Race/Distance Board Showcase

Well, I’ve done it. I committed to doing another board showcase on Maui, though this time it’s going to be Race/Distance/Downwinder boards and I’m going to try to keep it small and manageable. I’ve sent this letter to all the manufacturers I know of who make race/distance boards:

We are preparing to do a showcase for Distance/Race/downwind SUP boards on Maui at the end of February or early March similar to the general SUP board showcase we did last year. This showcase will not be a direct performance comparison–we don’t have the facilities or the expertise to rate board performance. It will reflect the paddler’s subjective opinions of the boards and provide general specifications. We will also provide some GPS data about general performance in downwind (a Maliko Gulch run), flat-water paddling, and over a Battle Of The Paddle-style closed course with legs in four directions.

Bill Babcock
Editor
Ke Nalu e-Magazine
Paddlesurfing’s Web Journal

As I said in the letter, this will NOT be an event like the last showcase. It’s going to be low key and mostly in the water. Last year’s showcase was fun, but way too much work and quite a bit of expense. I’m going to do my best to keep the lid on this one. You’ll see it all unfold right here.

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Vancouver Island SUP Expedition

Dave Collins is an accomplished paddler, in both whitewater and ocean setting.  Here he shares with us a little bit about a Stand Up Paddling expedition he recently undertook….

I recently paddled my stand up board solo around Cape Scott, the northern tip of Vancouver Island.  The 100 km. expedition took me four and a half days.  The few people I met along the way seemed awed and perplexed:  “What is the advantage of that?” asked a backpacker on the North Coast Trail.  The question caused me to pause… “It´s challenging and fun… and the view is unbeatable.”

I have the right of way…theoretically

There are no obvious pragmatic advantages to SUP touring versus sea kayak touring.  I went half the speed as I would have in a fast sea kayak.  But, I had twice as much fun because: I saw more wildlife—whales, bears, otters, dolphins, sea lions—than I would have sitting in a kayak; my back didn´t hurt at the end of the trip; and I got to surf waves that wouldn´t have been surfable in a sea kayak.

Sea Lion Serenade

Ultimately, the challenge of paddling standing up with a loaded board proved the most rewarding aspect of the expedition.  Self-contained, multi-day touring on a stand up board is yet another niche of this burgeoning phenomenon which is sure to take off soon.  Here´s just a few of the most important things I discovered along the way which may be of help to others planning similar expeditions.

The Orca and the Tourists

The SUP Touring Set-Up
This was a highly experimental voyage; I had never tried to pack gear on an SUP before.  I started by gluing six leash plugs (E-Z plugs) with marine epoxy along the top sides (just inside of where the deck starts to slant downward toward the rails) of the front third of my board.  So that´s three plugs on each side of the board, leaving about two feet of free space from the front of the load to the tip of the board.  I had to estimate all of this, and decided correctly that I would be standing one to two feet further back on the board when it was loaded compared to my normal stance on an unloaded board.

Yeah, it’s a load

And the paddling wasn’t always easy

The board I used was a Surftech 12´1” Laird.  I recommend going as big as possible.  I definitely could have used some extra flotation (I weigh 200 pounds and was carrying between 60-70 pounds of gear).  The extra weight causes the board to float lower, making is more unstable and slower.  This takes some getting used to—therein the extra challenge.

Getting the load in the right place is critical

I carried everything I would have carried on a sea kayak expedition minus several superfluous items.  Weight is a much bigger issue, so the lighter the better.  I stuffed three main dry bags into one big dry bag which has backpack straps on it.  This is for two reasons: 1) to extra insure dryness of my gear because the load on the board is constantly exposed to the water; 2) in case I had to walk out, I had a backpack.

Then I lashed the load down with thin nylon cord.  Cam straps or bungee cords would have been better, but the eyelets on the leash plugs are too small to allow for them.  I did use small bungee cords to secure some of the more accessible gear on top of the main load, and these I attached to the nylon cord, and/or to the straps of the main dry bag.  The marine chart and compass go on last, on top of the load, so that you can see them easily and are able to navigate from a prone position.

