So I just got back home from my latest paddling trip. My goal was to get into my new-to-me necky looksha and paddle it and also learn a bit about sea kayaking, specific techniques for paddling a sea kayak, and rescues. Those objectives were met but I have much to do going forward with this boat.
I am currently “banged up” a bit from trying rescues. My rib cage on my right side is currently sore. Meaning it hurts to laugh, cough, and get in or out of bed or roll on my side. I’m not going to be paddling for several more days. I’m somebody who struggles with flexibility to tie my own shoes and find climbing out of a tent in the morning is difficult for me. So getting “banged up” really isn’t too surprising. I will need to incorporate a stretching routine prior to revisiting rescues. The injury is a direct result of not having the flexibility I need.
The boat itself needs some outfitting work. It has a plastic seat back that makes putting on a skirt more difficult, makes it harder to get into the boat, especially during rescues and really isn’t all that supportive. So I’m thinking of replacing that with a backband. That should help with my posture. Another route I could go is with closed cell foam. I could just build a back support from closed cell.
The foot pegs were attached to rudder and seemed to slip away from my feet even when I had the rudder up. Something else to figure out. My boat has bungies but not decklines and the bungies need to be replaced so that is something I need to work on. I now understand the importance of deck lines for rescues.
My path forward will involve some recovery time, some outfitting time, and additional practice both with paddle strokes and rescues. In the meanwhile I will use the boat like a rec boat and in locations where i can swim it back to shore.
The other participants and instructors were all great. Folks were super friendly. I will be going back next year. I was in the beginners class and that was definitely a good fit. On Sat. we focused on paddle strokes, sun. we tried assisted rescues, and mon. morning I elected to just focus on paddle strokes again due to soreness and didn’t revisit rescues.
Despite the outfitting issues I began to feel more comfortable with the boat. Compared to my ww boats, it feels like trying to turn a semi but the boat absolutely excels at going straight.
A good start from the sound of it. You now have the basic understanding needed to progress even farther along the learning curve. So in regard to turning there are several ways to help including edging and strokes like sweep, rudder, and draw. One of my favorites while moving is the bow rudder stroke. It is a static forward draw and with speed will get the bow around nicely.
It’s hard when “old dogs” try to learn new tricks. But, it keeps life interesting and body/mind young, even with a couple bruises here and there.
It’s nice to hear about your experience with new venue and gear. With me, I am looking forward to surfski “school” next month and excited for a new challenge.
You might want to consider the late August Michigan Training Camp sponsored by QajaqUSA up at Little Herring Lake near Frankfort. Similar venue (shallow sandy bottomed warm clear lake with narrow beach and docks and a channel that allows access to Lake Michigan for open water practice) but it’s a 3 to 4 day full day and overnight camp with some of the best technique instructors around.
The concentration is on the Greenland paddle – they have plenty of loaners for those that don’t have a GP – but the stroke, rolls and self and assisted rescue skills are applicable to any style of kayaking. And GP rolls are not as stressful to the body as the C to C rolls usually taught in standard workshops.
But mostly it’s a fun event with a lot of great people, pretty good food, bonfires on the beach and gear trades and auctions, though you need to be Ok with rather rough “scout camp” accommodations.
Yes indeed. I’d say that in any “proper” sea kayak, a backband is the preferred lower back/posture support. The Looksha(s) were the very first boats I paddled back in the mists of time, and I did appreciate my first bits of learning in them. I also and especially appreciated learning that I’d have nothing more to do with rudders moving forward. Even though the Lookshas I paddled came equipped with rudders, I found I preferred paddling even those boats without their use – in every condition encountered.
