Introduction
Dear Tony,
Thanks to those members who contributed photos and materials. After enjoying a SISKA event or paddle, please consider sending a short (100-150 words) summary article; for more information, contact one of us. If you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!
Alan Campbell (SISKA president) and Tony Playfair (editor)
PS: You can find SISKA on Facebook at this link.
PPS: SISKA has a Meetup site for "impromptu" and other paddles organized by club members. For more details, go to https://www.meetup.com/SISKA-Meetup/. To join this, you have to be a club member.
PPPS: You can find the SISKA newsletter archive here: http://goo.gl/VUkafR |
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Upcoming SISKA Events
Friday, April 02nd, 2021 - 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM - Currents Clinic
Sunday, April 04th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Mackenzie Bight [FULL] Paddle
Sunday, April 04th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Brentwood Bay Anglers Achorage Marina to Mackenzie Bight [FULL] Paddle
Sunday, April 04th, 2021 - 9:15 AM to 3:15 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Mackenzie Bight [FULL] Paddle
Thursday, April 08th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Todd Inlet Paddle
Thursday, April 08th, 2021 - 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM - Wind Forecasting Apps and Paddle Planning
Friday, April 09th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Paddle Strokes and Skills
Friday, April 09th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Turning Strokes and Skills
Saturday, April 10th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Wet Exits, Solo Re-Entries and Assisted Re-Entries
Saturday, April 10th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Balance Skills
Monday, April 12th, 2021 - 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Lynn's Kayak Packing Tips
Thursday, April 15th, 2021 - 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM - InReach and Satellite Communications
Friday, April 16th, 2021 - 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Planning for and Paddling in Currents
Friday, April 16th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM - Re-Entry Skills
Saturday, April 17th, 2021 - 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Rolling - Beginners
Saturday, April 17th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM - Rolling - Progressing
Sunday, April 18th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Rescues Session
Monday, April 19th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Towing
Monday, April 19th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Forward Stroke Polishing
Tuesday, April 20th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Advanced Paddlers Workshop
Wednesday, April 21st, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Paddlers Workshop
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Telegraph Cove to Gordon Head tour Paddle
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM - Paddling Strokes
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Island View Beach to D'Arcy Island [FULL] Paddle
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Island View Beach to D'Arcy Island [FULL] Paddle
Saturday, April 24th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Braces
Sunday, April 25th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM - Strokes and Manoeuvres Refinement
Sunday, April 25th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Turning Strokes and Edging
Saturday, May 01st, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Paddlers Workshop
Saturday, May 01st, 2021 - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Oak Bay Marina to Intertidal Exploration Paddle
Saturday, May 01st, 2021 - 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Advanced Currents
Sunday, May 02nd, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Advanced Paddlers Workshop
Sunday, May 02nd, 2021 - 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM - Advanced Currents
Thursday, May 06th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Esquimalt Gorge Park to Portage Inlet Paddle
Saturday, May 08th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Spirit Bay to Cabin Point Paddle
Friday, May 14th, 2021 - 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Forward Paddling Development
Friday, May 14th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM - Blade and Body Awareness
Saturday, May 15th, 2021 - 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM - Balancing and Bracing Skills Development
Saturday, May 15th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM - Steering and Turning Skills Development
Sunday, May 16th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Blending Skills
Sunday, May 16th, 2021 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM - Towing Skills
Monday, May 17th, 2021 - 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Correction Strokes and Skills
Thursday, May 20th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Telegraph Cove to Gordon Head Tour Paddle
Monday, May 24th, 2021 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Oak Bay Marina to Intertidal Exploration Paddle
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Community Events of Interest
These events are not formally supported by SISKA, but considered to be of interest to a significant number of our members.
Any member may request an event to be included in this section by sending a note to chairperson@siska.ca.
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President's Message
by Alan Campbell
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April 2021 – Spring is here, but Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise…
With positive Covid cases multiplying alarmingly over the past few weeks in BC, Public Health orders have now been re-tightened, reversing recently planned or implemented relaxed measures affecting indoor settings, and maintaining travel restrictions.
