Table of Contents

Meeting Announcement

A Note from Jo Anne

GASP!

Luling Paddling Trail

Caroline Street Gulley

Trip Reports

Rick Brunson: Armand Bayou

Natalie Wiest: Boquillas Canyon

Cecilia Gill: Women's Paddle

Christy Long: Buffalo Bayou

Natalie Wiest: Burnham's Ferry

Natalie Wiest: Cedar Lakes

Christy Long: San Marcos Cleanup

Classifieds

Upcoming Trips

GASP! - Gulf Area Sea Paddlers
by Mark J. Arnold

Since having my only kayak stolen I have been borrowing and testing a variety of kayaks in an effort to find the "perfect" kayak for me. I recently got the opportunity to attend a kayaking symposium where Icould try out lots of kayaks side by side and talk with manufacturingreps and designers. One of the most interesting things I discovered was that getting the "perfect" kayak is easy if you are just willing to do some slight customizing. Here are some of the pointers I got from the symposium from various manufacturing reps.

1. If the kayak is a little slower than you like just buy a wing
paddle, join a gym, and take your next vacation at an Olympic kayaking fantasy camp.

2. If the kayak is so tippy that you just can not get comfortable
paddling (despite having just spent several years in a 20.5 in wide
kayak) strap yourself to a Olympic K-1 for 8 hours or until the new
kayak feels really stable.

3. If the kayak tries to capsize every time you try to edge and paddle at the same time redefine great secondary stability as "having a highly consistent capsize point". Alternatively simply realize that the true purpose of a kayak is not going anywhere, but is actually making it possible to do all those Greenland rolls. I will admit that finding oneself upside down almost all the time does make learning to roll seem like a higher priority.

4. If the back deck is too high for a comfortable layback roll just go
out and learn that C-C or Greenland Storm roll because everyone knows that lay-back rolls are really dangerous since they expose you to rocks and do not bring you up in the most stable position.

5. If the kayak does really quick 180 deg swings when side-surfing so that your brace into the wave suddenly becomes a lean and brace toward the shore, simply go out and get some good surfing instructions. I erroneously thought not flipping over when that 180 deg swing happened indicated that I had some slight skill in the surf.

6. If the kayak weathercocks more than you can correct with edging
(unless you deploy the skeg) realize that your expectations of how a kayak should handle are completely unrealistic.

7. If the kayak is slow to turn when edged take a few years of yoga
classes so that you can edge the kayak to the appropriate angle where it will turn quickly.

8. If the kayak is heavier than you feel comfortable carrying remember you are just going to get older and weaker with time so you might as well buy carts, hullyvators, load extension bars, or hire a part time kayak loading assistant now since at some time in the future you will need one anyway.

9. If your current camping gear does not really fit in the kayak

1. Leave that sleeping pad home as a good nights sleep is highly
   overrated
2. Forget dry bags and just stuff into the hatches since your gear is not going to melt if wet.
3. Take the opportunity to buy all that new micro-gear you have been
   wanting
4. Cut most of the handle of your toothbrush to save room.

Based on all the good feedback I am headed down to the local sporting goods store to buy one of those $300 sit-on-tops. I think that with maybe $2000 worth of kayak instruction, $2000 worth of new kayaking and camping equipment and $3000 worth of gym membership and yoga classes I will have the "perfect" kayak
in a couple (well several) years.

Disclaimer - This is my memory of the events and I will stand by them until recordings of the actual conversations are produced. Some of the persons and events are composites and have been modified for dramatic purpose, but I promise they are as real as my BCU 6 Star certification.

P. S. - On a serious note I would like to point out that all of my
paddling skills could use improvement and that would indeed increase the performance of any of the kayaks I tested. This was made quite apparent by watching the instructors at the symposium handle their kayaks during classes. I just found it interesting that the first response to any negative comment about a kayak was almost always a reference to my lack of skill or understanding even when they had not even watched me paddling the kayak. Here is hoping you all find your perfect kayak.