Maine Paddling Connection Blog
I'm leaving town soon so when I got the call from Gretchen to do one more paddle before I left, there was one particular paddle I had in mind. Looking at currents and weather, everything appeared perfect for a trip going west and then east.
Read MoreWe got three nice runs in on Saturday on the latest Downwind SUP Safari with the Barbary Ghost. Good times with Marion, Craig, Jeff and I on boards and Drew at the helm. First run was a great warmup with decent glides and strong wind at our backs. Drew dropped us behind Pt. Blunt where it's super easy to enter the wind. Going from zero to twenty knot wind in 30 seconds is exciting!
Read MoreI'm still pumped from yesterday's downwind session on the Barbary Ghost. Captain Drew took us out for his first Downwind SUP Safari of the season, and true to his reputation, he hunted down and delivered some bumps for us.
Read MoreAfter a long week in Southern California and a full day of travel on Saturday, I woke on Sunday with the intentions of a rest day. But, the sun was shining warm & bright and I figured some paddling was in order. A quick text conversation led to a 11:45 meet in Oakland for a paddle out to Yerba Buena Island. We were both late and by the time we actually launched it was after 12:30. As the tide started to flood and the wind gained strength we paddled out the Oakland estuary.
Read MoreI measure the success of GGSKS by the amount of fun I have and I had a ton of fun this year. So I guess that makes the 2014 event very successful. At least by my standards.
GGSKS is a subset of the sea paddling community and a damn fine one. Sean Morley and I receive lots of feedback (positive and negative) and probably way too much praise. But, here's the reality. If you enjoy the event, you can't blame us.
Read MoreWhat a fun weekend on San Francisco Bay! Cindy & Steve Scherrer came down from WA to help me run an American Canoe Association Level 1/2 SUP Instructors Certification Workshop for 6 potential candidates. We had a great team of paddlers with a ton of learning going on and super support from all. In the end, we certified four new Level 1 Instructors and two new Level 2 Instructors - success!
Read MoreFor the last few months I've been paddling with locals on these weekly Meetups in the Oakland estuary and have seen a ton of growth in the paddling skills of the participants. It seemed appropriate that we all get together for an end-of-summer paddle that included a reasonable amount of mileage, current, wind, vessel traffic & chop.
Read MoreMy favorite summertime paddling workouts are upwind downwinds. We get such good wind in the San Francisco Bay Area that it's easy to forget the morning flatwater and save the workouts for the late afternoon when it's blowing... I paddle straight into the wind for a set amount of time or distance and then surf my way back to the start for another lap.
Read MoreHere in the Bay Area we have a little tidal race called "yellow bluff" that creates a fun play spot during a strong ebb. I've seen it create some really beautiful standing waves at times, but normally it develops into a wave train with one or two clean waves at the front.
Read MoreSean Morley & I got out recently for a nice downwind crossing of San Francisco Bay from Horseshoe Cove, beneath the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, to Berkeley. We had to get an early start in order to be back in time for other responsibilities, which meant we were a bit too early for the wind. But, no worries, the wind made an appearance halfway into the trip just as we were getting near Point Blunt.
Read MoreThree weeks have passed since the 2013 Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium in the San Francisco Bay Area. The vibe was right-on this year with a healthy mix of personality, positive attitudes, a relaxed atmosphere & abundant sunshine. It was a great place to make friends and do some paddling.
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 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.
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