The Breakdown Paddle
About 200 meters offshore, on a forward stroke, I hear a slight cracking noise, but convince myself that I did not just hear a cracking noise.  About halfway across bumpy Blackfish Sound, dividing Cracroft Point and Hanson Island, I feel exposed as I take another forward stroke… crack followed by snap…  and there I am, bobbing south now, holding two useless pieces of carbon fiber in my two hands.  My initial reaction of, “!?$*, that was a $300 paddle!” rolls off of me like the water off my deck as I realize the blessing of the break: I now get to use my break-down Werner Spanker (the broken paddle was not a Werner!).

This happened to me on the overnight pre-expedition trip I took around the Johnstone Strait area, and it really was a blessing in disguise.  Not only because I got to use my Werner, but also because it left me with only a breakdown sea kayak paddle that I fortunately found in the back of my truck.  Otherwise, I would not have thought to bring a sea kayak paddle along as a breakdown.

Up close and personal with Mr. Whale (or is it ms?)

And why bring an extra sea kayak paddle?  Because trying to paddle standing up in a significant headwind is useless!  You won´t make any progress, so you´ll just have to sit out the headwind.  With a sea kayak paddle, though, you can sit down on the board, paddle it like a kayak, and move forward.  This works especially well with a loaded board because you can place your feet against the load, giving leverage, just as if it were a bulkhead.  As well, I sometimes paddled the board in a kneeling position to give my back a rest.

The added benefit of carrying a sea kayak paddle is that it also allows you to switch positions, use different muscles, and give your legs a rest, as well as your mind—when you´re paddling standing up there is no room for daydreaming.  On future expeditions I will carry two breakdowns—one a SUP paddle, and the other a sea kayak paddle.  That way I´m covering all the bases in case of a broken paddle.

Camping

Navigation, Take Offs and Landings
Navigating on an SUP is really no different than in a sea kayak.  I remained about the same distance from shore as I would have in a sea kayak—relative to the conditions and my comfort zone—and I navigated using a marine chart, compass and GPS.

Landing and taking off, however, can be a bit trickier.  On an SUP you have to jump off the board first when landing and control the board by shortleashing it (grabbing the leash at the very base).  Conversely, when taking off, you have to wade out into the water a bit before mounting the SUP.  Here also it´s best to control the board from the rear, making sure to have a hand on the base of the leash so that it doesn´t get away from you.  Launching in surf, it helps to weight the back of the board before a wave hits it so that the board will ride over the wash.  It´s also especially important to find sandy take offs and landings where you can slide the board because you don´t have the luxury of picking it up and dragging it by a bow or stern grab loop as you do with a sea kayak.

The Surf Zone
Paddling into the surf zone—finally!—and there´s no one in the lineup.  I´m not looking to surf any big waves with a loaded board, though.  I wait for a big set to pass and power in to the beach behind the last set wave.  Unloaded, the board feels like balsa.  I am skipping across the water now and waiting for a set to arrive.  As well, I feel even more stable than usual because I have gotten so used to paddling a more unstable loaded board.

The first roller picks me up as I dig in with some deep forward strokes, and I slice a rudder with my paddle as I head left down the line on an overhead wave.  Getting lower and picking up speed I rocket toward the end of the wall, and toward the beginning of an epiphany—there is no better way to travel than this.

Originally posted to the Werner Blog:

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Training with a GPS

I ordered a GPS training system to help me optimize my paddle workouts. After reading a thread on best GPS units on the Standup Zone I decided on the Garmin Forerunner 305. So far I’m very pleased. I tried it out today on the course I’ve been using to train for the Battle of the Paddle. Only problem is that I have no way of knowing if this is fast or slow. I suspect fairly slow. I have a month to work on the speed and now I have a good baseline. Here’s today’s workout.

