Wednesday Fitness Paddle
We had a great group of paddlers again, Daune, the two Daves, Glen and myself. Last week out Glen was the new guy in his SOT and he skunked me. So I decided I really could use the help of a quicker boat. I bought a well cared for old Chinook kayak as my first decked boat.

Plenty of learning experiences for me last night. First was carrying the thing down to the water. Then while the others assembled I played a bit in the shallows. Practiced pulling the skirt off, making some turns, etc. Even though I had heard some less then stunning reviews of this boat I was pleased as it seemed to do well. Several reviews claimed it was a slow barge and did not turn well. I was not sure about the speed, but the turning seemed fine to me.

We chatted a bit and decided to do the harbor tour. I think the folks that did Anacapa last weekend were looking forward to a nice relaxing paddle. And I was happy with a harbor paddle since we have not done one in a while. Off we went.

I started off ahead of the pack expecting them to pass by pretty quick like normal, but for once I seemed to be holding my ground. Must be a faster boat, either that or they were afraid to pass me as I got used to the tracking and handling of my new boat. It was kind of comical for a bit. Dave H. pulled up and blessed me with some good tips and soon I had new skills to practice for the rest of the night. I was having a blast.

We had a nice paddle and actually all stayed pretty close together. I'd say the tightest bunching I have yet to see on a Wednesday night. Some of the faster guys were just going easy, but Glen and I were happy to stay in contact, and do the full length paddle. (Well, we took one very short-short cut.) I was pleased to be able to stay up with Glen.

We pulled back into the Coast Guard Beach and loaded up our boats and chatted a bit before heading our separate ways. A nice paddle.

Mark, and others, don't be afraid of the speed that the group paddles at, as we all paddle at different speeds. If someone wants to go fast, then they can go fast. If you are slow like me, then you can take some short cuts etc. We also regroup once or twice each night. If your endurance is not up to par, no worries as each course can be adjusted in length to fit your comfort level. We are not a bunch of racers with big egos... Just the opposite really.

Hope to see you next time!

-Wayne

Submitted on August 4, 2005