While the days can still be cool, wet, and windy, we have also had plenty of sunny weather, making outside chores and recreation more pleasurable and lifting our battered spirits. Colourful blossoms and flowers, busy birds and other creatures remind us that nature’s Springtime renewal is well underway, and summer just months away.
As sea kayakers we are extremely fortunate to be able to get out paddling our gorgeous coastal waters. Following our Covid safety guidelines, we will continue to paddle carefully in small groups, and avoid contagion risk in the ways we have come to know so well.
SISKA’s workshops, courses and day paddles are all well-subscribed, with many eager members acquiring or refreshing their paddling skills for the prime kayaking season ahead. Although we are a bit “Zoomed-out”, online sessions do help us connect, learn, and share how to realize our sea kayaking aspirations while staying safe and well.
As vaccinations continue in our communities, and simultaneously we maintain our layers of protection against this persistent virus, we can all take heart that we will be able to resume more of our normal activities in the months ahead.
Be calm, be kind, be safe…and paddle on!
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Siska April 28th AGM and Monthly Zoom Meeting Info
by Alan Campbell/Fred Pishalski
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM), followed by our April Monthly Meeting will be held Wed Apr 28 @ 7pm.
All members are invited to attend to approve the minutes of the last AGM, approve the annual financial report, receive additional reports of Club activities, conduct any business arising, and elect/re-elect members to serve on SISKA’s Board of Directors.
Materials for the AGM will be distributed separately and posted on the SISKA website 2 weeks in advance.
Once the AGM has been concluded, we will begin our April Monthly Meeting including a presentation by Mary Morris (see below).
SISKA AGM and Monthly Zoom Meeting
Wed Apr 28, 2021 at 7:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89175623876?pwd=TWFPTlZpYUJRbWU2cGY2Z0gvcVcrdz09
Meeting ID: 891 7562 3876
Passcode: 291277
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Monthly Meeting Program -
SIVUQAQ: Alive on the edge of the Bering Sea: Shoreline habitats on Saint Lawrence Island, AK by Mary Morris
During the summer of 2013, an aerial survey of the shoreline of Saint Lawrence Island was flown as part of the Alaska Shore Zone coastal inventory. Thousands of still images and about 12 hours of video imagery were collected, covering almost 1000 km of the Island's shoreline. Sivuqaq is the Yupik language name for St. Lawrence Island and for Gambell. It has also been called Chibuchack and Sevuokok. St. Lawrence Island has been inhabited sporadically for the past 2,000 years by both Alaskan Yup'ik and Siberian Yupik people.
The island is home to nearly 2,000 Siberian Yupik people, living in two small villages. Over 100 km offshore, southwest of Nome, the Island is closer to Russia than it is to mainland Alaska. Many of the old Yupik settlements can be seen along the treeless coastal tundra, and most are still used as camps today. The island has miles of long sandy beaches with cuspate recurve spits, fresh-looking volcanic cinder cones in the middle of the island and millions of seabirds nesting in huge colonies.
Mary Morris was part of the survey crew that was welcomed by the people in the village of Savoonga, where they were based for a week in July. The crew was the town novelty as they came with their own little helicopter (a very rare sight on the island).
Mary Morris currently working as a costal marine ecologist with Archipelago Marine Research, Ocean Experts - Archipelago Marine Research Ltd in Victoria. Much of her work since the 1990s has been with the Shore Zone coastal habitat mapping system, which classifies shoreline imagery, collected during aerial surveys at low tide. This work has taken her to amazing coastlines from the Bering Sea coast of Alaska, across nearly all of the BC coast and much of Washington and Oregon as well. |
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Siska's Spring Training 2021 Gets Underway In The Bay!
by Alan Campbell
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Yves Aquin and Patti Stevens of Go Kayak put some of SISKA’s eager Spring paddlers through their strokes in Cadboro Bay.
