Day 45 - Valley 'Avocet RM'

If I had to decide on one single boat to paddle the Avocet would be very high on the list of boats I'd consider. Somehow everything feels right when I'm in this boat. Very often it's the kayak I choose to take out on lessons when I want everything I demonstrate to look right. It has an excellent glide, comfortable primary stability, great secondary stability, and it carves turns very gracefully on edge. Our plastic version is the boat the staff all but fights over when we go rock gardening in Baja, the way it handles in the tight quarters around rocks is fantastic. The Avocet isn't quite the right choice for larger paddlers but folks with an average build from about 6'-2" on down to 5'-8" should fit it well, smaller people can try the low volume version.

This morning I was feeling like trying something different so I paddled north out of the jetty and up the coast (playing around in the surf zone) as far as the Belmont Park roller coaster. At the roller coaster I landed and portaged a half block inland and put in behind Miso's Sushi (the best sushi in San Diego by the way). I then paddled a mile and a half back to Aqua Adventures. I used to do ocean to intercoastal portage routes like this all the time when I lived in South Florida but I'd never done one in Mission Bay. It worked out well and I think a small set of fold down wheels to make portaging a bit easier would open up several routes up the coast and back across into Mission Bay. It's a little more work but it adds variety and doesn't require backtracking or car shuttles.

Avocet Review

Manufacturer = Valley Sea Kayaks
Brand = Valley
Model = Avocet
Material = Plastic
Length = 16'-0"
Width = 22"
Weight = 54 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay - Roller coaster loop
Time = 6:15 AM
Distance = 5.10 miles
Duration = 1:02
Avg. Speed = 4.9 mph.
Conditions = Overcast with 1' wind swell

Day 44 - Feelfree 'Nomad'

Although the Nomad is a foot and a half shorter than it's 'fished out' brother the Moken for me it proved to be a bit faster. It's a relatively short, very maneuverable, stable SOT that you can cruise around on but also can handle surf. So being I'd put this boat in the ranks of the Ocean Kayak 'Mysto' and possibly the Wilderness 'Tarpon 100'. While I didn't exactly have to fight to keep on track, I did find the tracking of the Nomad to be a bit squirrely. The interesting thing is that there is a skeg attachment that can be added to this boat which I didn't get a chance to try but should improve the tracking for those times a person just wants to cruise. When the opportunity or desire to surf presents itself all you'd have to do is remove the skeg and go to town. The thigh strap and seat attachment points are an interesting molded in stainless bar which looks much more solid than the plastic pad eye on most sit on tops. With all of the above and two hatches to access storage inside the boat, along with a tank well, you have a fairly versatile little sit on top. Not a bad pick for someone who wants a boat that can surf a few waves and cruise around the bay but won't require a large space to store it.

Nomad Review

Manufacturer = Feelfree Kayaks
Brand = Feelfree
Model = Nomad
Type = Sit On Top
Material = Plastic
Length = 9'-10"
Width = 30"
Weight = 44 lbs.
Capacity = 300 lbs.

Location = Quivira Basin to Dania Landing Marina then Barefoot bar and back
Time = 6:00 AM
Distance = 3.89 miles
Duration = 1:01 hours
Avg. Speed = 3.8
Conditions = Rain (can you believ it?)

Day 43 - Valley 'Anas Acuta'

I had every intention to blog about the Valley Avocet which I paddled for the better part of three hours this morning during a private lesson with a paddler named Mike from the Portland area. Things changed this afternoon, however, when some after work shenanigans went awry revealing what I like to paddle when I'm not paddling a boat from the big list and providing some interesting material for this post. Besides that I sort of have to post about the Anas Acuta now because I may not be able to paddle it again before the end of this 100 boats challenge, because...um...I'm not sure I'll have the hole patched in time.

It's Otto's fault. ;-)

Always blame it on the 15 year old kid. After all it was Otto's idea to paddle tonight and it was him that BEGGED me to go along. Not to mention it was the bow of his boat that skewered mine like a shiskabob in the waves at Dog Beach. How could I possibly be to blame.

Actually it was all on me for not following the very same surf zone rules that I taught Otto last fall. It was my words that probably sounded something like "Never get stacked up in the surf zone, you never know when a wave is going to catch an outside boat and bring it in on somebody inside." Sometimes even the teacher has to be taught the lesson again to be reminded of why.

