Siska July 2026 Newsletter

July 1, 2026

Introduction
Convenient Links
SISKA Partners- Join Mailing Lists
Upcoming SISKA Events
Upcoming Combined Event
Siska July/August Monthly Meeting Agenda
Monthly Meeting Location
Reminder - New SISKA web & mobile site - Coming Soon!
New Tide & Current App Now Available
KayakFest 2026 Report
SISKA Kayak Lodge Trip May 17-21, 2027 Register Now
GIGAbite Trip Report
Rosa Island Area / Kayaking
Gorge Waterway Cable Replacement
Tips From The Trips
Camp Cookery
Safety Item
BC Marine Trails News
SISKA's Kayak Lodge Partner Offerings
SISKA's Kayak Skills Course Partners

Introduction

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, newsletter@siska.ca . If you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!

Jane Jacek (SISKA president) and Tony Playfair (editor)

Convenient Links

SISKA on Facebook

Siska's Youtube Channel

Siska's Newsletter Archive - Mailchimp or Siska Newsletters Website

List of all stewardship fees

Rocky Point Demolition Blasting Notices

SISKA Partners- Join Mailing Lists

by Jane Jacek

To receive regular emails and newsletters from our kayak partners, in which you will read about courses/clinics they are offering and possible club member discounts, please follow this link.

Upcoming SISKA Events

Upcoming Combined Event

by Jane Jacek

2026 Comox Valley Raft-Up

2026 Raft Up Info

Siska July/August Monthly Meeting Agenda

by Fred Pishalski

No Meetings until September. See you on the water!

Monthly Meeting Location

by Jane Jacek

The location is the Unitarian Universalist Community of Victoria, formerly known as First Unitarian Church of Victoria. Address: 5575 West Saanich Road Victoria, BC

Map

Reminder - New SISKA web & mobile site - Coming Soon!

by Konrad Sechley

Ginny Flood, Andrew Cusack, Konrad Sechley

The SISKA web site has been redesigned to streamline the database, reduce issues, increase security, and make the site mobile friendly. The anticipated release date of the new web site will be at the end of August.

A test site that can be accessed use your regular log-in ID can be found at: https://v6.siska.ca

Members are encouraged to try out the new test site, using both their home computer and mobile device, and provide feedback. The test site is isolated from the main SISKA database, so you can play around with the site without fear of making any alterations to the main data base - sign up for a paddle, become a SISKA member, check out the calendar. If you send out an email it will just go to you and no one else. If you are a paddle leader, set up a paddle and test the various options.

Instructional videos about the revised web site will be available later this summer and will be accessible through the current SISKA web site and the test web site. Once these videos are ready a note will be sent out to the membership.

If you have any suggestions or identify any issues while testing the site please send your comments to: Geoff Nicol and Dave O at: web@siska.ca

Once the web site is officially released in late August any issues with the site should be sent to: web@siska.ca

Many thanks to Geoff Nicol for the many hours he has put into this project and to Dave O for his continued support of the project and web site.

New Tide & Current App Now Available

by Editor (TP)

A new tide/current app has recently been released and it works extremely well. Easy to use and can be installed if you are using a Chrome based web browser. Written by Eric Brandon here in Victoria. Try it out. Don't forget to click the name of a site for a table or wave of the tide or current.

Reddit discussion

https://currentlybc.com

KayakFest 2026 Report

by Rod Stiebel

This year the club tried something different, again. On Saturday June 6 at Cadboro/Gyro Park we combined the Kayak Fest with the SISKA picnic for one big fun event. It worked!

The weather was a bit suspect, but we had mostly sunny skies with some threatening clouds that burst open for only a bit early on, then abated with perfect timing. Attendance was at least double from last year, as we did draw more folks with the lure of trying out one of the many kayaks on display by vendors like Best Coast with Zegul kayaks, Creek to Coast showing off Rockpool and Valley Kayaks as well as Trak Kayaks and Surfside Paddlesports showing off some of their fleet of Stellar kayaks….I know which one I want!

We also had BC Marine Trails in attendance showing what they do, and encouraging all to join. It is only $35.00/year, and worth every penny.

Leslie MacCallum was showcasing her gasket replacement business, many of the club members use her services, I have.

Alan Campbell was also there showing folks how he can make 2 tables of kayak/camping gear disappear into his craft, magical, and quite informative.

Andrew Cusack and Konrad Sechley were also doing their deck line replacement duties, and were very busy all day, kudos for the hard work!

Edgar Hulatt put on a table top clinic on local tides and currents around the island, also well attended.