There are just a few spots still left in the following Spring Training workshops:
Sat April 10 Balance Skills, BC Kayak Centre (Cadboro Bay) – 1 spot left
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5L2FMP6PDFCBU
Wed April 21 Paddlers Workshop, Blue Dog Kayaking (Mill Bay Marina) – 2 spots left
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YXPWULJ7AE8QY
Sun May 16 Towing Skills, BC Kayak Centre (Cadboro Bay) – 1 spot left
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=59ZP8KKDYFS4C
Check our online calendar and announcements regularly for great paddling workshops and courses with SISKA instructors in the pool and on the ocean!
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Upcoming Zoom Meetings
Using Wind Forecast Apps for Paddle Planning
by Alan Campbell
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It is vital to consider wind forecasts before heading out on the water.
Alan Campbell will show us how he routinely uses a number of wind forecasting apps and websites while planning paddles:
- Environment Canada
- PredictWind
- WindAlert
- WindFinder
- Windy
- BigWaveDave
- SpotWx
Alan will also touch on how currents and tidal patterns interact with winds to affect the sea states we encounter on our paddles.
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Join Alan for this free Zoom workshop
Thursday April 8th at 7pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88570801282?pwd=WVFDT1ZBZlhtSmNyZGVicEJVTGFoUT09
Meeting ID: 885 7080 1282
Passcode: 285973
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Off Water Course: Lynn's Kayak Packing Tips
by Lisa Lasagna
Ever wondered how best to pack all your gear into your kayak for an expedition? Or how to make it all fit? Veteran kayaker Lynn Baier has prepared a short presentation featuring her tips for packing efficiency. Join us to learn her tricks and to ask her any questions.
Date: Monday, April 12, 2021
Time: 7:00pm
Meeting ID: 863 2102 9863
Passcode: 296369
Registration for this event is not necessary.
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Satellite Communicators for Sea Kayaking Trips
by Alan Campbell/Tony Playfair
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Satellite communication devices have gained popularity on and off the water for good reason.
They provide connection to friends, family and Emergency Rescue Coordinators in areas where VHF and Cellular/Data services are not available and provide valuable information in remote locations.
Alan Campbell will review what these devices are, why they are useful, which are now available and how much they cost.
Alan and Tony will explain the Garmin InReach devices they use on kayak expeditions and discuss their experience with them over the past several years.
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Join Alan and Tony for this free workshop
Thursday April 15th at 7 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88114859854?pwd=Vmt0ckd4YWNFOFdlU25sby9MaW1odz09
Meeting ID: 881 1485 9854
Passcode: 038655
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Resolution: 2021-01 - SISKA Name Change
by Debbie Leach/Alan Campbell
SEA KAYAKING INFORMATION, PROMOTION, PREVENTION, EDUCATION and RESEARCH SOCIETY (SKIPPERS) of SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND
WHEREAS South Island Sea Kayaking Association (SISKA) is interested in providing a range of services to the sea kayaking community of South Vancouver Island, and
WHEREAS our current name does not adequately convey the full range of our interests, which include information, promotion, prevention, education and research related to sea kayaking, and
WHEREAS the acronym SISKA does not connote the mastery of the marine environment to which we aspire and which would assist in public communication about our club,
BE IT RESOLVED that SISKA change its name to “Sea Kayaking Information, Promotion, Prevention, Education and Research Society (SKIPPERS) of South Vancouver Island”
By a vote of members at the Annual General Meeting, April 28, 2021
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Upcoming Paddling Store in Victoria!
by Alan Campbell/Yves Aquin
Lee Richardson is hoping to have a store front soon in Victoria. He has an online store now though -
https://www.bestcoastoutfitters.com/
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Kayak Friendly Lodging
by Debbie Leach
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Have you checked out KayakFriendly?
