Siska Newsletters

Kayaking Victoria BC

Siska October 2025 Newsletter

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

Upcoming SISKA Events


Saturday, October 04th, 2025 - 9:15 AM to 3:15 PM - Energizer Paddle - Genoa Bay to Maple Bay (one way) Paddle
Sunday, October 05th, 2025 - 9:15 AM to 3:15 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Cooper Cove to Sooke Harbour tour Paddle
Saturday, October 11th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM - Energizer Paddle - Amherst to Rum Island Paddle
Sunday, October 12th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Island View Beach to D'Arcy Island Paddle
Sunday, October 19th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Agate Lane to Margaret Bay
Sunday, October 19th, 2025 - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Rescues & Re-Entries
Sunday, October 19th, 2025 - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - Open Pool Session
Saturday, October 25th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Spirit Bay to Cabin Point Paddle
Sunday, October 26th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Energizer Paddle - Oak Bay Marina to Discovery Island
Saturday, November 08th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Fleming Beach to Esquimalt Harbour Paddle
Saturday, November 15th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Whiffin Spit to Cabin Point Paddle
Sunday, November 16th, 2025 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Spectacle Falls Paddle

Upcoming Non-Siska Events

by Jane Jacek

COMMUNITY EVENT

Biodiversity Celebration:

October 18: 1-4 pm, Royal Roads University

Co-organized by the CRD, Royal Roads, and the City of Colwood, this free event will feature family-friendly walks, talks, and information displays from community partners across the capital region with the goal of celebrating and sharing information about our amazing local biodiversity.

More information is here: Biodiversity Celebration | Royal Roads University. Please share this event with your networks.

Siska October General Meeting Agenda

by Fred Pishalski

SeaChange Marine Conservation Society

with SeaChange Executive Director Sarah Cook

plus SISKA Membership Survey Results

Starting at 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Unitarian Universalist Community Of Victoria Building 5575 West Saanich Road, Saanich BC

Please note that this is a new location for our monthly meetings - see below

SISKA conducted a member survey in Spring of 2025. Konrad and Ginny will be presenting the results at the October Monthly meeting. We would like to thank all the members who completed the survey. The results will be compared to the prior survey conducted by Willi in 2021.

Our speaker will be Sarah Cook (R.P.Bio) who is the Executive Director of SeaChange Marine Conservation Society which is dedicated to understanding, protecting, and restoring marine environments. Sarah has 25 years of experience working in the marine environments of the Pacific Northwest and specializes in benthic communities and habitat mapping.

SeaChange Marine Conservation Society Mission:

As a charitable organization founded in 1998, we work in partnership with coastal communities to use scientifically rigorous and technologically sound methodologies to:

SeaChange is currently working on the Resilient Estuaries of the Salish Sea initiative which is focused on the small to medium sized estuaries of the Salish Sea and helping them maintain resilience against the impacts of climate change and increased human activity. SeaChange also has a large-scale mapping project, called ShoreZone, which provides publicly accessible information on our coastline to help with resource management, restoration and conservation initiatives, and emergency management planning.

New 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

Our meeting, at this new location, is still held the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Map

In Memory of Tony Copping

By Mike Miles

Tony Copping, one of the original SISKA members, died on September 19 at the age of 85. He was an avid kayaker who lived life to the fullest. He participated in many club activities including coordinating invited speakers for club meetings and as the SISKA representative during the early days of the BC Marine Trails initiative. Following the death of his wife Maryanne, he moved from Saanich to a smaller house in Oak Bay. He continued to kayak on club trips and with a group of enthusiastic friends, the "Salties". He was also an accomplished biker, took up golf, organized speakers for the local Gyro Club, and loved to dance, cook and socialize with his numerous friends. He was a gentleman, always considerate, friendly, positive, helpful and fun to be with. He will be missed.

Siska Christmas Lunch

by Delcie McLellan

SISKA CHRISTMAS LUNCH 2025

Saturday, November 29th

That time of year is fast approaching!

Once again the club will be hosting the very popular annual Christmas Party lunch at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on Beach Drive.

Bookings will open in early November and all club members will receive an invitation to register and pay. Mark the date in your calendar as seating sells quickly!

Come along and enjoy a wonderful buffet meal, have chances to win one of the many great door draw prizes donated by our local retailers, take on the challenge of the fun game of Heads or Tails, and most importantly socialize with friends as the Christmas season begins.

The delicious buffet lunch, with vegetarian options, will include tea, coffee and desserts. The chef will cater for gluten-free as well as other special diets. There will be a pay as you go bar.

The event will be from 12 noon until 3:00pm.

More details including pricing will follow at a later time.

