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At first glance it looks like an accident waiting to happen. You see something in the water that appears to be a slab or perhaps an overturned kayak and then you see someone standing on top of it with one long paddle, moving forward with deliberate strokes.
You wonder if he's in trouble until you see that he looks perfectly happy and balanced. Then you ask the inevitable question: "What is that?"
Craig Richardson, assistant manager of Umiak Outdoor Outfitters in Stowe, is an enthusiastic ambassador of Stand Up Paddling or SUP.
About three years ago, Richardson began to hear about this new sport. Last season, a kayak representative had a board with him and Richardson tried it out on the pond behind Umiak's store.
"I loved it right away," Richardson said. "Standing up brings a whole new perspective on the water. It is clean and simple — not a lot of other stuff. It's yourself, your board and your paddle."
The sport begins with the board. Stand up paddleboards come in a variety of lengths, shapes and buoyancies designed for the type of paddling to be done: flatwater, surf, racing, white water or a combination of them all. (Read whole article)
This morning at the gas pump, the guy opposite me noticed my boat and asked if I was going paddling. We talked some about the cold water temperatures and wet suits and then he asked me if I'd tried Wolcott Pond -- his favorite spot. It's a little pond with a boat access ramp and is pretty much undeveloped. I decided to give it a try.
It was easy to find and no one was there as I launched. Immediately, I saw a couple of Canada Geese with their little ones (photo). The black flies are starting to show up but keeping moving in the kayak kept them at bay.
I try to combine a workout with some birding and carry my binoculars stuffed into my life vest. There was no one on the pond and a variety of bird calls floated across the water as I cruised along. It's a trick to find a little warbler from a coasting boat but a few times, I paused with the bow up against the shore and watched a Common Yellowthroat, several song sparrows, and several other types. Then, from around the corner, I heard the wild sound of a loon.
Sure enough, up at the far reaches was a pair of loons, in summer plumage, cruising around. I got quite close to them - too close since they must be nesting. The male surfaced with a splash right beside the kayak. I carefully left the area, not wanting to disturb them more.
After another half hour of higher intensity paddling, I slowed to watch a Great Blue Heron fish along the shoreline. I didn't need binoculars for that -- or as I silently glided up to a pair of kingbirds cavorting in a overhanging tree.
It's a good combination -- the exercise of paddling and the peacefulness of watching birds in a quiet remote location. Good for the body and the spirit.
It's snowing outside but the forecast three days from now is for the mid-70's. I've been out once in the kayak, having finally got the truck set up to carry the boats, and plan to get serious this year.
About five years ago, we bought a pair of Eddyline touring kayaks -- real high-end boats that we've never used that much. Part was the pull of other warm weather activities, another was not having the right racks for new vehicles, and the other was the fact that kayaking made my back ache.
Yesterday, I went up to the great place that we bought the boats: Umiak Outdoor Outfitters in Stowe. I wanted to talk about seat padding and perhaps buy something to solve the problem.
Joe, one of the experts there, talked to me about boat setup, posture, and technique -- leading me to think that perhaps I need to learn better how to paddle. He told me that this time of year, getting ready to paddle, he stretches his back by sitting on the floor, with his back up against the wall, while he watches TV.
We also discussed preparatory warm-up and stretching and paddling technique, suggesting that I might want to take a class this summer.
So, I'm psyched to get going. I'm reading more books on paddling technique and boat setup. I've gotten out my wet suit, shaken out the sunflower seeds which the mice left, and waiting for the snow to stop and the air to warm up. It will be a challenge to combine performance kayaking for a workout with the calmness of birding by kayak. It's a nice problem to have. See you on the water.
We are starting to get some warm days in Vermont and many paddlers are getting out on the water but it’s important to remember that in the northern U.S., the water is still cold and you need to dress for the water temperature.
The first thing you need to know about cold water paddling clothing is this: NO COTTON. Cotton clothing has no place in outdoor cold weather activities: it retains absolutely no insulating qualities whatsoever when wet and if it becomes so, will actually serve to disperse your body heat outward away from your body. Remember, just because it is cold does not mean you won’t work up a sweat during active boating. You don’t have to fall in to get wet.
Instead, wear layers of synthetic materials. Some examples of these are polypropylene, pile, and fleece. Layers help trap heat and fend off water. Remember "wick, warmth, and weather" as you arrange your layers light wicking fabrics first, then warm insulating sweaters or fleeces, and finally an waterproof outer layer to protect you from the elements. Synthetic materials retain a large percentage of their insulating qualities even when soaked. And if they become so, you can actually whip them around over your head and shake the water out of them. Synthetic material also “wicks” moisture away from your skin.
