Paddle Articles

[Cali Paddler is proud to collaborate Paddlechica.com for this awesome article. To learn more about our efforts to unite the paddle community with great content, read here.]

“Coachability.” It’s a commonly used word in sports. We all seem to have an idea of what it means. Or do we? I decided that I wanted to get specific in what coachability truly is from a coach’s perspective.

Paddlers often get labeled as “coachable” or not. “Coachable” means “able to be coached,” but what qualities does a coachable paddler have? What exactly earns someone this title?

There are 5 main qualities of a coachable paddler. They are: humility, drive, focus, perseverance, and trust.

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At some point or another, you might enter a race where you have to enter through the surf to get to the start line. Or maybe you go for a paddle on our prone paddleboard and want to beach along the way, but there is some surf to account for. This can be intimating to some. And others may not understand how a simple extra second can make all the difference. Here are some important tips, dos and don'ts and lessons learned the hard way which may help you safely get to your destination and not have to worry so much about that upcoming race with a beach entry.

 

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At some point or another, you might enter a race where you have to enter through the surf to get to the start line. Or maybe you go for a paddle and want to beach along the way, but there is some surf to account for. This can be intimating to some. And others may not understand how a simple extra second can make all the difference. Here are some important surfski tips, dos and don'ts and lessons learned the hard way which may help you safely get to your destination and not have to worry so much about that upcoming race with a beach entry.
Brought to you by Sammie Barlow of Epic Kayaks San Diego

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SUP Tips For Paddling In and Out Through Surf - brought to you by Better Surf Than Sorry

Generally regarding what kind of craft you are on you should always do the following:
Look before you leap…. Or peer before you paddle 😊 meaning, always watch the ocean for a little before going out. Look at the rhythm of the ocean to see how often sets come in. Look for rips and areas where there are fewer waves(usually deeper water) which are soft spots that are easier to navigate. Check for obstacles such as reefs, rocks etc. Realize that you are on a large craft and always make sure you are at a safe distance from others in case things go wrong…. it happens to the best of us.  Make sure your craft is at your side and never between you and the on coming surf. Always wear a leash. All of these become more important the bigger the surf is.

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At some point or another, you might enter a race where you have to enter through the surf to get to the start line. Or maybe you go for a paddle and want to beach along the way but there is some surf to account for. This can be intimating to some. And others may not understand how a simple extra second can make all the difference. Here are some important tips, Dos and Don'ts and lessons learned the hard way which may help you safely get to your destination and not have to worry so much about that upcoming race with a beach entry.

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It is not often we can hear first hand from someone their thoughts on testing and owning two recent canoes designs. And usually when we do read such reviews, it is full of marketing jargon, from a company spokesman, or someone who is elite and doesn't have the same priorities the majority of us share. So when we had the chance to ask a very solid paddler, Brian Bender, his impressions and thoughts on the new Kai Wa'a Ares and Antares, and how they compared, we pounced. For Paddlers. By Paddlers. Enjoy! -CP

 

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If you have a canoe, surf-ski, paddleboard or any watercraft for that matter, chances are you have come to realize taking care of the craft is important. Not only to pro-long its life, but also for your psyche as you realize on race day that every advantage is needed to be your best. Recently we took the dirtiest outrigger canoe we had ever seen, a vintage John Martin OC2 from the 90s that paddles great but had been left in the rafters for far too long without some TLC. It was dirty, neglected, and hosing it down with water just didn't seem to help restore its sheen anymore. We have a race coming up in a couple weeks with it...what oh what is a paddler to do? So we thought we would try out some Blue Goo from OnIt Pro and share our results.

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Cali Paddler is stoked to have had the chance to try out some really cool water shoes. That look like normal shoes, but dry super fast and are comfortable. The shoes are from Zhik and called the ZKG Amphibious Shoes. And like their name are designed to work in the water and on land. Check out what we did to test them recently! You would be hard pressed to give a tougher test.

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[ Cali Paddler is always impressed at the dedication and drive shown by our young paddlers. Not to mention their coaches and parents who support their paddle lifestyle. We are so proud at this upcoming endeavor, the MBX race from Santa Cruz to Monterey. If you haven't heard about this epic race check out some previous articles here. Thank you Jocelyn Wilson for this great intro of the dedicated paddlers! ]

Two years later and I’m back writing about my experience with MBX, except this time it’s about our keiki. Now, I’ve only been coaching these kids for about 2 years. By coaching, I mean I’m basically their den mom and assist Mike Smith, Head Keiki Coach for He’e Nalu. It’s pretty much it’s own insanely quirky family, including our amazing, supportive parents! So, when we had a crew of 9 keiki come up to us, explaining how they wanted to participate in MBX (Monterey Bay Crossing), there was no second guessing if these kids could accomplish it or not. They’ve proven enough times that if they set their minds to it, they can surpass any obstacles in their way. I’ve been privileged enough to be a part of this amazing adventure and now I share it
with you.

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