We have identified a number of places to stay on kayak trips where you don’t have to camp. If you know other great places or could write a blog about your experiences, please help us amp up this site. Contact Beth - bethhaysom@shaw.ca or Deb - Director3@siska.ca
The Kayak Friendly team includes BJ (our logo designer), Tony (our webmaster) and Norm (researcher extraordinaire). Thanks to Jane for lots of recommendations.
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Siska Members “SEA-WRITING” Off Multiple Coastlines
by Alan Campbell
A group of members, who miss getting out with the rest of the SISKA gang, took a page from the sky-writers handbook and GPS-tracked a message while paddling across Becher Bay recently. Very cool!
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Not to be outdone, Beth & Ian Haysom, still in the UK caring for their aged parents, found time to likewise promote Kayak Friendly and indoor overnight kayaking on the BC Coast. Nice work you two!
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Sea Kayaking Courses Are Now Available Online! An Initial Review…
by Alan Campbell
The pandemic has forced us to find ways to do many things virtually that previously we would have done in person. Opportunities for online entertainment, education, and shopping, for example, have greatly expanded and many have found them useful and convenient substitutes for their related in-person experiences. But what about sea kayaking skills and courses? You can find some excellent material free online on websites and YouTube, so what more is made available on a commercial paid basis?
To find out I decided to try two businesses offering online sea kayaking skills courses:
- SKILS, based in Ucluelet BC, launched online courses in 2021
- Online Sea Kayaking, a UK company, launched online courses in 2020
Skils
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SKILS Online Courses https://geoskils.com/ were recently launched and include:
- General Courses,
- Paddle Canada Skills Development Courses,
- Instructor Development Courses and
- Guide Development Courses
SKILS is owned by JF Marleau, PC Level 4 paddler, instructor and guide, with a number of expert sea kayakers, including Michael Pardy and Justine Curgenven, involved in its activities. GeoSkils courses cost $3, $8 or $25, depending on the course, which provides online access to that course for a year. In addition, personal coaching by Zoom is available for $50/hr. As a trial, I chose Sea State for Paddlers and Boaters for $8 and worked my way through the online printed material. The lessons consist of sections from Navigation, Sea State and Weather, A Paddler’s Manual, with a short quiz at the end of each lesson to confirm your knowledge before progressing to the next. The material is excellent (I have the book and use it as a reference), but I found it a little hard to stay focused without more active content to keep my attention. Occasional references to and photos of local BC paddling/paddlers made it easier to relate to the lessons. I expect that SKILS will add video elements to this and other online courses as they develop them further in the future.
Online Sea Kayaking
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Online Sea Kayaking courses www.onlineseakayaking.com has been operating longer and employs sequences of short video lessons including:
- Core Principles
- Ruddering Masterclass
- Staying Upright
- Surfing a Sea Kayak
- Navigation and Planning
- Paddling in Tide
- Sea Kayak Rescues
- Edging
Online Sea Kayaking (OSK) operates as a subscription service, offering access to all its online courses for $16/month or $159/year (including a 7-day free subscription trial). In addition, subscribers can ask questions, upload practice videos for feedback, and get unlimited help from the BCU Level 5 OSK coaches, Simon Osborne, and James Stevenson, and the OSK community.
As a trial, I chose to begin with their Navigation and Planning course and worked my way through its 42 short video lessons. These well-produced instructional videos made it easier for me to maintain my focus and quickly grasp key aspects of the material. Although the principles are applicable everywhere, references and visuals are almost entirely from the United Kingdom, so differences in resources and terminology as compared with Canada need to be understood.
CONCLUSIONS FOR NOW…TO BE CONTINUED!