SISKA Annual September Event

by Jane Jacek

Saturday September 27th

We were blessed with another perfect day for this the event. Approximately 75 people attended.

Looking to 2026, we will be combining this annual event with the spring Kayakfest, and having one big event in the spring. If you are interested in being part of the organizing committee for this, please contact me at president@siska.ca.

The gear swap was once again busy, with a wide range of gear exchanging hands. Socializing was also a key focus.

In the morning, members also appreciated the opportunity to once again have their kayak deck lines reinforced and/or their kayaks padded out for a snugger fit. Thank you Andrew and Konrad for the former, and Dorothea for the latter.

I wish to also thank Pat for assisting me in organizing this event, and taking care of the beverages and snacks. Thanks to Fred and Gary for helping with the set up and take down. And thanks to all who helped throughout the event.

New was a demonstration of an adaptive kayaking paddling device. This was designed by Jasmine L., a recent graduate of UVic’s engineering program. Thanks Jasmine for sharing this with us.

In the afternoon Raj Persram a club member, and the owner of Roll With It Kayaking, offered a free rolling clinic. Thank you Raj for helping our members improve their skills.

Also in the afternoon, a group of Siska paddlers circumnavigated Cadboro Bay. Thanks to Craig for leading this paddle. It was a beautiful day to be on the water.

In closing, members are what make a club, so thank you to all members who made this the enjoyable event it was.

Trip Reports

SISKA Broken Group Islands Kayak Trip September 14-19 2025

by Liz Lilly

The annual SISKA trip to the Broken Group is hard to take. How can 24 people put up with it? Stunning paddles; extraordinary wild life – Humpbacks breaching around you, bears grazing on the grass or turning over rocks and shucking oysters in front of the lodge, salmon just about jumping into your boat. Yoga on the deck, then into the hot tub, followed by a hearty dinner and the sharing of (wildly exaggerated) stories of the day’s exploits.

Somebody has to do it.

Each day there was a choice of new adventures, whether by water taxi to the outer Islands to brave the waves and swell and explore the beautiful rock formations; a cultural tour of First Nations activity in the area; or, a gentle paddle (with Paul) "for those with body parts needing a little TLC" through the Pinkertons, there was something for everyone. The biggest problem was deciding which paddle to take.

The weather was both fantastic and frustrating. Forecasts of windy conditions limited the visits to the outer islands to the first two days, and fog created an extra wrinkle some mornings. Yet every afternoon, we were able to bask in the sun on the decks, and our gear was just about dry by the time we put it in the drying room.

We learned a lot about each other:

A big thank you to Broken Islands Lodge. Each year there are more and more upgrades to the facilities which are comfortable and clean; the staff are helpful and kind, always on hand to assist with the launching and landing of the kayaks on the docks; and, you will never go hungry.

The number of paddle leaders determines how large a group can be accommodated. This year we had 8 paddle leaders, which limited the group to 24. A big thank you to all of them for their skills, knowledge and humour – the ability to weave a good yarn about a perfect day’s paddling is an essential qualification.

Last but not least, we must thank Konrad for all his hard work organising the trip. It takes a lot of time coordinating the whims of so many people, but the trip went off seamlessly. His patience and enthusiastic demeanour set the tone for a very special week.

Konrad has made a video of the trip HERE

Message From The Treasurer

by Heather Thompson

SISKA has transitioned away from using PayPal, and all payments are now to be made via e-transfer from your bank account. To assist in keeping track of the finances, I have set up 4 separate email addresses, specifically for Membership, OnWater, OffWater and Events (Christmas Party) payments.

Please follow the instructions you receive when registering for an event or renewing your membership, and send your e-transfer payment to the proper email address. You may already have SISKA set as a contact with your financial institution from when you paid your membership dues. Please note that if you are paying for an on-water or of-water clinic or the Christmas party, you will be directed to send your payment to a different email address, and you may have to set up multiple contacts for SISKA payments.

Additionally, please include a message when making the Interact payment, indicating what the payment is for, and for whom.

Thank you,
Heather Thompson
SISKA Treasurer

Message from your Librarian - Greenland Paddle

by Heather Jones

Unfortunately the loaner Greenland paddle hasn't been returned and I don't have a record of who borrowed it. ( Oops!..my fault). It would be great if whoever borrowed it could get in touch with me so that it can be returned and available for others to borrow.

Please contact me at: hijones6591@gmail.com.

There is another Greenland paddle which can be borrowed for anyone interested in trying one!

I will be bringing a Gasket replacement kit with me to future meetings (when available) which may make it easier for people to borrow.

Books related to kayaking can be borrowed or returned from 6:30 to 7pm from our Library at our monthly Siska meetings. We have a decent selection of books for you to enjoy.