Mike Teachman was a great resource for explaining the inner workings of how a Greenland paddle is made, with some displays of part finished and finished products.

There was coffee and light snacks, and we served over 100 cups of java that morning! Kudos to Sarah for manning the coffee station. Of course, we had the as always popular Gear Swap. Lots of good deals, and at least one kayak was sold, as well as lots of peripheral gear. The circular economy wins again!

The afternoon relaxed paddle at 1PM was lead by Jane Jacek our ever busy Club President.

In retrospect, it was indeed a great day for club members, and we may have even convinced a few new folks to join. We hope next year to be even bigger and better. The engine that drove this event is all the hard working volunteers. To them I convey my gratitude, as this would not happen without your support. I urge all members to look at this and think about picking an event to volunteer for, maybe even suggesting an event for the club yourself. We are so lucky to have the opportunity for making such great friendships, both on and off the water!

Leslie MacCallum at her Gasket Replacement booth

BC Marine Trails were there, with Fred hiding behind signage

Stellar Kayaks from Surfside

The Swap Meet was well received

Lots of different Kayaks to see

Folks taking in the Greenland paddle display

Alan showing how he packs his kayak, Deb is amazed!

SISKA Kayak Lodge Trip May 17-21, 2027 Register Now

by Jane Jacek

May 17-21, 2027 Kagoagh Lodge Hecate Cove, Quatsino, North West Vancouver Island

Description
What: A SISKA Energizer paddle from Hecate Cove/Kagoagh Lodge to Drake Island, Pamphlet Cove, Atkins Cove, Marble River.

Skill Level: This paddle is rated as an Energizer Paddle because of its distance and open water crossings and possible current. To understand this designation better, please read SISKA's Paddle Guidelines Paddlers taking part in this paddle are required to have PC Level 2 or equivalent experience. For information about PC Levels click here.

When: Monday, May 17th-21st, 2027

Paddle Plans: HELMETS REQUIRED FOR THIS TRIP

Paddle info for that week:

May 17 water taxi in, short afternoon paddle if conditions allow.
May 18 Marble River paddle
May 19,20,21 Intertidal paddles ( Drake Island, Pamphlet Cove, Atkins Cove)
May 21 Could paddle out plus water taxi

Cost: All inclusive of accommodation, meals and water taxi. Room with two people $570 a night, total $2280 plus 5% tax. Single person, sharing a room with another $285 a night, total $1140, plus 5% tax. Room single person $435 a night, total $1740, plus 5% tax.

Deposit due by mid-September: $570 ( you must be registered for this trip prior to submitting the deposit)

The lodge has eight guest rooms. All (except one) have a pair of queen beds and your own bathroom and shower. That one room has just one king bed and your own bathroom and shower.

All food (and the meals are fabulous) is provided by the lodge. The lodge is great at meeting guests’ dietary needs. However, if your dietary needs are very limited, you may bring in your own food and have the lodge prepare it.

Getting to and from the lodge: Access via Port Hardy to Coal Harbour on paved highway: put in/water taxi Address: 141 Harbour Rd, Coal Harbour, BC V0N 1K0 Pay Parking: pay in the entrance to museum, approximately $25

Water taxi: pick up is usually 11am for the first taxi, which can hold up to 7 kayaks and 8 people.

May 16th: It is recommended that trip members overnight on the North Island ( Port McNeill to Port Hardy) on May 16th. (Victoria to Port Hardy is lovely 6.5 hour drive, with no traffic lights after Campbell River)

Registration: ASAP contact president@siska.ca. If needed a waitlist will be taken.

Note: Always dress for the possibility of immersion and please bring a drybag containing a spare change of clothes. All participants are expected to have read, and to comply with SISKA's Policies and Procedures.

GIGAbite Trip Report

by Sarah Hood

The 2026 GIGAbite: A SISKA Expedition in Four Courses
June 15–18, 2026

Nineteen members of the South Island Sea Kayaking Association embarked upon the 2026 GIGAbite: the Gulf Island Gourmet Adventure. The objective was simple: paddle hard, eat well, and don’t be the first to fall out of your boat.

The expedition owed its success to the granddaddy of the GigaBite Tim Frick, whose planning bordered on military precision. Tim’s schedules operated in increments of twenty-two minutes, suggesting either a deep understanding of tidal dynamics or the possession of an unusual stopwatch. Every detail had been considered, contingency plans had contingency plans, and all participants were expertly shepherded from one activity to the next.

And yet, despite this remarkable organization, the SISKA Time Warp remained undefeated. Paddlers routinely arrived fully prepared an hour before launch time, only to find themselves scrambling frantically to load items into boats at the final possible moment. This phenomenon remains unexplained by modern science.

