WA Inaugural Sea Kayak Symposium

Above: Approaching Cape Peron.

When Les Allen called me with an invitation to the inaugural Western Australian Sea Kayak Symposium I knew I was committing to more than just a good idea. Les is one of those rare individuals who make things happen rather than waiting for someone else to do it so I wasn’t surprised when the initial discussion was backed up very quickly with venue, times, permits, accommodation and session details. Presenters and Instructors were lined up and registrations started to pour into WA Sea Kayak Symposium Central a.k.a Les and Jo’s place at Rockingham. Between them they tackled the mountain of work that you can only appreciate if you have been involved in organising a kayaking activity of this scale.
Paddlers from as far away as Norway, hundreds of miles north and south and thousands of miles east of Perth converged on the outdoor rec camp along with locals. I don’t think anybody knew exactly what to expect but the adventurous spirit that seems to abound in kayakers was well rewarded with an intricate coastline, impressive wildlife and an excellent self contained venue right on the beach. The open air dining area with uninterrupted coastal views was a natural meeting point and provided a great backdrop to mealtimes and talks.

Above: Sharon enjoying the views on a short walk from the dining room.

After registrations and a hearty meal we sat down to a presentation by Sandy Robson. Sandy gave us a beautiful and inspiring account of the first leg of her project to retrace the Epic voyage of Oskar Speck. Her quirky humour and insights about the people she met along the way made this a very engaging talk and one not to be missed when she makes a guest appearance at NSWSKC Rock n Roll this year.

Above: Sandy's Presentation .

With a strong wind warning issued for Saturday, Les faced the tough decision of keeping everyone close to shore on the sheltered side of Cape Peron for the day. On the upside this allowed for large groups to share instructors and experience a range of approaches and presentation styles.
After lunch Les jumped into his trusty Greenland T while I offered a commentary about different approaches to rolling. Les showed us some traditional and more contemporary rolls and braces and topped it all with an excellent demonstration of rolling with a “walrus” on the rear deck. I joined in with some forward finishing rolls and braces and a little upside down paddling and then it was time for everyone to grab an instructor or mentor and give it a try.
The test of a good sea kayaking weekend is how tired the group looks after dinner on Saturday night. This isn’t the “sitting in the traffic “or “hard day at the office” kind of tired, this is more the contented tired that comes from salt water, sun and serious fun.
It is also a hard gig to stand in front this sleepy but polite group of paddlers and entertain them with more talk about kayaking. Sharon and I had quick chat and decided that her Cape York talk and My North Reef talk might disappear in a chorus of snores so I put up some short videos of paddling around Sydney and explained the local scene; it kept everyone awake for about an hour. A cuppa and short rundown on the North Reef Expedition for those who wanted some more and we were off the hook.

Above: Part of my Saturday group, including instructors John, Matt and Keely and prolific Sydney paddlers Rae and Neil.

Sunday morning dawned bright and calm so most paddlers opted for organised paddles to the aptly named Seal and or Penguin Islands. Despite the forecast for 3metre swells, there is an extensive offshore reef that parallels the coast and this reduced the ocean swells to playful waves spilling on the near shore rock platforms. The “seals” on Seal Island are actually Western Australian Sea Lions and we were lucky enough to see these massive beasts just hanging around on their private beach.

Above: WA Sea Lions

Playful waves on the rock platforms near Cape Peron.

From an outsiders perspective the weekend was a real success, 75 Paddlers including many from rival WA clubs met on neutral turf to compare notes, discuss skills and find common ground, new networks were formed and plans for future adventures were hatched. Significantly most of the talk over the final lunch was all about arrangements and suggestions for WA Symposium 2013. Based on the success of the 2012 gathering, the future of this event now looks very certain indeed. Congratulations Les and on a personal note a big thanks to Les, Jo and all the local instructors and paddlers who made Sharon and I feel so welcome.

Above: Les Allen, a happy man off for a rolling and skills session. The beach is an easy stroll from his front door.

Rob and Sharon's Southern Summer Adventure

I was delighted when Greg Simson, Commodore of the Tassie Sea Canoe Club, invited me down to spend some time with he and other club members, especially when they suggested early January and I realised that I could take Sharon along and extend our trip to take in some of the sights around Hobart and maybe even sneak a little paddle across the Mercury Passage to share the delights of Maria Island with her.

