Skyscapes.

On Tuesday night we rounded south head in "light airs" to behold a distant waterspout and a rainbow.
Futher to seaward, spectacular cloud banks added steely tones to the rays of the low, winter sun.






The whole group sat surprisingly still in the afternoon lull, quietly watching as the vortex of moist air dissipated off North Head.











With cliffs to our west and more rainbows on the horizon we paddled with an unusual quietness.

It seemed we were all a little in awe of the skyscape as colours and forms dissolved into the night.

Wayne Langmaid

Last Tuesday afternoon I packed my paddle and headed for the Central Coast to pay my respects and offer support to the family of Wayne Langmaid. We were gathered to acknowledge the passing of a multi-talented and passionate man who had earned the friendship and respect of so many people.

His loving family gave eulogies with a courage and intensity that were reminiscent of Wayne's finest qualities. His inspiration was so obvious in their words.

Wayne was a pioneering figure in the SeaKayaking community. He was a forceful and strident advocate for safety, and the standards that he set for himself and his business became benchmarks for the paddling community. He beleived that fledgling adventurers deserved a challenging but fear free learning environment. He insisted that safe and supportive guidance was a right rather than an option and reminded all aspiring instructors of their moral and legal obligations to these principles.

He shared these values with all concerned and was generous with his time and expertise. When I headed a review of safety and training proceedures as president of the New South Wales Sea Kayak Club, Wayne gave generously of his time and expertise. His positive influence over this organisation and many other kayaking groups, including my own training organisation, will live on.

Two Tuesdays at North Head.

Two photos, one week apart, same time, same place, same group....

... but a very different scene.

Small Waves = Big Fun

The surf report said: "small dribbling surf in the morning with a few peaky 1-2 footers later in the day". So with the low afternoon sun throwing a pink tinge on the breaking crests, Peter, Chris and I headed for Greenhills to catch a few rides in our sea kayaks.
We soon discovered the odd decent set and anyway, it doesnt take much to keep sea kayakers amused. It must have been big enough because we all needed a roll or three.

Punching out we still had some work to do....

with just enough wave action to keep us honest....

But most of the session was clean and cruisy with not a boardrider in sight.

With waves like this, you can practice strokes without the same pressure or urgency that you get with bigger, fatter waves.

Just on sunset with the tide running out, things got quite busy. The local surfers knew the best waves would happen after the turn of the tide and weren't going to let the low light deter them.

So we moved to the North of the beach to avoid the evening "peak hour".

Still enjoying the conditions, we surfed 'by ear' for a while and then reluctantly picked up one last shadowy wave as the last light drained out of the evening sky.

Lake Macquarie Paddlers.

Waking up to a clear cool morning on the banks of Lake Macquarie - it was the perfect way to prepare for a weekend of solid training with the Lake Macquarie Paddlers.....

Across a wide age range and from many walks of life, this group were one of the friendliest and most enthusiastic that I have met.

Injury prevention and efficiency were hot topics. Who wants to give up paddling due to strain injuries?.... and who doesn't want to go little quicker?

(Photo Chris B)

Regardless of how well Sharon paddled, the playground equipment wouldn't budge......!

(photo Chris B)

With the aims of the morning session explained we hit the water to refine the forward stroke. After a series of exercises and challenges, we finished the morning with a "peer review".

I believe there is lot to learn about your own stroke by developing a constructively critical eye for other peoples technique.

Having your mates analyse your paddling is sometimes a real test of diplomacy and with some paddlers, I feel more like a referee than a coach during this activity.

Fortunately, with this group, humour prevailed and by lunchtime, many could not only feel the difference in their own paddling but could see the difference in their buddies.

(photo Chris B)

We proceeded from boat control skills to wet exits (planned and unplanned).

Along the way we found out what happens when you tilt your boat and what happens when you tilt it too far.
Initial apprehension about capsize was soon forgotten and people started to relax with the idea of edging their boats and bracing.
I made my usual pronouncement :" If you don't fall in you aren't trying hard enough!" and the group rose to the challenge. John even declared himself the "unbalanced boater"after stalling during some very committed turns and braces!

It was a warm weekend so it was easy to promote kayaking as an immersion sport.

With practice and a little more training I think The Lake Macquarie Paddlers will be adding some coastal trips to their calendar.
There is an adventurous spirit in this group and the skills and knowledge they are acquiring will soon see them crossing the Swansea Bar and extending their range to the open sea. When they paddle out of their beautiful sheltered Lake onto the ocean swells for the first time, their preparation and teamwork will make a real difference.

