Back on August 4, 2010, I wrote a blog on pumps and paddle floats. One of the pumps I talked about included the Harmony High Volume pump.  I purchased two of these pumps at Canoecopia last March and used them in classes throughout the summer.  I liked the shorter length, high flow rate, and the [...]

Once you have a canoe or kayak, one of the first things you need to learn is how to safely car-top your boat to the water.  While there are some ratcheting straps that can be used to secure the bow and stern of your boat, I much prefer to use a rope and a “Trucker’s [...]

Many kayakers, like myself, have benefited from the personal encouragement, guidance, and instruction of more experienced paddlers received when we were newbies first getting into the sport.  Those “mentors” helped us avoid getting into serious trouble, picked up our spirits when we despaired over learning a difficult skill, and pointed us in the right direction [...]

Most of us are probably in the process of buying gifts for the upcoming holidays in our families.  As you make your purchase decisions, I would ask you to strongly consider supporting local, independent businesses in your area.  (As paddlers, you probably have spent some money in at least one of these small, local paddle [...]