Commodore Greg shows off the modern Tassie Rig (designed by Tim Parker)

The Tassie Sea Kayak community has a long and distinguished history of paddling some of the most challenging waters in Australia and they have pioneered the use of very big rudders and a number of elegantly simple sails. Many of the members still paddle boats built with the club's "Greenlander" mould. Handcrafted fittings and sails figure heavily in many a paddlers' setup. I am currently researching different sails and was lucky enough to spend some time discussing Tasmanian sail rigs with some of the pioneers and stalwarts including Jenny Scott, Veronica Steane and Mike Emery who have used these rigs to great effect in challenging conditions.

Guy's sail uses a flexible mast and single line control

To use a Sundin style sports analogy the Tassie club punches well above its weight with around 170 members and a vibrant calendar of activities. With a burgeoning membership the club is looking to the future with an eye to maintaining club standards and promoting the philosophy of safe and self sufficient adventure on the cool and restless seas that surround them. As the club grows numerically I hope they can preserve the sense of a real sea going community that has been the backbone of their club for decades.

I was there to give an outsiders perspective on Sea Kayak Leadership; as well as a low key presentation on paddling around Sydney, leading groups on the NSW coast and an overview of the recent North Reef Expedition.

After this session I witnessed just how fast the weather can turn nasty even on the Derwent and in the aftermath how useful power can be to a seakayaker when Peter Kelly successfully towed a supported paddler with a swamped cockpit into a 40-45knot headwind!


I also spent a very rewarding day with Peter and a group of his mates who have embraced the challenge of skeg boat paddling. With the notable exception of local Brit boat enthusiast, Geoff Murray, rudderless paddling is still considered a fringe activity in Tassie.

The coldest day was reserved for private coaching with Hobart paddlers. I spent about 6 hours standing in the Derwent delivering rolling tuition which really wasn't so bad: at about 17degrees the river water was about double the air temperature!


After a walk into the magnificent old growth forests with Peter as our guide we headed north to Orford to head out to Maria Island. Despite a strong wind warning we made the crossing and setup camp. From this point the photos speak for themselves.

“It’s just over there."

Painted Cliffs

Darlington Sunset

View on the walk to Bishop and Clerk

Leaving Darlington with a full kayak

Fishing boats sheltered under the Fossil Cliffs.

Sharon paddling along the Fossil Cliffs

Sea Cave in glassy conditions

View of Schouten Island from Maria Island Sea Cave

Perfect Caving Conditions

Dwarfed by Stack

Friendly Darlington Local

Single Shot

Andrew Eddy took this one while I was busy snapping away a few weeks ago and he thought it might go well with the blog on photos. Thanks Andrew.

Moving Targets

Oscar's comment on my last blog prompted me to write this as I have been asked this question about hand held and fixed cameras many times before. First let me confess to knowing very little about the technical craft of photography and relying heavily on the ingenious technologies built into modern waterproof compacts, especially image stabilisation and auto focus.
All my still shots from the kayak are taken using a handlheld compact camera. When you see a camera mounted on the foredeck in some shots it is there to capture video for the EK website or Mark's Vimeo channel, fixed cameras work pretty well for video.

By using a handheld camera I can quickly change my point of veiw and shoot from as high as my outstretched arm will reach all the way down to just off the surface of the water. I try to avoid too many bow shots except when I think it will create a sense of proximity to the subject or add interest in some way.

I have tried using continuos shooting modes with fixed cameras but have discovered that the boat moves far more than my head or my hand producing mostly blurred and poorly framed images. The exception being self portrait type shots that work with a fixed setup where the boat and I are moving at the same rate.

My motivation is always to try for images that convey something of how it really looked from the seat of my kayak on the day so I can share some of the beauty and drama that I encounter at sea.

In my efforts to capture shots that depict sea kayakers in action I have found the following to be helpful:

• Try to watch the action (waves, wildlife, light shifts ) as they approach the subject and synchronise the shot based on what is coming into the frame rather than what has just happened.



• Steady yourself in steep conditions by relaxing and letting your hips ride the bumps.



• Use a one handed low brace to deal with breaking waves.



• Occasionally I have to do a "camera roll" which always seems to get a laugh from my buddies and I think the fact that I am unconcerned about the potential for capsize means that it doesnt happen as often as it should and I can focus on taking the shot.
  


• Experiment with lanyards that allow plenty of reach and then use a quick release just in case of entanglement.



• Choose a camera that has a quick setup time and minimum shutter lag. (The Canon Powershot D10 and the new Nikon AW100 seem to be the best I have used in wet and wild conditions.

