Hi

My name is Carlos, and I am a spanish paddler.

I love sea kayak, and make photos and videos about my trips.

I enjoy paddling in any way: in my single kayak, with my son or my wife in k-2, or simply with friends

 unfortunately my English is poor, but you can find a Google-translation in my web

I hope you like www.diariodekayak.es

Hi again.

Been so busy as our season here in Ontario creeps to a close,trying to get in those few last places I have yet to explore,making Greenland paddles,and just enjoying the water as much as possible before it turns to its solid state.

Something I have been meaning to touch on is humanoids/people/persons.I love kayaking.I love camping.People….. sometimes not so much.

I think my first disappointment was the basic thought that kayakers are some homogeneous tribe of people.Boy was I wrong.I have to say I have met some really cool people that  I would have NEVER met if it weren’t for the unique passion for kayaking we share.I have also met some huge dolts.

In some geographical locations that I have travelled in my life so far money can be tight for people.I seem to think of myself as a modest person who just happens to have enough money now in my life to feed my kayaking addiction the way I wish.However I would NEVER look down my nose at my buddy who works twice as hard and come out in his rec kayak he bought secondhand.I have seen the snobbery,I have heard first hand of the snobbery.And I read all about the snobbery on blogs.

Two guys/gals on the water is just that to me.I may be in my Whiskey 16 or my little rec kayak,and I could care less what they other guy is paddling.You adjust your paddling to the weaker/slowest kayak.Too easy.However in some geographical locations in my country,paddling a certain kind of kayak (far from the best…just more expensive)is a status symbol.Something they brag about arrogantly.

I have to say I have paddled with CEO’s,very wealthy people here in Ontario and couldn’t believe how down to earth people can be.So why the huge difference in geographical locations?Whats the nexus?Whats the DIFFERENCE?

In poorer geographical area’s the down to earth people would not be able to have a disposable income to use to purchase a kayak.And if they did it would be a small poly rec kayak.However when living in more middle, upper class provinces having a kayak is just that.Not a status symbol.Infact you’ll find most; no matter what cree,or background are the sensible people just wanting to be nothing else….

Than a guy on the water.

As the season ends and you put away your rec kayak,your banged up fiberglass secondhand kayak,or your 3000$ boat.Just remember the spirit of the kayaking community.Take a reflection of yourself and think about how many people snobbery drives away from our sport.

For the rest who are not sob’s,I’ll gladly be the other guy on the water with you.

No matter what your paddling.

http://awholebunchofings.blogspot.com/

To say I love tripping is a total understatement.I got hooked about a ago now when I first started kayaking.My brand new kayak had only seen day trips of around 5km.Which to me at the time seemed like a nice long paddle.We took off to Random Island Newfoundland for 4 days of camping,catching up with old friends and paddling around the abandoned towns away from civilization.

Since then my kayaking has become a passion where multi day trips have been the norm and 50km days not unheard of.

Of course I look around in the kayaking world and relaize just how much I have to improve,learn and grow.Something that I have never done is solo tripping over multiple days.I usually do paddle alone on my day paddles but never in the context of a multi day trip.

I am obsessed on planning.I plan plan plan and then over plan most trips I do.Our random island trip was planned over a year in advance.And to be honest it was nice to communicate almost daily with my buddies so far away from where i live now.Every day we were online sending little bits of info back and forth and coming up with a final plan.

Not this time.

I am currently in the final planning phase of a trip up the ottawa river.10 days solo travel.Many questions and final idea’s are pouring out in my to do list.

I began to realize that for 10 days  I will not talk to one person.Thats solitary confinement!

Anyway what I hope to do is produce a accurate map of the ottawa river showing the nicest spots with some sort of colour coding…that will be a winter project.

I will be uploading to the blog via my cell when a signal is present.

(I want a spot for Christmas )

So finally I invite you all to keep tabs on me while I paddle on.Feel free to leave comments.

And please get out solo for even a overnighter.If you do drop me a line!

the season is coming to an end in the great white north…get out while you can….tic toc.

http://awholebunchofings.blogspot.com/

So after receiving a few e mails as to why I haven’t posted (as I said I would) I ‘ve decided to tell you why…and what better spot to get two things done at once!

So it all started off when I noticed a kayak that I had been dreaming about was on sale.A brand new Whiskey 16 by point 65.So off to Ottawa we went to check it out.Decided that we would have a look and if we liked it I would drop off one of my kayaks off my roof at my father in laws and come back in the morning to get it.Sounds simple enough right?

So we drop into Trailhead in Ottawa check it out.LOVE IT!!So off we go to stay at my wifes parents house.On our way out my wife stopped and grabbed a few brocheures as she usually does.If for nothing else see what outfitters are charging to go to places we frequent for free!

On our way across Ottawa I haul out her “brochures “…there was about 50 bucks worth of stuff there!In among the free flyer’s were paddle route maps,small books…all with price tags!!

I immediately tell my wife to turn around and head back.She had just shoplifted by mistake…..

We turn off a off ramp and get hit by a man from New Jersey.So here we are in a accident with stolen merchandise!!We exchange info at the police station and by this time she is having a mental breakdown.She goes into the store crying of course.The guy inside looked at her weird for even coming back with the stuff…us being small town folks would never even think of keeping it.

So the next morning we head down.Joking about how bad that day was and how I couldn’t wait to get out kayaking to relax in my brand new beauty.

We drop in pick it up and head 300km home.Besides my wife burning breakfast…the day was going great.

Get home take the kayak down to realize the front hatch had blown off somewhere.Great.I am pissed!

So I write point 65 and they were awesome.If you want customer service deal with these guys.They would have my hatch out to me in no time.Awesome.My wife decides that she has a funny feeling she can find the hatch if she went back.Against my wishes she drives back 300km…and the alternator goes on the truck.

So while it’s getting fixed she borrows her moms car and comes home….she finds the thing in the middle of the fast lane on the highway.She calls the police who go pick it up for her!

So finally after a huge bill for towing and fixing the truck I’m back kayaking.

And hence why I have not blogged.

And I really wish this was a fictitious story!

Pronunciation [uh-dik-shuhn]
–noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
Sign #1 Uncontrolled Craving and Desires – This symptom can be general to all types of addictions. For example: food/drink cravings, gambling cravings.

My name is CobainLG.And I have a problem.
I’m sitting at work suddenly I stray away from yet another excel spread sheet.Not that my work isn’t interesting,but I can’t get the substance out of my head.I have a beautiful kayak,in fact I have 2.Yet here I am looking at a kayak way out of my price range.Convinced that I must have it.A quick look at a manufactures website and the exorbitant price shocks me back into reality.I go outside to our parking lot to drive home,my kayaks still atop my SUV from the previous day.The flash of lights as I unlock my car shows a series of lakes in the indents,mere pavement suddenly large precipices overlooking the wonderful portage free series of lakes.The rain on my face feels like that of a cool Newfoundland fog early in the morning as I paddle down a quiet sound.I decide then and there that even though this torrent of water is coming down upon me,I will go for a short paddle.I have prior engagements in about two hours with family,so I discuss with myself a detailed time management plan.How can I fit it in and still shower get changed and arrive where I need to be.Suddenly I’m on the water and all is good.Work melts away as do prior engagements over the 25km.I am late.I enjoy the last bit of my paddle before a panicked re-entry into reality, which includes showering and a re shuffling of timings.Not to mention a explanation.
At work tomorrow I will be where my paddle has touched today.In my desires and my longing.My craving to go again

Sign 2 next Friday.

Enjoy your weekend.

For more blog musings,trip reports,gear reviews check out my site at http://crosscanadakayak.blogspot.com