 

42 Skillset 

by Alex Matthews 

44 Fishing Angles 

by Dan Armitage 

38 Up for the Challenge 

Standup paddleboarding 

45 Rainforest Chronicles 

by Dan Lewis 

WINTER 2010 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE 3

The First Word 

WaveLength 

MAGAZINE 

Winter 2010 Volume 20, Number 4 

PM No. 41687515 

Editor John Kimantas 

Advertising Sales Brent Daniel 

Copy Editing Darrell Bellaart 

Cover Photo: 

We took everything from sails 

to electric bilge pumps to the 

beach at Pipers Lagoon in our 

hometown of Nanaimo to trick 

out a pair of kayaks (one was not 

enough for all our gear). Join 

us for this major pimping-out 

project on page 24. 

WAVELENGTH is an independent magazine available free at 

hundreds of print distribution sites (paddling shops, outdoor 

stores, paddling clubs, marinas, events, etc.), and globally on 

the web. Also available by paid subscription. 

Articles, photos, events, news are all welcome. 

Find back issues, articles, events, writers guidelines and 

advertising information online at wavelengthmagazine.com 

SUBSCRIBE 

$20 for 1 year – 4 issues 

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While Wavelength Magazine is made available 

free, subscriptions ensure the magazine is delivered 

to your home and that you will never miss an issue. 

To subscribe, visit 

www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.html 

or call 1-866-984-6437. 

Advertising rates and submission guidelines 

available at www.wavelengthmagazine.com 

ISSUE AD DEADLINE DISTRIBUTION 

Spring 2011 Feb. 4 March 1 

Summer 2011 April 15 May 16 

Fall 2011 July 1 Aug. 1 

Winter 2011 Oct. 1 Nov. 1 

A product of: 

Wild Coast Publishing 

#6 10 Commercial St. 

Nanaimo, B.C., Canada, V9R 5G2 

Ph: 1-866-984-6437 • Fax: 1-866-654-1937 

Email: kayak@wavelengthmagazine.com 

Website: www.wavelengthmagazine.com 

by John Kimantas 

Green dots: a sign of the future 

I remember a paddling trip in winter 1999 with then-Wavelength Magazine publisher 

Alan Wilson. I told him by coincidence how I had recently downloaded and read a copy 

of Wavelength Magazine online. At the time it was one of the few magazines available 

on the ’net. Good on Alan for the foresight. 

It’s no surprise that the presence of magazines online has since exploded. The 

standard now is a page-flip format mimicking the page turning of print magazines 

(I suppose to make readers feel more comfortable with the 

transition to electronic media). Most magazines are using a 

service provider to create these electronic copies. And most 

simply offer a digital version of the same content in print. 

So it’s cute, but limited. I had to think: in print, kayaks will just 

sit there. But online, those kayaks could actually be paddling. So 

why aren’t they? 

Since we couldn’t make the kayaks paddle with any of the 

existing service providers, I decided to develop our own version 

in-house. This is the first issue to show the results. And yes, the 

kayaks can now paddle away. In fact, they do on this very page in the online version. 

Watch for these three buttons in the online version: 

Click on the “T” button and a central text box will appear allowing you to read the 

text on the pages you are viewing without having to follow the various columns 

and dips and doodles of the magazine page. If it’s still too small, hit the zoom feature. 

This should make the text large enough to accommodate the most short-sighted among 

us. Click on the “T” again to turn off the text and return to the regular page view. 

When you see this multimedia button, things get really interesting. Click on it, and 

watch for additional content not available in the print version. For instance, click 

on the button on this page in the online version and the kayak pictured below will meld 

seamlessly from this inert picture to a high-definition video of the paddler (Leanne) 

paddling away. And if reading a magazine with kayaks actually paddling doesn’t at least 

make you go “hmmm, that’s interesting,” then no problem. Just keep reading the print 

version, which we have no intention of abandoning. 

For me the key is adding content to make both the print and online products work 

together. For instance, it’s one thing to read about surf kayaking. But in the online 

version, you can see a video detailing the skill involved. A great extra. 

Another exciting thing is the potential for advertisers. For instance, check out 

the videos tied into the Blue Water Kayak Works ad on page 23. This is our first ad 

specifically designed to incorporate multimedia into a print ad campaign. 

If you check the results online, look for details of our major 2011 promotion (teased 

here on page 46, with more details online). We’ll be giving those who visit us online a 

chance to win gear every month plus a grand prize of a new kayak. 

Okay, it’s bribery to get you online, but with a new kayak hanging in the balance, it’s 

the best kind of bribery. So happy surf kayaking the internet! 

 

- John Kimantas 

© 2010. Copyright is retained on all material (text, photos and graphics) in this magazine. 

No reproduction is allowed of any material in any form, print or electronic, for any purpose, 

except with the permission of Wild Coast Publishing. 

Some elements in maps in this magazine are reproduced with 

the permission of Natural Resources Canada 2010, courtesy 

of the Atlas of Canada. Also, our thanks to Geobase for some 

elements that may appear on Wavelength maps. 

Wavelength Magazine is dedicated to making self-propelled 

coastal exploration fun and accessible. Safety and travel 

information is provided to augment pre-existing safety 

and knowledge. A safety course and proper equipment are 

advised before any exploration on water. See a list of paddling 

instruction locations at www.wavelengthmagazine.com 

Another perfect evening, Vancouver 

Island style. Click the green button 

online to join us on this outing. 



News 

Joe O sets new record for rounding Vancouver Island 

There’s a new time to beat in the Great 

Island Race. 

Joe O’Blenis pulled into Nanaimo’s 

Brechin boat ramp the evening of Saturday, 

Sept. 4, just 16 days, 12 hours and 14 

minutes after starting out – a time fast 

enough to unseat Sean Morley’s 2008 record 

of 17 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes for 

the fastest circumnavigation of Vancouver 

Island by paddle. 

To put that into perspective, that’s 

covering the 1,150-km trip with an average 

of 70 kilometers of paddling per day. 

It wasn’t always smooth sailing, with 

several days spent battling headwinds of 

30-plus knot winds, and one collision 

with a rock near Tofino that knocked the 

skeg completely out from his Nigel Foster 

Greenland Pro. That incident forced him to 

wait for much of the day in Tofino while his 

second boat, a Tahe Wind 585, was shipped 

from its storage at Wavelength Central in 

Nanaimo. 

The Tahe managed to stay in one piece 

for the dramatic conclusion, a 90-km day 

photo courtesy Michael Jackson 

of paddling from Victoria to Nanaimo that 

happened to coincide with a kayaking corn 

roast on nearby Newcastle Island hosted 

by Atlantis Kayaks – allowing a welcoming 

flotilla of kayaks at the finish line. 

Apt was a greeting there by Colin Angus, 

complete with celebratory beer. Colin had 

also planned an attempt at the Great Island 

Race title this year in a rowboat, but had 

to postpone it due to back issues. He’s still 

Joe O’Blenis 

at Jemmy 

Jones Island 

near Victoria 

as he closes 

in on the 

finish line. 

planning to retry next year. 

For Joe, the trip – his second recordsetting 

venture around the island – was 

another chance to appreciate Vancouver 

Island’s beauty. 

“Just doing the trip is worthwhile, even 

if you’re just rushing by and everything’s a 

blur,” he said. 

You can read more information about 

Joe’s circumnavigation at joeoblenis.com. 


News 

How dirty is our coastline? Plenty dirty, readers find 

Virginia Harris doesn’t have to go far to 

find debris clogging the beaches. All it takes 

is a walk with her three dogs near her home 

in Halfmoon Bay near Desolation Sound to 

find loads of trash. 

Kayak trips can be just as filthy. 

“When I do get out on the water I end 

up coming back with a pile on the bow of 

my kayak consisting of plastic bags and 

other floating debris,” she wrote when 

entering Wavelength Magazine’s Clean Up 

the Coast contest. 

“We have a pristine beach here in a 

provincial park called Sargeant Bay. I walk 

there often. I usually end up finding a fair 

bit of garbage and I can’t help myself and 

start picking it up, filling bag after bag.” 

She laid out one morning’s find on a 

tarp, then snapped a picture. 

“I brought it home and laid it all out on 

a tarp (also found on the beach). As you can 

see there is an enormous amount of plastic. 

We have plastic fish farm feed bags, feminine 

product plastic applicators, Christmas light 

bulbs, balloons, Copenhagen tobacco tins, 

Virginia Harris 

The results of one morning’s haul from 

Sargeant Bay near Powell River, BC. Virginia 

Harris won an under-deck bag from Atlantis 

Kayaks for her entry in Wavelength’s Clean 

Up the Coast contest. 

styrofoam (bits everywhere) you name it, it’s 

there on the beach.” 

Virginia was one of the participants in 

Wavelength Magazine’s Clean Up the Coast 

contest, which recognized participants in 

cleanup efforts from paddling clubs on 

Vancouver Island to Suwanee River cleanup 

participants in Florida. 

The contest was held to recognize 

continuing efforts to clean our coast, plus 

to inspire people to pick up instead of 

passing by. Prizes in the contest included 

items from Klepper in Canada, Kokatat, 

North Water Paddlesports Equipment, 

Atlantis Kayaks, Seaward Kayaks, Solo 

Rescue Assist, Peregrine Kayaks, SeaSpecs, 

Kayak Kaboose, Peregrine Kayaks and 

Terracentric Coastal Adventures. 

Not all participants stopped at simply 

collecting trash. Brad Atchinson has spent 

the last 42 years decommissioning hundreds 

of campsites, including their fire rings and 

scorched and scarred rocks. 

“I am a NOLS graduate (1970s) and 

have been a proponent of minimum 

impact camping techniques, long before 

the Leave No Trace movement took root. 

In all likelihood, being a biologist and an 

environmentalist since the 1960s provide 

context for these cleanup efforts.” 

Brad won a Kokatat Outercore Top 

for his efforts. Also winning was the 

Marine Sciences 10 class from St. Michael’s 

University School in Victoria, BC, for their 

beach cleanup efforts. They earned a model 

Aerius II from Klepper in Canada. 


Clean Up the Coast Contest 

by Liam McNeil 

Scavenging on the edge 

Kayakers get the 

dirt on Haida Gwaii 

AFTER SUCCESSFULLY 

PADDLING the west coast of 

Vancouver Island in 2009, from 

Port Hardy to Tofino, Genevieve Burdett 

and I hatched the plan to paddle Haida 

Gwaii. 

Moresby Island, home of Gwaii Haanas 

National Park, attracted our interest due 

to its mystique and challenge. While the 

east coast attracts hundreds of paddlers 

every year (for good reason!), the extremely 

challenging conditions of the west coast 

of the island, coupled with the lack of 

accessible landing sites, keep the vast 

majority of visitors away. By planning 

during the winter months and getting some 

support from the MEC Expedition Fund, 

our dreams became a reality. 

Moresby Island, the long mountainous 

southern half of Haida Gwaii (formerly 

Queen Charlotte Islands), is a place of 

extremes. The rarely visited west coast is 

distinguished by steep cliffs, few landings 

and little hope of assistance. For days, 

no other boats passed the horizon, and 

even weather forecasts drifted in and out 

of reception as we passed the mouths of 

deep inlets. (By contrast, the east coast 

of Moresby is a paddler’s paradise, with 

hundreds of islands, bays, inlets and 

numerous cultural sights to visit.) 

The wind had whipped the water into 

whitecaps as we slipped our boats into 

the water to begin our journey. Skidegate 

Channel lay ahead of us, as did the west 

coast of Haida Gwaii. Over the next 

few weeks, as the shoreline waters of 

Moresby Island passed beneath our hulls, 

we witnessed the natural and cultural 

wonders of these remote islands, along 

with the reminders of our global society. 

Even though the rest of the world seemed 

so remote, it presented itself in the refuse 

washed upon the shores. To remove all the 

8 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE WINTER 2010 

photos by Liam McNeil and Genevieve Burdett 

Top: Genevieve Burdett scans Woodruff Bay for waste; above left: some of the hundreds of 

plastic bottles that dotted the remote shorelines of Haida Gwaii; above right: the holy grail of 

beach garbage – a Japanese glass fishing float found on Kunghit Island. 

garbage found would have required dozens 

of boatloads. As a compromise, every night 

we collected a single piece of garbage to 

pack on our journey. 

We found very little local garbage. In 

fact, the amount of garbage washed up 

by ocean currents stood out starkly on 

the beaches. On one beach, we collected 

hundreds of plastic bottles bearing the 

writing of both North American and Asian 

societies. Plastic refuse was everywhere. 

Round fishing floats, random plastic bits 

and objects of distant origin dotted this 

rugged shoreline. 

Just prior to rounding Cape St. James, 

the extreme southern tip of Haida Gwaii, 

we found our most treasured piece of 

garbage, a glass fishing float. 

Heading north along the east coast 

of Moresby the nature of waste changed 

abruptly. The rate of foreign debris 

dropped, and in its place were signs of local 

life: sections of rope, beer cans and fishing 

floats from BC’s fisheries. At paddling 

campsites we found bread tags, zip-loc bags 

and even a broken kayak paddle. 

We returned with an eclectic collection 

of plastic toys, shoes, bottles, bags, broken 

kayak paddles and our treasured glass 

fishing float. While limited in our capacity 

to carry, we can all do our part to clean up 

our coast, and learn to reduce the amount 

of plastic products that litter our oceans. 

< 

Liam McNeil is executive director of the Sea 

Kayak Guides Alliance of British Columbia. 

SKGABC supported Wavelength Magazine’s 

Clean Up the Coast Contest by sponsoring a 

Werner Kaliste paddle as a prize. It was won 

by Nanaimo Paddlers kayaking club.


International destinations 

IF THERE IS one place in the world worthy 

of naming a destination for a kayaking 

pilgrimage, my vote would be Skellig Michael. 

It’s not because it’s an ideal place to visit. Quite the 

contrary. It lies in the ocean nine nautical miles off the 

southwest coast of Ireland, one of the two huge and 

forbiddingly spectacular rock islands set in a stormy area 

prone to wind, current and swell. 

But travel to the island by paddling isn’t insurmountable. In 

fact, it has a long history of self-propelled visits dating back to 

the 7th century, when the island was first inhabited by monks. 

Their occupation lasted the next 600 years and survived the 

incredibly harsh conditions as well as several Viking raids. The 

story and images by John Kimantas 

monk residents are responsible for the incredible vertiginous 

steps that crisscross the island, the six intact clocháns (stone 

beehive huts), oratories, grave slabs and a striking monolithic 

cross – all of which are remarkably well preserved even today. 

(Quite the legacy for a group of pioneering paddlers.) 

The spiritual impact of the island is profound. Part is the 

awe at the thought of the difficult life suffered by the monks 

in such a remote location. And the natural features are equally 

awe-inspiring: dramatic stone pillars reaching 218 meters, 

created during a great upheaval 200 million years ago. It 

takes 600 steps up cliffsides and alongside 

jagged stone pillars to reach the Hermitage 

and the monastery ruins, well preserved 

enough to earn it designation as a UNESCO 

World Heritage Site. Equally spectacular 

but not as accessible, the smaller of the Skellig Islands, Little 

Skellig, is a dramatic assembly of peaks home to thousands of 

nesting seabirds, most notably Ireland’s largest gannet colony. 

It provides a surreal backdrop. 

Kayakers aren’t likely to attempt the crossing. Even the tour 

boats often have trouble getting here. Landing on the island’s 

one small concrete dock can be an adventure in swell, with 

high tide water rushing right over the dock, and the boat 

crew biding time between waves to retrieve or disgorge 

passengers. 

u 


Ireland 

Paddling 

with a 

shamrock 

Images from Ireland 

Michael Skellig 

is rated by 

Wavelength 

as one of the world’s 

great coastal locations. 

The steep steps were 

carved by monks as early as 

the seventh century A.D. Far left: 

the final climb before reaching 

the monastery; left: Little Skellig; 

right: the ancient beehive huts of the 

monastery; above right: protruding 

rocks on the steep descent. 



Not all Ireland is as harsh as the Skelligs, 

of course. But quick changes in the 

weather, strong winds and strong ocean 

currents are typical, which can make Ireland 

a challenging and sometimes impossible 

coast to paddle. Secluded bays, inlets and 

collections of nearby islands along much of 

the coast offer the protected and relatively 

serene waters that make the Irish coast an 

ideal place for a day paddle – especially 

if you can sneak out to some of the 

spectacular cliffs that typify the outer coast. 

For Jim Kennedy, operator of Atlantic 

Sea Kayaking and one of Ireland’s most 

veteran paddlers, the southwest coast of 

Ireland makes a great base for exploring. A 

trip from Castletownshend, for instance, a 

picturesque former naval base village near 

Cork, leads on a short journey to seven 

uninhabited islands, past upwards of 33 sea 

caves (Jim is always finding new ones) and 

wildlife that commonly involves dolphins, 

whales and a grey seal rookery. 

This is a perfect day-trip adventure, 

possibly ending at the little harbour town 

of Baltimore 16 kilometers away. Or 

from Baltimore, Roaringwater Bay offers 

a multitude of islands to explore, one of 

which is home to an old castle that sits 

enticingly across the harbour. 

The problem with kayaking in Ireland is 

the multitude of land features, meaning you 

don’t want to just kayak if you travel here. 

Aran Is. 

Dingle Peninsula 

Skelligs 

IRELAND 

Galway 

Dublin 

Kilkenny 

Ring of Kerry 

Waterford 

Cork 

Castletownshend 

Baltimore 

Crookhaven 

Ireland is dotted with thousands of years 

of history reflected in the many medieval 

castles, monasteries, ancient stone forts and 

portal tombs that date back 6,000 years or 

more. 

But adventurers always push the limits, 

with a circumnavigation of the island 

growing as a popular goal of experienced 

kayakers. The fastest time so far to 

complete the 1,200-mile journey is 33 days; 

reportedly the longest, by journalist Jasper 

Wynn, took three and a half months – 

probably a better way to enjoy Ireland: by 

taking your time, visiting communities and 

meeting people. 

photos this page courtesy Atlantic Sea Kayaking 

Left: caves near Castletownshend; top: urban 

paddling in Cork; above: one of the south 

coast’s many wonderful sand beaches. 

If you go: 

Most tour operators don’t rent kayaks 

due to liability issues; instead, expect 

escorted tours offering a selection 

of mostly day trips. With a Europeanwide 

accreditation system for paddlers 

coming into effect, the restrictions may 

ease on rentals for qualified paddlers. 

Here are some options: 

Atlantic Sea Kayaking: Trips include 

the sheltered Killarney Lakes in a treed 

national park setting to picturesque 

Dingle Peninsula. Owner Jim Kennedy, 

a Level 5 instructor, also offers a unique 

paddle coaching program by video. 

www.atlanticseakayaking.com. 

Sea Kayaking West Cork: Options 

include overnight trips to Bere Island. 

www.seakayakingwestcork.com. 

Seapaddling.com: Day trips from 

Waterford. 

On land: Driving in Ireland is difficult 

as the roads are narrow with little 

clearance, making it a high-stress way 

to enjoy the island. We recommend 

cycling as the best way to view the 

rolling countryside, preferably by the 

small, rarely-traveled back roads. We 

traveled with West Ireland Cycling 

(www.westirelandcycling.com). 


Ireland 

The spectacular Cliffs of Moher, capped by 

O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835; left: one of the 

colorful bars in the Temple Bar district of 

Dublin; below left: a traffic jam, 

Aran Island style. 

We discover: castles, pubs, cycling, not many kayaks 

Our kayaking adventures in Ireland were doomed before we 

arrived. We couldn’t find a multi-day kayaking itinerary in our 

pre-trip online research longer than overnight, and were advised 

by the experts like Jim Kennedy at Atlantic Sea Kayaking that day 

trips were probably preferable, or overnights at B&Bs lest you 

be weathered out. As it happened, strong wind was a dominant 

feature of our time in Ireland, which essentially sidelined hopes of 

kayaking for most of the last two weeks. But infrastructure didn’t 

help. Kayak rental operations were rare, at least in terms of visibility 

at the multitude of coastal locations we visited. (It was very 

disappointing to pass by the Cliffs of Moher and find no kayaks 

in Doolin to explore this magnificent coast right next door). And 

even if you find an operator, Jim says renting isn’t really an option, 

given liability issues and the dangers associated with Ireland’s coast. 

Escorted tours are the norm, though that may relax a bit when the 

European Paddle Pass, a level system of accreditation, becomes 

standard. 

Our goal in Ireland was to mix various adventures: hiking, 

kayaking and cycling. Cycling took eight days of our trip, with an 

itinerary covering the Burrens in western Ireland and much of the 

spectacular coast in County Clare including the Cliffs of Moher and 

the Aran Islands. On the Aran Islands we found an old-style Irish 

life coexisting with some terrific history, including Dun Aengus, 

a prehistoric fort that dominates the tallest cliffside and hilltop 

of Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. Dotting the rest of 

Inishmore were traditional thatched cottages, various medieval ruins 

and the defining maze of drystone walls. 

The highlights of our trip? Too many to list them all, but Skellig 

Michael has to be at the top, with Inishmore not far behind. Dingle 

Peninsula would have been particularly scenic, but our only full day 

of rain doused the impact. We spent our last night in Kilkenny, my 

personal favorite of the trip – a town rich with medieval history 

evident along just about every streetscape. 

Then of course there are the pubs – the colorful assortment 

in the Temple Bar district of Dublin to the myriad that dot 

the countryside at every small Irish village. All are full of great 

character and charm, with a personal favorite of mine one in the 

little coastal village of Crookhaven. I had seen a picture prior to the 

trip, and enjoying a pint there was a very low-level dream come true. 

While not the most successful kayaking adventure ever, the best 

trips are often most enjoyable not because of the quality of the 

paddling, but of what you discover along the way, which hopefully 

includes a colorful mix of culture, history and countryside. 

Fortunately, Ireland abounds in all three. < 



story and images by Dave Cauldwell 

Kayaking 

with 

cannibals 

I 

DON’T LIKE the way Raba’s smiling 

at me. He looks mischievous, what 

with his red lips, orange betel nut– 

stained teeth and a twinkle in his eye. 

“Just stand there,” he says. 

I’m underneath a tree whose leaves 

are drooping under the midday sun. Next 

to me, propped up against the trunk, is a 

woman with a rock in her hand smashing 

nuts out of their shells. In front of us 

children play in the sea; one boy catches 

waves using an off-cut of polystyrene as a 

body-board. 

Shouting brings my gaze forward. A man 

races from one of the leafhouses that skirt 

the shore. His face and chest are covered 

in black paint, and he charges towards me 

with a club in his hand, stopping just short. 

‘I want to kill this man!’ he shrieks. The 

whites of his eyes are prominent against 

milk chocolate skin. 

One by one, four axe-wielding men 

appear from the jungle and take it in turns 

to lunge at me, pulling back only at the last 

moment. Skulls are crudely etched onto 

their shields. 

The spokesman shrieks again. “Who 

send this man to our village?” 

I pause. “Er, Wavelength”’ 

“We want to eat this man!” 

Clearly they don’t have subscriptions. 

Before axes cleave open my flesh, a 

man wearing a wig woven from coconut 

straw enters the fray. He carries a large bow 

and arrow and holds off the warriors. It’s 

the chief and thankfully he’s on my side. 

