Active Sea Kayaking » 2008

SEA KAYAKS FOR SALE:

October 24th, 2008

Just a quick post in case anybody is looking for a kayak, for sale by owners in Duncan and Victoria, Vancouver Island.

Sirocco from Current Designs: LINK TO SPECS
This kayak is a rotomolded (plastic) sea kayak, used but in good condition. Asking $1400 (Boat is Yellow)

Tyee from Seward Kayak: LINK TO SPECS
This kayak is fiberglass, in good shape, red deck / white hull, asking $2300.

SIROCCO IN ACTION…..

If interested contact nick at 250-507-8877

or nick@activeseakayaking.ca

OKISOLLO WAVE AND SURGE NARROWS THREATENED

October 22nd, 2008

HELLO EVERYBODY, usually this blog is about good news, fun pictures, and motivation to put you on the water as often as possible. Anyhow, sometimes we need to get serious and get down to business.
Some of our tidal currents are being targeted…. whether you are a beginner or an advanced paddler, or just an avid outdoors man/woman, please take a few minutes to read the following news and act on it.
I have personally had some of my best lifetime paddling minutes in Surge Narrows last winter, paddling for 2 to 3 minutes at a time a perfect green and gentle wave in my 18 foot sea kayak…. where else…
I realize the need for Energy, and I don’t wish to get into politics. Just read as I do, PRIVATE and ENERGY…. out of PUBLIC LAND AND WATER. Those areas are know internationally for their special beauty and forces. My family from France was visiting last spring and walking to watch Surge Narrows from the shore was the highlight of their trip.
Half of Quadra relies on tourism oriented to their surrounding waters (it’s an Island….), what would be the benefit for the community there!

BC TIDAL RAPIDS NEED PROTECTION

There are new applications for tidal power production around most of Quadra Island. These applications are part of a recent gold rush of private claims staked for potentially profitable energy sites all over BC. Labeled “Green” some power projects may balance-out as benign, but others come with harsh environmental and social consequences.

Okisollo Wave and Surge Narrows, both on the north shore of Quadra Island, have been applied for as places to site tidal power generators. This means harnessing the energy that creates the waves, and building industrial infrastructure to collect and transport the power. This conflicts with existing public use; and Okisollo and Surge Narrows are also part of an already-strong economy based on wild natural features of the land and ocean.

Surge Narrows [Application # 1413161] is a well-used kayaking path and play area. Summer 2008 saw more than 1500 people kayaking in Surge Narrows, Okisollo and Octopus Islands. As a navigation channel used by large number of boaters, Okisollo is one of few access routes to the very popular Octopus Islands Marine Park. Any industrial obstruction would present a hazard to navigation and significant danger to paddlers.

Okisollo Channel & Surge Narrows Marine Park generate major economic benefits for the local community. These are valuable tourism destinations used by dozens of local companies. Some island businesses depend on the tidal rapids.
Surge Narrows and Okisollo tidal rapids are perfect locations for serious kayak training and high-adrenaline recreation. BC colleges, universities, and private schools use these rapids for outdoor leadership and kayak skills training. Okisollo is a controlled rough-water paddling area offering difficult paddling conditions that compliment more moderate rapids at nearby Surge Narrows. It is important for the BC paddling industry to have easily accessible and safe places where guides (and clients) can challenge and improve skills!

The area, especially the amazing Okisollo Wave [Application # 1413121] has received highest praise from from two world-freestyle champions and many professional paddlers, and gained international recognition and a large audience of kayakers thanks to magazine articles and DVD’s featuring the area’s natural beauty and dramatic tidal features.

Surge Narrows and Okisollo are uniique, valuable, and very special places forthe kayaking community!

If these applications are approved it will be difficult to stop industrial development in the Okisollo Channel. If you believe this area should remain wild, please voice your opinion now!

Email:

simone.engels@gov.bc.ca Simone Engels, Land Officer,

Integrated Land Management Bureau,142-2080 Labieux Rd. Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9

cc to:

claire.trevena.mla@leg.bc.ca Claire Trevena, MLA

abramfam@oberon.ark.com Jim Abram, Strathcona Regional District

okispac@gmail.com Okisollo Planning Advisory Committee

SOOKE PADDLING IN ROCK GARDEN

October 20th, 2008

Hello Everybody,

Who said it’s not sunny in winter, who said it’s winter?

Playing in small swells along the shore line, it’s where plastic boats obviously shine…. seal landing!

All the following pics were taken from the same place, it gives you an idea of how this little area goes from dry to wet, depending on the size of the swells. This day the swells were small, with a few bigger sets here and there, a little later I was on the other side of this tiny island and I could see the photographer (back in his boat and playing by then) appearing and disappearing with the water, mostly white water at that point!

Water comes and go, so much fun!

See you later!

Nick

SEAN MORLEY AROUND VANCOUVER ISLAND

October 11th, 2008

Just a little update, to say that Sean has not been a lucky paddler with the weather so far. It looks like against all odds, and winds… he will finish the circumnavigation and establish a new record. The previous record stood at 23 days 10 hours for a single kayak set by Joe O’Blenis and 19 and a half days for a double kayak set by Kieron Tastagh and Jeff Norville, both in 2007.
Of course, as an expedition paddler Sean Morley is used to paddling hard, whether the wind is at his back or in his face, but since day 1 his trip has just been a fight. Good thing he is a competitive man, with a lot of stamina and years of experience racing!
Even then, following his BLOG you’ll see that, I quote ” Mostly, his left heel is killing him. He says it is from bracing so much during the choppy seas of the “Graveyard of the Pacific.” It is really bruised and difficult to paddle and walk on. ”
I went out from Cedar Point on Monday, aiming at Pirate Cove and the camp site where I hoped Sean would land for the night. Because he paddles so late every day and darkness falls around 1800, I just had to pick a location and hope he would make it. Let me tell you, as I prepared to set off from shore with my still warm “cheese cake” right out of the oven, there was a few walkers giving the eye!
It didn’t look like a paddling kind of day, and standing there with water crashing on shore, I couldn’t believe Sean was still going strong after that many days of head winds, that many nights of rainy camping. It was hard paddling to Link Island, and then along the shore against 20knots of SW.
It’s not so much the fighting, it’s the fact that you could go in a straight line and save so many miles if the wind wasn’t against you! And it kept turning, picking up and dying down… in 24 hours I had everything from Storm Force (not sure what direction. Pretty much all night!), to SE 15 in the early morning, to calm for 1 hour (9 to 10am) on Tuesday, and then NW 15-20, followed by W20-25!
I mean, the West Coast is supposed to be the hard part. And it certainly is rough…. but the East Coast has proven just as hard, and yet he is on schedule, around 18-19 days solo…. Hard to believe!
CONGRATULATIONS is the least we can say! And don’t you worry, he’ll be there soon.

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