Increased interest in online sea kayaking instruction has been fuelled over the past year by the pandemic, but these courses seem likely to become more sophisticated and continue to be a part of sea kayaking instruction in the future. In my experience to date, Online Sea Kayaking (UK) has taken this new modality further, focusing on both “classroom” theory and “on-water” skills sessions using a more engaging video format. OSK hopes to develop a subscriber base with its monthly/annual plans giving access to all current and developing future content. Again, in my admittedly limited experience, SKILS’ GeoSkils (Canada) has so far concentrated on repurposing its well-respected publications, instructor, and guide courses to the online education environment. SKILS’ annual purchase approach for their individual courses may make it less likely that many paddlers will explore several GeoSkils offerings. In contrast, OSK’s model encourages exploration of all their online offerings and very keen paddlers may be able to complete their current courses within a few months. As a result, OSK is committed to developing new courses and video content to retain and expand their subscriber base. Either way, it is particularly good news for sea kayakers to have these online learning options available.
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SISKA Trip Resource Directory
by Vic Turkington
The days are getting longer and warmer now - Spring is here. Also, Covid restrictions are beginning to ease a bit. So thoughts turn to planning summer kayak trips.
There is fortunately a vast wealth of knowledge and tripping experience within SISKA members, both on coastal Vancouver Island and beyond. If you were wondering about an kayaking area: how safe and challenging, best launch and campsites, highlights etc., you've got lots of help. A number of experienced members have generously volunteered to share their experiences, offer guidance, advice and help you to plan an unforgettable kayak adventure.
Just login to the SISKA website to contact them and get sage advice and insight for your proposed trip: SISKA/Members/Documents/SISKA Resource Directory
Extensive information on Vancouver Island is also available on the BC Marine Trails website "bcmarinetrails.org" and John Kimantis's series of books on Coastal Vancouver Island.
Happy planning and tripping.....
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Paddle Canada Basic and Level 1 courses
by Jennie Sutton
SISKA has several enthusiastic Paddle Canada Instructors and they are willing to offer Paddle Canada Basic and Level 1 courses if there is demand from members. Please contact Jennie Sutton at instructordevelopment@siska.ca if this is of interest to you.
Jennie Sutton
Instructor Liaison, SISKA
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Tips from the trips
by Debbie Leach
SKEG STUCK?
Attach a cord for your paddling buddy to easily pull it down out on the water.
Editor Note - Add a thin bungie cord to the top half to pull it up works well too!
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Kayaking Klips
by Debbie Leach
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Pumping practice. Does yours pump on both the up and down stroke?
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Camp Cookery
by Lynn Baier
Thanks to Debbie Leach for coming up with this one. So you’re leaving the next day- here’s a recipe for cleaning out the fridge the night before, or taking it along all ready for your first night’s dinner.
Pasta With Peanut Sauce
Pasta - 100-150 g per person (Angel hair cooks in just a few minutes)
Peanut butter - 2 tbsp per person
Broccoli cut in pieces - big handful per person
Freshly grated ginger - 1 tsp per person
Crushed garlic - 1 clove per person
Place pasta in the bottom of a pot (break up if necessary). Toss in broccoli, ginger and garlic. Cover with water to a depth of about one inch. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently and adding more water as needed to prevent the pasta from boiling dry and sticking.
When the pasta is almost cooked through take the pot off the stove. Drain, keeping just enough starchy hot water to form a sauce. Now stir peanut butter into the juicy pasta.
Add one or more of these before serving:
- Whole peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Green, red, or yellow bell peppers, sliced
- Green onions or scallions, sliced
- Soy Sauce*
- Plum sauce*
*Bring individual condiment packets
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Camp Cookery Index - HERE
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BCMT Corner
by Gene Gapsis
2021 is shaping up to be an eventful year for BCMT. A quick reminder to those who are hoping to volunteer for the Gerald Island Invasive Species Project, April 10 - 17, we will be adhering to Provincial Health Orders, and limiting our volunteer base to the Vancouver Island Health Region. Additionally, we will be limiting the number of participants on the island at any one time to 10, in keeping with the current level of restrictions for outdoor events. We welcome those who wish to camp, or to come for the day, but we ask that you contact Francine at fjohn@bcmarinetrails.org, with your date preferences. There is plenty of work and space for us to remain busy and safe. PPE and hand sanitizer will be available, and tools will be sanitized regularly. Only those that are part of the same bubble, e.g. family members, should consider carpooling, and social distancing will be enforced on site during breaks. Only members of the same bubble will be working in close proximity to each other. Hopefully, these restrictions will no longer apply in the fall, when we will be able to welcome volunteers from the BC Mainland.
