Intro Paddle

Selim Tezcan posted a video of a recent club paddle

Hybrid 550 Update

I bought the Hybrid 550 as I see it as a serious expedition boat that can carry a big load but at the same time can be used for everyday paddling. Its manouverable, nimble and easy to do 360 degree on the spot turns. It edges well and rolls nicely.

I have only paddled it three times and am still getting used to it but on Tuesday in a 15 knot NE wind it went well between Watsons Bay and Frenchmans Bay. It seems to get onto waves easily and the rudder, whilst nothing like a Mirage rudder, is effective if its "turned on" at precisly the right time. It doesn't work if you simply push the pedals, it has to be engaged with the sea and the body in unison. I wouldn't bother using the rudder at all in flat water.

The Hybrid 550 is fast but stable. It's exceptionally well behaved in rough water and the big edge creates an effective platform on which to turn quickly, important when in rock gardens or when you find you need to face off fast to an oncoming wave. I found this out today when Rob Mercer, Tsunami Ranger Jim Kakuk and I spent some time bouncing around The Gap near South Head.

The fittings are all solid and well thought out. I especially like the front day hatch and feel the centre located "second" day hatch behind the seat would be less prone to flooding than the offset hatch. The toggles are neat and comfortable to hold. I don't think they would be effective tow points as a lot of tow ropes use large karabiners which would slip over them. I suppose you could always just use a deck line or tie a loop under the "golf ball" on which to clip on to.

The seat is hand carved and is really comfortable (Andre tells me it takes him 3 hours to fit one seat!). Whilst a lot lighter than my old boat I did find it harder to shoulder carry but if you hold it from the day hatch and cockpit its easy to do the old clean & jerk lift to shoulder height and then place onto the car (even if your short).

I get the feeling the boat might actually be better suited to a bigger person as its light on the water with only me in it. Today I tried it with a few dry bags full of sand and it sat much better (I'm 64 kg). This is good as its the expeditions that I most look forward to doing with this boat so the improvement in handling with extra weight would be an advantage.

the round hatches are actually larger than oval hatches

Hybrid 550

Andre Janecki's garage is full of brand new Hybrid 550 Sea Kayaks

I know Andre is a perfectionist who has put his heart and soul into these exceptionally good looking new sea kayaks. With its myriad of kayak firsts, integrated rudder and flawless build quality I might have to have one.

The boat just screams out for serious open water kayaking and expeditioning. I hope I can begin the next chapter of my kayaking journey in The Hybrid 550.

I've just got to take it for a paddle!

Stuart Trueman joined Rob Mercer's Tuesday Night Paddle at Watsons Bay after padddling from Broome, Western Australia. Stuart headed out Sydney Heads the next day having already completed around half of his epic circumnavigation of Australia.

Matt, Stuart, Owen, Mark

This is one person I admit to having a bit of celebrity worship for. All the best Stuart!

Broughton Island via Cabbage Tree

Five of us enjoyed a club trip out to Broughton Island.

NSWSKC Trip to Broughton Island. Video is created using Pics and Video from Dave, Megan & Matt.

David Fisher has also posted pics and videos.

We are surely entering the "Documented Decade". This should help those of us who develop dementia!

Figure 8 Trip

GPS Trip Log - Mission Accomplished!

From the harbour .......

to the sea
George Jessup, happy to be finished the first portage and heading out to sea

Ian Vaile tests out his new Greenland T

Garry Thompson - out there

Portage two - Andrew on route from the ferry wharf to Manly Beach

The final leg - out we go again

the downpours were spectacular

Andrew & Cathy having fun

Neil & Cathy coming in through the heads

that rain was so good

It's a great feeling doing a one way trip and landing back at your starting point. Can't wait for the next one!

David Fisher has more pics, trip data and a video of this amazing journey.

Recent Pics

Mark about to get a shower

Tuesday Night Paddle - white capping sea provides excitment as Rob punches into it

Alan powers out the heads

Mark shoots a gauntlet off The Murk, North Bondi

Puffing like a steam train but still not enough - missed opportunity

This pic was taken by Rob Mercer on Tuesday afternoon when Wendy Stevenson, Mark Sundin, Rob Mercer and I used a 20 knot Nor Easter to blast our way to Malabar from Watsons Bay in two and a quarter hours.

With a bit of wild weather around latley I have noticed there are two ways you can paddle in the rough: Defensively or Offensively. When confronted with breaking seas, particularly following seas, the defensive paddler tends to let the waves pass under them or in a breaking sea braces into the waves. The Offensive paddler simply goes for it, paddling hard to catch every bit of movement in the water, big or small and apart from all the subtle control manouveres like edging and leaning rarely does anything other than the good old forward stroke. Paddling like this will occasionally have you reach a speed equal to that of the bigger waves and inevitably if you keep up the hard work you'll get an almighty ride that can be surprisingly long and fast, especially if you keep paddling throughout.