Special thanks to:

Alan and Ingrid for organising the weekend and valuable advice on how to tailor the training.

Owen and Anne for hosting a hearty barbecue on Saturday night.

John for his enthusiasm and positive write up of the weekends events.

Chris for his excellent photographs and the artistic images of a kayaker.

And; Alan, Anne, Chris, Don, Frank, Ingrid, John, Malcolm, Neil, Owen, Peter, Ray and Wayne for giving the weekend their full commitment and enthusiasm.

Sea Skills. Port Stephens

As last week progressed and the forecasts for strong offshore winds became more strident it also became obvious to all concerned that Broughton Island was not going to be a suitable destination for Sea Skills Assessments.

Karen Dallas from the Skee Kayak Centre had been tracking forecast trends and liasing with the Port Stephens VMR to produce a viable floatplan that kept us near shore and with accessible bail out points if the winds strengthened ahead of the forecast.

After logging on with the Coastal Patrol, Karen went through the safety briefing and finished with a reminder about surf signals and ettiquette.

I first met Karen and her Coffs Harbour sea kayak group a couple of years ago and was immediately impressed with their positive attitude to surf, which is just as well, because up around "Coffs" you run out of options if you don't develop the skills to handle beach landings.

Above: Shane and Mick demonstrate good form catching small waves. This session lasted about an hour during which time the whole crew put on a good display while we worked towards the bigger end of the beach. There was a number of rolls but no swimmers. Well done guys!

Regular practice even in small surf really sharpens up bracing and edge control and it was refreshing to see a group with none of the "surf phobia" I often see with Sydney paddlers. Those quiet North Coast beaches seem to provide a great training ground and with Karen as a leader and mentor these kayakers are learning fast.

We reluctantly left the surf looking for new assessment challenges. Here Terry leads the way as we follow the Tomaree headland out of the breeze.

(above) We decide to try out a few rescues out of the wind. Then we added a little more exposure and a sense of urgency courtesy of an "unexpected" capsize close to the rocks.(below)

Deck carries, swimmer rescues and all sorts of variations were demonstrated in all sorts of conditions throughtout the weekend.

(below) A series of huge sea caves provided some shelter and a chance to practice turning and manouvering in a dramatic setting.

Below: The sea skilled team - Terry, Karen (Sea Leader), Peter, Shane and Mick.

Special thanks to Karen for excellent organisational skills on and off the water. You can see her below taking a rare break to explore a short cut while I keep an eye on things. Even Leaders need a break sometimes!

NSWSKC at the Royal National Park.

The lure of a paddle along the cliffs to Little Marley was only part of the reason we assembled at Bonnie Vale last Sunday.
For Adrian it was a chance to practice his instructing skills and pick up a few tricks of the trade.
For some of the group it was a last minute practice before upcoming sea skills assessments.
For Cathy, a first paddle on the sea.
And for everyone a chance to apply their skills to the open waters of the "Royal Coast".



We kicked off the day with a paddling workshop. Sharon showed us how to do it and Adrian added a detailed commentary before we headed off ,eager to put theory into practice.
We offered corrections on posture, hand position and general fwd technique before leaving the shelter of Port Hacking.
Once we turned the corner at Jibbon Point it became abvious that everyone would get to test the efficiency of their stroke punching into the steady 8-12knot headwind.
I also realised some towing practice would be necessary if we were to get to Little Marley for lunch.


Above you can see the adventurous Cathie on her first paddle on the sea. She chose a good day with just enough wave action to "keep it real"

We land at 1.00pm due to the headwinds and a leisurely start. An easy landing and smiles all round with the promise of lunch in the sun.

(above) After lunch, Adrian and Sharon paddling past the disinctive peaked dune that rises out of the Lagoon behind Big Marley.

On the way home Jan decided the rebound off the cliffs would provide a great opportunity for her to try a re-enter and roll. ( I may have given a little bit of encouragement)

Ian is holding station nearby just in case she needs help.

Success! Jan rolls and Ian rafts up while she attaches the spray deck and has a break.

With the sun about to dissappear behind the cliffs we decide everyone is wet enough and tired enough to head back to the calmer, busier waters of the bay.

Thanks to all who paddled for working as a team to make this a safe and friendly day and to Sharon and Adrian for Sharing their skills and knowledge.