When I got into SUP and SUP racing years ago and I saw how interwoven it was with outrigger, prone and surfski races I was a confused why kayaking seemed to be the eccentric loner uncle of the paddling world. I learned to sea kayak with my dad when I was 12, and taught sea and surf kayaking all through college. I even played kayak polo a handful of times, so to not see any kayaks in the SoCal paddling scene was completely outside of my paddling paradigm.
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Sea Kayaking - The greatest paddle craft you haven't tried...but should!
When I got into SUP and SUP racing years ago and I saw how interwoven it was with outrigger, prone and surfski races I was a confused why kayaking seemed to be the eccentric loner uncle of the paddling world. I learned to sea kayak with my dad when I was 12, and taught sea and surf kayaking all through college. I even played kayak polo a handful of times, so to not see any kayaks in the SoCal paddling scene was completely outside of my paddling paradigm.
CP Explorations - Lake Perris
Often times when paddling the lakes of Inland Southern California you will be one of the only paddlers in the water. If you go early enough there is a good chance you could have some of the lakes to yourself. Lake Perris is where I go when I need respite from this solitude. It is by no means like Mission Bay on a Sunday afternoon where one could jump their way to shore along all the 32” wide rental SUPS, but even when I have gone to Lake Perris at 6:00 am in 30/40 degree weather I have seen other craft on the water. It is a meeting place for the long established Valley Wide Kayak Club, a super friendly group that usually does a 5ish mile paddle there on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is the only Inland Lake I have ever seen an OC-1 on, or someone on a racing SUP, at least besides myself. Additionally, it is decidedly less windy than any of the mountain lakes like Silverwood or Big Bear...CP Fitness - Off-Season Paddle Training
Off-season is an important time for paddlers to work on their weaknesses, whether it be strength, form, and injury prevention. This will prepare you for a more successful upcoming race year.
A certain amount of resting at the very end of the race year gives you a good balance and a positive mental state to prevent burnout. Things gear up pretty quickly at the beginning of the season so you want to maintain a certain amount of fitness on your time off.
Coachability: 5 Qualities of a Coachable Paddler
[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.
Prone Paddleboard Tips For Paddling In and Out Through Surf
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.
Surfski Tips For Paddling In and Out Through Surf
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
SUP Tips For Paddling In and Out Through Surf
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.
Tips For Paddling In and Out Through Surf
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.
Ares vs. Antares - Impressions and comparisons of the Kai Wa'a OC1 Canoes
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
CP Review - Blue Goo by OnIt Pro
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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