I got the version with the heart rate monitor. I used to do my bicycle training with a heart rate monitor and it was very useful. Looks like I’m staying at about 85% of max for my age. My max heart rate is supposed to be 159 (you find max heart rate by subtracting your age from 220)

You can see that I stopped twice–one time when I realized I forgot to put my iPod earphones in (gotta have that music) and once when I hit a log and thought I might have lost my fin. It was just shoved to the end of the fin box, I pushed it back towards the front and it felt good again.

This Garmin 305 has lots of features, most of which I’ll never use. One that looks like it might be useful is the Virtual Partner. You can set up a course and pace and the watch shows you when you are on, ahead, or behind the pace. The Forerunner is really made for running or cycling, and I’ll probably use it with my bike. I think the GPS will also be handy for doing some long open water paddles. I’ll keep you posted as I play with this thing.

One good thing, it says I burned an extra 726 calories paddling. I guess I can have that beer.

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Cape Cod Bay Challenge – We Made It!

Months of preparation, planning, and training. Hundreds of miles paddled getting our selves ready for a long day on Cape Cod Bay. Mike has been reminding us all to hydrate well and eat right. The mandatory carb loading pasta feast the night before. We were ready…….then Bill, Mike, and I finished off 5 bottles of wine along with some good cigars…….I don’t think that’s typical marathon preparation wisdom.

OMG!…..it’s time to get up already! Down a bottle of Gatorade and a handful of aspirin. Drive to the hotel to pick up Mike and Bill…Oh well…at least I don’t feel as bad as Mike looks….mint julep comes to mind. Bill makes me angry…he’s actually kind of chipper…I feel like smacking him.

6:00….Hey…we made it to the beach! It’s a start. Shawn and Jody are there already looking fit and very competent. I don’t think they drank any wine last night…..smart guys. Heavy fog….real heavy…where’s David, where’s the boat? Start making phone calls….OK…the boat’s on it’s way. Should be here in 20 minutes or so. I get David’s voicemail….I hope he got another plane last night after the 1st was cancelled. Mike is making funny noises. My head is swimming but I can tell I feel better than he does.

6:20…we wanted to launch at 6:30…..we call the boat again. Capt. Paul says he’s getting close….coming in slow because of the fog. David shows up looking like a Hollywood star…oh wait…that’s right he is! Who’s friggin idea was it to have all these young fit guys around?

6:40…We call again…GPS puts the boat 1000 yards off the beach….we can’t see a thing….Capt. says he can’t tell where the house sized boulders are that are out there just below the surface and doesn’t want to risk coming closer, I can’t blame him, it’s like a mine field out there. I’m beginning to think we should have launched from inside the harbor. It wouldn’t have mattered except that we have Jerry and Paul and a board for Bill on the boat. Looks like you guys will have to ferry that board in….start paddling.

6:50…We call the boat again….they say we should be able to see Jerry by now….nothing…..are you folks SURE you’re off Plymouth beach?

7:00….still nothing….wait!, what’s that coming out of the fog….looks like something from a Stephen King movie walking on water coming to eat the tourists. It’s Jerry, I feel like cheering and we haven’t even left yet. Still no sign of Paul though. We decide to paddle out to meet him halfway.

7:15….we’ve geared up…said good bye to friends and family that showed up to see us off and paddle out in search of Paul. Somehow this isn’t the start I was hoping for but at least we’re on the water……and Mike has stopped chumming.

The water is like glass, the fog pea soup, not a breath of wind, the only sound our paddles and boards on the water. We find Paul still a long way from shore. Finally we’re underway….look…there actually is a boat! We stop to talk for few and give instructions for signals.

Uh Oh!….my head isn’t cooperating at all. The fog is blending the sky into the sea and I have no horizon to help my balance. (If you’re interested you can read some of the background of why I need a horizon for balance here: http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org/Standup/standup.html )I fall for the 1st time…..this is going to be a long day!