We were catching some really nice rides in 1-2 sometimes 3 foot surf. I was outside and watched Otto grab a nice long ride in to the beach then turn around and start paddling back out. I hadn't been paying attention and in the mean time had drifted a little too far inside and ended up getting broached by one of the occasional larger waves that were rolling in. My first reaction was a bit slow and I got stuck in the wave and was headed directly toward Otto. In most broach situations on small waves I can pull myself around pretty well on the wave and maneuver to miss any obstacles down wave from me, but this time I was using a Greenland paddle which I'm still not too experienced with. Without the familiar traction of the large euro blade I normally take in the surf zone, I found my self digging in trying to move but with limited results. A slow motion moment passed and we finally collided with the instantaneous (and too familiar) crruunch sound of breaking fiberglass. Otto got knocked over and pulled off an awesome roll that dislodged his bow from my hull. After I saw that Otto was ok I paddled to shore hoping for the best.

My heart did stop a little when I saw the fist size hole in my hull but I couldn't get mad at anyone or anything but myself for screwing up. Amazingly, even with the giant hole in the bottom of my hull, I was able to paddle the remaining mile up the San Diego river back to our shop without taking on much more than a gallon of water in my front hatch. After a more thorough inspection I realized that the impact happened in the most accessible part of the front of the boat directly below the front hatch opening. This easy access will make doing the repair infinitely easier than just about anywhere else in the front of the boat. Now I just have to find the time to do the work.

The Anas Acuta is one of my favorite boats to paddle right now. Like I said in the beginning it's one of the kayaks that I take out when I've already paddled one off the '100' list for the day. This boat fits me like a glove and surfs better for me than almost any other sea kayak I've taken in the waves. It's quick, comfortable, and responsive. I just plain love to paddle it. If you can squeeze your butt into it's famously narrow seat (which I hear is wider in newer versions) I recommend giving this boat a try. It's certainly not set up to haul a lot of gear for extended trips but as a day tripper it's great fun.

Anas Acuta Review

Manufacturer = Valley Sea Kayaks
Brand = Valley
Model = Anas Acuta
Material = Fiberglass
Length = 17'-2"
Width = 20"
Weight = 49 lbs.

Location = Dog Beach long boat surf session and up San Diego river
Time = 6:15 PM
Distance = about 4 miles
Duration = 1:00
Avg. Speed = NA
Conditions = Overcast

Day 42 - Wilderness Systems 'Tsunami 120'

Mike Boren from the Aqua Adventures staff drew a boat name from the envelope for me tonight and came up with the Tsunami 120 from Wilderness Systems. Having just paddled the 145 yesterday I was curious to see how a very similar hull shape would compare in a different sized package (this time more appropriate to my body size). The boat's girth still made edging feel a bit clumsy, but because I fit the boat better I was able to hold the 120 on edge and carve turns fairly effectively. I shouldn't complain too much about edging I guess, the Tsunamis aren't advertised or expected to be performance hulls so what can I expect. We did have a fairly small and fast moving group tonight and I had no problem keeping up in the 120 which moves pretty well for a 12' boat. All in all it was a good night and a fun paddle and what it boils down to is when "armchair like" comfortable flat water cruising is the name of the game the Tsunamis have you covered.

Tsunami 120 Review

Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tsunami 120
Material = Plastic
Type = Touring
Length = 12'-0"
Width = 25.5"
Weight = 50 lbs.
Capacity = 275 lbs.

Location = Thursday Evening Paddle - around Vacation isle to Bahia pt. into Mariners and back
Time = 6:00 PM
Distance = about 5 miles
Duration = 2:00
Avg. Speed = N/A
Conditions = Overcast breezy and chilly (San Diego chilly)

Day 41 - Wilderness Systems 'Tsunami 145'

It was the Wednesday morning crew at the Aqua Adventures dock once again. Many of the usual suspects were there with the addition of Jim Alsup's daughter and son in law. A flat calm morning allowed us to lead the less experienced guests to the OB pier, back past the red buoy (loaded with sea lions) then on in to our dock.