Finally remember that when you are taking photographs you are often breaking a golden rule by turning your back to the sea so keep a lookout and be alert for warnings from paddlers looking over your shoulder towards the incoming waves.

Rebound

Matt and Fernando paddle backwards watching out for the big ones.

Matt and Fernando surf to seaward.

Fernando and Andre

Bouncy conditions

Froth and bubble

Steep ( spot the paddle and bow toggle)

As above

Along the coast at Dover Heights there is deep water right up to the cliff face. Add a fat easterly swell to a light southerly wind and you can find some interesting multi directional water along this stretch.

Local knowledge is invaulauble in a spot like this. Matt grew up living along these cliffs and most of the group have paddled here many times before. We know that, with the right combination of current and swell, there are a series of very predictable long shore rips that drain to the headlands at either end of this cliffy embayment and then out to sea.

Yesterday these factors allowed us surf the rebound and just generally bounce around at the base of the cliffs, cautiously confident that most of the wave energy was driving us away from the rocks.

Sydney Noreasters.

The image above shows Chris and Bob clawing their way up the face of a solid wind driven wave.

The crest of this wave is about topple onto Chris whilst Bob sneaks past this one only to be "surprised" by a similar wave on the way home.

There is a sense of randomness about these toppling crests and sooner or later your brace, balance and composure will be tested in these conditions.

This photo was taken approximately 2 nautical miles due east of Bluefish Point in deep water. The observations from nearby Western Harbour Channel lighthouse and Little Bay AWS were both in the mid to high 20knot range for most of the day prior to and during the paddle providing us with a "developed sea".

The group of seven used a buddy system with a skilled rescuer in each pair and the group leader was a free agent to oversee the group. VHF protocols were implemented and radios used. Full safety kit was carried and the rescue and self rescue skills of the senior paddlers were tested and current. A float plan was lodged with a reliable land contact. With all these precautions in place the group were able to challenge the skills of the less experienced members without running out of resources.

A couple of rescues, rolls and one very important high brace saw the group safely back inside the harbour before dark - an exhilirating afternoon made possible by our teamwork and mutual respect for the sea.

High Brace, Low Brace, No Brace.....

All too often a brace is a brake, a defensive drag against the water and a sure fire way to slow down, and yet ironically some paddlers try to apply it at the exact moment they are wanting to go faster.

The "No Brace" is simply my way of describing the technique of not responding to acceleration or directional drift with a defensive stroke. It is a bit like learning not to hit the brakes when your car loses grip and starts to slide on a wet or icy road. As in the car analogy, sudden deceleration tends to make the impending loss of control into an inevitability.

The first step in developing a good No Brace is to to sit on the shore before your next paddle in following seas and challenge yourself not to drag the blade behind you in a trailing brace to hold your line. Instead, when you feel a wave lift you and the boat starts to slide, just keep paddling, try to take off very square to the steepest part of the wave and only use sweeps, edges and forward strokes. When your experience tells you to hunker down with a trailing brace or rudder ignore it and put in a big sweep on the other side, instead of being defensive, focus on staying in control by maintaining drive!

The ''No Brace'' could also be described as the "body brace" in that you can brace against the heeling force of a wave with your hips or even hips and knees and simply maintain a good stroke. Remember to be patient, despite the car analogy above, course corrections take time in any boat, and you may have to wait a second or two for the edge to bite or the sweep to take effect.

An interesting technique in developing a good No Brace is to paddle abeam to trains of short steep, closely spaced overtopping waves on a windy day in an area of short fetch like a wide bay, see if you can paddle a perpendicular course without using the paddle as a crutch, use only sweep and forward power strokes while you do all the bracing with your hips and knees. Your cadence will need to change so you can meet the oncoming crests with a good strong catch and some of your strokes will have to be carefully placed over the high side gunwale, and timed so as not to trip you up, but the emphasis on bracing without having to stop paddling is a valuable skill to acquire.

When your "no brace" is working well you will get those extra couple of valuable strokes in at the take off point in a running sea instead of putting on the brakes. Even when rudder strokes become unavoidable you need to keep them crisp and decisive, feel for a blade angle that moves the stern without hauling on the brakes and creating excess drag. An effective stern rudder looks and feels very different to a heavy trailing brace and in a running sea will often get you back on line in the time it takes to make one forward stroke.


The less you use the stern rudder, the less you need it and linking rides by building up speed from consecutive waves will get easier. As a novice sea paddler I can remember being a lot busier than my more experienced mentors especially in following seas and then I learnt the "No Brace"; real life proof that "less is more".