Here’s what Peter Heed recommends in Canoe Racing:
"A good bet for most paddlers in cold weather is to layer with polypropylene and wool. (Wool retains a large proportion of its insulating value after getting wet.) Wool hiking pants and a wool hiking shirt over polypro provide you with a small but significant margin of safety after taking a dunk in cold water. This clothing also enables you to retain some heat once on shore. Often in a training run in early spring, you’ll start shedding your hat, gloves, and outerwear as you heat up. Make sure that you have some sort of dry bag with you so that you can stow the gear and have it ready as soon as you finish the session. Gloves are needed in cold weather but since you’re going to get your hands wet, many fine skiing and hiking gloves are useless. One of the best solutions is a pair of thin wool gloves — they will tend to stay warm even when they are wet. In real winter-type weather, I take a complete change of clothes — wool pants and shirt, gloves, and hat — and put them in a watertight tote bag which I lock on a thwart. I leave the bag in the van so that it’s ready the next trip. It’s saved me several times — I get to the bank, strip and get on the dry clothes fast. When it was 35°, it felt great! Besides, you may give some poor startled onlooker a good thrill!"
There are a couple of numbers that can provide some guidance: 100 and 125. If the combination of the water temperature and the air temperature is greater that one of these, depending on what your are wearing for clothes. If you are dressed in non cotton; in other words you are wearing no cotton including your underwear, you may use the 100 rule. If you are wearing any cotton at all you need to adhere to the 125 rule.
Right now, the Lake Champlain Water Temperature at the King Street Ferry Dock in Burlington is 42 degrees and the air temperature is about 68 and dropping. So the combination of 110 is too cold for any cotton but inside the range for synthetics. It still may be wet suit time for a week or so.
What happens in cold water? Cold water removes heat from the body 25 times faster than cold air. About 50% of that heat loss occurs through the head. Physical activity such as swimming, or other struggling in the water increases heat loss. Survival time can be reduced to minutes. Strong swimmers have died before swimming 100 yards in cold water. In water under 40 degrees F, victims have died before swimming 100 feet.
Five Tips For Spring Paddling
Always wear your PFD.
Cold weather paddling can be dangerous, particularly for a novice. Stay no more than 20-25 feet from shore when paddling in early season. Go out with a group. There’s safety in numbers.
Let someone know where you are going (that doesn’t mean “Hey dear, I’m going paddling.”)
Dress for the water temperature (No one ever goes out boating saying “I’m going to tip over today”)
Remember, there are only two types of paddlers -- those who have swum and those who will swim!
This is the time of year when most paddlers in the northern U.S. transition to another sport -- often cross country skiing -- but some diehards paddle when they can find open water. It can be a dangerous activity and all paddling organizations have tips for cold weather paddling. Here's what Tom Warner, an experience marathon canoe racer, recently said on the PaddlersConnection email group:
Be aware that the cold water and cold air temperatures (not to mention wind chill) greatly reduce the survival time in the water or even out of the water after a dump. Please follow these precautions:
1. take a dry bag...not a plastic garbage bag... but a real dry bag with folding and sealed opening..have a complete set of clothes..socks, gloves and ski hat. Strip down and replace all wet clothes.
2. Do not paddle alone or too close to another boat... if you both go over...there's not one to help.
3. Do not wander far from shore...or from a path to your car. If you must paddle in the winter in NE, do loops around a safe retreat.
4. Forget the boat and paddles..get to shore. Let others get your boat and gear.
If you look at the few boating deaths in canoeing, they are all due to people not getting immediately out of the water upon flipping.
The first thing you need to know about cold water paddling clothing is this: NO COTTON. Cotton clothing has no place in outdoor cold weather activities: it retains absolutely no insulating qualities whatsoever when wet and if it becomes so, will actually serve to disperse your body heat outward away from your body. Remember, just because it is cold does not mean you won’t work up a sweat during active boating. You don’t have to fall in to get wet.
Instead, wear layers of synthetic materials. Some examples of these are polypropylene, pile, and fleece. Layers help trap heat and fend off water. Remember "wick, warmth, and weather" as you arrange your layers light wicking fabrics first, then warm insulating sweaters or fleeces, and finally an waterproof outer layer to protect you from the elements. Synthetic materials retain a large percentage of their insulating qualities even when soaked. And if they become so, you can actually whip them around over your head and shake the water out of them. Synthetic material also “wicks” moisture away from your skin.
