Wrapping Things Up

 

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s paddling trips. It was great to be able to get out on the water, try some new places to paddle and to meet lots of great people. Hopefully we can start paddling earlier in 2021 and the weather and seas cooperate for great times on the water.

Putting your kayak away for the winter

The following websites have lots of great tips on storing your kayak for the winter. The first two cover lots of great ideas and the 3^rd one is a forum on Paddling Magazine where paddlers share their ideas on storing their kayaks.

Tips for Storing your Kayak in the Winter

How to Store your Kayak/Canoe for the Winter

Cold Weather Kayak Storage

Spider Lake Paddle - Sept 29

Eleven paddlers enjoyed perfect weather at Spider Lake for the final PGOSA paddle for 2020. 

 

The water was like glass and we had the lake pretty much to ourselves except for a large flock of geese that flew in, the resident ducks and a racoon.

Goose Spit Paddle - Sept 15

 When we arrived at the Royston Boat launch the skies were grey with heavy smoke and light rain was falling, but there was no wind.  The marine weather forecast had predicted moderate winds and sun by 11 am.  However, visibility was poor. We could not see Comox Harbour across the bay. After a brief discussion all 14 participants opted for a revised plan to launch in the Puntledge River behind the Comox Valley Kayaks and Canoe Shop at Cliff Rd and 20th St. in Courtenay.

The tide was low and while getting our boats into the river we noticed hundreds of Chinook Salmon working their way upstream in the shallow water. Cormack was familiar with the route and volunteered to lead. Jim offered to be the sweep.  During our leisurely paddle down the Puntledge River the 14 paddlers in 3 canoes and 8 kayaks observed wildlife and other features of the shoreline of the river and its estuary.

Horne Lake Paddle Report - August 25

 We started the paddle at Horne Lake under blue skies and calm waters. 16 kayaks and 18 paddlers made their way heading south of the boat launch, 

 

Cedar to DeCourcy Island Paddle Report - August 11

 The weather cooperated – the sun shone at times, winds were light and 17 PGOSA paddlers experienced the magic of a new location and some gorgeous rock formations as well as some beautiful scenery.  This was a paddle to remember and do again next summer so more can enjoy the experience.

 Two downers were hiking back up the steep boat ramp to get to vehicles so people could load their kayaks and the swarming wasps at the tombolo beach where we stopped for a quick lunch.  I do mean quick as the wasps drove us back to our boats or to stand in the water as they came after us and the food we brought.

 The excursion started at the Cedar Boat launch just south of Nanaimo.

 

Comox Lake Paddle Report - July 28, 2020

17 PGOSA Paddlers and 1 Spaniel met at the Comox Lake Boat Launch near Cumberland.

After the pre-trip meeting on land we headed out in 12 kayaks and 2 canoes under cloudy conditions with calm waters for paddling. 

We started paddling in a counter clockwise direction and first saw some cottages and homes on the shore of the lake. One home did not appear to be in good shape and looked like it was about to slide into the lake. We then encountered the first of many deadheaded logs which were left when the lake was flooded many decades ago.

SLO-MO Paddlers - PGOSA Nanaimo Paddle – July14, 2020 by Walter

A total of eighteen adventurous paddlers and fifteen kayaks, launched from the Nanaimo Brechin Boat Ramp, 10:00 am sharp, with the goal to circumnavigate Newcastle Island and explore the Nanaimo Inner Harbour.

Weather conditions favourable, the group headed north towards Departure Bay, exploring some of the coves along the way.  Turning the corner to head east we could see the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal ahead.  

Ladysmith Paddle Report - June 30 by Gert

             Ladysmith Harbour Paddle - the 30^th of June 2020

In attendance were 19 Slo-Mo Paddlers with 17 boats of which 15 were kayaks and 2 were canoes.

Practicing Safe Distancing at the Pre-Launch Meeting

...

Getting Ready to Launch

The weather forecast called for possible showers and relative high wind gusts, but it did not materialize and became nice with clouds in the morning and sunny breaks in the afternoon with moderate to light winds. The wind at the beginning of the paddle was Northwesterly. We started paddling Northwest into the inlet along the southern coastline of Ladysmith Harbour past a couple of sawmills and Ladysmith Marina. On top of one of the sawmill’s “conveyer belt tower” was an osprey nest with young birds. 

49th Parallel Marker

Notes from Here and There

News from Here and There – June 2020

1.Windy.com

If you are wanting to use one source for weather forecasts for your kayaking outings, consider using this free resource. It is a very accurate tool for determining upcoming weather conditions (air temperature, wind direction and speed, cloud cover, water conditions plus other features) at any water borne location in the world. It provides forecasts up to 10 days in advance and has a very easy-to-use interface. I can personally attest to its accuracy from two different experiences.

On Slo-Mo’s first paddle of the season at Sproat Lake, I was trying to determine what the weather conditions would be like on the day of the paddle. Windy.com’s forecast was very accurate and assured us that the day would be sunny for most of the day with some light winds part way through the day.

Windy.com is available as an App for both IOS (Apple) and Android

Click here for a link to Windy.com.