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In other news, BCMT is also bringing volunteers to the South Brooks Peninsula by water taxi, August 2 - 9, to participate in a marine debris cleanup with other members of the BC Marine Debris Working Group, and the Kyuquot-Checkleseht First Nation. Ocean Legacy Foundation and Rugged Coast Research Society will be in the area, and the hope is to blitz the entire peninsula. It is best that those who have previous experience paddling the west coast, making surf landings, and who have sufficient skill to handle potentially adverse weather conditions apply. Please contact fjohn@bcmarinetrails.org or gene@bcmarinetrails.org for more information.
The new Cross Club Committee has been formed, to act as a conduit of information between member paddling clubs. A CCC calendar has been created in Google Calendar, to keep everyone informed of projects, presentations, site maintenance opportunities, and sites in need of a more current site condition report, especially as we head out on our summer adventures.
BCMT is encouraging participation by individuals and groups in World Oceans Week, June 1-8, where you will be able to register your beach cleanup with the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup website. Karina Younk at WOW@bcmarinetrails.org is the contact person for more information about this community event, and how you can submit pictures, stories and videos of your efforts along your favourite beaches, to the BCMT website and social media platforms. If your club has ideas about a specific location, or club efforts to showcase, please contact your Stewardship Rep.
Getting involved in preserving the integrity of our coastline contributes to greater resiliency in our communities to climate change, as well as maintaining for all the beauty of coastal features, many of them experiencing greater recreational pressures all the time. BCMT is grateful for your participation in caring for what we love.
With spring upon us, thoughts turn to summer trips, and on-the-water getaways with friends. Please consider being an important part of coastal research efforts this summer. As paddlers, we can provide important data on the sites we visit, as well as marine life that is under threat. For instance, there is a growing number of sightings of decapitated sea lions. It is very important to contact DFO at 1-800-465-4336 to report this, as it is essential to establishing patterns and identifying hot spots.
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Also of great concern to marine biologists and conservationists is the ongoing threat of sea star wasting syndrome (SSWS) affecting 20 species of stars. currently being tracked by multiple research agencies such as Hakai Research Institute, in collaboration with the California Academy of Science, University of California at Santa Cruz and MARINe, or Multi Agency Rocky Intertidal Network, scientists are striving to understand this devastating disease killing sea stars more quickly than the pace of science to study it. With so many unknowns, it is hard to predict or understand the drivers and dynamics, but data is needed from the Gulf of Alaska to Mexico. Sunflower star populations have been reduced by 90% and are in threat of extinction, after an estimated 5.75 billion have been lost since the disease was first identified in 2013. Characterized by white lesions which progress until the organism eventually becomes a glob of goop, there is some hope there may be resistant host populations at the head of deep fjords such as Toba and Knight Inlets. Paddlers are important sources of information as they travel the coast, but with the loss of these significant predators, kelp forests are threatened by sea urchins who proliferate unchecked. Researchers hope to better understand what is driving the outbreak, and welcome data easily submitted to iNaturalist. Kelly Fretwell, kelly.fretwell@hakai.org is coordinating studies in our local waters, along with Margo Hessing-Lewis, also of Hakai Institute. Please consider submitting data for these important studies.
The paddling community is also so important to modelling appropriate marine recreation, and how to enjoy our coast with minimal impact. Taking time to report to BCMT on the condition of sites, the presence of invasive species, evidence of inappropriate fires or disposal of human waste can help us develop maintenance plans and partnerships with First Nations, to reduce these effects. You truly are essential to understanding and maintaining the health of our coastal ecosystems.