I don’t think Bill was really running away from Jerry and his floaties…

On second thought….:)

The fog starts to lift about 4 miles offshore…..don’t look back….the cliffs at Plymouth still look close. Finally some horizon…but I think the damage is done….my head is taking lefts while the board is going straight….I get wet a lot. I don’t think my share of the 5 bottles of wine last night is helping either. I’m feeling bad about slowing us down but the guys are very cool about it. Making it seem like it was their idea to take a break when I was struggling. Thanks guys…:). I’m happy to see Mike looks like he’s feeling better. There’s actually some flesh tones showing through the green.

Hehe…I just noticed that you two look like twins, sorry David…:)

Hhhmmm….I guess Bill and I did too….LOL

The fog is finally behind us

What happened to our forecast? As of Friday night we were supposed to have 10-14 kt tailwinds and calm seas. Instead we have maybe a 2-4 kt WNW and once we got out further into the bay 2 ft side swell from the north and confused chop. At least there isn’t a headwind.

Fast forward…..we take a break at the halfway point. Jody has picked up a mylar ballon that was floating 10 miles out….reminds us why we are doing this. Shawn and Jody are having no problem keeping up on their 10-6 Vec’s. A combination of Shawn’s shaping skills and the fact that they are the most fit amongst us no doubt. The boards look like they have motor’s when they want to make them move.

15 miles in. Everyone is making it look easy. I’m feeling awkward, old, and slow. My head is still swimming occasionally. I pull my hat back….having the brim in my field of vision is bugging me….I don’t usually wear a hat. 5 minutes later my head is clear…or close anyway. Can it be that simple? I know that vision and balance are closely tied together. I can only guess that having an artificial horizon of a hat brim moving around was causing me problems. I don’t think I’ll wear a hat on the water anymore. Maybe a bandana and a cutlass….I’ll be the 1st SUPirate.

20 miles….We’ve had Provincetown in sight for awhile. We also get leeward of Race Point and the water flattens nicely. The hardest part is behind us. Still 8 miles to go but no question of making it now. As we get closer the boat traffic gets heavier….Capt. Paul is like a pit bull mother with her puppy’s….any boat approaching us finds a 50’ sport fisher aimed at it….making it very obvious to stay clear.

We had to be quite a site to the folks on the beach at Race Point. 8 guys coming in from the open ocean walking on water. Just so long as they didn’t want any wine….I’d had my fill of wine for awhile.

I couldn’t believe how excited I was to make the last turn into the harbor. Folks on boats taking pictures. The Capt of one of the big whale watch boats getting ready to go out announced our arrival over the loudspeaker and the passengers lined the rails watching and waving as we went by. Family and friends were on the dock, there were boat horns blaring. It made me want to hold back a bit and savor the moment. WE MADE IT! Let the record show that Jerry Issel was the 1st man to paddle across Cape Cod Bay, Plymouth to Provincetown, shore to shore. The rest of us all landed within the minute.

It felt good to feel solid ground again. We had a great lunch at the Surf Club Restaurant (how appropriate) and then parted ways. It felt strange to break it up, like it should last longer somehow. The best thing about this whole experience is the great friends we’ve made. This is a great crew of guys and I’m proud to have shared this with all of you. I know we’ll all get on the water together again.

L to R: Shawn, Jody, Bob, Bill, David, Jerry, Mike, and Paul

Beyond the sense of accomplishment of making it across we raised money and awareness for a good cause. The final numbers aren’t in yet but I think it’s safe to say that we will have raised somewhere between $11,000 and $12,000 for the Ocean Conservancy and their International Coastal Cleanup. We also raised awareness of the sport itself and on a personal note I hope I’ve inspired some others that are facing health issues to try something different as therapy. Get out there and live…..this isn’t a dress rehearsal.

Start training for next year guys….
Aloha.

Photo Credits: From the water:
Lynn Wilson
From the dock/beach in Provincetown:
Betsy Brown

I’ve included the previous video by Lynn Wilson here as well. Thanks Lynn…awesome job.

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