Some issues I have with rudders (and even retractable skegs, to a degree)…
A rudder that sticks out in the wind when not deployed becomes a wind vane, perhaps ready to influence boat direction even when a different orientation to the wind is desired, thereby becoming it’s own self-fulfilling reason for deployment (to correct the unwanted issue it creates while not being deployed). Secondly, I like to have as few holes in my boats as possible, and I also like having as few potential mechanical complications as possible. If a rudder or skeg ever gets stuck–in any position–it’s a problem. Some repairs can be done while on remote trips (if one comes prepared with spare parts, tools, etc.), but some cannot, and then you’re stuck with a liability for the rest of the trip. Finally, and not least importantly, I want my foot braces to be solid. Once set in desired position, I want every possibility of keeping them in place, and feeling as solid as possible. Even with rudders secured (not deployed), I’ve found that most foot braces in such boats remain somewhat spongy, and remind me that they can also completely fail if, for instance, a cable snaps.
All in all, I prefer boats with as few holes and moving mechanical parts as possible, while offering the possibility of great handling if good and nuanced techniques are learned, practiced, and “deployed” instead of rudders and skegs. To each their own.
Enjoy the Looksha! In spite of all I’ve mentioned above, I did enjoy paddling them, and would do it again without complaint if I found myself in a situation where they were the boats available to paddle.
No doubt I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m always happy to encourage others to try Greenland paddles, boats, and their associated techniques. The first boat I purchased after just my first few months of paddling (remains seaworthy after more than 25 years, and is now donated to a friend in Alaska), is a “modified” Greenland style boat (Barry Buchanan’s pre-skeg Current Designs Caribou), and my second boat, which I built from a CLC kit, was a Mark Rogers designed “Greenland style” Arctic Hawk (which is also donated to that same friend). Both single chine boats with neither rudder nor skeg.
And when I tried my first Greenland Paddle, oh, the revelation! After a couple years of being very happy–and quite good at–using an 80 degree feathered “Euro” style paddle, I decided to try a GP. I found a couple wooden GPs advertised on Craigslist, and purchased them. When they arrived (shipped from California to the Washington coast, where I was living at the time), I took them out for a paddle straightaway (one long, and one short paddle).
After the first moment my new-to-me GP touched water that very afternoon, I never again picked up any of my Euro paddles (quite true – in all these years since). Put them on Craigslist immediately, and they were gone. I was already a steadfast devotee of W. Greenland style boats, and from that moment forward, of the paddles as well. Decades later, I’ve only become more enamored of the Greenland boats (SOF, especially), paddles (one-piece wooden paddles – both long and short), and their associated techniques.
I could go on and on (and perhaps I’ll revisit at some point and do just that) but everyone is lucky for the moment, I as have to go do something else right now!
Two things I always find missing from kayak specific exercises and off season workouts is 1) general “spry” ness- being limber and flexible. I am terrible at it. Climbing in and out of a kayak can be a hassle at any age, but more so at 65 years old, even being semi fit and having a big cockpit. The other 2) overhead presses for building strength for loading and unloading your boat off of the roof.
The kayaking training camps I have attended all included exercise sessions for warmups and warm downs including stretching and yoga. Also help from some very experienced folks in best practices for entering and exiting your boat safely and without stress. I’m 10 years your elder (also only 5’ 5" and have incipient osteoporosis), also 'semi-fit" and all but one of my fleet of sea kayaks has standard to slightly small cockpits but I manage to load, launch and dismount pretty readily. There are exercises and even day to day habits that can help you maintain reasonable flexibility and make this easier. Many martial arts and even dance training or regular walking can help with this.
For decades, I felt my MA/kickboxing practice had kept me in pretty good shape (strength and flexibility) for paddling. Since phasing out of ring sparring in the last two years, I don’t feel the compulsion to push my physical conditioning as much within MA practice. I have recently taken up kettlebell training and found that this has really helped sustain and actually increase muscle strength and stamina with less time involved.
I used to hate lifting iron. Now, I do it three times a week with KB for maybe 20 minutes per session. That’s enough for me.
After a couple years of being very happy–and quite good at–using an 80 degree feathered “Euro” style paddle, I decided to try a GP. I found a couple wooden GPs advertised on Craigslist, and purchased them. When they arrived (shipped from California to the Washington coast, where I was living at the time), I took them out for a paddle straightaway (one long, and one short paddle).