Siska August 2024 Newsletter

Introduction
Upcoming SISKA Events
Upcoming NON-Siska Events
No Siska General Meetings Until September
Upcoming Level 3 Paddle Canada Course
Off Water Clinics - What’s New, What to Expect for ²⁰²⁴⁄₂₅
Seaweed Tour with Dakini Tidal Wilds
Save the Date for Another Classic…Picnic
Tips From The Trips
Camp Cookery
Safety Item
BC Marine Trails News
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

PS: SISKA on Facebook

PPS: Siska’s Youtube Channel

PPPS: Siska’s Newsletter Archive - Mailchimp or Siska Newsletters Backup

PPPPS: Rocky Point Demolition Blasting Notices

Upcoming SISKA Events

Upcoming NON-Siska Events

This September 23rd and 24th 2024 Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht (Professor Popsicle and world-renowned expert in hypothermia) and Ian Gilson from the University of Manitoba will be putting on a two-day workshop here in Victoria. Attached is copy of their poster for this event including how to register. Gordon Grant Giesbrecht is a Canadian physiologist who operates the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He studies the effects of extreme environments, including cold, heat, and hypobaria on the human body. His laboratory motto is vitas salvantas (saving lives). He was dubbed “Professor Popsicle” in a feature article in Outside Magazine.

No Siska General Meetings Until September

by Fred Pishalski

SISKA’s September meeting date has been changed, because of a speaker scheduling change, to Monday night September 23rd. Do not show up on Wednesday but rather Monday night at Garth Homer Centre at 813 Darwin Ave. The meeting starts at 7:00pm but folks are encouraged to bring kayaking related equipment to sell or swap ahead of the meeting.

Upcoming Level 3 Paddle Canada Course

by Jane Jacek/Amber Champion

Hiya,

Just wanted to share a new L3 date with you for September 5th-9th in the Deer Group. I will be coaching this and am hoping to get a few eager paddlers.

Details can be found here

If anyone is interested please send them our way.

Hope you’re having a great summer of adventures and paddling.

Warm regards, Amber Champion

Paddle Canada Level 4 Skills/ Level 4 Instructor/ Level 3 Instructor Trainer Paddle Canada SUP Advanced Flatwater Instructor Trainer/ Multi-day instructor/Surf Instructor

Owner, Blue Dog Kayaking 705 888 1051 https://championadventure.squarespace.com/gear-shed Youtube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUejHBVojYhTYKgULyp-15g

Off Water Clinics - What’s New, What to Expect for ²⁰²⁴⁄₂₅

by Rod Stiebel

We hope, as always, to fill up the schedule with lots of interesting, informative, and even entertaining clinics this coming fall/winter. This season, we have added a third member to join our committee. We welcome Dan Dunaway. I am sure he will bring lots of ideas and energy to the team. Dan plus Julie Deans, and myself, Rod Stiebel, make up the Off Water Clinics committee.

The OWC (off water clinics) can be a great distraction for learning and more, over the colder, less kayak friendly weather. This year we expect to offer much of the same, including a few tours, as they are available, which included CFB Esquimalt JRCC, and the MCTS in Pat Bay, to name two last year. We expect the cost for most to still be $15.00 for the clinics at Pearkes Rec Center, and only charge more or anything, if there is a cost to the club.

Something a bit different this year is most clinics will still be at Pearkes, but will start at 6:30 sharp, versus 7, giving us 2-¹⁄₂ hours of time versus just 2. We hope to make the clinics a bit less rushed, as with much interest at most clinics, we run over time quite often. We do have the room from 6PM usually, so we hope to start at 6:30 sharp, to take full advantage of the extra 30 minutes, so you can show up early and be ready to go.

We also hope to put on another “Beach Day/Rodeo” of clinics, with topics such as Fitting your Kayak, Tarpology, Easy Basic Beach Repairs and more if there is an appetite for it, and if we find the members willing to donate a day as a Facilitator. This would be a Spring event, as the weather gets warmer, and hopefully sunnier, before we are all off on our early summer trips! We think mid April would work for most.

We will also try and facilitate courses by outside organizations, such as St. John’s Ambulance for First Aid, the Power Squadron for VHF certification and more. As always the club is constantly keeping members aware of any courses partner vendors may have.

Remember! We rely heavily on our own members to volunteer to facilitate these clinics. It keeps our club vibrant and current. If you can, please think about volunteering to put on a clinic.

Also, if you have some ideas for clinics you may want to share, we are open to all ideas, and people.