Holding a clam shell aloft, he barters with 

the warriors to spare my life. They demand 

a bigger shell so the chief gives it to them 

(these things may look like a giant polo 

mints, but they’re actually currency around 

here). Eventually the men disband and I’m 

left with all limbs intact. 

“This is traditional welcome,” says Raba. 

“I’d hate to see them when they’re 

angry,” I reply. 

Although this performance was 

somewhat contrived, it was what awaited 

explorers who bravely charted Marovo 

Lagoon, the world’s largest saltwater 

lagoon, back in the early 1900s. This was 

when missionaries sailed into Solomon 

Islands’ waters, their sails billowing with 

religion, in an effort to spread Christianity 

and stop the “barbaric” practice of 

headhunting. Before the widespread 

acceptance of this religion, there’s no 


Solomon Islands 

way the chief would have dug into his 

clam stash to save a white man; rather, 

he would’ve been carving into him with 

a large knife. Oddly enough, some of the 

missionaries actually wanted to end up as 

main courses, believing they would die as 

martyrs and thus gain a quicker passage to 

heaven. 

If the missionaries had looked at 

Marovo Lagoon, they might have realized 

heaven was already in sight. Its crystalline 

waters teem with sharks, manta rays and 

fluorescent fish. Rainbow-colored reefs 

form ethereal underwater worlds, while 

secluded white beaches make what’s above 

the surface just as magical. The main mode 

of transport here is kayak or canoe. And 

for most of my seven-day sojourn with 

Raba, I traveled by kayak to explore the 

mysterious backwaters of paradise, and to 

uncover the area’s grisly headhunting past. 

MY JOURNEY began from an 

island shaped like a hammerhead 

shark arching its back. Uepi Island is a hub 

for adventure seekers and the best place 

in Marovo from which to embark on a 

guided kayaking expedition. And paddling 

is the best way to explore this vast aquatic 

playground. 

It’s not long before Raba has forged 

ahead. We’ve been dropped off in the 

Mbili Passage, a forty-five minute boat ride 

from Uepi. Once the passage ends, we’re 

u 

Top: a traditional welcome to the Solomon 

Islands. Above: paddling in the mangroves of 

Bapita Passage. Background: taking a break. 



paddling in open sea. Water undulates 

beneath my kayak and Raba disappears 

intermittently between troughs of swell. 

He takes three leisurely strokes to my ten, 

before resting to soak up the view. I’m 

just getting soaked, mistiming my strokes 

and not making much headway. Although 

there’s no real danger of capsizing, my 

stomach turns over. 

Raba gestures to an outcrop, pointing his 

paddle at a distant roof almost camouflaged 

by jungle. I can’t be sure whether this is the 

eco-lodge we’re staying at tonight, but it’s a 

long way off. 

When we finally reach the shore, a 

breeze caresses my face and ruffles the 

leaves of coconut palms. The eco-lodge at 

Ropiko is run by Barry, a sixty-eight-yearold 

English expat who’s married Jenna, a 

local girl thirty-five years his junior. 

White coral paths snake into the bush 

between papaya trees, and there’s the wreck 

of a Japanese war plane that was gunned 

down during WW2. It’s now a glorified 

plant-pot for Barry’s orchids. 

After an evening listening to Barry’s 

hilarious stories about things such as 

excrement-eating fish (stay away from the 

bright blue ones), we take a boat to the 

custom village of Mbiche for my traditional 

‘welcome’. From here it’s a rugged 15-km 

walk back to Ropiko, and then a three-hour 

paddle to Kajoro where I’m meeting John 

Wayne – not the bowlegged gunslinger, but 

a descendent of a notorious headhunter, 

Kanijomo. This was a man who lived to kill 

until missionaries persuaded him to trade 

his axe for a bible. 

In what seems like a biblical moment, 

the heavy rain which has been tumbling all 

night and morning suddenly parts and I’m 

under the sun’s scorching spotlight. The 

wind has also changed direction and I’m 

paddling into it. 

Rounding a point, a rickety stilt house 

appears on the shore. Mangroves poke out 

of the water, crooked fingers which beckon 

the sun’s rays into the lagoon. Underneath 

a sheet of aquamarine they wriggle like 

golden eels before being swallowed into the 

murky depths. 

A man with sunshine in his eyes stands 

on the shore. John Wayne helps us haul 

our kayaks out of the water, and we sit 

on the veranda with buzzing mosquitoes 

Choiseul 

Santa Isabel 

Upei Island 

Marovo Lagoon 

Kajoro 

Matikuri 

New Georgia Islands 

Papau 

New Guinea 

Australia 

overlooking the lagoon. 

“The spirit always gains strength from 

chopping heads,” John tells me as rain 

pitter-patters on the roof. Although it’s 

only mid-afternoon it’s dark, the only light 

coming from a gold-tinged horizon. 

“Kanijomo could only sleep for an 

hour at night,” says John. “He was always 

thinking about killing.” 

He shows me a picture of his great, 

great grandfather that was taken in 1920. 

In it he wields an axe and wears clam shells 

like Mr. T wears bling. There’s a psychotic 

smirk on his face. 

Headhunting was actually a very spiritual 

Guadalcanal 

Malaita 

San Cristobal (Makira) 

(and highly superstitious) practice. Skulls 

were gathered for their mana, or energy, 

stored inside them. It was this energy, 

headhunters believed, that warded off evil 

spirits and brought prosperity to the village. 

When Kanijomo and his band of 

warriors arrived in an enemy village one 

day, they were greeted with a banquet 

instead of a battle. Missionaries had already 

converted the villagers to Christianity, and 

in the face of religion Kanijomo realized 

his jugular-craving spirit was powerless. 

Although he was ready to hang up his axe, 

the headhunting spirits inside his head 

weren’t so keen. 



“At night they banged on the roof 

and doors of his house,” John tells me, 

“demanding that he cut more heads. They 

haunted him for two months before finally 

leaving.” 

Raba and I leave the next morning. The 

lagoon is a sheet of glass reflecting dappled 

clouds. Children in bright purple uniforms 

canoe to school and the water massages 

our kayaks as we drift to the sound of 

schoolchildren singing in assembly. As one 

song fades behind us, angelic voices from 

another school up ahead resume the chorus, 

their dulcet tones rippling across the lagoon 

like a siren’s serenade. 

I ask Raba if he likes music. 

“Boyzone,” he replies, chewing a betel nut. 

Before my brain has chance to override 

my vocal cords, I’m singing Love me for a 

Reason (the Cat Stevens version, obviously). 

Raba nods in approval, spitting out a jet 

of red saliva. His lips and tongue are blood 

red and he looks like he’s just bitten the 

head off a chicken. 

Behind us, John Wayne’s lodge fades 

into the haze of an approaching storm. 

The lagoon opens up and gets choppy, 

and the current comes at us from the side. 

Eventually the storm catches up and rain 

cascades, pinpricking the surface of the 

lagoon. In seconds I’m drenched, ample 

punishment for my woeful singing. 

STOLE my wife,” says Morgan, a 

“I friendly local with bleached blonde 

hair who helps Raba and I beach our kayaks 

at Olovotu Point, a two-and-a-half hour 

Top: Serenity and kayaks awaiting a perfect 

day’s paddle at Uepi Island; above: a more 

eerie image of chieftain skulls near Olovotu 

Point. 

paddle from John Wayne’s. In Malaita, 

one of nine provinces in the Solomons, 

where Morgan met his wife, it’s custom 

for grooms to pay a bride price to the 

daughter’s family. 

“Some people pay SD$100,000 (roughly 

AU$16,667),” he says as we make our way 

to a sacred site where the skulls of three 

great warriors are kept. ‘Then they have to 

buy land, a boat and other things on top 

of that. My wife and I ran away. For two 

years her family didn’t know where she was. 

Eventually I wrote them a letter and they 

came here. I paid them SD$3,000 (AU$500) 

and off they went.’ 

We stand before a mass grave cluttered 

with bones. Morgan reaches in and pulls out 

the bottom half of someone’s jawbone. Ten 

teeth remain, amazing considering they’re 

over seventy years old. 

“These are chief ’s skulls,” he says. In 

headhunting days these would have been 

displayed in special A-frame houses along 

the shore, a warning for passing tribes to 

stay away. 

The sky rumbles and within moments 

rain falls in a torrent. We run for shelter, 

sitting underneath a leaky roof. As Morgan 

bounces his one-year-old son on his lap, 

I find it hard to believe that his ancestors 

used to eat babies. On each headhunting 

raid, after slaughtering an entire village, 

warriors kidnapped babies or young boys, 

known as veala. They were imprisoned 

and fattened up. On the eve of the next 

headhunting mission, the veala was 

sacrificed and taken to a special stone where 

it was gutted alive. Before this happened, 

the unfortunate child was tossed from 

warrior to warrior to make the meat more 

tender for the chief. 

WE’RE IN THE KAYAKS again 

and a blanket of low-lying cloud 

lingers over tree-clad hills. “This area is 

being logged,” says Aerum, pointing just 

below the clouds. “Asian companies offer 

landowners big bundles of cash. They 

don’t think about the future and in the end 

u 



they only end up with a small amount and 

ruined land.” Most of the money goes to 

the people who broker the deals. 

By now the lagoon is like a lacquered 

surface, and in the distance is a small island, 

Matikuri, on which sits an eco-lodge, the 

place where we’re staying tonight. This 

is a good location from which to access 

the Bapita Passage, a narrow system of 

waterways and a great place to kayak. 

Bapita immediately swallows you into its 

mangrove belly; the smell here is pungent: 

I imagine this is what it must have smelt 

like back in headhunting times, when 

freshly severed heads were left for a month 

or two to decompose. Once the skin was 

eaten away or peeling off, the brains were 

emptied and the skulls buried. 

On entering the passage, the water turns 

into a sheet of shimmering emerald. Stripy 

fish dart past my paddle as we approach 

an isolated village. Fishermen are out in 

numbers catching food for tomorrow’s 

Sabbath feast. A teenage girl sings in one 

of the huts and for a fleeting moment our 

eyes meet. They twinkle with longing, and 

as I paddle past she sings louder. Eventually 

her voice is lost to the mangroves, replaced 

by a strange birdcall that hoots like an 

owl before sounding like it’s coughing up 

phlegm. 

We pass underneath a logging bridge. 

The Australian navy bombed this part of 

Bapita to create a shortcut through the 

passage. This meant locals no longer had to 

haul their canoes over mudflats. 

The passage opens out and cliffs of 

mauve, grey and gold curve over my head, 

along with overhanging trees. Beneath 

our kayaks is a sinkhole where divers can 

descend 28 meters before a horizontal cave 

traverses 20 meters horizontally. There 

the ceiling ends and the cave widens into 

a canyon which holds the remains of a 

battered American barge. 

Another good diving spot near Matikuri 

(roughly a two-hour paddle) is Hele Bar. 

Here, on the edge of a reef that plummets 

40 meters, lies another wreck: that of a 

35-meter Japanese tuna fishing boat, Taiyo, 

which ran aground on its maiden voyage. 

The captain was drunk and decided to 

take a shortcut instead of sailing around 

Above: Heavy clouds give a welcome respite 

from the South Pacific sun. Inset: Raba and 

the author pose together. 

the passage. A failed salvage operation has 

rendered the Taiyo completely vertical. 

Near this wreck is a small island, and 

by the time Aerum and I reach it my 

sunburned hands feel like they’re covered 

with hot embers. 

Aerum points vaguely to where the 

wreck should be, and I wade in with my 

snorkel. The path to the edge of the reef 

is convoluted: the water is shallow and 

if I try to swim over the needle coral I’ll 

end up scraping the skin off my stomach. 

Instead I follow a series of troughs until the 

reef ends and murky blue water stretches 



For more information: 

• To embark on a Marovo adventure, log onto kayaksolomons.com. 

All kayak trips start from Uepi Island and the resort owners have 

excellent knowledge of the area and can organize varied itineraries. 