Day One: Paddle to Mayne Island and a Cougar Attack. The adventure began with an early ferry crossing from Swartz Bay to Otter Bay, followed by a launch from Hope Bay and a paddle to Kadonaga Bay on Mayne Island.

The route continued westward along Mayne Island to Dinner Bay, where lunch was followed by a fiercely contested game of Disc Golf. Competitors displayed an impressive commitment to the official rules, at least when those rules appeared advantageous. Others toured the Japanese Gardens, while a third group sat quietly watching the tide creep steadily toward eighteen unattended kayaks on the beach—a spectator sport peculiar to west coast paddlers.

Back at Port Browning, camp life quickly settled into a rhythm defined by the swimming pool, the nightly trip meetings, and the mysterious operation of the bathroom pass system, which appeared to function according to criteria known only to the management.

Most dramatically, Shirley’s kayak suffered a cougar attack. Not that kind of cougar. No wildlife was involved, unless you count the guy trying to back up his Cougar Trailer. The details remain subject to witness interpretation, but the phrase “cougar attack” remains part of the story.

Dinner was at the Port Browning Pub and the evening’s entertainment featured bagpipes on the dock at 9:30pm, because apparently no Gulf Islands experience is complete without unexpectedly hearing Scotland’s advance at sunset.

Day Two: Marine Life, Archeology and Lost Shoes. Tuesday’s route followed the dramatic bluffs of Pender Island from Thieves Bay, with paddlers hugging the shoreline closely enough to appreciate the extraordinary marine life.

Pigeon Guillemots nested among the cliffs. Beneath the surface, anemones waved gently among green and purple sea urchins, sea cucumbers, gumboot chitons, and a report of a lemon nudibranch. Every few metres seemed to reveal another reason not to paddle too quickly.

Tim provided a running commentary on local history and repeatedly promised prizes for anyone spotting historical markers, plaques and rock graffiti. Participants enthusiastically searched shorelines, cliffs, and obscure corners of the islands. Plaques were located. Historical graffiti was identified. No prizes were ever awarded. A formal inquiry may be required.

On our way back through Bedwell Harbour Morley shared information about the region’s Indigenous history, including a clamshell midden, archaeological artifacts, and the impact of the digging of the canal connecting North and South Pender. We learned how construction of the canal disturbed Indigenous burial sites and how the remains were later respectfully reinterred nearby.

Rich and Helen spotted a mother otter with two young kits.

After a full day of paddling, some sought additional adventure with a hike up up up and more up Mount Norman before dinner. The spectacular views were well worth the climb.

Dinner at the Copper Otter was in two shifts and the food was excellent.

Liz lost her shoes, looked for them all afternoon, and then found them after dinner exactly where she had left them in the Hope Bay parking lot the previous day. This is surely a testament to Pender’s unique community vibe.

Day Three: South Pender and Defrocking. Wednesday featured a clockwise circumnavigation of South Pender Island and a lunch stop at Poet’s Cove where the expedition’s most important linguistic contribution was made.

The transition from paddling attire to restaurant-appropriate appearance required participants to remove drysuits, paddling layers, and assorted gear to don dry and mostly clean clothes while simultaneously preserving some degree of public dignity. This process inevitably involved exposed backsides, visible sports bras, and a general atmosphere of controlled chaos. Tim repeatedly referred to this procedure as “defrocking” which brings to mind the famous quote from the 1987 classic film The Princess Bride: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” The term nevertheless entered the SISKA vocabulary and appears likely to remain there indefinitely.

Wildlife continued to impress, but the otter family failed to make a second appearance.

Two bald eagles were observed casually eating a fish at the shoreline while eighteen kayakers floated past. The eagles appeared mildly curious but otherwise unimpressed by the spectacle.

Notably absent from the wildlife checklist were whales. According to established expedition protocol, this was entirely Tim’s fault.

No paddler can really claim full membership in the GIGAbite club without the ritualistic clamber through the portal of paddlers, Hole in the Wall. Secret handshake and club chant only shared with initiates once this test has been passed.

Day Four: Wind, Wisdom, and Feral Goats. The final day required an early pack-up as strengthening winds forced a shortened route. The group launched directly from Port Browning, crossed to Saturna Island, and arrived in time to defrock for lunch at the Sage Hayward Feral Goat Bistro.

The shortened paddle created one final opportunity for the expedition’s newest paddle leader. Marika conducted her first trip leadership assignment during the strongest winds and largest seas encountered during the GigaBite. Congratulations, Marika.

