SISKA's April 2021 Newsletter. Upcoming events, reports and articles
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April 2021 SISKA Newsletter

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

Table of Contents

 

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
 
For more details, go to the SISKA website

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.

President's Message

by Alan Campbell
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!

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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

Siska's Spring Training 2021 Gets Underway In The Bay!

by Alan Campbell
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!
 

Upcoming Zoom Meetings

 

Using Wind Forecast Apps for Paddle Planning

by Alan Campbell
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.
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

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.

Satellite Communicators for Sea Kayaking Trips

by Alan Campbell/Tony Playfair
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.
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
 

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

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/

Kayak Friendly Lodging

by Debbie Leach
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.

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!
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!