Day 52 - Ocean Kayak 'Venus 11'

The Venus 10 was the first boat I paddled in this quest and on that morning I did a loop out and around Vacation Island on Mission Bay. In honor of that first outing I paddled the Venus 10's larger sister the Venus 11 on the same route. This boat being a few inches longer, wider and with a higher volume is much more stable than the smaller version. It's still much lighter than many other SOT's out there and the well placed side carry handles make this boat easy to handle off the water. On the water it retains the great maneuverability of the Venus 10 with even more speed and tracking.

Venus 11 Review

Manufacturer = Johnson Outdoors
Brand = Ocean Kayak
Model = Venus 11
Type = Sit On Top
Material = Plastic
Length = 10'-8"
Width = 28.5"
Weight = 40 lbs.
Capacity = 200-225 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay (Vacation Island loop)
Time = 6:30 AM
Distance = 4 miles
Duration = 1:01
Avg. Speed = 4 mph

Day 51 - C4 'Holoholo' - 2009 BAY TO BAY RACE -

The 2009 Bay To Bay Race. This year I decided to do something a little different so I entered the five mile stand up division in the race. It was an open division and I found myself matched up against much longer boards. When the starting whistle blew I (along with the other folks on shorter boards) watched the long boards take off for a sizable and ever growing lead. It quickly boiled down to me and another guy battling it out for third place. We were pretty evenly matched but every time I interrupted my paddling to take a sip of water from my camelback he gained the distance of the two strokes I missed. After a couple sips of water by the second turn my adversary had gained a 100 foot lead on me. I closed the gap a little bit as we neared the finish line but he came in well ahead of me leaving me in fourth place out of six. The race wasn't the only thing going I had a great time chatting with the other participants and saying hi to friends after the race sharing in the community spirit the race seems to bring out in folks.

Holoholo Review

Manufacturer= C4
Brand = C4
Model = Holoholo
Type = SUP
Material = Epoxy
Length = 12'-0"
Width = 28
Weight = 25 lbs.

Location = San Diego Bay - 2009 BAY TO BAY RACE - 5 Mile stand up division (4th place)
Time = 9:15 AM
Distance = 5 miles
Duration = 1:19
Avg. Speed = Aprox 3.8 mph
Conditions = Partly cloudy and beautiful

Day 50 - Pt. 65N "Whisky 16" - HALF WAY THERE! -

To celebrate reaching the half way point in this quest I rounded up a bunch of friends to join me for an evening paddle followed by dinner at a brew pub in Pacific Beach. Somehow food and beer seemed to be on the front of everyone's minds as we paddled into the wind and current out to the red buoy then right back to the dock. For this paddle I was in the Point 65 N "Whisky 16". A very sporty easy maneuvering kayak designed by a good friend of ours Nigel Foster. Speed was definitely not on Nigel's mind when he put pen to paper to sketch out this boat but fun in rough water certainly was. The wind chop and small swell we experienced heading out the channel allowed me to appreciate the higher volume bow of this boat as it floated over the bouncy water. That high front volume paired with strategically placed rocker allow the Whisky 16 to perform wonderfully in the surf. I only wish we had a decent tide race around here for me to go play on with this boat. If you're looking for a great boat that will allow you to play in rough water with ease this is one worth considering, but don't expect to keep up with anybody in a longer boat.

Whisky 16 Review

Manufacturer = Point 65 North
Brand = Point 65 North
Model = Whisky 16
Material = Fiberglass
Length = 16'-0"
Width = 22"
Weight = 55 lbs.

Location = Around red buoy and back
Time = 6:00 AM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 1:15
Avg. Speed = N/A
Conditions = Windy and partly cloudy w/ 2' wind chop

Day 49 - Necky 'Looksha T'

One of the Thursday night regulars (Sabrina) was looking for a partner to paddle a tandem so she could practice for the upcoming Bay to Bay race. I need a partner to truly give the tandems a try so it was a good match. In tandem kayaks and canoes it's common practice to put the heavier person in the back seat to make handling the boat a little easier. I outweigh Sabrina by way more than a few pounds and would normally expect to end up in the back seat but she wanted to practice working the rudder controls which meant I got a rare experience in the front seat. We put a couple bricks in the rear hatch, at the very stern of the boat, to correct the trim and it worked pretty well.





As a guide I couldn't have asked for a more cushy position on this outing. I pretty much sat back eating cherries while Sabrina did all the work.

I liked the way the Looksha handled (at least from my front seat position). It is certainly plenty wide enough to feel very stable yet moves at a pretty good pace when you wind up and throw in some power strokes. True to many of the Lookshas, the cockpit opening is plenty wide almost to be point of being too wide for many smaller paddlers that tend to occupy the front seat.

Looksha T Review

Manufacturer = Johnson Outdoors
Brand = Necky
Model = Looksha T
Material = Plastic
Length = 18'-1"
Width = 30"
Weight = 92 lbs.

Location = Aqua Adventures Thursday Evening Paddle - Around red buoy and back
Time = 6:00 AM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 2:00
Avg. Speed = N/A
Conditions = Breezy and partly cloudy

Day 48 - P&H 'Capella 167'

I paddled the Capella twice today. The first run was this morning with the Aqua Adventures "Wednesday Morning Paddle". I managed to convince most of the group to land near the roller coaster and portage back over to the bay like I did the other day with the Avocet. Only one of the crew got rolled in the surf landing (Mark's first time) and things continued to go well as our parade of five sea kayaks marched down the street across Mission Blvd. and back into the water behind Misos sushi. It's a long story, but we managed to upset a woman from New York City along the way...go figure. The crew seemed to enjoy the break from routine and were already hatching ideas involving kayak carts and money for coffee.