Admittedly it takes a lot of puff to keep paddling offensively so I wouldn't use such a high rate if I was facing a very big day. A sail can help in this regard as it can keep your speed up so only a few starter strokes are required to catch the rides - but beware, sail or not, once you do catch a big wave theres no getting off - its a classic case of eyes dead ahead, focus on where you want to be and go for it. I ususally aim to get shot out in front of the wave so fast that a few more strokes will get me onto the next wave, and the next, and the next again.

Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

I recently found myself in Phuket for work. As soon as I got the chance I contacted a local paddling outfit Paddle Asia and a guide was hastily arranged. I was to catch a ferry from Bang Rang Pier out to Yao Yai and then onto the smaller island of Yao Noi. The ferry turned out to be a local longboat which, after a week in a resort, was a welcome change.

I met my guide Jumrat at the Pier and we went by motor scooter to pick up the kayaks. We paddled off into a flat sea dotted with limestone islands. This was kayaking Mecca!

It wasn't long before we reached our first island

Run

We met some fishermen along the way

Showing off his catch

We paddled on to the next island

These limestone islands are speckled with caves - complete with stalictites and other formations I'd only ever seen underground.

Run could only feel the water, he couldn't drink it

We stopped for lunch which was part of the tour deal and Run laid out quite a feast of fried rice, chicken and fruit. "Where's yours?" I asked. "It's Ramadan" he replied, "I cannot eat". I gave him back the food and said if he wasn't going to eat nor was I. I don't eat much anyway so the thought of missing out on lunch didn't worry me in the slightest. It was when I learned that Ramadan also meant one couldn't drink I started to worry.

The day was hot and humid and the sun was strong. I knew I'd be in trouble without water so unlike my devout friend I slurped from the many waterseaps cascading down the cliffs that we paddled under.

We paddled into a small gap in the rocks and found ourselves in a magnificent lagoon. Apparantly the lagoon was good fishing and was a favoured spot for the local fisho's.

We paddled back into a solid headwind in stifling hot conditions. My guide struggled but made it back not far behind me, even though by that time I'd consumed at least 3 bottles worth of water and he hadn't drank a drop.

I caught another longboat back

Some of the many islands of Phang Na Bay

My family arrived the next day and we spent another week exploring Phuket, Yao Noi and Yao Yai. It turned out that Jumrat has his own longboat so along with his own children he showed us many beautiful spots around his home, both by boat and motorbike.

If anyone is heading to Thailand and wants a really special tour email Run Jumrat as he is born and bred on Yao Noi, has his own longboat and can arrange rental of propper sea kayaks through Paddle Asia. run_jumrat[at]hotmail.com

Harbour Cruising

"Variety is the spice of life", as well as paddling. I spent Saturday with seven other members of The NSWSKC taking in the sights of Sydney Harbour. We put in at Vaucluse Bay and cruised around Clark and Shark Islands before heading over for a close up view of Fort Denison.

Woolloomooloo

Julie, Ian, Steve, Matt, Ken, Adrian, Bill

We ran into fellow club member John Friedman who took this photo of the rest of us. Ian posted some of his excellent photos from our Harbour Explorer and our previous Inner Harbour Explorer trips as well.

The great thing about paddling with a club is it brings together a diverse range of people who all bring something unique to the group whilst contributing in their own way and learning from each others real world experience. The training and accreditation process used by a club with formal training and operating procedures ensures a consistant, qualified and tested approach to training and any advice given is from those qualified to give it. The problem with unqualified and internet expertise type advice is its usually bullshit. Its like doing modifications to your kayak in your garage - it all seems fine until you actually test it in real conditions only to find your great idea has become a serious liability.

I recently came accross a fellow helping his mates learn to roll. He suggested that the offside leg be disengaged from the coaming and straightened, as that will make the roll easier. The novice followed his advice and rolled up easier. There were smiles all round. Whats wrong with this? Well I know from being cleaned up and rolled unexpectedly that the most important thing is to lock those thighs in as hard as you can and to keep them locked in otherwise you'll be sucked from your boat and put into a far more perilous situation. I know its easier to roll by disengaging a leg but its bad advice, unless of course you just want to roll in the harbour to impress new kayakers. This is an example of unqualified advice being bad and possibly even negligent.

It takes a long time and a dedicated approach to work up through the ranks of a club such as the NSWSKC. It generally takes active members five years just to get to Sea Leader stage - and even then we're still not qualified to instruct, and only give general advice. Of course all these qualifications mean little if you find yourself facing treacherous conditions. Unlike other pursuits like business, politics and so on where spin, big talk and flashy gear can get you up the ladder sea kayakers have a higher authority to sort us all out - the sea.

Of course club paddling will never be for everyone, which is one of the main benefits!

Food

Here's my contribution to food culture: a recipe for a meal that takes little space, keeps for ages before cooking and is highly nutritious - just keep a cup of water on standby to wash it down.

take a 1/4 cup of mixed beans and lentils

add sea water

seal and let it slosh around in your kayak all day

collect some Warigal Greens (another good reason to keep dogs out of National Parks)

boil it all up for a healthy meal