On our way out I was giving Jim's son in law a few pointers on maneuvering strokes and edging which he picked up pretty fast. It was right then while I was trying to demonstrate edging that I made the decision to try not to put my students in the Tsunami 145 for lessons that involve edging. Edging the 145 boat is like trying to get a weeble-wobble to stay on it's side, it just doesn't want to go there. Granted, I don't come close to fitting the 145, which is designed for larger people, so it may perform much better for someone else. However, I have been in other big boats and have been able to handle them just fine (the Tsunami 175 for instance) yet the 145 was trouble for me. If you're a bit bigger than average and are looking for generous amounts of primary stability and a very comfortable ride on calm to moderate water the Tsunami 145 fits the bill wonderfully. If you're looking for a boat that will give you more control to be able to go into rougher water, then you may consider another boat.

Tsunami 145 Review

Manufacturer = Confluence
Brand = Wilderness Systems
Model = Tsunami 145
Material = Plastic
Type = Touring
Length = 14'-6"
Width = 24.5"
Weight = 56 lbs.
Capacity = 350 lbs.

Location = Wed AM paddle to the pier and back
Time = 7:00 AM
Distance = about 5 miles
Duration = 1:30
Avg. Speed = N/A
Conditions = High thin marine layer, warm, and glassy

Day 40 - Surftec 'Laird 11-6'

This afternoon I closed the shop as fast as I could to try and catch up with a paddleboard group that our friend Ryan Levinson has been organizing on Tuesday nights. They launch at the Bahia resort at 6:00 PM every Tuesday and do a run out to the open ocean and back. I have to close the shop at 6:00 so my plan was to launch from our dock and catch the group as they pass by our marina on their way out. As luck would have it today I ran late after helping a few customers after hours so I missed the group by about 10 minutes and spent the better part of the paddle playing catch up. I did finally meet the group about a quarter mile off shore where they were taking a quick break. From there we turned around and ran with the wind, swell, and incoming tide back in the channel to the Bahia.

This was only the second time I've been in any appreciable chop or measurable swell on a standup. I quickly discovered that as long as I kept moving I felt quite stable on the Laird 11-6 that I was on. For rough water paddling though I don't think I'd mind sacrificing a little speed for a bit more rocker up front which would make a board ride over the chop rather than plunge into it which is what I was experiencing on the relatively flat Laird. It was a fun workout run and thank god most of the group had raced this weekend and were taking it easy because I don't think I could have kept up otherwise.

Laird 11-6 Review

Manufacturer= Surftech
Brand (shaper) = Laird
Model = Laird 11-6
Type = SUP
Material = Softop
Length = 11'-6"
Width = 29"
Thickness = 4 3/8"

Location = Mission Bay past red buoy and back to the Bahia resort.
Time = 6:15 PM
Distance = Aprox 3 miles
Duration = 1:00
Avg. Speed = Aprox 3 mph
Conditions = Overcast and chilly

Day 39 - Bell 'Northwoods' and... IT'S A BOY!

When I got up this morning I was thinking about my brother Aaron and more importantly his then pregnant wife Aurise and the fact that she was due any day now. I've pretty much been sleeping with my phone next to me waiting for news of a new baby. At about 8:30 I checked in to see if Aurise was still pregnant and sure enough no baby yet. I started to blab on about some of the strange people we see come through the marina until Aaron cut the conversation short because he "was in the middle of something." Apparently Aurise had just gone into labor a moment before I called and they were on the way to the hospital. At about noon today I got a call from Aaron saying that I was an uncle the forth time over and that our deer hunting gang just got another boy! His name is Jonas Aaron Stachovak I don't know any of his specs yet but I'm sure he's good looking and super smart (as long as he took after his mother anyway).

Oh yea, I paddled today too.

This time it was the Bell 'Northwoods' open canoe on loan to us from our friend Teresa Boli. At 18 feet long it's the most canoe I've tried to handle by myself but had no problem moving it around. It's length certainly gives it a good glide, and if I worked at it I could get it up above 5 mph. I should have been working on my 3 star skills but I was in the mood to cruise so I did a loop out to Government Island and back. I got plenty of work on my J stroke which is feeling very solid on my right but my left side is still a bit flimsy. While I was cruising around in such a beautiful canoe I couldn't help but think of how nice it would have been to have a canoe like that on some of the longer trips I've done.

Northwoods Review

Manufacturer = Bell Canoes
Brand = Bell
Model = Northwoods
Type = Open Canoe
Material = Carbon
Length = 18'-6"
Width = 36"
Weight = 51 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay to Government Island and back
Time = 6:00 AM
Distance = 4.55
Duration = 1:12 hours
Avg. Speed = 3.8 mph
Conditions = Warm with high marine layer