They can also arrange boat transfers (at an additional cost) between 

kayaking sites. 

ominously in front of me. 

A big wave surges in and I’m thrown onto the coral. I cut 

my hand and blood spirals. Sharks swim around inside my head. 

Mildly panicked, I try to get away from the reef, but another wave 

pushes me into a piece of coral that resembles a giant brain. This 

time I cut my knees and feet. Sea urchin spikes are inches away 

from puncturing my stomach and giant clams look as if they’re 

mouthing ‘Go back’. I abort my mission and swim ashore before 

I make a wreck of myself. 

‘You didn’t see it,’ says Aerum as I stumble ashore. 

‘Never mind,’ he says, taking my snorkel off me. ‘There are 

some things you don’t need to see.’ 

That’s true, but the Marovo Lagoon isn’t one of them. 

< 

Dave is a Melbourne-based freelance writer whose work has 

appeared in a variety of travel magazines Down Under. He is 

currently writing a travel memoir about Australasian fringe dwellers, 

part of which will feature his Solomon sojourn. 

Kayak Repair & Refit 

Andrea 

Morrison 

Meet Blackline’s kayak 

specialist – eight years 

of manufacturing and 

repair experience. 

• Component Replacements 

• Gel Coat Refinishing 

2072 Henry Avenue West 

Sidney, BC. (250) 654-0052 

• Keel Line Rebuilds 

• Structural Repairs 

Vancouver Island South 

One more great gift idea 

Maps: always appreciated by 

the kayaker who has everything 

Find a great selection 

of BC maps online at 

Wavelength Magazine’s 

online store. 

wavelengthmagazine.com/orderonline 


Tours and Services 

Tours and Services: British Columbia 

Online: Hold the cursor 

over a listing to see 

where tours are offered. 

Click on a listing to visit 

the website. 

Eco Adventures & Education since 1991 

Eclectic itineraries in the Spectacular Gulf Islands 

Kayak Desolation Sound 

Rent kayaks from waterfront locations in Lund or 

Okeover Inlet. Try the Famous Aquarium Kayak Tour or 

snorkel at Urchin Alley. All-inclusive multi-day trips into 

Desolation & Mountains. 

Phone: Toll free 1-866-617-4444 

Web: www.bcseakayak.com 

Email: info@bcseakayak.com 

Kayaking Day Tours, Expeditions, 

Youth Camps & Guides Courses 

Two Kayak friendly accommodations 

on Salt Spring Island 

1 888 529-2567 • 250 537 2553 • www.islandescapades.com 

Paddle with sea otters 

Kayak transport between Zeballos and Nootka Island, 

Nuchatlitz Park and Friendly Cove. Kayak rentals. 

CEDARS INN rooms and restaurant in a historic 

Zeballos lodge. Good food, friendly service. 

Phone: 1-866-222-2235 

Web: www. zeballosexpeditions.com 

Email: info@zeballosexpeditions.com 

Lund Kayak Tours & Rentals 

Kayak tours, lessons, rentals & marine delivery. 

Desolation Sound, Mitlenatch Island, Copeland Islands 

marine parks. Personalized service, stunning scenery, 

fascinating history, delicious organic lunches. Family / 

child friendly programs. 

Phone: 1.888.552.5558 OR 604.483.7900 

Web: www.terracentricadventures.com 

Email: fun@terracentricadventures.com 

Wilderness Sea Kayaking 

Family sea kayaking tours with wilderness retreat 

camping comforts, spectacular kayaking options, 

diverse wildlife, cultural activities, and professional 

guides. Sharing the remote Kyuquot area, Northwest 

Vancouver Island since 1972! 

Phone: 1.800.665.3040 or 250.338.2511 

Web: www.westcoastexpeditions.com 

Email: info@westcoastexpeditions.com 

Sealegs Kayaking Adventures 

Sealegs’ Eco-Adventure Centre offers waterfront access 

at Transfer Beach Ladysmith. Guided wilderness tours, 

rentals, lessons and sales from our pro shop. Multi-day 

adventures, FREE lessons with tours and rentals. 

Phone: 250-245-4096 or 1-877-KAYAK BC (529-2522) 

Web: www.sealegskayaking.com 

Email: info@sealegskayaking.com 

Odyssey Kayaking 

BC Ferries port; Gateway to Northern and Central 

BC Coast destinations. Sales, Rentals, Lessons, Trip 

planning, and Custom Tours. 8625 Shipley Street 

(across from the Post Office) Port Hardy. 

Phone: 250-949-7392 or cell 250-230-8318 

Email: odyssey@island.net 

Web: www.odysseykayaking.com 

Employment 

Winter Guiding in Belize ‘10/’11 

Island Expeditions is looking for professional guides 

to work winters in Belize. Sea kayak, river experience, 

marine biology or strong naturalist background. 

Minimum two seasons multi-day guiding experience. 

Email resume: tim@islandexpeditions.com or call 

604-452-3212. 

Tours and Services: East Canada 


Tours and Services 

Tours and Services: British Columbia 

Tours and Services: Alaska 

Elements Women's Travel 

Adventure tours for women. Unique day and multi-day 

tours in the coastal waters of BC. Custom itineraries for 

women, all designed to 'get into your element'! 

Phone: 250-245-9580 

Web: www.elementstravel.com 

Email: info@elementstravel.com 

Gabriola Sea Kayaking 

Kayaking adventures in the Broken Group, Clayoquot 

Sound , Broughton Archipelago, Kyuquot Sound , 

Nootka Island and the Gulf Islands. Unforgettable 

paddling and great people since 1995. See you on 

the water! 

Phone: 250-247-0189 

Web: www.kayaktoursbc.com 

Kayak Transport Co. 

A Mothership Serving SE Alaska. Kayaking from 

the comforts of a mothership for a week. Paddling 

our boats and exploring fantastic scenery and wildlife. 

Eating fresh caught Alaskan seafood. How good does 

it get?! 

Email: staff@kayaktransport.com 

Web: www.kayaktransport.com 

Phone: (206) 719-0976 

Tours and Services: Yukon 

Kayak Haida Gwaii 

Among the world's top paddling destinations, Gwaii 

Haanas is an awe-inspiring oasis of wilderness at the 

southern tip of Haida Gwaii. Enjoy memorable, safe 

and affordable multi-day kayak adventures. 

Web: www.gckayaking.com 

Email: paddle@gckayaking.com 

Phone: 250-559-4682 

Kanoe People Ltd. 

Explore Yukon's great rivers and lakes! Rentals, sales, 

guided tours and logistic services. Cabin rentals 

summer and winter on the scenic Lake Laberge. 

Outfitting on the Yukon for over 35 years. 

Web: www.kanoepeople.com 

Email: info@kanoepeople.com 

Phone: 867-668-4899 

Tours and Services: Tropical 


Paddle Meals 

by Hilary Masson 

Polynesian discovery 

A sailboat trip to the South Pacific 

allowed Ryan Masson to discover 

what may well be the perfect beer 

bread recipe. The sacrifice involved 

is obvious. 

For this issue, I have two different recipes that are 

excellent on their own, and go especially well together. 

Ryan, my older brother, spent over two months crewing 

on a 46’ sailboat last spring. He sailed from La Paz Mexico, 

near our winter kayak operations, across the Pacific Ocean 

to French Polynesia in the South Pacific. While on the 

boat one of the other crew members made this really easy 

beer bread. It uses the yeast in the beer to raise the dough; 

it requires no kneading and is fast to make. This summer 

we perfected the beer bread and discovered that whether 

anchored in the turquoise waters of Moorea or Tahiti, or 

kayaking the west coast of Vancouver Island or Baja, it’s a 

fun, quick, and easy bread. 

The second recipe is one that I make a lot, and can be 

adapted to whatever ingredients are available locally. The 

recipe is based on my Dad’s famous seafood chowder. 

Every year my parents host a New Year’s seafood party 

and this is one of the many local dishes served. My 

brother and I have adapted the recipe for when we’re 

paddling in Baja by incorporating local seafood and 

veggies there. 

Beer bread made easy 

Mix: 

1 ½ cups all purpose white flour 

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 

3 teaspoons baking powder 

1 can of beer 

Additions: 

½ cup grated cheddar cheese 

Sprinkle of dill and basil 

Mix the flour and baking powder directly in your Outback / 

Dutch Oven pan (no need to dirty a mixing bowl), then stir in a can 

of beer. Sometimes to get the right consistency you may need an 

additional 50 ml of liquid. You can use water, or it’s a good excuse 

to open another can of beer. 

For this recipe, I added grated cheddar cheese and herbs to go 

with the seafood chowder. If you’re adding cheese or herbs, you can 

add them to the mix before putting in the beer. This easy beer bread 

requires no kneading or rising time; just mix and bake. 

In my Outback Oven it takes 35 to 45 minutes on “bake”, or 

about 40 minutes at 400 degrees in a conventional oven. 


Beer Bread and Chowder 

Coastal seafood 

chowder 

1 onion 

3 stalks of celery 

3 carrots 

2 parsnips 

2 yams 

3 potatoes 

1 pound (or more) fresh local 

seafood. We use clams, oysters, cod 

2 cloves garlic 

Dill, basil, salt or Miso to taste. 

1 cup cream, milk, or sour cream 

Use a large soup pot. Chop and 

brown the onion in oil or butter. Add 

the veggies, chopped into small cubes. 

Add seasoning: In this recipe I used 

dill, basil and a tablespoon of Miso 

soup paste (instead of salt). Cover 

with water, bring to a boil and cook 

until almost soft. Now you add your 

seafood. 

I have used local oysters and clams 

that I picked from my favorite spot 

here on Gabriola Island. I also added 

350 grams of local cod that I cut into 

bite-sized cubes. At the very end add 

your cream, milk or sour cream. All 

work well. Usually I go with whatever 

needs to be used first on my kayak 

trip. 

You can really play around with 

this recipe. While working in Baja I 

use veggies with a more Mexican flair: 

onions, carrots, red and green peppers 

and finely diced jalapeno peppers. You 

can also add cans of diced tomatoes 

or corn, and even cream corn is a nice 

addition to this chowder. 

I have made it with a Thai theme 

using seasonings like cumin, thyme, 

turmeric and shrimp or prawns; and 

I always suggest going with whatever 

seafood is fresh and local. 

It doesn’t matter where in the world 

you are; making simple beer bread 

and seafood chowder is the perfect 

addition to any sailing or kayaking 

adventure. 

< 

Hilary Masson is a guide and part owner 

of Baja Kayak Adventures. 


New Gear 

Win some of these items 

Wavelength Magazine is offering 

online readers one prize per month 

in 2011, and a grand prize of a new 

kayak. Read online for details. 

Cargo cockpit cover 

(Beluga Outdoor Gear) 

Trayak bike trailer 

(Tony’s Trailers) 

Hydration Holster 

(North Water) 

Throw bags 

Tech Pouch 

(Advanced Elements) 

Outrigger rescue device 

(Solo Rescue Assist) 

Pump sleeve 

(NWCAG) 

Paddle cover 

(NWCAG) 

Four-Play 

(North Water) 

Electric Bilge Pump 

(Blue Water) 

Yak Armour 

(Blue Water) 

About our tricked out kayaks 

Turtleback Deck Bag 

(North Water) 

No sooner did we announce this 

project than kayak manufacturers offered 

boats for the project. Imagine having to 

turn down a kayak to test! We ended up 

picking a Seaward Passat as a large (22’) 

double with the necessary deck space to 

accommodate the many items. It has a 

well-earned reputation as a heavy-duty 

and fast touring/expedition double, most 

notably being a perpetual winner of the 

Yukon 1000 race. 

The second kayak for this exercise 

is the Delta 17, which we’re finding 

to be a good, light, easy-to-paddle 

day-use or weekend touring kayak 

made from forgiving thermoform. 

