Maine Paddling Connection Blog
Just before noontime on Thursday I got that stir-crazy kind of feeling like If I didn't get out of the house soon, I was gonna go nuts. The surf was reported to be small, but clean and ridable and a perfect day to surf longboats. Kayak surfing hasn't been on my mind though - the fourteen foot standup board has. At 14 feet it's pretty darn long for a surf outing but I figured if I can handle long kayaks surely I can handle this huge board.
Read MoreToday I was looking for mellow and that's what I got. I paddled out of Emeryville and along the normally shallow, marshy shoreline from the 80/880/580 interchange to the Oakland Bay Bridge toll booths, affectionately referred to as "the maze". Like most residents of the greater Bay Area, I've passed this cove in a vehicle hundreds of times and never once paddled it.
Read MorePaul Kuthe and the crew at Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe go far out of their way to make sure everyone has a good time and I'm pretty sure that was the case. For me, it was 4 solid days of paddling this, paddling that. Talking about paddling, actually paddling, reconnecting with other paddlers & meeting new ones. There was a wonderful fresh energy this year dominated by first-time attendees, some of them having only gotten into kayaking this summer.
Read MoreYesterday morning I made the paddle from Berkeley out to Treasure Island, around it and back. The planning was perfect, as was the weather. What I was looking for, however, was the 15-25 kt wind from the west that was forecasted but never materialized. The idea was to get out to the far side of TI as the winds picked up and then ride the wind swell back home with some surfing excitement. Unbelievably, the wind was stronger at 9am when I launched than it was at noon on my return.
Read MoreFor the first time in years, I have a paddling-related blister. My arms feel heavy and my abdomen is sore but I'm in good spirits. I knocked off two of my summer paddling goals yesterday when I standup paddled 45 nautical miles in a day and completed the 56nm loop of Lake Tahoe. This was sort of a backyard expedition for me. I had 3 days completely free from any responsibility and the weather forecast was highly favorable.
Read MoreLast weekend I ran an American Canoe Association Standup Paddleboarding Level One/Two Instructor Certification Workshop in Half Moon Bay, CA under the watchful eye of Roger Schumann. We had 7 candidates attend the 3-day workshop from all parts of California with various degrees of skill and experience from the kayaking and surfing worlds.
Read MoreAfter a recent cycling-related wrist injury I was forced off the water for three long weeks while I recovered. My first dive back into paddling found me on the Jersey Shore visiting the fam. Since we were staying beachfront for a week and SUP rentals were scarce and expensive in that area, I opted to bring along a borrowed 10'6" inflatable with a Werner 3-piece paddle.
Read MoreAfter a mid-morning low-tide surf at Sunset Cliffs with smooth small conditions and an uncrowded lineup, we packed up the truck, took our time enjoying a lunch and motored south of the border stopping just north of Ensenada. My companions had once before spent time at the The Motel California, a cute little place with five oceanfront rooms and a well manicured grassy yard leading down to the beach.
Read MoreThe fourth annual Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium ran from February 16-22 and was a success thanks to the mild, sunny weather and overall highly positive attitudes. While the format was largely the same as years past, with full-day courses and focused on instruction, it felt more refined compared to years past. As the event manager and co-founder, It was relieving to see that our hard work and feedback-inspired modifications paid off.
Read MoreLast Friday I took my standup paddleboard to Yellow Bluff for the first time and it was challenging. I hoped to arrive to perfect conditions and a smooth front wave that I could surf on. The weather wasn’t great, but the radar showed a break in the rain from noon to 2pm that lined up perfectly with the 1:50pm max ebb. By 12:15pm I paddled into the top of the eddy at Yellow Bluff without rain and with skies clear enough to see across the Bay.
Read MoreLast Saturday I had the day off and felt I deserved some time to myself. I decided to paddle a standup board around Alameda to challenge myself and do a route I've never done before. My goal was to make the complete loop in 5 hours. It's 15.5 miles around the island and I was hoping to ride the current around half of it. I launched at Jack London Aquatic Center in Oakland just after 8am and headed north up the channel.
Read MoreWith the lack of snowfall in the West this holiday season, Haley and I decided to go to San Diego in lieu of a week in the mountains. Leaving Berkeley at 4am, lightly packed with clothing, surf gear, boards and a full bed in the back we quickly made time south, hoping to avoid any holiday traffic this Christmas eve Saturday morning. Without so much as touching the brakes on the way through Los Angeles, we cruised into Ocean Beach before noon to meet up with friends.
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