To contact the Off Water Clinics committee, email at: offwaterclinics@siska.ca

Clinics Listings - Past Year and Future

Rodeo (Beachside) Clinics Previously offered

Tentative: To be offered in Spring 2025

Fitting Your Kayak
Tarpology and Knots
Simple Kayak Repairs

Wish List of Beachside Clinics (not offered this past year)

What to Pack and How to Pack your Kayak
Camp Cookery/Food for Kayaking
Gear Talk - All of it
Kayak Fishing/Crabbing beach chat..no fishing.
Rackology - Safely Transporting your Kayak

Classroom Clinics offered this past year TOTAL 6

Wind and Weather Paddle Planning
VHF Radio Refresher for Kayakers X 2
Injury Prevention for Kayakers
Planning a Day Paddle
Group Dynamics and more, for a Multi-Day Kayak Trip

Wish List of classroom Clinics (not offered this past year)

Navigation Basics, Charts and Compass, possibly offered by vendor for $85
VHF Radios, How to Purchase
Tides and Currents
Kayak Photography

Tour Style Clinics

JRCC Tour - CFB Esquimalt - Joint Rescue Coordination Center
MCTS Tour - Marine Communications and Traffic Services
Blackline Marine Repairs for Kayaks (Full Day Course)
Seaweed Beach Tour, first offering Aug 17, 2024

Seaweed Tour with Dakini Tidal Wilds

by Rod Stiebel

While out paddling, do you ever wonder about all the different seaweeds that are below? Here is your opportunity to learn more! Amanda Swinimer, BSc Marine Biology, and author of The Science and Spirit of Seaweed, and The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed, a Guide for Kids, will show you the way. A 90 minute tour of a beach near Ogden Point in James Bay will be your classroom. You will learn all about the amazing seaweeds that grow in the Salish Sea, being able to identify them, their edibility, including nutritional and health properties. Culinary tips as well as spa use will be explored. Ecology and sustainability will also be part of the discussion. Included will be a tasting of a variety of local, wild harvested seaweeds.

Amanda has agreed to offer this tour on Sunday August 18, at 9:00AM, the best time for low tide exploration at this location. The cost is $70.00 per person. A minimum of 4 members are needed for this event to proceed. This is a “Rain or Shine” event.

The link to register for the course is:
https://www.dakinitidalwilds.com/shop-online/seaweed-tour-for-south-island-sea-kayaking-assoc

You can also visit their website for more info at : https://www.dakinitidalwilds.com/learn-about-seaweed

Save the Date for Another Classic…Picnic

by Jane Jacek

Saturday September 21, 2024

Cadboro Bay/ Gyro Park 9am - 3pm (rain or shine)

9am-12pm

Gear Swap: Looking to buy or sell kayak gear and/or a kayak? This is the event for you!

Kayak Chat : Visit with your peers, share your summer kayak stories, ask seasoned paddlers your kayak questions.

Deck Lines by Andrew Cusack : Does your kayak need the all important deck lines? Do your deck lines need replacing? Then bring your kayak to this event and Andrew will do his magic and install or update your deck lines. Deck lines supplied by SISKA. This is on a first come basis. Be ready to assist Andrew as needed.

Refreshments: Coffee, tea and goodies will be supplied

12pm-1pm

Lunch: bring your own picnic

1pm-3pm

Light Paddle Cadboro Bay Tour: keep an eye out, in August, for the registration link.

Tips From The Trips

by Debbie Leach

Tarp Tip. Use bungee cords to lessen stress in tarp in higher winds.

Camp Cookery

by Lynn Baier

Here’s another one stolen from Facebook. Adjust the quantities as need be. To adapt it for dehydrating, I would put it in the dehydrator after the beef and vegetables have been cooked. Keep liquids down to a minimum and add dried boullion cubes or sachets when rehydrating. You could also use dried hash browns or scalloped potatoes, both easily found at the grocery store, instead of cooking with the potatoes. Add the cheese after everything has been rehydrated and stir in. Sour cream keeps well to travel, if you have room, but it could also be left out pretty easily too.

CHEESEBURGER SOUP

Safety Item

by Alison Keighan

Emergency Communications

In a previous life, I worked as a Maritime Search & Rescue Coordinator at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria (JRCC Victoria). I recently contacted them to refresh my understanding of the SAR system and ask them what key messages they would like me to convey to kayakers. This is the first of a series of articles covering our discussion.

There are multiple ways to reach Search and Rescue (SAR) in case of emergency. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages.

VHF Radio on Channel 16 to Coast Guard Radio (Marine Communications & Traffic Services)

Communications can be monitored by other boaters, who may be able to render assistance
CG Radio relays your information to JRCC Victoria, who coordinates the plan for assistance
Coast Guard can use a Direction Finder to obtain your approximate position

Phone direct to JRCC Victoria

#727 (#SAR)
1-800-567-5111 or 250-413-8933
JRCC coordinates the plan for assistance
A good option if you know your position
They don’t have immediate access to your position but can send you a message to “accept our ping” and then access it

Phone 911 and ask for Coast Guard