We picked it because it’s part of the 

Wavelength roster, meaning we could 

poke holes to accommodate gear 

without restriction – a sometimes 

necessary evil if you really want to 

trick out a kayak. 

Stick Holster 

(Blue Water) 

Reflective deck tape 

(NorthWater) 

Rapidup Sail 

(Advanced Elements) 


Our Tricked-Out Kayaks 

One of the great things about kayaking is the inherent 

simplicity. All you really need to get started is a kayak, a paddle 

and the basic safety gear. 

But like all hobbies, we can complicate things as much as 

we want. And nothing has the potential to complicate life as 

much as gear. It can improve our kayaking comfort, efficiency 

and convenience. But it can come at the cost of forsaking the 

simplicity that helps define kayaking. 

But this article isn’t about simplicity, so minimalists, put your 

Seat and Bilge Sponge 

(Skwoosh) 



Interior mounted 

cockpit bags 

(North Water) 

Cargo Half-Skirt 


KayakSailor 

(Kuvia) 

basic nature aside as we explore the world of kayak clutter. Just 

as car lovers can deck out hotrods, so can we kayakers deck out 

our kayaks. 

How far can we go? Well, our goal here was to create the 

ultimate tricked-out kayak. And in the end we actually needed 

two kayaks to accommodate all the items. 

So is our life better now? Sometimes. But not always. 

Everything has an upside and downside, so in our brief appraisal 

of the items that make up our tricked out kayak, we take a look 

at our impression of the pros and cons of each item. u 

Under deck bag 

(North Water) 

How we selected the items 

We didn’t. Instead we put out a cattle-call 

email to various gear manufacturers to take part, 

at no cost to them to participate, and this is the 

result. We tried not to exclude anyone, but a few 

items offered to us fell off the rails mainly due 

to deadline restrictions. We got swamped! 

Because of the complexity, the contributed 

kayak sails didn’t get a complete workout. 

Instead, we’re going to outline the four sails we 

were offered separately in a later issue. Also, we 

fully intend to improve our tricked out kayak 

over time, so if items are missing, we’ll fill in 

the gaps later. To nominate items for inclusion 

in a future “tricked out kayak beyond all belief,” 

email kayak@wavelengthmagazine.com 

Sea Anchor 

(Sea-Lect) 

Check out our tricked-out 

kayak in video online 

WINTER 2010 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE 25 


New Gear 

For the cockpit 

the actual packs can be detached). Requires 

removing sprayskirt to use. 

Interior mounted cockpit bags 

North Water 

These simple gear bags can increase 

storage space inside your cockpit. North 

Water offered two options for our tricked 

out kayak: the underdeck and interior 

mount styles, with the latter best positioned 

along the cockpit side next to the seat. 

Advantages: Potential great use of empty 

space, plus quick release tabs to remove the 

bags from the anchors. Quick, easy access. 

Disadvantages: Be sure you have the 

necessary cockpit space, for both comfort 

and safety. The bags aren’t waterproof. The 

anchor pads must be glued and become a 

permanent addition to your kayak (though 

Seat cushion 

Skwoosh 

If comfort of the posterior is a priority 

(and when isn’t it?), then the Skwoosh seat 

cushion will add necessary padding. This is 

a staff favorite field tested for many years. 

Advantages: It’s a no-brainer installation 

– just put it down. Comfortable, durable 

and well constructed. More stable than 

inflatable seat pads. 

Disadvantages: A slight (oh-so-slight) 

rise in your kayak’s centre of gravity. Could 

be lost in event of a wet exit. 

Versatility: Use it outside your cockpit 

at your camp on the beach or on rough logs. 


Beluga Outdoor Works 

When kayak camping, a cockpit cover 

can help keep out dew, rain, bugs and even 

raccoons. Since the cockpit makes a great 

place to stash gear, it only makes sense that 

the cockpit cover provide quick access to 

the gear. Enter Beluga with this offering 

that features a zipper to gain inner access, a 

mesh lining for gear storage and a strap to 

lift the whole package when needed. 

Advantages: Suspends gear to potentially 

keep it out of the ‘wet’ portion of the 

cockpit. Adds a layer of versatility to the 

otherwise static cockpit cover. 

Disadvantages: The mesh pocket is large 

so gear may still fall into the wet portion. Be 

sure to get right size for your cockpit. 



Electric bilge pump 

Blue Water Kayak Works 

A specialty item, this system utilizes a 

highly efficient mini pump, battery and a 

magnetic switch to empty a kayak in about 

50 seconds, with an hour’s battery life. That 

can be doubled by adding a second battery. 

Advantages: This allows the safety of 

emptying the cockpit with hands-free 

effort, allowing the paddler to concentrate 

on kayaking rather than bailing – a huge 

safety benefit. It also enables effort-free 

emptying of the cockpit during training so 

you can build skills instead of draining your 

energy by manually emptying the kayak. 

Disadvantages: The installation takes 

several hours, requires drilling a hole in the 

kayak and permanently placing the tubing, 

electrical and battery and pump, which can 

be nitpicky. Elements can’t be removed 

(including the battery) when not in use 

without dismantling the system. The system 

adds three to four pounds to the weight of 

the kayak. 

Versatility: Blue Water is adding options 

for a solar panel and an adaptor for other 

uses such as a USB connection, adding 

the potential for a great electrical power 

source during remote long-distance trips, 

with additional benefit of the safety of an 

automatic pump. 

Cargo half-skirt 

Beluga Outdoor Works 

The half-skirt covers the front portion 

of the cockpit, providing some protection 

from sun and water. A layer of mesh 

underneath the half-skirt offers unsecured 

cargo space. A staff favorite for the design. 

Advantages: Get the freedom from the 

confinement of a sprayskirt while covering 

the area most prone to paddle drips. 

Protects from sun-burned upper legs. Extra 

cargo space is a bonus. 

Disadvantages: A fair-weather product, 

it won’t provide the safety features of a full 

sprayskirt. Cockpit could get waterlogged. 

Bilge sponge 

Skwoosh 

It’s not so much a sponge as it is a highly 

absorbent, soft material. Smaller than 

regular sponges, the small size is either a 

benefit or a drawback. A loop can be used 

to secure it to your kayak. 

u 


New Gear 

Foredeck luxuries 

Tech pouch 

Advanced Elements 

Dry cases are standard these days, 

especially for anything electronic. New 

from Advanced Elements is a dry pouch 

with a twist: an extendable arm keeps the 

pouch upright at roughly a 45-degree angle. 

Clip it to existing deck lines for a better 

viewing angle. 

Advantages: Simple clip-on setup, aids 

visibility of electronic gear, potentially 

making viewing hands-free. 

Disadvantages: The extending arm 

bends rather than pivots on a hinge. 

Rigidity suffers and is best if item in the 

pouch is near the size of the pouch. 

Yak Armor 


This new product is made of a highly 

scuff-proof plastic designed to protect your 

kayak’s finish. Cut the Yak Armor to size, 

then simply lay down flat to apply. 

Advantages: Easy to apply and replace. It 

is virtually indestructible and invisible. 

Disadvantages: Bends in the shape 

of your hull have to be accommodated. 

Artistry in trimming will help the look. 

. 

Yak Armour 

Turtleback deck bag 

North Water 

This is an adaptation of the classic deck 

bag in miniature. It will fit a camera and 

snacks but not much more. 

Advantage: It’s easy to clip into place 

and contains its own flotation. It is small 

enough that it is highly unlikely to impede 

your paddling technique or obstruct views 

of your compass, for instance. 

Disadvantages: Difficult to use with 

other items like the Tech Pouch. 

Hydration Holster 

North Water 

This removable holster is designed for 

quick installation by snapping onto existing 

deck lines. It keeps a water bottle within 

easy reach. 

Advantages: Protects deck from 

scratches that will occur if, for instance, 

your water bottle is secured to your deck 

under your bungy cords. It also allows onehand 

access to your water bottle. Plus the 

odds of losing your bottle diminish. 

Disadvantages: It pretty much precludes 

a deck bag or other foredeck use as it straps 

across the width of the foredeck. 

Versatility: Can be used around the waist 

when not paddling. 

Sea Anchor 

Sea-Lect Designs 

This will be of most interest to the 

kayak fishermen among us, though other 

kayakers might find a suitable use. It is a 

heavy cast iron construction that is every 

bit a traditional anchor, with a handy foldup 

storage feature. 

Advantages: A truly well-made product 

that is high durable and likely to last a 

lifetime of use. 



Disadvantages: Users should know the 

risk of entanglement, and place it only in a 

manner where a cutaway is possible should 

the anchor become caught. 

Versatility: Can be used to club bears. 

Paddle Leash 

Natural West Coast Adventure Gear 

Simple and efficient, it will link your 

paddle to your kayak, which is desirable 

should potentially all three of you (your 

kayak, your paddle and you) otherwise part 

ways. A tried and true design. 

Versatility: The paddle leash is 

underrated as a secure way to store other 

items. For instance, we use it to secure the 

stand for the waterproof housing on our 

video camera. Should the stand fail, the 

leash won’t. 

Paddle care 

Paddle cover 

Natural West Coast Adventure Gear 

A traditional paddle cover option, it 

covers both the blade and the shaft and 

connects the two ends with an adjustable 

strap. By protecting the paddle, when used 

as your spare paddle strapped to your deck 

it can project your hull and your paddle 

from scratches. 

Stick Holster 


This simple pair of connected plastic 

tubes fastens to the bungy cord on the bow 

of your kayak. By sliding the ends of the 

shaft of your spare paddle you gain quick 

access to your spare paddles. 

Advantages: Bow storage of your 

spare paddle with quick access – perfect 

for paddlers with paddles for different 

conditions. 

Disadvantages: Unlike North Water’s 

Paddle Britches, the Stick Holster isn’t easily 

removed when not in use. Some may not 

like the look of the tubes when not in use. 

Safety 

Four-Play 

North Water 

This versatile paddle float unfolds to 

fill a number of other possible uses. One 

is a beaching pad to protect your kayak’s 

hull when landing on rocks or barnacles. It 

can protect your car in the same way when 

loading your kayak into a cradle. It is also 

billed for use as a sleeping pad and chair. 

Advantages: It combines multiple uses 

in one product that is otherwise a static 

and rarely used item (in comparison to a 

traditional foam paddle float). Useful as a 

pad or cushion in camp. 

Disadvantages: The padding is too firm 

for use as a single sleeping pad. Consider it 

extra padding under your tent instead. The 

seat isn’t firm for sitting upright. 

Versatility: You could dream up any 

other number of uses. For instance, use 

it as a mat for car repairs when you break 

down on the way to your launch site. 

Tow lines 

Natural West Coast Adventure Gear and North Water 

Two options were rigged to our trickedout 

kayaks. NWCAG offers a basic beltdeployed 

tow rope that is nicely compact. 

North Water offered its Sea Tec Tow Line, 

which deploys around the cockpit combing 

u 


New Gear 

connect. Can be quickly dropped onto the 

deck when the need arises. 

Disadvantages: The design is downwind 

only. We found it difficult to refit into 

the stow bag. Care needs to be taken in 

the process, as the light frame can snap, 

rendering the sail useless. 

Disadvantages: It’s heavy. 

Versatility: Can be used to club bears. 

Kong Cable 

to transfer the stress of towing from the 

kayaker to the kayak. A quick-release tab 

ensures an easy jettison, if the need arises. 

Outrigger rescue device 

Solo Rescue Assist 

While paddle floats assist through 

buoyancy, this outrigger provides stability 

for wet re-entries through a cantilever and a 

water-filled counterbalance. 

Advantages: The weight of the water is 

very effective for providing stability during 

self-rescues. 

Disadvantages: Bulkier to store on a 

kayak than most paddle floats. 

Versatility: Can be augmented by a 

ladder. Two such outriggers would provide 

near-perfect stability for a kayak. Great 

potential for overnighting during expedition 

crossings. 

