l editoretters
to the
Free back issues I’m new to kayaking. In the spring issue you mentioned free archive articles. I pulled up your website but cannot find any. Can you guide me?
Ron Brooman Ottawa, Ontario
Ron, thanks for asking. We just launched a new website where you will find daily features and blogs and you can read our back issues online. Visit
adventurekayakmag.com.
Solar perplexes us no longer I created a complete solar charging system for my recent trip to Alaska. It combines a solar panel which charges a Tekkeon MP3450 pro- tected in a Pelican case. Ten with the univer- sal adaptor you can recharge all of your smaller batteries in the tent at night. You can find the details at
xexplore.com/?p=1080.
Steve Weileman via email
I power my Garmin GPS units direct from fold-up solar cells. My old Garmin 76 is pow- ered from a solar cell that is 12 volts and on the box it says “6.5W 433 MA max.” My GPS- MAP 76CSx is powered from a solar cell that is also 12 volts, but twice the size. It says on the box “12W 800 MA max.” Te smaller so- lar cell won’t power the CSx, hence the larger cell. Between the solar cell and the GPS I use the Garmin car charging cable. I have water- proofed the connections. If anyone tries this it is at their own risk.
John Allsop via email
Surf etiquette is essential To publish a how-to that gives people enough knowledge to surf (“Learn to Surf,” summer/ fall 2009) without including an etiquette prim- er is irresponsible. Kayakers are going into the lineup without any understanding of the rules which “boardies” have established regarding wave priority, paddling out and general behav- iour. I recommend Bill Mattos’ excellent refer- ence Kayak Surfing as well as online resources such as the one at
bananasurfschool.com/tam- arindo/
47.html. An awareness of surfing etiquette does not
necessarily mean one has the skill to conform to it. Until you can demonstrate the skills nec- essary to safely negotiate a crowded lineup you should seek out places far from the masses. Tis might mean passing up the best breaks for a while, but in time your consideration will be repaid with good karma.
John Cloyd Newfields, New Hampshire
PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGIC
This photo was taken on Lake Ontario near Port Britain, just west of Port Hope, in August. My wife and I got up when it was pitch black so we would be on the water to see the sunrise over the bluffs that run along the shore in this part of the lake. The only sounds were the occasional whistle of the wings of geese and ducks as they landed to feed. It was so quiet; we felt we had the lake and its wildlife to ourselves. It was truly a magical paddle.
John Cordukes via email
The devil wears Teva Te article on footwear (“Happy Feet,” sum- mer/fall 2009) could have provided a bit more information, especially on comfort and dura- bility. Te rating system didn’t need to tell me if they were stylish. Warmth and protection are important, but style? Come on! Who oth- er than fellow kayakers are going to see them and even then who cares as long as they work? Perhaps in the future you can drop the style for something more practical.
Barry Butcher Goodwood, Ontario
It’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion indus- try when, in fact, you’re wearing a mango drysuit and black booties that were selected for you by the people at this magazine. From a pile of stuff. Yes, Barry, we used to think we could escape from fash- ion too, until we sawTe Devil Wears Prada.
The quest for perfect shoes Your “socks, sandals or boots” review (“Happy Feet,” summer/fall 2009) does not hit on the type of shoe I am looking for. I like the shoes that are closer to a running shoe. Te problem is that many water shoes have a heel that is too thick to fit into my kayak. My search criteria are: waterproof, drains
easily, stays on your feet if you step into mud, heel protection from the fibreglass in the boat, good support for portages, and of course com- fortable and cool. I’ve tried the Teva Sunkosi 2 and the Salomon Techamphibian 2. I wanted to try several others, such as the Teva Proton 4, but couldn’t find them. What I ended up buy- ing was the North Face Padda. It does exactly what I wanted. In a future issue could you re- view more water shoes? I still want to try more.
Don Flemming Ottawa, Ontario
Available.
Mailbag surprise Recently my good friend Paul Coates and I went on a kayak outing on the Grand River in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. Paul and I make a living performing in a polka band (Paul on tuba and myself on accordion). We’ve recently found kayaking to be a good excuse to goof off and relax in the water—definitely a break from our everyday lives of goofing off and re- laxing on land. Tis journey was most enjoyable and full
of interest. We happened upon an 80-year- old Romanian woman who owned a derelict gas station on the water. Being the friendly and groovy-type guys that we are, we talked to this woman for some time. She had many cats, couldn’t hear well and talked to us about the importance of saving, spending wisely, the boating industry and area, and belief in God. As always, Paul and my conversation re-
volved around our future as Grammy Award– winning polka artists, girls, and the pursuit of larger watercraft. For anyone wanting a peace- ful and interesting afternoon with some great scenery and unique flavor, the Grand River is a perfect destination. Te only way the trip could’ve been better was if we had been ac- companied by a couple of ladies.
Jake “The Dude” Kouwe Somewhere in Ohio
WRITE US: Tell us what you think. Send correspondence to: Editor,Adventure Kayak, P.O. Box 70, Palmer Rapids, ON, K0J 2E0 or email
editor@adventurekayakmag.com. Letters chosen for publication are subject to editing for style and length, and may receive sarcastic replies. Missed an Issue? Read back issues online at
adventurekayakmag.com
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