Here’s what Peter Heed recommends in Canoe Racing:
"A good bet for most paddlers in cold weather is to layer with polypropylene and wool. (Wool retains a large proportion of its insulating value after getting wet.) Wool hiking pants and a wool hiking shirt over polypro provide you with a small but significant margin of safety after taking a dunk in cold water. This clothing also enables you to retain some heat once on shore. Often in a training run in early spring, you’ll start shedding your hat, gloves, and outerwear as you heat up. Make sure that you have some sort of dry bag with you so that you can stow the gear and have it ready as soon as you finish the session. Gloves are needed in cold weather but since you’re going to get your hands wet, many fine skiing and hiking gloves are useless. One of the best solutions is a pair of thin wool gloves — they will tend to stay warm even when they are wet. In real winter-type weather, I take a complete change of clothes — wool pants and shirt, gloves, and hat — and put them in a watertight tote bag which I lock on a thwart. I leave the bag in the van so that it’s ready the next trip. It’s saved me several times — I get to the bank, strip and get on the dry clothes fast. When it was 35°, it felt great! Besides, you may give some poor startled onlooker a good thrill!"
There are a couple of numbers that can provide some guidance: 100 and 125. If the combination of the water temperature and the air temperature is greater that one of these, depending on what your are wearing for clothes. If you are dressed in non cotton; in other words you are wearing no cotton including your underwear, you may use the 100 rule. If you are wearing any cotton at all you need to adhere to the 125 rule.
What happens in cold water? Cold water removes heat from the body 25 times faster than cold air. About 50% of that heat loss occurs through the head. Physical activity such as swimming, or other struggling in the water increases heat loss. Survival time can be reduced to minutes. Strong swimmers have died before swimming 100 yards in cold water. In water under 40 degrees F, victims have died before swimming 100 feet.
Five Tips For Winter Paddling
Always wear your PFD.
Cold weather paddling can be dangerous, particularly for a novice. Stay no more than 20-25 feet from shore when paddling in early season. Go out with a group. There’s safety in numbers.
Let someone know where you are going (that doesn’t mean “Hey dear, I’m going paddling.”)
Dress for the water temperature (No one ever goes out boating saying “I’m going to tip over today”)
Remember, there are only two types of paddlers -- those who have swum and those who will swim!
The connection between paddling and our heritage is striking. All of us who race canoes and kayaks have the great fortune of spending significant time on New England's beautiful rivers and lakes. Back and forth we go, training, racing, and getting a perspective on the world that few enjoy. (a guest post by Peter Heed, author of Canoe Racing)
What is easy to miss is the fact that our sport literally allows us to paddle through history. So much of New England's early heritage is inextricably linked to the rivers on which we train and race. Nearly everywhere you paddle in New England, there are compelling true life stories of real people, courage, violence, determination, and redemption along the the riverbanks. The Connecticut River valley is particularly rich in this heritage, as it served as the major "superhighway" for Native Americans and early settlers alike - usually by canoe, bateau, or flat bottomed boat! Fascinating stories are everywhere - along the riverbanks, on the water, and sometimes in areas now submerged by impoundments behind the dams.
Having just a little sense of this vibrant history can give you a whole new level of appreciation while you paddle, train , and race on the rivers we all love so much. With that in mind I have shared some of these great stories with you - of real people who lived and died along our rivers. This is one of them.
paddling
It was easy to find and no one was there as I launched. Immediately, I saw a couple of Canada Geese with their little ones (photo). The black flies are starting to show up but keeping moving in the kayak kept them at bay.
The first thing you need to know about cold water paddling clothing is this: NO COTTON. Cotton clothing has no place in outdoor cold weather activities: it retains absolutely no insulating qualities whatsoever when wet and if it becomes so, will actually serve to disperse your body heat outward away from your body. Remember, just because it is cold does not mean you won’t work up a sweat during active boating. You don’t have to fall in to get wet.
The first thing you need to know about cold water paddling clothing is this: NO COTTON. Cotton clothing has no place in outdoor cold weather activities: it retains absolutely no insulating qualities whatsoever when wet and if it becomes so, will actually serve to disperse your body heat outward away from your body. Remember, just because it is cold does not mean you won’t work up a sweat during active boating. You don’t have to fall in to get wet.
