The Kayaking Journal News

April 6, 2005 10:35 - Get the family involved and help clean up our waterways

National River Cleanup Week is coming next month, May 14-22. This can be a great way to get the school-age kids outdoors and involved in our country's precious waterways. There will even be a chance for participants to win new boats and other paddling gear at the event.

National River Cleanup Week is a nonprofit event, open to everyone, with the stated goal of helping to keep rivers and waterways clean and raise public awareness of the fact that many of our waterways are become clogged with trash and other garbage (a great environment to paddlle in, by the way). In last year's event, over 47,000 volunteers participated, helping to clean up almost 90,000 miles of US waterways.

And kids are encouraged to think about why they're cleaning up the rivers, and just exactly where all this trash is coming from. And there is are art, poetry, and essay contests that the youngsters can enter in order to win the boats and gear. Some name brand paddling gear will be awarded, including kayaks, PFDs, paddles, etc from the likes of Thule, Wilderness Systems, Perception, Lotus Designs, and more. The contests are open to children of elementary-school age all the way up to 12th graders.

To participate in the contests, all entrants must be part of the registered cleanup. You can register and read the rules at www.nationalrivercleanup.com or call the NRCW office at 865-558-3595.

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April 12, 2005 07:59 - Warm weather's coming, so beware the sun

Hello all --

Warm weather is fast approaching, and with it comes the dangers of too much UV expsure from the sun. If you like to kayak or paddle your canoe with just a PFD on, you're probably exposing your skin to too much UV -- especially if you're light skinned and burn easily (like me). And youngsters are especially vulnerable to sunburn and overexpsure to UV -- some studies suggest that skin cancer later in life is a direct result of too many sunburns during childhood.

So what can you do to protect yourself from this dangerous situation? Well, sunscreens are a good place to start. If you're a whitewater kayaker, you're gonna get wet, so you'll need a good waterproof sunscreen. Try for something in the SPF 15 range at least (and higher if you're light skinned) and re-apply often. Another option is a wide-brimmed hat that shields your face and neck. Or a paddle jacket or other clothing that's made from a SPF rated fabric.

And remember that the angle of the sun can affect how sunburned you get. The sun at mid-day typically carries a lot more UV radiation than sun in the morning or late afternoon. And because you're on the water, you get a double dose of UV from sunlight reflected up into your face and upper body. You'll need to use a sunscreen on your lips and face, and wear sunglasses that are UV rated as well.

Just be aware of the sun, and the fact that you're sunburn won't show up on you're skin until it's too late to do anything about it.

Happy paddling

April 19, 2005 06:44 - Test that gear before going out on the water

If you've just bought a new kayak or other gear, it's always a good idea to test it out before hitting the water -- and then finding out the hard way that it doesn't work. And the same thing holds true for gear that's been in storage for the winter. There's nothing worse than discovering that you bilge pump doesn't work at the very time you need it most. Or that the batteries in your VHF radio are bad (another reason to always carry a spare set of batteries). Check the rubber seals on your hatch covers, which can dry rot, especially in dry climates. Check the seal on your spray skirt too. The air cannister on your air horn may be empty and need replacing. And don't forget about your kayak itself. Boats that are stored in garages can suffer all sorts of mishaps through a long winter, and the last thing you need is to find out you've got a leaky boat when you're negotiating a rapids or you're 100 meters out from shore.

April 28, 2005 07:46 - Learn to conserve--and safely use--your drinking water

Out here in the Rocky Mountain West, we know all about water conservation, especially in light of the drought the region has experienced in the past few years. But conserving water isn't just for whitewater kayakers stuck a thousand miles from the nearest ocean. If you're a sea kayaker, you'll find that fresh water can be just as hard to come by, and you'll need to take steps to protect every drop in your supply.

Out on the ocean, you may be surrounded by water, but that doesn't mean you can drink any of it. Paddling a touring kayak is physically demanding, and staying healthy and strong requires upwards of 2-3 quarts of fresh water per day. Every successful sea kayaking adventure requires careful water management. Some tips include brushing your teeth with salt water, and collecting rainwater runoff in a tarp; even if it's not suitable for drinking, you can use
it for bathing water. You can also bathe in salt water. The salty residue comes off with a good toweling, and even your hair will feel clean with a good rubbing out. Another trick is to cook rice instead of pasta when you're low on water. With rice, the water is absorbed, while pasta water is thrown out after cooking.

And whitewater paddlers need to be carful about water consumption as well. That creek water may look clean, but it could very well be loaded with all kinds of nasty bacteria that could make your next kayaking adventure a weekend nightmare. Buy a good water filtration system and use it, or at the very least, always boil any water you find in a stream or creek before drinking it.

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