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This year I decided to try something different. The original plan was for a Bella Bella-Port Hardy kayak trip with my regular tripping buddies, but they both had family commitments that made the trip unworkable this year, so I figured I’d do something cool and interesting in my new canoe (some...

Hey folks, I’m not able to find a clear map of the VTS zones and their associated VHF channels for our local waters. I know Vancouver area is channel 12 and Victoria is 11, but does anyone have a visual aid for switch-over points (switching, say, from 11 to 12)? I’ve combed through government...

Hey folks, here’s a simple question: Have you ever successfully self-rescued after unintentionally capsizing in a loaded boat while on a trip? I’m talking here about paddling on a trip with a full load (including water), getting yourelf into a bad place, capsizing, and then self-rescuing...

For the heck of it I went through the voting process for the Paddling Magazine Industry Awards. Of the 11 categories, only one is devoted to “touring” kayaks (a nebulous term). See the nominees below. The contest is clearly irrelevant except as a form of marketing, but it is an interesting...

Hey folks, Assuming that non-essential travel is allowed this summer, I would like to cart my kayak onto a BC Ferry to Nanaimo as a foot passenger. I’ve done the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay trip that way (years ago), but I’ve never travelled to Nanaimo this way. My options are Tsawwassen-Duke Point...

I decided to check out a couple of the new BCMTA sites in northern Howe Sound today — Islet View and Thornborough Channel. Wow — these are great sites with fabulous infrastructure! Composting toilets, bear bins, picnic tables...the works. Plus, the landings are marginal enough that only...

Hey folks, I’d appreciate some input from those of you who have done solo trips of any length. I was recently contacted by a 22-year old woman, a former student of mine. She was in my high school outdoor club for several years and was a very solid performer on all our backpacking and paddling...

Well, the Youtube algorithm knows me well, as it recently alerted me to a documentary that I first saw on PBS back in the 80s and which has stuck in the back of my mind for all these years. “Into the Great Solitude” is a beautiful and meditative account of Rob Perkins‘ solo expedition down the...

Big winds coming out of the inlets with this cold snap. See Pam Rocks (48 knots). Even Indian Arm is in the high 20s (these are live readings from weather stations). Compare with the NAM prediction in the Windy app: not only are the wind speeds lower, but the wind pattern is all wrong. These...

I’m looking for a new canoe paddle, so I’ve been going down internet rabbit holes. Here is an interesting find: an article on the shape of ancient canoe paddles: An interesting generalization: “So the majority of traditional canoe paddles are rather narrow, around 114 sq.in. in surface area...

I know it’s not dead, merely sold, but it will no longer be a co-op, so I’ll stick with the title of this thread. (Actually, according to the Globe and Mail, it is legally a coporation, so I guess the co-op angle was unofficial). Anyway, I have a long personal history with MEC. I don’t know...

The CBC is running an article that looks back at Don Starkell’s canoe trip from Winnipeg to the Amazon in 1980. If you’ve read Don’s own account of the trip, Paddle to the Amazon, you’ll be familiar with the details, but the article offers a good overview...

I just noticed today that two new ocean buoys have been installed in the Strait of Georgia. They are called English Bay and Georgia Strait. They join Halibut Bank, which used to be the only buoy in the southern part of the Strait. It also seems that Ballenas no longer has a working weather...

Back in July some friends and I did a Cape Scott trip. We got storm bound at Raft Cove, so we availed ourselves of the BC Parks cabin while the system blew through. As all you trippers know, listening to weather is a kayaker’s ritual, especially when something nasty blows in off the Pacific...

For weather geeks, today was a good example of a Qualicum wind. According to Lange in The Wind Came All Ways (the Bible of marine weather in the Strait of Georgia): ”There are two situations which produce southwest winds over the Strait of Georgia. The best known of these is the ‘Qualicum’”. He...

Hey folks, has anyone had experience using Seam Grip WP for replacing a wrist gasket? I’ve done gaskets before, but I’ve always used Aquaseal. I’ve got an unopened tube of Seam Grip WP, so I was wondering if I could use that. Any advice would be appreciated! Cheers, Andrew

Post your pics! Let’s work to keep our spirits up. I took my daughter paddling up Alouette Lake. Glorious weather and very quiet.

In a recent trip report, Alex talked about how he uses Windy to plan his trips, including crossings. I was interested in this strategy, but I had no experience with the Windy app. I decided to keep an eye on some local areas this fall/winter and compare the weather station readings with Windy...

Okay you prognosticators, let's get at it. We have enough collective wisdom on this board to make some educated guesses about the future of our sport. I started sea kayaking in the late 90s, and in that time I have seen the rising wave of enthusiasm for ocean paddling crest, break, and dissipate...

I have a Kokatat paddling jacket with adjustable wrist cuffs. Here’s the one: https://kokatat.com/product/gore-tex-pullover-pjuplp It’s a great jacket: good material, the usual awesome Kokatat tailoring, very light and comfy. The downside: those cuffs on my skinny wrists do not keep out the...