I’m a frayed knot!

Bow & Stern Toggles... lifesavers or killers?

Well, even I admit that the lead sentence is a bit dramatic. But we have had a few incidents related to toggles that it seemed timely for a post.

Bow and stern toggles on sea kayaks can help us manage our boats. However, they should not be used to carry the boats... read on:

Deb and a student were test paddling my personal (and at the time, brand new) P&H Capella 167. They were walking the boat across the parking lot, a knot holding the toggle came undone, and crash went the boat, taking a chunk of fiberglass out of the keel. But it gets worse...

I previously reported that Sue broke her wrist in a freak kayak accident. She was standing on the bumper of her SueBaru, pulling a fiberglass boat by the stern toggle to reposition it in the cradles. The line holding the toggle in place was frayed, it broke un-expectantly, and Sue experienced a FWOSH! (Fall with an outstretched hand.) Sue, by the way, is just recovering from surgery and could use some good wishes... send them to sue@seakayakcarolina.com.

We all have our terrible toggle stories to tell. The moral of the story is to carry sea kayaks with a hand cradling the bow or stern, and inspect the toggles periodically to ensure that the lines are not showing signs of wear. One more related story...

The string went into the bar, hopped up on a barstool, and asked the bartender for a beer. The bartender shouted “Get out -- we don’t serve strings in here!” The string went into the alley next to the bar, and just went nuts: Thrashing against the wall, the ground, wiggling around in a crazed manner. Can you picture it? Then the string went back into the bar, hopped up on the very same stool, and asked for a beer. The bartender shouted “Didn’t I just tell you we don't serve strings in here?!” To which the string replied — “I’m a frayed knot.”

Surfing the Triangle!

I had a blast Monday playing in the "triangle" between Tybee Island and Little Tybee Island, GA. Scott and I had driven down to see off our Paddle Georgia scout team. While there we hooked up with sea kayaking legends Dale Williams and Nigel Law and had an awesome time playing in four foot breakers while battling a 15 knot east wind. It was great paddling with two world class sea kayakers and improving my personal skills as I continue my paddling journey.

-- William

Tom's Back? Gnarly!

How many of you remember Tom Nickels? When I arrived in Charleston in the Fall of 2001, the Charleston Audubon was the first group I got involved with on a trip out to Capers Island. Being on the water was great, and got me thinking...

In the Spring of '02 Melissa and I took the three day Kayaking Fundamentals class being offered at the James Island park, and Tom was our instructor. I mentioned I did freelance web work, he mentioned he was running a kayak tour and instruction business from his home on Folly Beach, and so it began. Through Tom I met Scott, and because of Tom's web site (be sure to look at his new one too) I got the nod to come on board when SKC was getting started.

That Fundamentals Class marked the second time I ever sat in a kayak, and for six years it would be the only formal paddling training I'd had. I really did enjoy that class, but somehow I hadn't learned the training lesson -- classes would improve not only my paddling, but my enjoyment of paddling. It's 2009. Lesson learned.

Lately I've had the pleasure of frequent paddles with great and generous paddling instructors. And I've been able to attend two tree-day Instructor Development Workshops. I'm a better kayaker than I was the last time I went out with Tom, and I am a much, much more enthusiastic paddler.

Currently my enthusiasm is focused on Tom's trip back to the Charleston area and his collaboration with our shop, teaching a modular ACA (Levels 1-4) IDW/ICE in December (and again in April, 2010), two days of open water "Gnarling with Nickels," and a multi-day BCU training paddle on the Georgia Coast. I'm not sure how much I'll get to be on the water, but it will be good to have him around. A bunch of paddlers are going to have some great times while he's here. Will you be one of them?

Cheers!

My First Roll Student

A routine tour Saturday turned into one of those milestone days in my growth as a kayaking instructor — I was the guide for a shop trip to Sandy Point on Kiawah Island. This is a favorite of mine; it has some distance, and we get to cross the Stono Inlet which can make for some fun kayaking on a windy day.

I had a great group, including new Sea Kayak Carolina students Keith and Samantha. In a class the previous weekend, Scott had told Samantha that he believed she was a natural rolling candidate. She really was enthusiastic to learn and asked if I could help her.

I'm an ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayaking Instructor but I don't have a rolling endorsement in my instructor profile yet, so I agreed to give her some "unofficial" pointers on the beach during our lunch break. She was a natural and absorbed my instruction like a sponge — and remarkably I had my first solo rolling instructional success just 35 minutes later.

It's a great feeling to see that look on someone's face when they figure how effortless a complex maneuver like rolling a kayak can be when executed correctly.

Samantha is a natural roller and will probably soon be performing better rolls than I can, but that's alright because I can still say I taught her how to roll.

- William

Waterspout on the Cooper

For Charleston area folks who like to get out on the water, Waterspouts are more than just a technical note... On June 6th a very real waterspout formed over the Cooper River and wound its way into Charleston Harbor. You may have seen the photos which have been circulating via email — but if you've not seen them yet, here they are:






While the spout received some media coverage, we think it is worth taking an extra moment to appreciate just what sort of conditions can sneak up on us during our frequent summer thunderstorms. So be sure to keep one eye on the weather, check the radar before you head out, and paddle safe!

First Sign of Spring

Is it the earliest azalea blossoms? Or the birds signing? Or the local paddlers heading out without their dry suits? Maybe. But for this blog post that's not what I'm talking about.

The sign I want you all to appreciate is the new shop sign we installed today. Gone is the heritage kayak and the vinyl banner -- replaced with a bright, crisp, new Sea Kayak Carolina sign:

And while we all like the new sign outside the store very much, it gives only a hint of the changes that are taking place inside.

Inside is where the action is. If you haven't been in to see us lately, it's worth a visit: We're saying goodbye to much of our old inventory (the March Madness sale continues,) and we've been stocking-up with new gear and a whole selection of new clothing. Spring and summer paddling will be more comfortable than ever with innovative shorts and tops from Reed and Immersion Research and Kokatat. And more is on the way.

Stay tuned for more product news and reviews.

Happy Paddling,
-Steve

As the Kayak Rolls?

Like sands thru the hourglass, these are the kayaks of our lives...

My old Explorer went off to Georgia with a nice kayaker named Christopher.

Sue's "old" Impex Force Cat 3 returned from a trip to Canada. The boat had some repairs to battle wounds that Sue had inflicted, and a keel strip and turtle were added.

Don't let her pretty looks fool you; the kayak is a working boat anxious to get banged around in the ocean, performing rescues, and generally doing what a sea kayak is built to do. Sue, too!