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It is amazing: started in 1969 already with working on paddletechnique and still finding out new approaches.
This time it was, when paddling my weekly 20km tour to the club, that I came in a paddling-cadence making me remember a way of paddling, from long ago, which proved successful in competitions I joined 30 years ago.
What initiated this was another position of my backbone while paddling.
Because I am working at the moment on my neck-, abdomen- and back-muscles to prevent headaches and neck-problems, I went to Mensendieck-therapie first and yet I work further on this with "Perfect Pilatus"; a kind of fitness program. Paddling for years already I assumed that abdomen- and back-muscles should have been in perfect condition. But in fact I was astonished how much this could be improved.
The first results are that it became possible to hold the backbone straight(er) during paddling by using the proper muscles to do so without them becoming tired while under tension.
It occurs that this new position effected my way of paddling in a positive way. I followed my progress with astonishment: 2 weeks ago was the first time this worked out like this and I recorded an average speed of 9,5 km/h which I could maintain easily over ca. 15km´s without the usual loss of concentration because of which it was on earlier occasions difficult to maintain speed.
Yesterday it was easy to reproduce this; in fact I could even go further and reached easily an average of 10,2-10,5 km/h under similar weather-conditions. And I was NOT paddling a race kayak but the same touring-kayak as 2 weeks before.
Yet I did not meet the loss of concentration as a limit: after 13 km´s the concentration was still there but I simply run out of "fuel" (for the evening only carrying just a bottle of water) and had to go down to 8 km/h. Not to bad either. It is clear you use more energy while paddling faster.
Analysing what happened, I concluded that ..........
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I am totally speechless:
I found a very, very beautiful site completely filled with animations of paddling technique, safety- exercise and -techniques.
More words are not necessary.
Just take a look at: [http://kayakpaddling.net/]
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Last sunday Jos and I planned to go to the beach for some surfing. Both of us didn´t follow the weatherconditions very well and it was a nice surprise to find a NW 4-5Bft-wind at sundaymorning. The tide was going down so rather steep waves were hitting the beach.
For me this was an experiment: having a headache 
, wich could turn into being ill, I just went paddling while hoping the salt water would wash it all away.
It didn´t turn out to bad, just feeling cold in the end.
I used one of the slalomkayaks which the club stored near the beach.
I found it quit an experience
to paddle, after years, again in such an easy manoeuvrable kayak. Just making it easy to choose position before the wave hits you.
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As you can read in my blogpost from 5 aug, I am studying on how to improve for a "floatplan" when walking the Norwegian mountains.
Out of several options to improve, I started investigating on using the possibilities of GPS; thinking about "real time tracking" thus giving a contact-person the possibility to follow my progress and position.
Searching the world wide web for information, I was astonished about the latest developments with GPS. Everything you can think off seems possible already.
Since GPS is, or can be, a good supplement on seakayak-equipment, I would like to share with you the result of my quest for information.
First I would like to try to answer the basic question: What can a (handheld)-GPS mean for seakayakers?
- A GPS can be a safety backup: you are able to communicate your exact position when help is needed.
- A GPS makes navigation very easy; in the eyes of some of us it may be too easy.
- A GPS makes you learning while studying your recorded trip afterwards, so you can evaluate your plans against what you did out at sea. Thus making it possible to learn and improve next time.
- In bad weather the use a GPS can make you feel more comfortable, since you have the possibility to paddle the shortest route and preventing being swept away. It will or can be energy saving for your arms (see: blogpost Douglas Wilcox # click here]
- A GPS is a great tool for measuring your paddling speed and -progress; thus giving a clear indication wether your goal can be reached or not, in a given weather- and/or current-situation. This gives you the possibility to change plans in an early stage thus preventing coming into a difficult situation.
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Some time ago, while chatting at the club, Jos asked me the question: “How did you get into (sea)-kayaking?”
I had to think for a while about this.
I thought the answer fits in this blog as well, so I published it underneath.
Well I guess it started, when I was much younger, by reading the book “Jan Battingh becomes rich” (1933) which I inherited from my father a long time ago.
The book is about a boy, looking for the old family treasure that a grand-grandfather ever had hidden and was never found for generations.
Well, that has nothing to do with kayaking, you say!
Right, but the book also describes the boy going kayaking as sport: training and active in competition, but also while enjoying a tour in nature at relaxed pace.
I think the atmosphere around the kayaking-part was described in such a way that it turned a key for me and I became interested.
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Having visited the club by kayak and paddling on my way home, darkness fell and a very, very big full moon rose from behind the horizon, glowing in the mirrorlike water. Great!
Although there was plenty of moonlight, I used my head-toplight to prevent being hit by fast moterboats, sometimes exploring the lake at night.
Being on the middle of the lake, I spotted other small lights: probably other clubmembers returning.
One of the lights suddenly changed course and started heading towards me: so I must be visible too.
Cheering calls comes to me over the water and in no time I was rafted up in the middle of 6 kayaks and chatting with each other.
What touched me was the enthousiasm of my fellow-clubmembers when meeting me. It gave me a happy feeling when paddling home afterwards.
That´s why being member of a club.
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In the context or Arrto´s recovery, we planned a quiet sunday-morning paddle: From "Wijk aan Zee" to "Bakkum"vv.
After exploring a new startlocation, we took off.
I paddled this part of the coast only once before.
And again, as at the other occasion, I found this part of the sea having a rather nervous (or better : challenging) wave-pattern: Taking into account the wind was not more than 4Bft, there was a big swell occasionally starting to topple over further out at sea. A swell which had cross-waves from another direction in it. This made paddling sometimes a bit bouncy. It could well be that this has something to do with the very long jetty from IJmuiden-harbour, which obviously influences the current and/or created deeper spots at sea thus influencing the wave-height.
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Click on the map for a satellite photo
Looking to extend our seakayaking-horizon, the idea was born, within the club, to visit Spiekeroog (germany). Dick, having a house nearby Spiekeroog, initiated the idea and Wieger, having been kayaking there once, did further planning for a tour.
As shown on the map,the idea was straightforward:
- day 1: from Neuharlingersiel to the camping on Spiekeroog,
- day 2: round the island
- day 3: return to Neuharlingersiel.
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Just returned from a Norwegian Holiday:
15 days of food on our backs on a selfsupporting 15-day-hike in the mountains.
Below our greeting-card as sent to friends; home-made from own pictures:
We also learned something: This year I had to leave my car at our starting point in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. As there was nobody nearby to inform about our plans, unfortunately someone started to worry. After 2 weeks he or she informed the police, who started a telephone-search in Holland. Even Hans Heupink got involved (see his weblog)
Direct motive was obviously the fact some tourists had accidents or died in the mountains this year, causing the Norwegians to be alert. Something to be praised of course.
How I can prevent this to happen during next year, shall be a point of study: whom in this empty country could I inform about our plans?
But I concluded that it is certainly advisable, as with seakayaking, to leave a "float-plan" somewhere. Not that I am afraid, looking at the fact we could look after ourselves during the last 15 years without car (thus nobody knowing about us), but for occasions like happened this year and to prevent unnecessary activities.
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Once it has happened to me, a few years ago: just driven 200 km's for a day-paddle with Willem Molengraaff, when I discovered the sprayskirt was missing. As it was in the middle of the winter, paddling without it was no option. Drive back home is an option; although not a very pleasant one.
But first Willem and I tried to find a temporary solution.
As we were quite happy with the result, a "sprayskirt" which functioned the whole day just like a normal one, we are happy to share the idea with you.
Just in case you ever...........!