Instructor Debates
Paddle with those better than you
In Len Deighton’s “The Ipcress File” (one of his earliest and best novels), there’s an account of a German factory that imports workers from Africa. Working alongside their established counterparts, the immigrants learn quickly and perform very well. Encouraged by this, the company builds another factory in the African village that was the source of … Continue reading
Transition from whitewater to sea kayak roll
What factors make the transition from rolling a whitewater kayak to rolling a sea kayak so challenging? The KayakDave.com staff chimes in: Captain Hank’s Take: My club has roll coaching and practice year round, employing indoor and outdoor pools. I’ve noticed that whitewater paddlers often have trouble making the transition to a sea kayak and … Continue reading
When is it too cold for kayaking???
When is it too cold for kayaking, you ask?? The answer really depends on what type of paddling you enjoy. Many of us consider kayaking to be a summer-only activity and are more than content to hang up the paddling gear for the season when things start to get cold outside. Others will paddle on … Continue reading
To Instruct or Not to Instruct…That is the Question!
For many kayaking instructors paddling is much more about passion than work and you’ll often find us out on the water without a class in tow. I always enjoy the chance encounter with fellow members of the paddling community on my “off-the-clock” excursions. It’s nice to see others enjoying the sport that I love so … Continue reading
Kayak Dave’s Opinion of the Proposed Changes to MA Boating Safety Laws
My recent post entitled “Understanding the MA Boating Safety Laws That Apply to Kayakers” sparked a lot of discussion and debate in the ranks of the KayakDave.com kayaking instructors. In reviewing my original post I came to the conclusion that I tried to do too much by attempting to include my reaction to some of … Continue reading
Plastic vs. Composite Kayaks
In our second installment of “instructor debates” we aim to explore which kayak material is better: plastic or composite. Kayak Dave and Alex weigh in: Kayak Dave’s Take: I’ve had the privilege to own and otherwise paddle many great kayaks over the years. Some were roto-molded plastic and others were composite lay-ups. I’ve come to … Continue reading
Is Kayaking an Art or a Science??
There is a bit of a debate floating around the kayak instructing world as to whether the sport of kayaking is better described as an art or as a science. Recently, Alex challenged me to an instructor duel of sorts in which we will each take a stab at this question from our individual perspectives … Continue reading