SISKA Pool Sessions for Fall 2025

by Ginny Flood

SISKA has secured the Crystal Pool for Fall 2025 pool sessions to be held on October 19, November 16 and December 7. Note these held on a Sunday evening from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and are a great way to practice or develop new skills in a safe, warm environment.

Each session will include a pool clinic with an instructor(s) and an open pool session. To participant you must be a SISKA member and register through the SISKA website once the sessions are posted. There is limited space, so would encourage early registration.

The Open Pool session is $40 and the Pool Clinics are $50.

Ginny Flood
On Water Coordinator

Werner Paddle Purchases

by Lisa Lasagna

Are you considering the purchase of a Werner paddle, but are having trouble locating exactly what you want locally? I am interested in a non-stock paddle (Athena bent-shaft 210cm), and will likely need to order it custom-made. I have been advised that there will be a U.S. $100 shipping fee added to the cost of the paddle. I am hoping to find others who might also want to order a Werner paddle from the States so we could “share” the shipping cost. Please let me know if you are interested.

Lisa Lasagna

lisa.lasagna@gmail.com

Kayak Lending Library

by Jane Jacek

Did you know we have not one but two drysuit gasket repairs kits, and a wooden Greenland paddle for members to borrow?

Once you have purchased your gaskets and Aqua Seal contact our librarian at librarian@siska.ca to arrange a time and place to pick up a repair kit.

Want to follow an instructional drysuit gasket repair video, or see how it’s done, then do a Google search for Kokotat Gasket Repair and then select the videos tab.

Off Water Clinics for 2025-26

by Rod Stiebel

We will again be offering a variety of clinics, this fall and winter. They will be held at Pearkes Recreation Center, on a weekday, starting at 6:30PM to 9:00PM. Clinic info, including registration link, will be sent through email. Expect to receive the first related email in October. Also, remember to check your junk folder in case it inadvertently ends up there.

Also this year, we are changing how you pay for clinics, as we have moved away from Paypal, and have gone to an e-transfer method of payment. IMPORTANT TO NOTE!!! The email for payment is now treasurer.offwater@siska.ca. ALSO As many email addresses are not clear as to who is paying and for whom, we ask the following: INCLUDE: Who the payment is for, and For What clinic, so we can apply the payment correctly.

So stay tuned for more info as clinics are released.

Sea Stars

by Barb McDougall

The Salish Salties were out paddling Wednesday from Brentwood Bay to Spectacle Falls. I couldn’t believe how many Sea Stars there were all along the shoreline! I was curious about how they reproduce and was surprised and fascinated with Google’s response!

Tips From The Trips

by Debbie Leach

Topo Maps Canada Distance Calculator

GO CANADA! To plan out a route’s distance download the Topo Maps Canada app. Trace the route with your finger and measure the distance in statute miles or km. (It is free and works for land and sea)Thanks TF!

Camp Cookery

by Lynn Baier

Peanut Butter Fudge

Thank goodness I have five skinny grandkids to help me out with this recipe for peanut butter fudge. The sugar content is off the charts, but fudge packs up small, keeps well, and a little bit goes a long way. It was incredibly easy to make too.

Safety Item

by Alison Keighan

(originally published in August 2024 SISKA newsletter – rerunning as it’s so important)

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)

Phone direct to JRCC Victoria

Phone 911 and ask for Coast Guard

Satellite Devices

Kayak Accommodation Partner - Sea Otter Lodge

by Jane Jacek

Discover Sea Otter Lodge – A Remote Paddler’s Paradise

Venture as far west as you can go to Sea Otter Lodge, a hand-crafted coastal retreat nestled on a private 7-acre island in the Kyuquot archipelago on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. This unique adventure outpost offers unmatched access to pristine wilderness, where the crowds are few and nature reigns supreme.

Sea Otter Lodge welcomes all SISKA paddlers with a 10% discount on custom lodge rentals. Comfortably accommodating 10–12 guests, the lodge combines luxury with a deep respect for the wild, making it the perfect base for your next paddling adventure.

Bring your own kayak or choose from our fleet of rental kayaks, paddle boards, or fishing kayaks outfitted with Bixpy electric motors and Yak Attack accessories. Whether you're launching from our easy-access beach or using our moorage docks designed for kayak launching, we’ve made it convenient for every paddler. Guided fishing experiences are also available, along with optional catered meals, fish processing, and guided wilderness adventures.

Learn more or book your trip: https://www.seaotterlodgebc.com

Skip & Susan Plensky
https://www.seaotterlodgebc.com
Kyuquot, BC
Lodge: 250-332-5377

BC Marine Trails News

September Newsletter

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.

Our partners are: