May 24th - Caddy bay (#36)

I took Nigel's Point65 Whisky 16 out for a quick spin in the bay to test drive it. A very comfortable and responsive kayak! It moved along nicely and responded well to control strokes and edging. I went out into the bay where there was a bit of wind which it handled nicely and then dropped by to visit the workshop group in the corner of the bay by the yacht club.

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2 km, YTD 324 km

May 23rd - Trial Island (#35)

I joined a SISKA workshop with Nigel Foster on kayak directional control. We spent the morning mostly going round in circles in McNeill Bay and I definitely picked up some good tips to help both turning and going straight. It was a rainy but calm morning, good conditions for learning!

5km, YTD 322 km

May 19th - Cadboro Bay (#34)

I went out for an after dinner test of the oarboard on the inflatable SUP. The inflatable board worked pretty well though I discovered that shorts with low friction are not good for rowing - I kept sliding off the seat! The bay was pretty quiet after a busy holiday weekend!

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2 km, YTD 317 km

May 15 - Inner Harbour (#33)

Eight colleagues and I went down to Ocean River Sports for an afternoon of stand up paddle instruction. Gary and Mark were our instructors and did a great job. I got to try a touring style board which I really liked. Stability and tracking were good. We had a good time and learned some useful maneuvering strokes. An afternoon well spent!

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4 km, YTD 315 km

May 14 - Cadboro Bay (#32)

Just before 8 PM, I looked out and saw the bay was glassy calm, so I decided to head out for a quick paddle in the bay. I grabbed the ATX board but decided to try paddling it with a Greenland paddle! I was very happy with how the GP moved me along. Fast (6 kph average) and it was much easier to go straight! I had planned to go through RVYC, but the way was blocked while they are working on their dock refurbishing. A nice quick half hour paddle on the spur of the moment

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3km, YTD 311 km.

May 9&10 - Saltspring island (#30 &31)

I went to Saltspring island for the weekend to participate in the SKGABC guides exchange. I went for a nice evening paddle on Friday with the group to Chocolate beach. On Saturday I participated in a rescues session in Cusheon Lake with Rick and was able to practice exits and entries from both the F1 and the Tahe Greenland LC. Both were easier to rescue and reenter than I thought! In the afternoon James, Lisa and I led a rolling session also in Cusheon Lake. It was great meeting new guiding colleagues as well as several old friends and also exploring the Ganges area. We had a great presentation about travelling from the Coast to the Tar Sands called Northern Grease. It was an excellent movie that I plan to show my students.

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9 km combined, YTD 308 km

May 4th - SISKA spring BBQ (#29)

I helped Gary set up a navigation course in the bay for the SISKA spring BBQ activities. Set one up on my mooring buoy! Later I went out and was one of the "sfaety boats" (with Reale) on the course. In spite of the poor weather, the BBQ was fun and well-attended.
After the event was over, I took the SUP out for a quick spin over to the yacht club.

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7 km, YTD 300 km

May 1st - Staines Islet (28)

After dinner I looked down the road and saw a flat clam sunny bay beckon, so I decided to go for a paddle on my SUP board. It was a beautiful evening and the Pacific Grace was anchored in the middle of the bay.

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3 km, YTD 292 km