Kayak sails 

We quickly decided that in terms of 

tricking out a kayak, a sail went one step 

further by transforming the use into a whole 

new skillset. We were offered four types of 

sails for this project, and present two styles 

to whet the appetite for this option. We are 

planning a followup article to examine sails 

and kayak sailing in more depth. 

RapidUp Sail 

Advanced Elements 

This simple, effective and highly 

portable design quickly clips to the bow of 

your kayak. 

Advantages: Quick, light and simple, 

especially as the sail uses carabiners to 

KayakSailor 

Kuvia 

This rates as a more complex design 

by far, with greater benefits. The design is 

rather ingenious, and effectively mimics a 

sailboat with features adapted for a kayak. 

We can’t wait to more thoroughly test this! 

Advantages: Can be used for upwind 

sailing. Careful thought to the design 

essentially transforms the kayak into a fullfledged 

sailboat complete with outriggers. 

Disadvantages: Holes in hull required to 

mount, plus a sailing skillset is required – or 

will need to be developed. 

Security 

Kayak Secure 

Beluga Outdoor Gear 

Operating akin to the famous Club for 

securing the steering wheel of cars, this 

heavy-duty extendable bar extends to clamp 

across the cockpit of your kayak, then locks 

into place. 

Advantages: While no guarantee by itself 

that someone won’t steal your kayak, in 

conjunction with a locking cable it adds an 

extra measure of security – plus provides a 

place to tether the cable. 

Lasso Security 

This extra-heavy-duty locking cable is 

designed with two loops on either end. 

Wrap around the kayak on either side to 

take up the slack and secure around your 

car’s kayak rack or a post, then secure in the 

middle to reconnect two ends. Locks with 

keys or combination. 

Advantages: Sturdy, secure design with 

lots of latitude for use. 

Disadvantages: Weight of the locking 

portion means care is necessary when 

looping to avoid scratching your car. A 

sliding protective cover would help. 

Transport 

Trayak 

Tony’s Trailers 

Leave the car at home. The Trayak offers 

a versatile, portable, lightweight yet strong 

design. A staff favorite. 

Advantages: It is surprisingly efficient 

for towing the kayak, requiring little 

additional pedalling effort. Good strong 

construction. Adaptable design includes 

possibility of a cargo container. Can be 

adopted for different lengths of kayaks. 

Turns on a dime. Plastic tires allow backing 

the trailer into the water to unload. A 

carbon-neutral product. Simple tightening 

fasteners. Quick to assemble. Well designed. 

Disadvantages: Hills, dogs and cars and 

all the usual impediments to cycling. < 



Options 

story and images By by Adam Neil Schulman Bolonsky 

Surf games 

Trade in that ‘sofa’ 

for something to 

ride the waves – 

if you dare 

GRIMACING, I cram myself into 

Dave’s bright red, shiny fiberglass 

surf kayak, which is a bit too small 

for me. The fit’s tight, but tolerable. I push 

off into the soup and start to paddle out. 

Immediately I realize I’m in a different 

world. For starters, the boat doesn’t seem 

to go anywhere. Several strokes later, the 

stern is still bottoming out on the sand and 

I haven’t moved far off the beach. When 

I urge the boat forward, it fishtails, even 

more than my shortest whitewater kayak. 

I’m sitting up a few inches higher, which 

should give me some more power, but it 

also adds instability. 

And then come the waves. 

With my lack of forward speed, I get 

pushed backward quickly by the first small 

dumpers. I struggle to make it out of the 

soup zone, and then I try to catch a few 

short rides to warm up to the new craft. 

The short stern of the boat gets whipped 

in circles quickly, and the hull behaves very 

differently than I’m used to. A couple of 

short “rides” (or at least I like to think I 

was catching rides) and I’m upside down. 

Then I discover something else new: 

surf boats are very hard to roll. On the 

second attempt I swim, and as I empty 

the boat, Dave comes flying by in my 

river kayak, exclaiming, “This thing is 

like paddling a sofa!” Welcome to my 

first experience with the funky but high 

performance kayaks specifically designed 

for the surf zone. 

It may be the wave of the future. 

Like everything in the kayaking world, 

surf kayaks have gotten increasingly 

specialized. We’ve now got whitewater 

boats specially designed for park-and-play, 

for running waterfalls, for downriver racing, 

and sea kayaks for expeditions, play and 

fishing. Surf boats are the logical next step, 

and they’re extremely good at it (assuming 

the kayakers know what they’re doing.) But 

there’s a lot to get used to. 

The difference between the surf kayak 

and my whitewater boat is obvious. Most 

dramatic is the bottom. The surf boat’s 

underside is dead flat, even more so than 

planing-hull whitewater boats. Like a 

surfboard, it’s got fins, which are often 

movable and interchangeable. The flat 

surface, like a surfboard, rockers up at the 

bow to allow the boat to fall down the wave 

without digging in and locking in position. 

And where my whitewater boat is boxshaped 

in cross-section, surf kayaks are 

very clearly wider at the bottom of the hull 

with very distinct rails. From there the boat 

narrows as you move above the waterline. 

The stern end is minimal, with very little 

boat aft of the cockpit, often in a variety 

of rounded shapes designed to loosen the 

stern to make easy turns possible. The 

sides of the boat are convex. This is to 

aid switching the sides of boat lean on 

the wave without catching edges. Most are 

fiberglass rather than plastic, and about the 

length of the shorter set of whitewater play 

boats, about 7’6” or so. 

Like anything specialized, surf kayaks are 

good at one thing at the expense of others. 

The obvious purpose is to surf waves. Not 


Surf Kayaking 

Student and instructor 

wait for the right 

conditions for a launch 

into surf on the beach at 

Cape Kiwanda, Oregon. 

just to ponderously ride a wave into the 

beach like sea kayakers, but to be able to 

turn, cut back, spin and even catch air. For 

this they trade speed, stability and ease of 

rolling, which means a 

steep learning curve and 

a lot of paddling effort to 

get to the surf lineup. 

After a few runs and 

some pointers, I begin 

to get a better feel. I 

realize that while the 

flat hull doesn’t seem to 

be affected much by a 

knee lift and hip edge, an 

aggressive upper body 

lean – toward the sea, 

just like surfing any other 

kayak – is critical. Leaning 

back sinks the tiny stern 

and frees up the rockered 

bow, often whipping the 

boat around in circles. I 

throw my body further 

forward and get some 

better results. 

As I get tired, I go over 

a few times and rediscover 

the difficulty I have with 

rolling, so I take a few 

minutes to watch Dave, 

Chris, and Zach. I notice 

a few things. First of all, 

they fall down the face 

of the wave a lot faster 

and more aggressively, 

staying on the unbroken 

part of the wave. They’re 

using the pocket, where 

a sea kayak or even a 

whitewater boat quickly locks in too much 

at the bow and broaches. Almost all turns 

u 


Options 

are made with onside lean, as opposed to 

leaning away from a stern rudder as sea 

kayakers do to avoid broaching. When they 

capsize, I don’t feel so bad. It often takes a 

several attempts to flip over the flat, finned 

bottom, often ending with a scull. If rolling 

a sea kayak is like rolling a log, rolling a surf 

boat looks more like flipping over a sheet 

of plywood. 

Surf kayakers also usually seek 

different conditions than sea kayaks, or 

even whitewater boats playing in the surf. 

The desirable condition is an offshore 

wind, which will steepen and shorten the 

incoming waves—exactly the opposite of 

what I’d look for if I wanted to surf in my 

“short” 16-foot sea kayak, which demands 

longer wavelengths. 

Using steeper waves also means a new 

type of etiquette. Since I’ve mostly surfed 

whitewater or sea kayaks, I found that I 

didn’t conflict much with board surfers, 

since we were looking for different waves 

and used different sections of the break. 

In surf boats, you’re using the exact same 

spots as board surfers. After all, you’re 

basically on a surfboard with a cockpit. You 

Chris Bensch surfs a broken wave at Cape 

Kiwanda, Oregon. 

still have a lot more maneuverability than 

they do – you have a paddle and an easier 

time getting into position. 

“It’s important to understand a few 

things,” says Chris. “First, when we’re 

waiting for a wave, we have a tendency 

to paddle back and forth, since it’s more 

stable. This makes them nervous. 

“Second, they work hard to paddle out, 

and they can’t accelerate as quick, so they 

may be waiting out there for as long as 30 

minutes for a wave. So wait your turn.” 

Lastly, never drop on someone who’s 

already on a wave, and stay clear when 

paddling out. When in doubt, turn and 

paddle toward the broken part of the wave. 

Folks riding the wave in will be surfing the 

shoulder in the other direction. 

By the end of the morning I’m 

exhausted and feel anything but competent. 

But new approaches are never easy, and 

this is no exception. I’m certainly envious 

of the moves my friends have been able 

to make, and the grace they show doing it. 

Then I get back into my whitewater boat to 

paddle back. It really does feel supremely 

stable, slow, and forgiving. Kind of like 

paddling a sofa. 

< 

Neil Schulman has been told that paddling 

a surf kayak is kind of like driving a racing 

car, but he’ll have to take your word for it. He 

lives in Portland, Oregon. 


Kayak-Friendly Accommodation 

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enjoy luxury by night 

at these locations that 

cater to kayakers. 

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on Nootka Island, 

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Buy a share in a private 60 acre island 

Paddle in and paddle out 

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room with gas fireplace, full kitchen, two bathrooms 

including jetted tub, wrap around deck, bbq. 

Phone: 250-285-2042 

Web: www.capemudgeresort.bc.ca 

Email: info@capemudgeresort.bc.ca 

Two acres waterfront 

with a small cozy cabin: $195,000 

One acre waterfront: $95,000 

For more info see www.Nuchatlitz.ca 

or www.SeaOtterIsland.com 

cvec17@hotmail.com or 250-334-2375 

E-Den Bed & Breakfast 

Escape to Lasqueti’s new B&B, nearby to Jedediah Island 

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and bathroom, wood fired hot tub, yoga studio, solar 

power, organic farm and orchard. 

Phone: 250-240-8246 

Web: www.e-den.ca 

Email: kayak@e-den.ca 


Options 

by Christine Brice and Wavelength Magazine 

Surf kayaking 

1. 

Understand the difference in kayaks. 

With a longer bow and a short, stubby stern, the surf kayak is an unstable 

beast that in some ways resembles a whitewater kayak but is designed solely 

for riding waves. That feature makes it very unwieldy for anything else but 

waves, meaning sea kayakers are going to need a whole new skillset to take 

up surf kayaking. There is no simply stepping inside and paddling away. 

2. 

Make sure the boat fits like a glove. 

The first thing you want to do even before you get in the water is see if you 

fit in it. You’re looking for points of contact – as many points of contact as you 

can. Make sure your feet are set on the footpegs and your heals are flat on the 

bottom of the boat. The more points of contact you have the more control 

you have. So you want your knees and thighs to be jammed in there, and you 

want to be hitting at your hips and your butt. Proper fitting of your boat is 

very important to get the required performance from your surf kayak. 

3. 

Know how to exit your kayak. 

One of the first things that is going to happen is you are going to catch 

an edge and you’re going to go upside down. Surf boats are difficult 

to roll but you don’t need to know how to roll to start. It’s just more 

exhausting if you need to get out and swim. As the bare minimum you 

need to know how to pull your sprayskirt off and wet exit just like you 

would for any other form of paddling. 

4. 

Think safety. 

Check to make sure there is nobody else around 

you. There’s an etiquette that board surfers follow 

that kayak surfers should follow as well. You want 

to make sure you’re not near anyone because if 

you have to bail out of this and your kayak is full of 

water it’s very heavy. It can hurt other people and it 

can break boards. 


Surf Kayaking 

101 Here’s what you need to know to get you started. 

Will Brice goes through the paces. The 

camera on the bow of the kayak was 

used to create the video shown in the 

online version. 