By late afternoon, boats were loaded, gear was stowed, and participants settled into the wait for the evening ferry.

Distinguished Guests The group also enjoyed the company of several special guests: Tracey from New Zealand, David from Pender Island, and Alek’s wife Natalia, all of whom contributed greatly to the camaraderie of the trip. And of course there was the courageous mother camping alone with four young children. Her bravery deserves formal recognition.

Conclusions The 2026 GIGAbite successfully combined sea kayaking, gourmet dining, island history, wildlife encounters, meteorological uncertainty, questionable terminology, and a complete absence of prizes.

Through it all, Tim’s carefully orchestrated plans somehow carried the group from launch to lunch, from paddle to pub, and safely back home again. Thank you Tim, for another great GIGAbite.

Rosa Island Area / Kayaking

by Alan Campbell

In this article you'll find a very recent notice from the Nuchatlaht FN regarding kayak visitors to their Nuchatlitz area title lands. This clarifies where to camp (Rosa Is), how much to pay and the mechanism for payment. As it happens, the MV Uchuck III is still at Point Hope Shipyards here in Victoria having a new engine installed. They hope to resume sailings from Gold River later in July.

Please review the following official notice regarding Nuchatlaht First Nation territory, private land access, and visitor guidelines:

The Nuchatlaht Aboriginal Title lands are private and owned by the Nuchatlaht First Nation. Entry, access, or use of these lands is strictly by invitation or authorization only.

The Nuchatlaht First Nation exercises stewardship and protection responsibilities over these lands, including archaeological, cultural, and historical sites of profound significance to the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Our sites are fragile, irreplaceable, and protected. We encourage visitors to camp at Rosa Island or reserve a spot at Flynn’s Cove.

Kayakers: We warmly encourage kayakers to camp at Rosa Island. Lodge & Cabins: Consider booking a reservation at the Nuchatlaht owned and operated Flynn’s Cove Lodge and Cabins.

Access Fees:

Rate: $25 per day

How to Pay:

Interac E-Transfer: Send your payment directly to communications@nuchatlaht.com.

Credit Card: Reply to communications@nuchatlaht.com to request a secure, digital credit card payment link from our team.

If you have any questions regarding access authorization, cultural protocols, or booking your stay, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Kleko Kleko ("Thank you" in the Nuu-chah-nulth language)
NUCHATLAHT FIRST NATION

Gorge Waterway Cable Replacement

by Edmond Duggan

"Gorge Waterway marine work: Excavation of trench within the marine area, only accessible by barge, has proceeded well and nearing completion. Will be preparing the trench for the conduit placement in August. Tentative start date of full marine closure to the west side of the Selkirk Trestle, for up to ten days, is August 19. The Banfield Park Trail detour begins July 2."

Information PDF with lots of photos

Tips From The Trips

by Debbie Leach

LOOKING GOOD? Pack lens cleaner and a cloth along to keep your sunglasses spot free.

Cheers, Debbie

Camp Cookery

by Lynn Baier

Cheese Crackers

Big thanks to Sarah and Marina for introducing me to these delicious and nutritious snacks, that I was privileged to sample on the unequaled Gigabite tour this past June.

Article

Safety Item

by Sybil Seitzinger

Swimming with Your Paddle

We spend plenty of time practicing rescues, but have you ever practiced swimming with your paddle? If you end up out of your kayak and unable to re-enter immediately, knowing how to move effectively through the water while holding your paddle can be an important safety skill. This short video offers useful techniques for swimming with both Euro and Greenland paddles. Consider adding this skill to your next practice session.

BC Marine Trails News

June Newsletter

SISKA's Kayak Lodge Partner Offerings

by Jane Jacek

Want to explore the West coast of Vancouver Island by kayak and stay in top notch accommodation?

The following lodges are offering discounts to SISKA members. Members can view full details of the current offerings by logging in to our website clicking on Members, then Documents. Then go to Resource Info and click on SISKA Kayak Lodge Partner Offerings.

Sea Otter Lodge

Sea Otter Lodge is a secluded private island retreat in Kyuquot on the Wild West Coast of Vancouver Island perfect for groups ranging in size from 2-12 people. Come & discover British Columbia's most untouched wild coastal region.

Kagoagh Resort and Fishing Lodge

Welcome to Kagoagh Resort and Fishing Lodge, a unique coastal retreat just a 20 minute boat ride from Coal Harbour on the rugged northwest coast of Vancouver Island. It features eight spacious guest rooms. Come and discover this remarkable and remote part of the coast.