The new paddle boards arrived at the shop a few weeks back and you can bet that the first thing the dock staff did was take them out for a spin! When my turn came up I stepped off of the dock and onto the board with all of the confidence that a few hours of Floridian paddle boarding experience can give you. Thankfully, there was hardly a ripple on the pond; perfect conditions to regain your balance and rediscover a proficient forward stroke. It wasn’t long before I was doing laps around the cove and walking around on the board as if it were an extension of the dock!

Morton’s First Paddle Board Ride!

That’s when I heard the bell. No, it wasn’t signaling the start of school (that was still a few weeks off) nor was it calling the rescue crew into action. It was the sound of Morton, our young (50lb) shop dog, the bell jingling from his neck as he raced from the shop to the docks to say “good morning!” In typical fashion, Morton came barreling down the hill and slid onto the docks stopping just short of the water. He’s a bit timid for a half-Labrador Retriever when it comes to getting wet. He usually paws at the water for a few minutes before he commits to the “shallow-end” where he likes to walk around and dig for fresh-water muscles. This time he decided to jump right in and swim over toward me to check out what I was standing on!

Morton Riding with Alex

It was as if Morton finally realized that he was swimming at the exact moment that he reached the paddle board. He threw his front paws up onto the front of the board and pulled himself out of the water. I dropped down to my knees to gain some stability as Morton set out to explore every inch of its eight-foot-long extent! He walked back and forth between my legs about a half dozen times before he decided to settle down and sit by the bow. From there he took in the scenery, drank the splash that lapped up on the bow and enjoyed the ride back to the dock! Now, every time we take the paddle board out after work we make sure to invite Morton along for a ride!

Morton the Surfer Dog!

Morton is a great example of how small to mid-sized dogs that are comfortable with the water can really enjoy a trip on the paddle board! It’s probably best to only take the dog out when the conditions are light such that they can remain comfortable and the paddler can retain control of the board. Also, it’s always a great idea for the dog (and the paddler) to wear a life jacket while paddle-boarding regardless of swimming ability. For a nice dog PFD check out the MTI UnderDOG…Morton really seems to like wearing his!

Happy Paddling!

-Kayak Dave

The summer of 2012 will probably go down as the “Summer of the Paddle Board” in the annals of New England paddle sport! Paddle boards seem to be everywhere you look on the water these days and they’re flying out of retail shops like pancakes off a campfire griddle! The surge in numbers seems to be driven mostly by popular demand and their appeal as a fitness modality. After paddling one myself, there’s no doubt in my mind that even a short trip on a paddle board is as good as Ab-Ripper-X for your core!

Apparently, they can be good for your flexibility, balance and mindfulness too; in a magical place where paddle boarding meets YOGA. Alex and I decided to test our inner zen (and our luck) by throwing a “crow pose” on one of the new paddle boards down at the shop…

…Not too bad for a couple of kayakers with hamstrings as tight as tympani drums! Seriously though, Yoga-on-paddle board classes are popping up everywhere and they’ll be coming to a beach near you (if they haven’t already). Sign up for a class stat so don’t miss out on this unique twist on this summer’s greatest paddling rage! This Yogo-SUP trend is not just the rage at KayakDave, it’s blasting it’s way across the country. Just earlier this summer, the San Diego Journal Conference held a Standup Paddleboard Yoga Clinic in the beautiful San Diego Bay. Amazing!

-Kayak Dave

Chapter 1:  “Summertime, And the livin’ is easy”

Summertime is almost over, but these Gershwin’s lyrics are as familiar as the post paddle bottles of ibuprofen to most every paddler who is fortunate enough to fall into the Masters category for the upcoming Slocum Challenge. Well, actually, that may not be the case for those “just turned 50 yesterday” folks who skew the bell curve of finish times on this two mile closed loop river race in Dartmouth, Massachusetts to be held on October 6^th.

This three chapter series of reflections has more to do with appreciating the gift of good health and of being able to partake in the Challenge; than it does with the number of years since one became eligible to be a Masters qualifier. This year also represents a subtle name change from the Slocum River Regatta to the Lloyd Center Regatta- Slocum Challenge. While it is a challenge for all who enter, the notion of challenge carried a slightly different connotation for me last year, when I needed to ask a younger paddler to pin my Race Number to the front of my PFD, because my range of motion is less than it once was.

Part of my challenge involves the dilemma of how much effort to expend and of making peace with a body that chooses not to respond as energetically to the gas pedal being pushed to the floorboards as it did 20+ years earlier, when I started paddling at the age of 40. The age of 40 tends to be a benchmark for many men as it is a time in life when many take a look back and also a look forward.

Regardless of age, whether you are riding in a hilly century or paddling the more epic Blackburn Challenge (the 20mile, circumnavigation of Cape Ann); I suspect that most folks have to make sense of the mental aspect of such endeavors. Do you go out like a jack rabbit knowing at some level that it is not sustainable and cross the finish line at an exhausted crawl or do you pace yourself by starting off too slowly, so that you finish strong.

Either way, there is the mental “face saving” dimension of consoling yourself with: “I could have broke X number of minutes if I went out a bit faster or slower? The question becomes: “Who and what am I competing for or competing against?” Perhaps it is all a bit too existential for a <30-minute paddle.  But perhaps not, for it is within these brief moments of time that reside the opportunity to reflect and to be mindful. It is the journey and not the destination that is worth attending to in such endeavors.

…At least that is my story and I am sticking to it.

For me, pacing and exertion have historically been relegated to the barfing barometer, aka ‘The Barf-O-Meter’.   But exertion and mindfulness will be the subjects of the second chapter.  More to come as the Slocum gets closer.

-Boreal Alvik