5. 

Start slow and easy. 

A beginner usually starts in the impact zone as it is known: the area where you see the white waves and the white wash. 

This is where surf kayaking is much more enjoyable for a beginner, because a surf kayak will surf the foam pile. You don’t 

have to get outside the surf line and you don’t have to get on a green wave to start. 

6. 

Head straight into surf. 

The paddle to use is a whitewater paddle. Use a 

fairly short, deep stroke. As you first head out into a 

whitewater wave you want to hit the wave face on. 

Wait for it to break and make for the foam pile. That’s 

the easiest conditions for crossing. Place the paddle 

blade in the water and lift your body up to throw the 

boat up and over the foam. 

7. 

Ride a wave. 

When you get to the spot you’re comfortable, start with 

some side surfs. Place your kayak parallel to the whitewater 

wave and feel how it pushes the boat along. You’re going to 

put your paddle blade in and lean into it. To start you want a 

little speed so paddle and lean a little bit forward. Once you 

feel yourself picked up by the wave, depending on where 

your comfort level is, you can back up a little bit and ride 

the wave in. In a surf boat you’re not going to be heading 

straight to shore. It’s going to try to curve along and you’re 

going to follow the wave so you want to be prepared to be 

able to lean into whichever way you turn so you can stay 

upright no matter which way you go. 

See all of this explained in action. Click to view the first of 

Wavelength’s new video training series – plus awesome surfing. 


Options 

Up 

for 

the 

challenge 

Bowron Lakes prove ideal for standup paddleboarding 

EVER SINCE Laura Demers saw 

the first boards come into the 

store where she works, she was 

fascinated by the concept. 

“I tried out some demo boards from the 

store and I was hooked,” she says. Standup 

paddling still takes a back seat to her love 

of whitewater kayaking, but it has definitely 

added another dimension to her paddling 

passion. 

“After spending some time on a standup 

board, along with some encouragement 

from my employer, Marlin at Western 

Canoeing and Kayaking, I decided to 

tackle the Bowron Lakes on a standup 

board. My boyfriend Dave and I decided 

September would be the best time to avoid 

the crowds.” 

Bowron Lakes is a 116-km circuit 

located in a provincial park northeast of 

Quesnel, BC, that starts and ends in the 

Mackenzie 

Prince Rupert 

Prince George 

Bowron Lakes Provincial Park 

Kamloops 

same place to create the perfect circuit. It is 

a series or portages, lakes Vancouver and rivers. 

The most frequent question Laura 

got was, “Where are you going to put all 

your gear?” Dave acted as the sherpa and 

carried most of the gear in a Tripper S 

Clipper canoe set up for solo canoeing. 

“I chose the Starboard Free Race 

because it’s a fast touring board and my 

paddle was a Werner Spanker that was 

really light,” she says. “Dave and I did time 

trials to make sure the two craft were of 

comparable speed and the board easily kept 

up to the canoe.” 

The gear for the trip weighed in at 180 

pounds, with Laura stowing two 20-litre 

packs on her board. 

“We had originally planned on taking 

seven days to complete the circuit and 

thought even that might be pushing it for 

time and energy. In the end, it only took us 

six days. We paddled an average of 20 km a 

day, which took us about six to seven hours. 

As luck would have it, it rained four days 

out of seven and we had a headwind most 

of the time.” 

Her Kokatat drysuit helped to keep 

warm and comfortable the whole way. 

“By the second day, my abs were feeling 

the core workout. I was surprised that my 


Standup paddleboards 

legs never got tired,” she says. 

Setting up a paddle sail wasn’t an option 

because of the unfortunate wind direction. 

Plus any break from paddling meant 

drifting backwards. 

“People we met along the way called 

me crazy and snapped pictures like the 

paparazzi. The German tourists we met 

had never seen nor heard of an SUP and 

they took pictures to verify their stories 

about the crazy Canadian when they got 

back home.” 

Her run of the “chute” on Isaac River 

caught everyone’s attention. 

“They were all expecting me to fall off, 

and I didn’t disappoint them. I made it past 

the first couple of big waves and then came 

crashing to the water. I managed to rescue 

myself and hop back on the board for the 

rest of the river. Thank goodness for that 

helmet and board tether I brought. 

“The trip was a lot of fun, and yes, I 

stood up the whole way!” 

< 


Planning and Safety 

Kayaking with flare 

PADDLERS carry 

a widening array of 

communication devices 

in case of an emergency. VHF 

radios, Spot, EPIRBs and satellite 

phones are all options when 

planning a trip. Flares are more 

commonplace, though, long 

considered a basic safety item for 

any maritime adventure. 

Flares are pyrotechnic 

emergency distress signals and 

can be harmful when inappropriately 

used. There is potential for serious injury, 

especially if they are accidentally discharged 

and strike the user or another bystander. 

They can also occasionally misfire or 

explode. Please read the instructions 

carefully before using. When not in use on 

the water, flares should be stored in a safe, 

dry location and be replaced every three 

to four years. There are four categories of 

flares: types A through D. 

Type A flares, or parachute rockets, are 

the most powerful pyrotechnic available to 

paddlers. When launched, these flares reach 

a height of over 300 meters and burn for 

at least 40 seconds. Because of their height, 

they can be seen over a long distance, 

especially on clear nights. 

Type B flares are also called multi-star 

flares. The most common Type B flares are 

the Very Pistol and the Skyblazer. The Very 

pistol was named after Edward Wilson Very 

When all else fails, 

pyrotechnics can get 

you potentially 

life-saving attention 

(1847–1910), an American naval officer who 

developed and popularized a single-shot 

pistol that is able to fire flares. Reaching 

a more limited height of 100 meters and 

burning for no more than 15 seconds, these 

flares are visible over a shorter range than 

Type A flares. Type A and B flares are less 

effective during bright sunshine, and next to 

useless in low clouds. In these conditions, 

Type C and D flares are more effective. 

Try to remember the last time you saw 

a car accident. You might have noticed 

police officers dispersing a few lit sticks 

with powerful red flames around the 

scene of the accident. These flares 

ensure drivers are aware of the 

accident ahead. Hand-held marine 

flares look the same as accident 

flares, but are held in hand away 

from the eyes. They are designed 

for the marine environment and 

work well during the day as well as 

at night. In a pinch, they are also 

excellent for starting a fire in the 

rain. 

Smoke flares round out our flare 

types. Movies or documentaries about the 

Vietnam War show these types of devices. 

Soldiers throw canisters that produce a 

great deal of smoke to enable helicopters 

to pinpoint a position. The smoke signaling 

device works approximately the same, 

except the device can be thrown in the 

water or be held in your hand. The flares 

produce a dense, oily orange or red smoke 

visible during the day. Although they are 

awkward to carry, the dense smoke is 

certain to attract attention. 

So which flares should a paddler 

choose? Your final choice will depend to 

some extent on your paddling locale, but 

one Type A and three Type B flares are a 

practical combination. In an emergency, 

launch the parachute flare first to alert as 

many potential rescuers as possible. Once 

you notice a plane or boat moving in your 

direction, launch one of the Type B flares 


Flares 

to help them pinpoint your location. As 

the rescuers approach, launch the last two 

flares. 

Aerial flares should be fired at an angle 

into the wind. This encourages the flare 

to gain altitude so it can be seen over the 

greatest distances. Calculate a firing angle 

of 1 degree for each knot of wind. For 

example, if the wind is blowing 20 knots, 

you should fire the flare against the wind 

with an angle of 20 degrees. If there is no 

wind at all, you should fire the flare directly 

over your head. With high wind velocity 

such as storm force winds, lower the angle 

to a maximum of 45 degrees. 

Flare manufacturers use a variety of 

firing systems. Review the instructions 

carefully before you need to use them. You 

need to be familiar with the operation of all 

flares in your possession, and ideally have 

attended a flare demonstration. 

Aerial flares are designed to extinguish 

in water. If a flare misfires, handle it with 

caution. The ignition might be delayed. Wait 

at least 30 seconds, and if it still hasn’t fired, 

place it in water until you can dispose of it 

properly. 

Are flares obsolete? 

Considering electronic options such as 

GPS locator beacons and the question 

of whether flares will be seen, are they a 

worthwhile piece of safety equipment 

now? Join the discussion at 

www. wavelengthmagazine.com/forum 

Here are some safety tips for using flares: 

• Launch an aerial flare at arm’s length 

away from your face. 

• Look away from the flare when you 

launch it. 

• Treat a flare as if it is a firearm: don’t 

point it towards anyone. 

Paddlers must also sort out how to store 

and carry flares on the water. Flares need 

to be kept dry but they must also be kept 

at hand in the event of an emergency. I 

recommend using a waterproof container 

such as a welding rod container or in a 

heavy duty vacuum sealed plastic bag. To 

facilitate opening the bag, seal a large nail in 

the bag with the flares. 

Flares are valid for four years from the 

date of manufacture which is stamped 

on each flare. It is hard to find a place to 

dispose of outdated flares but try calling 

your local fire department or police station. 

Flares cannot be recycled and throwing 

flares in with household trash poses a 

danger. 

Remember that it is illegal to fire flares 

if you are not in distress. Only in rare 

instances, possibly at a training session 

organized by a training organization, 

would you be able to discharge a flare in a 

non-emergency situation and not break the 

law. 

One significant drawback to flares is 

that they communicate one way – you don’t 

know if anyone has seen them. Paddlers 

should also carry a two way communication 

device such as a radio or cell phone. 

Nevertheless, flares are a recognized and 

effective emergency signalling device. Used 

properly, they form an important part of 

most paddlers’ emergency communications 

plan. 

• 

Michael Pardy lives in Victoria where he runs 

SKILS Ltd. He can be reached at info@skils.ca. 


Skillset 

By Alex Matthews 

1 

photos by Dave Aharonian 

2 3 

THE “HAND OF GOD” is a 

rather extravagantly named rescue 

that is very effective when aiding 

an unconscious or injured paddler who is 

unable to exit their capsized kayak. Because 

it’s quick and keeps the paddler in their boat 

(which reduces the stress and fatigue that 

swimming would impart), it’s also a terrific 

general-purpose rescue for instructors 

and guides coaching beginners in easy 

conditions. 

The concept is simple: the rescuer rolls 

4 

the capsized kayak, and its occupant, back 

upright. While this rescue does require a 

certain amount of brute strength, as with all 

skills, proper technique can go a long way to 

making it much easier. 

Start by closing the distance as fast 

1 as possible, maneuvering your kayak 

into position parallel to the capsized boat. 

Next, drape yourself across the 

2 overturned hull, securing a solid 

grip on the far side of the kayak’s cockpit 

coaming. 

Do not be afraid to fully commit your 

weight onto the overturned boat – its 

flotation will easily support you, and this 

committed position puts you into a great 

stance to right the kayak. 

With your hand closest to the 

3 capsized boat securely gripping 

the far side of the coaming, place your 

other hand on the capsized hull’s chine 

opposite your gripping hand. By aggressively 

weighting the chine closest to you (pushing it 

down) while pulling with your far hand, it is 

5 6 


The Hand of God 

very easy to roll the capsized kayak halfway 

back upright. 

4 

At this point, move both hands to 

the gripping position on the coaming 

and pull the kayak towards your own, 

closing the gap between the two boats. This 

effectively ‘locks out’ the capsized kayak’s 

position, holding it very securely on edge. 

5 

Now shift hand positions, reaching 

your outer hand out to secure a grip 

on the paddler’s PFD, while the other hand 

retains its grasp on the coaming. A key 

step at this juncture is to move the boats 

apart again in order to create enough space 

for the angled kayak to roll fully upright. 

Complete the rotation of the capsized 

kayak by pulling down at the coaming and 

hauling the paddler upright over their stern 

deck. 