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Safety Tips
by Lynn Baier
Do you carry a first aid kit? It’s a wise idea. Many simple kits are available at a reasonable price or it’s easy to put one together on your own.
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Trip Reports
Brentwood Bay to Coles Bay, March 6, 2021
by Sean Finucane
After having to cancel the paddle from Brentwood Bay to Coles Bay on the long weekend due to terrible driving conditions, our group of 6 set out on March 6th for a more successful attempt. The wind was forecast to be very low, but the conditions were a bit lumpier than I would have expected. That said, we had lovely clear weather as we explored the bays on the way to lunch at Coles Bay. Konrad Sechley put together this great video summary of our day out:
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Brentwood Bay to Coles Bay, March 6, 2021
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Amber Champion completes 96 km around Salt Spring Island for mental health
by Willi Fast
And how long did it take?
13 hours 24 minutes
Read the full article HERE.
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Kayak Scam on eBay
I once again had to learn that “If it is too Good to be True, it probably is…..”
I have been looking for a smaller boat,16’/ lightweight/narrow with a rudder, to use as a day boat around home. A friend sent me an ebay link for a brand-new Atlantis Mis T being sold by Outdoor Addiction Sports Store in Campbell River for only $2,900. It was my understanding that the store was going out of business and I figured they were just unloading the last of their stock.
I checked with the Atlantis factory in Nanaimo and learned that their new Mis T boats sold for around $4,500-$4,900 depending on how they were equipped. As the ebay ad had a link stating that Outdoor Addictions had been on ebay selling since 2003, I figured that the ad was real. I clicked on the buy button on March 26 and received an immediate ebay reply telling me the boat was mine, I had indicated that I wanted to save the $500 shipping charge and drive up to CR and pick up the boat myself.
I sent the seller, via ebay a number of emails asking for a contact phone number and details about picking up the boat, no reply. Over the next couple of days, I sent a number of follow up emails, no reply.
I did some investigating and got Outdoor Addiction’s phone number only to discover it was no longer connected. Via the paddling community, I reached out to the Campbell River paddling club and learned that the business had been closed for over a year. By then the light had finally gone on and I knew I had been scammed.
I checked my visa on-line account and learned that the charge had already gone through. The original ad stated that this was a 100% safe/guaranteed/refundable purchase. I contacted ebay explaining the situation and got the following reply: “I am sorry to hear that your buyer is not responding for him to pick up the item. I can see here that it has been 4 days but the buyer still did not pick up the item. You have the option to cancel the transaction so that you can relist the item and sell it someone else.” WTF!
I feel this is ebay’s fault and they did not do their due diligence to verify that the seller was in fact Outdoor Addiction. Did they check the phone, email or verify the info? Obviously not. After I complained that I was not the seller but the buyer, they stated: “If after 3 days the seller has not replied to your case or you have not been able to resolve the issue, please ask eBay to step in and help. We will then review the case and decide on the best outcome.” I expect to get a full refund!
Saying all that, I am still in the market for a new/used kayak (16’/ lightweight/narrow with a rudder), if you have such a boat or know of one for sale please give me a shout. (250) 598-7333 gailmiller@shaw.ca We also have a female friend, new to kayaking, who would like to buy a plastic beginner boat, please send the info. Thanks.
The embarrassed and now somewhat wiser Fred Pishalski…..
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KAYAK PACKAGE
Delta 17
Storage cradle, making for easy loading onto the Thule Hullavator (included)
With roof rack
Wheels
Werner paddle
2 spray skirts
Extras - float, pump....package for $3300
Contact Pauline Barnes at tpbarnes@shaw.ca
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If you have any buy/sell items that you would like to post in the Newsletter, please send a short description and your contact info to newsletter@siska.ca.
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SISKA’s Kayak Skills Course Partners
There are some fine discounts available from our kayak skills course partners for SISKA members who sign up for their skills training programs; have a look at https://siska.ca/docs_public/SISKAsKayakSkillsCoursePartners2020.pdf
Our partners are:
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