Holidays launch that ‘other paddling season’

A holiday toast, but non-alcoholic, the ballerina-elves were quick to say

No store lines, no anxiety, no monitor screen eye strain since...

...it’s not a Cyber Monday event (thank goodness). But I have officially declared an early start to the Other Season – aka winter paddling. Traditionally (and by that I mean just last year), the Other Season begins on December 21, the Winter Solstice. But thanks to a

The invaders that came from beneath the sea

 

A strange, golden glob appeared in the sparkling water...

It opened like any really bad horror movie should... 

…with a peaceful, idyllic scene. Dozens of families relaxed on a white-sand beach near Monterey’s Cannery Row on a balmy Sunday in October. Children played in the surf and squealed with delight. Young couples strolled hand-in-hand along the strand. And a grizzled old paddler launched his red kayak into the gentle surf. That would be moi. 

...and began clustering around me

Only a few yards beyond the small breakers, I encountered a strange, golden blob in the sparkling turquoise waters. Jellyfish. Not one or two, but dozens jammed together in a floating island.

As I cautiously paddled closer for a better look, I noticed that several jellies had silently begun to surround my kayak. And then realized jellies were surfacing all over the bay. 

An instant of panic was quickly overcome by inspiration. What a great idea for a sea creature horror movie! I whipped out my waterproof camera and filmed a few underwater snippets. Fortunately, my stylings as a film auteur were perfect for the horror genre – grainy, jerky, slightly unfocused video. I could already see my very own starfish on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

But those dreams were dashed when further research showed that someone else thought of this idea first. And did it so much better than I ever could. How do you top radioactive, mutant jellyfish? Especially with a title like “Hellyfish,” a 2014 horror spoof that was cheesier than a holiday sale on Hickory Farms cheese logs. I turned seaweed green with envy as I watched the movie trailer.  (See the jump page of this post. And switch to full screen to get the max effect.)

All you need to know about kayaking (part 2)

Second in a one-part series that pretends to be….

…the last word on paddling tips. And it would be if you drown, God forbid. So start by wearing a PFD whenever and wherever you go kayaking. Recently, I encountered a nice  

Paddling on July 4th or any summer weekend: Hit the water early, get off early 

fellow at the Russian River estuary at Jenner, in Sonoma County. He was about to launch a large, fairly stable sit-on-top kayak. It was a mild, warm day, especially by North Coast standards, with barely a breeze. He asked, “Do I really need to wear this life jacket?” I paused and silently thanked the Water Gods for endorsing NorCal Yak’s Third Law, which states: 

Everything you need to know about kayaking -- not

Hundreds of kayaking blogs and Web sites...

A textbook example of  NorCal Yak's First Law

…offer useful instructions and insights to help paddlers hone their skills. This particular post is not among them. Instead, as we launch another prime paddling season, a few random thoughts, serious and otherwise.  Here goes: 

1.  NorCal Yak's First Law states that you know your limit just as soon as you've paddled past it. This applies on and off the water, from sandbars to dive bars and everything in between. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, they say. Bull hockey – it just makes you lucky for once. That's why you should never exceed your personal speed limit in the thought process, even if that keeps you in the slow lane most of the time. 

2.  If you are about to land your kayak at a spot crowded with other paddlers, or if people are just sitting around on a beach, rest for a moment some distance out. You may feel ready to die from a long, hard, painful paddle, but never show it. Catch your breath, wipe

Hands down, the most amazing kayak trend yet



Look for something unusual here -- and it's not that orange is the new black (photo by Cate Hawthorne)

Kayakers generally fall into two camps when it comes to paddles. There are European paddles (as shown in the blog title photo above), and there are Greenland paddles (below). It’s sort of like Microsoft and Apple – they do the same thing but have basic philosophical differences on how to make it happen. Paddlers may claim one is superior to the other. Until now.

Paddlers escape a gooey fate at Drakes Estero

Bogged-down blogger rescued by Jorge and Valerio, and not a moment too soon (Tom Gomes photo)

Update, 2021: Access to the Drakes Estero area is limited.  In addition to major roadway improvement projects, several beaches are closed to all boating during spring seal pupping season. Check the National Park Service Web pages for the latest info. Also note that the oyster farm permanently closed later in 2014.

One of my more harrowing kayak trips occurred recently on Drakes Estero near Point Reyes – but not in the water. Not on dry land either, and that was the problem. A fave phrase of mine, “We cheated fate again,” became “We cheated gooey fate.”

It happened at the end of a beautiful day of paddling on a 14-mile tour of this spectacular
estuary within a national seashore. It’s named for Sir Francis Drake, an English explorer 

Gesundheit! Sea sneezes, wipes kayak's nose

Close encounter with a blowhole off the Mendocino coast (Photo courtesy Thomas Schuebel)



The thing about sea kayaking is that conditions change constantly, as instructor and guide Thomas Schuebel reminded us before we launched from Van Damme State Park in Mendocino County last weekend. Later, I foolishly paddled too close to a blowhole -- sort of a cross between a miniature sea cave and a geyser -- and learned a lesson.