6 

Once the kayak is righted, the 

rescuer must continue to provide full 

support in the case of an injured kayaker, 

as a compromised paddler may well capsize 

again if not effectively stabilized. Wrap an 

arm around the paddler, get a good grip on 

a deck line and lean into them. Signal for 

assistance and have a paddling partner tow 

both boats to shore. 

The hardest part of this rescue is 

completing the final rotation upright. 

Some kayaks are harder to rotate than 

others, and smaller rescuers will struggle 

to right heavy paddlers. But even if you 

find it hard to complete the full rotation to 

finished upright position, the Hand of God 

should still be in your repertoire because 

in many instances that first half rotation is 

enough to make a huge difference. In calm 

conditions, when dealing with anything 

short of an unconscious paddler (which is 

thankfully very rare), simply rotating the 

kayak up onto its side is usually enough to 

allow a struggling paddler to bring their 

head to the surface and breathe. From this 

position, the rescuer can communicate 

Instruction 

Kayak Academy (Seattle) 

Experience IS Necessary! Since 1991, the Kayak 

Academy has been providing the best sea kayak 

experience you can get. Count on us for all your 

paddling gear. 

Phone: 206.527.1825 or toll-free 866.306.1825 

Web: www.kayakacademy.com 

Email: info@kayakacademy.com 

Hooksum Outdoor School 

West Coast Outdoor Leadership Training. Quality 

skills training and Hesquiaht traditional knowledge 

for those pursuing a career or employment in the 

outdoors. Certification courses include: Paddle Canada 

Sea Kayaking Levels I & II, Advanced Wilderness First 

Aid, Lifesaving, BOAT & ROC(M). Visiting Kayak & Hiking 

Groups: Base your Hesquiaht Harbour adventures from 

our Longhouse. Meals and overnight stays available 

in 2010. 

Phone: 250.670.1120 

Web: www.hooksumschool.com 

Email: info@hooksumschool.com 

with the capsized paddler. Talk them 

through a wet exit, ask them to lie well back 

onto the stern deck to make rotation easier, 

or await assistance from another paddling 

partner. 

< 

Adapted from “Sea Kayaking Rough Waters” 

by Alex Matthews available at 

www.helipress.com. 


Fishing Angles 

Fishing lunacy 

Some anglers think that unless the sun 

and the moon are aligned, you may as 

well stow your tackle and go for a paddle 

rather than ‘waste’ time fishing… 

IF YOUR ANGLING EFFORTS weren’t as productive as 

you wished this season (and whose ever are?), perhaps it’s time 

to consider some outside factors that can influence your catch 

rate. One of those influences originates from far above, in the form 

of gravity from Earth’s closest celestial body: the moon. 

Well known for its gravitational effect on the ocean and large 

lakes, there is a strong body of evidence that shows the moon 

and its forces also affect the feeding habits of game and fish. The 

influences of the lunar phases on nature were documented by 

ancient societies and, to this day, publications like the Old Farmers 

Almanac, which has been published since 1792, have listed the best 

fishing days based on the phase of the moon. 

In fact, there are numerous charts, books, software programs 

and even entire websites devoted to the theory that the position of 

the moon (and the sun) can affect fishing success. All are based on 

the fact that the moon revolves around the Earth about every 29 

days, while the Earth revolves around the sun. As it does so, the 

distance of the moon – and its gravitational pull – varies as it relates 

to Earth and its water bodies. 

The lunar period between the new moon and the full moon, 

when the gravitational effects are at their strongest, is generally 

regarded as the best time to catch a fish. The pull of the moon’s 

gravity at that time causes the water on earth to move more than at 

any other lunar phase, and that water movement is said to trigger 

fish movement and feeding activities. 

Taking the concept even further, an avid angler and author 

named John Alden Knight in 1936 developed a table of moon and 

sun phases to help fishermen schedule their efforts. In his Solunar 

Table, Alden noted that, based on the position of the orbs, there 

were major and minor movement and feeding periods created each 

day. He suggested that the best time to fish on a particular location 

on Earth was when the moon is directly overhead or directly 

underfoot, calling these “major periods.” 

“Minor periods,” according to Knight, occur just before the 

moon rises and the hours after it sets, and also result in good 

fishing. 

To his credit, Knight originally considered 33 factors that might 

have an influence on the activities of fish, whittling them down to 

the three most apparent, upon which he bases his popular Solunar 

Tables: the sun, the moon and the tides. Among his findings during 

the research period, Knight discovered that some 90 percent of 200 

record fish catches occurred around a new moon. 

Knight’s original findings, often combined with various other 

scientific information on the matter, form the basis for most 

recommendations in modern-day fishing tables found in periodicals 

and on the web. And going by the popularity of the tables among 

fishermen – commercial and recreational – there are a great 

number of anglers 

who consult the 

tables to learn when 

their efforts may be 

rewarded. For a fee, 

some web-based 

sources offer custom 

tables for particular 

geographic locations. 

The effects of the 

sun and the moon on 

fishing success is pure 

theory, of course, since nothing can be proved outright. But if you 

want to have as much going for you as possible on your next paddle 

fishing trip, you just might want to time your angling hours on the 

water with what many believe to be the peak time for the fish to be 

feeding below. 

As for me, any time I can find to go fishing from my kayak is 

more than worth the gamble. 

< 

Dan Armitage is a boating, fishing and travel writer based in 

the Midwest. He is a licensed (USCG Master) captain, hosts a 

syndicated radio show, and presents kayak fishing seminars at 

boat shows. 


Rainforest Chronicles 

WE HAD BEEN sea kayaking 

in Clayoquot Sound for a week. 

The weather forecast had 

been warning daily of the potential for 

thunderstorms, but none had materialized. 

The final morning while packing to 

head home it began to rain quite hard – our 

group was stunned by the sheer volume of 

water falling from the sky. The intensity of 

the rain was picking up rapidly, and in less 

than five minutes the water running on the 

beach was already an inch deep. 

As we paddled away from shore I was 

nervous. The forecast had again warned of 

possible thundershowers, and you could 

feel it in the air. We were about to round a 

point and paddle down a rocky outer coast 

exposed to ocean swell, with few options 

for landing. 

We were passing the last sand beach 

when the forebodingly dark cloudscape over 

Foam Reef suddenly erupted in brilliant 

light. A streak of lightning issued forth, 

bridging the gap between sky and earth. I 

began to count seconds but got no further 

than one before the clap of thunder hit me. 

The lightning had struck a fifth of a mile 

away. 

In times of crisis it is important for a 

leader to remain calm. I was of course quite 

shaken, and personally would have bolted 

for the beach. But I could not precipitate a 

panic – must maintain equanimity! 

I calmly edged my boat and swung it 

around toward shore with sweep strokes, at 

a rate I figured the students could match. 

My plan was to announce that we were 

to proceed at once to shore in an orderly 

fashion. 

Way too late. Bonny, paddling at the rear 

of the group, said later “when that lightning 

struck, it was instantly everyone for 

A drab tarp can become 

a lifesaver when lightning 

suddenly turns an outing 

into a panicked scramble 

for shoreline and safety 

themselves.” She had never seen a group so 

quickly turn their boats or sprint for shore. 

Once on the beach, we didn’t feel a 

whole lot safer. The sand beach was open, 

making us the tallest standing structures. 

Not good. But along the edge of the forest 

there were lots of trees, and we felt it best 

to stay away from the trees in lightning. 

To make matters worse, people were 

cooling off quickly in the windy deluge 

(ah! summer on the coast) and if we didn’t 

take action soon, we could easily become 

hypothermic despite our wetsuits and 

drysuits. 

There is a trick for such situations. I 

pulled out a drab nine-foot x 12-foot guide’s 

tarp. We fetched some bags of snacks, and 

set them on the ground. Standing around 

the tarp holding the edges, we centered it 

over the snacks. Then everyone took one 

step forward, and ducked under the tarp, 

pulling it over and behind themselves, and 

sitting down on its edge. 

Now at this point we were all squished 

into a tight space with the tarp down on our 

heads. It took a bit of jostling accompanied 

by much giggling to get settled in, but we 

were soon scarfing back handfuls of trail 

mix to provide the rich fuel needed to 

prevent hypothermia. 

In such a confined space the heat of ten 

people accumulates in no time, and soon 

we were quite comfy while the storm raged 

overhead. There was nothing we could do 

to escape the wrath of Zeus, but it felt good 

to hide from the sight of the Storm God 

and regroup. 

Half an hour passed, and it seemed the 

downpour had abated somewhat. Coming 

out from under the tarp, our first instinct 

was to dive right back under – it was cold 

out there! 

After a period of careful observation 

it seemed the worst was over and we 

proceeded cautiously toward Tofino, making 

it home without further incident. 

Should you ever find yourself close to a 

lightning storm, you are in extreme danger 

and need to take steps to ensure your safety. 

If there is no way to get to shore, stay 15-20 

feet away from other boats, lean forward 

to reduce your profile, don’t touch metal 

objects and make sure you don’t have ropes 

trailing in the water. 

If you can make it to shore, avoid 

isolated tall trees, high ground or open 

spaces. Maintain a low crouching position 

with your feet together and hands over 

ears to minimize acoustic shock from the 

thunder. 

If someone is struck by lightning, 

they are safe to handle. Treat with CPR if 

needed and get medical help as they may 

have internal injuries. Eighty percent of 

lightning victims survive the shock. 

In thirty years of kayaking the coast 

this was only the second time I’ve had 

such a close and thus deeply humbling 

encounter with lightning. It’s not something 

we typically encounter, but it is good to be 

prepared. 

< 

Dan Lewis operates Rainforest Kayak 

Adventures in Clayoquot Sound. 


New Books 

Boat Camping 

Haida Gwaii 

A Small-Vessel Guide 

Second Edition 

Neil Frazer 

Harbour Publishing 

Those who venture to remote Haida 

Gwaii off the British Columbia coast, 

whether by kayak or sailboat, are going to 

be hungry for information on where to 

go and how to get there. For years, Neil 

Frazer’s Boat Camping Haida Gwaii was the 

bible for self-directed visitors, particularly 

kayakers, as it was the only resource 

available. Worse yet, it went out of print, 

making copies treasured for those lucky 

enough to find one. 

For 2010 Boat Camping is back, and 

updated with all the necessary information: 

camping, navigation, heritage sites, maps 

and photos. 

While light on color (all photos and 

maps are black and white), detailed 

and useful information compensates. 

Particularly helpful is the use of latitude 

and longitude coordinates at key points, a 

feature likely to be helpful on the more wild 

outer coasts for tracking features such as 

rivers. No doubt this new volume will be a 

feature in hatches or chart cases of kayakers 

and boaters alike venturing to Haida Gwaii. 

The Hungry 

Kayaker 

A common sense guide 

to cooking and camping 

By David Barnes 

Friesen Press 

Food can often make a trip, especially a 

relaxed kayaking venture in a group setting, 

when cooking can take on a whole social as 

well as culinary experience. 

There are numerous resources available 

for cooking these days – for instance, for 

backpackers as well as kayakers, or just 

quick, easy and portable recipes that can be 

adapted for the beach. 

David Barnes takes a look specifically 

at the kayaking set in his entry The Hungry 

Kayaker, offering not just recipes but trip 

advice from float plans to packing. In the 

end it’s a bit recipe book, a bit entry-level 

kayaking trip planning guide. 

But mostly it’s recipes, and they run the 

gamut from routine pancakes and gorp to 

more involved offerings such as zucchini 

risotto and curries. 

A dearth of photos and a lack of color 

help keep the offerings from jumping 

off the page. Instead it’s all a bit grey and 

uninviting. But the good news is anyone 

is likely to find a few recipes to tempt the 

taste buds. So should you be new kayaker 

starting out, or a veteran hoping to spice up 

your culinary repertoire, The Hungry Kayaker 

will be worth a look. 

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