On our way back into the marina Jay spotted a white pelican which is a rare sight around here. I'm not entirely sure of it's actual name, if anybody can identify this bird please let me know exactly what it is. It seemed a bit larger than the usual browns we see around here and had black tips on the back edges of it's wings.




The second paddle in the Capella was tonight with a very lively group of freshmen from UCSD out for a last fling before everyone scatters to the winds for the summer. Early today after one lonely thunder cloud rolled through with a sputtering of rain and three (and only three) cracks of thunder (a freak occurrence around here) we got a phone call from the groups coordinator wanting to cancel the event a full six hours before it was due to launch. We did our best to council the terrified kids and assure them that although conditions had not been suitable for the last twenty minutes or so, we were sure that the beautiful fluffy clouds and warm sunshine we were seeing on the beach right now (behind the "storm") would be what we could expect at launch time. Thirty brave souls did conjure the courage to paddle a very pleasant evening on the bay in the aftermath of San Diego's once yearly visit from the thunder gods. The group played splashed each other seemingly having a great time on the warm evening despite all the "chaos" the big storm brought earlier today.

The Capella was fun to paddle in both outings and I enjoyed the fit and feel of the very agile boat. It isn't going to win any awards in the speed department but that's what one can expect when a little speed is sacrificed for maneuverability.

Capella 167 Review

Manufacturer = P&H
Brand = P&H
Model = Capella 167
Type = Touring
Material = Fiberglass
Length = 16'-7"
Width = 21.75"
Weight = 52.4 lbs.

Location #1 = Wednesday Morning Paddle - Roller coaster loop
Time = 7:00 AM
Distance = 5.10 miles
Duration = 1:30
Avg. Speed = N/A
Conditions = Mostly cloudy and calm

Location #2 = Mission Bay night paddle - College group
Time = 9:15 PM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 1:15
Avg Speed = N/A
Conditions = Partly cloudy and calm (post "storm")

Day 47 - Current Designs 'Sirocco'

Edging was one of the main topics I wanted to work on with Joyce during a private lesson this morning. With that in mind I put her in the Wildy' Zephyr that she had been in last week and I paddled the Current Designs Sirocco. Both boats have amazing secondary stability that allows a person to keep the boat on edge comfortably and really discover what edge control is all about. The Sirocco doesn't seem to get much use around here and I'm not entirely sure why. It's a good handling boat that inspires confidence in beginners and allows more advanced paddlers to really work their edged maneuvering skills. The one thing I dislike about the Sirocco, however, is how wide the cockpit is and consequently how far apart the thigh pads are. I always feel like I'm mimicking a Buddha stance when sitting I'm in that boat. Sitting with your knees that far apart doesn't do much for your balance which sort of makes the relatively wide 23" width of the boat more necessary for stability.

We stayed in the marina area during the lesson this morning enjoying the warm sunshine that so many spoiled and whiny San Diegans have been missing for the last six cloudy days. If only they could live through a real winter then "June Gloom" wouldn't seem so bad, and I wouldn't have to listen to people complain about the poor weather when it's 65 degrees and pleasant outside. Sometimes, when it comes to the weather, I think people in San Diego need to buck up and grow a pair just out of respect to everyone else that has to deal with REAL bad weather. Sorry I digress...

Sirocco Review

Manufacturer = Current Designs
Brand = Current Designs
Model = Sirocco
Material = Plastic
Length = 16'-10"
Width = 23"
Weight = 60 lbs.
Capacity = 375 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay - Private lesson in Quivira Basin
Time = 11:30 AM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 2:00
Avg Speed = N/A
Conditions = Partly cloudy and breezy

*Day 46 - Wilderness Systems 'Tempest 165 Pro'

Today I had the pleasure of going on the water for a private lesson with 12 year old Jeremiah who just finished up his 5th grade year and came down from the Lake Tahoe area to spend the month of June visiting his grandparents here in San Diego. By the end of our hour and a half lesson Jeremiah had mastered all of the basic strokes and a few capsize recovery techniques as well. The way he picked things up I almost didn't believe him when he told me that he had never paddled a thing before today. Like so many kids, he didn't need instruction so much as a boat, a paddle and someone to look after him. Gotta love working with kids. Today Jeremiah paddled the kid sized Tsunami SP while I followed along in the Tempest 165 Pro.

When I'm looking for an easy handling boat but want a little more speed the Tempest 165 is the boat I often go for. Once again the seat, hip pad, and thigh brace systems are hard to beat for 'out of the box' fit and comfort. The 165 is the smaller version of the Tempest 180 and 170 I reviewed earlier and, unlike the other two, this kayak fits me quite well. Because of that good fit, for me, the 165 is the best handling boat of the three. Anybody larger than me at 5'-10" may start to feel cramped in the 165 but any smaller paddler looking for a swift and nimble ride should certainly give it a try.

Tempest 165 Pro Review

Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tempest 165 Pro
Material = Fiberglass
Length = 16'-6"
Width = 21.5"
Weight = 56 lbs.
Capacity = 300 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay - Private lesson in Quivira Basin
Time = 2:00 PM
Distance = N/A
Duration = 1:30
Avg Speed = N/A
Conditions = Mostly cloudy and breezy