Sproat Lake Paddle - June 16, 2020 by Bob and Elaine

Seven kayaks and one canoe: (9) paddlers set off from the launching area at the Sproat Lake Provincial Park at 10AM

and soon arrived at the famous petroglyphs along the shoreline. It was a challenge to name the types of carvings depicted in the rock wall.

Continuing along the shore, past the Sproat River outlet, we passed many residences of various types and sizes. Most of the houses have docks and we saw many boats, canoes, kayaks and sea doos. Apparently the weekend is full of water skiers, paddlers and other water activities. Saw a Merganser hen with about 8 or 9 little ones following closely behind.

Slo-Mo Paddlers Covid Protocol

Parksville Golden Oldies Sports Association

SloMo Paddlers

Covid-19 Measures

RETURN TO SAFE PADDLING

As the Province of British Columbia begins cautiously opening up opportunities for outdoor activities,
guidelines are are needed to mitigate the ongoing risk of becoming infected with Covid-19. Paddling
can be a low risk activity for exposure to and for contracting COVID-19 if proper precautions are
taken. Managers of the PGOSA SlomoMo Paddlers Activity developed the following measures to
manage the risk of participants becoming exposed to the virus during paddling events. These measures
are consistent with Provincial health guidelines, were informed by guidance offered by Canoe Kayak
Canada (https://canoekayak.ca/covid-19/), and are approved by the PGOSA Board of Directors.
Activity Managers will do their best to ensure that these health guidelines are being followed.
However, it is up to individuals to understand their risks and make a decision about whether or not
to participate. All paddlers, managers and event leaders or anyone else who will be part of a paddling
event should be acutely aware of and must continuously monitor their own personal health and risk of
exposure to the virus.

DO NOT PARTICIPATE IF YOU:

 Are feeling non-specifically unwell or are sick at all.
 Are exhibiting any symptoms of the coronavirus: mild to severe respiratory illness with fever,
coughing, difficulty breathing, muscles aching, or other symptoms identifiable with COVID-19
such as a reduced sense of smell.
 Have been in contact with or think you may have been in contact with someone who has been
sick or had COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
 You are going through a period of self-isolation or quarantine for any reason.
All individuals involved in SloMo Paddlers should self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 on a daily
basis and any person showing symptoms should self-isolate, refrain from entering the paddling
environment or coming into close contact with others, and seek appropriate medical attention. If an
individual is concerned about their risk level or exposure, they should consult with a medical
professional.

BC Marine Trails Network

BC Marine Trails - https://www.bcmarinetrails.org/

This Non-Profit group is open to anyone interested in paddling on our West Coast. They work with the Provincial Government, First Nations, Paddling Clubs (i.e. Nanaimo Paddlers and Comox Valley Paddlers) and paddling-related businesses. The group’s vision is have “the entire B.C. coastline linked through marine routes and land sites for sustainable water-based public recreation”. For an annual membership of $25/person or $40/family, members receive discounts at various kayak shops and businesses on Vancouver Island. 

Welcome to the Slo-Mo Paddlers Blog

Greetings

Welcome to the Blog for PGOSA's Slo-Mo Paddlers. We hope that you will find this Blog to be useful and informative.

Note: All PGOSA activities are currently cancelled until further notice. This includes all PGOSA-sponsored Paddling activities. We are looking forward in the future to being able to be out on the water enjoying kayaking and canoeing activities with our fellow PGOSA members.

What is a Blog?

A Blog is basically an interactive website. You will find lots of information that can be included in a Blog and all new information takes the form of Posts. These can include messages, written information, pictures, videos, etc. You can comment on and add to a Post for a Blog. You can also look back at all previous Posts.

April 26 

Check out the photos from our 2019 Trips. Click on the following Page on the sidebar:

"2019 - Slo-Mo Paddling Trips"   

 

  

Kayak Dealers

Local Kayak Dealers

Here are the names of most of the Kayak dealers on central Vancouver Island:

Lightspeed Watercraft - https://lightspeedwatercraft.com/

Located on the Alberni Highway in the Coombs area

Valhalla Pure Outfitters - https://vpo.ca/

Located in Nanaimo on Turner Rd near the Longwood Brewpub

Atmosphere – https://www.atmosphere.ca/

Located in Nanaimo at Country Club Mall

Sealegs Kayaking - http://www.sealegskayaking.com/

Located in Ladysmith at Transfer Beach – far end of the park from the parking lot

Comox Valley Kayaks and Canoes – www.comoxvalleykayaks.com

Located in Courtenay on Cliffe Avenue

Snow to Surf - http://www.skiandsurf.ca/

Located in downtown Courtenay on 5^th Street.

Note:  Ocean River Sports - https://oceanriver.com/ located on Store Street in Victoria are closing their store and are clearing out their entire stock.

Reviews of Kayaks and Gear

 

Paddling.com -  https://paddling.com

This is a great site with honest and thorough reviews of pretty well all kayaks, kayak gear and racks that are sold in North America. Remember that the prices quoted are in US funds.