At the first of the year I set a goal for myself to competently learn to paddle in the ocean and to do a long offshore paddle.  I kept a paddle log of every time I was on the water.  Let’s see how well I did by reviewing the major events.

     On January 11 I bumped into California Kayak Friends practicing rescues skills in Alamitos Bay.  

     Since I had been paddling for two years only in protected water, in bays and the Long Beach Harbor, I wanted to have more open water experience before the first CKF trip.  On 2/7 I paddled from Alamitos bay to Surfside and back, 9.8 statue miles, by myself.  I followed my self-imposed safety rules of not paddling in an offshore wind and staying as close as safely possible to shore.   It was quite the training trip in my Yare, very tender (tipsy) design S&G.  I got into some Jell-O, in seal beach and the swells were rolling into Surfside with a monster shore break.  It kept me paddling and bracing.

     On 2/29 I did the 13.5 statue mile “Leap Year with the Queen” paddle from Alamitos Bay to the Queen Mary and back with CKF.   The conditions were not as attention getting as my Surfside trip but enough for me to never set my paddle down while sitting in my tender Yare.  I did take on a couple gallons of water on the leg out in that low volume Yare.  

     On 3/7, I participated in the Forward Stroke Clinic sponsored by CKF and taught by Jen Kleck of Aqua Adventures.  It was a big help in developing a high stroke.  I had been doing a low stoke with a 240 cm paddle.  Even though I was constantly paddling at 5.0 mph with the low stoke, the high stroke, in time proved to be faster and more sustainable.

     3/14 Practicing by myself I developed a consistent high brace.  Using my paddle float I could tip all the way to having my head in the water and bracing back up.  And then I could repeat it without the paddle float, both sides.  Even though I had been working on my brace (and roll) for over a year, this was the first time my high brace became consistent.  The paddle float re-entry is easy even without deck bungies. 

     3/20 My roll progressed to being inconsistent on the right side nonexistent on the left.

     3/21 Rolling on both sides!

     3/27 was the maiden voyage of my Chesapeake 17.  I also had cut my 225 cm paddle down to 215 cm.  I now had a kayak that is suitable for open water.  It is much easier to roll than the Yare because I can get in a better starting position in it. 

     4/3 My first CKF rescue practice.  Also it was the first time for me to practice assisted recoveries.   I did quite a few rolls and missed some as well.

     4/25 I attended Jen’s bracing class again sponsored by CKF.  It helped greatly to refining skills that I had been working on.  It was much better and faster than leaning from books as I had been doing.  I also rolled like a fool all day.

     I attended the CKF paddle around Palos Verde on 5/1.  It was 14.3 statue miles.  I did my first surf launch and did my first combat roll while making a landing in surf.  Great trip.

     5/7 I paddled solo from Surfside to Huntington Beach and back, 9.8 statue miles.

     5/16 Duane Strosaker launched his Point Bennett kayak on her maiden voyage and the CKF group paddled from Newport Harbor to Laguna Beach and back, 15.2 statue miles.  I got to take the PB on a test paddle.  Nice kayak.

     5/29 Dana Point to Treasure Island with CKF 14.2 statue miles

     I paddled around Terminal Island on Memorial Day, 5/31, solo.  There was a heightened national security alert especially at bridges.  I went under four of them unquestioned, except by the barking seals .  I covered 16.1 statute miles in three hours flat.

     6/5 I paddled solo from Newport Harbor, J Street, to Huntington Beach Pier and back solo, 20.0 statute miles, my longest paddle to date.  It took 3 hours and 50 minutes.  I was doing final training for the San Diego Bay-to-Bay Race that Duane talked me into signing up for.

     6/13 I launched at Alamitos Bay and paddled out into the Harbor and went around all four oil well islands in one big circle and back, 14.5 statute miles solo.

     6/19 I participated in the Peninsula Family YMCA Bay-to-Bay 20-mile race in San Diego.  I was the fourth sit inside kayak to finish, second in the under 17 foot class with a time of 3:22:45.   I was pleased.

     6/27 Dana Point to Treasure Island and back with CKF 14.2 statue miles

     7/25 Dana Point to Treasure Island round trip with CKF.

     9/12 10.4 statue miles, Dan Blocker Beach to Point Dune and back with CKF

     10/3 I attended the Southwest Kayak Symposium in San Diego.  I took the on-the-water classes Precision Control by Eric Gibbens and Directional Control in Wind by Nigel Foster.  Good classes.

     10/9 I paddled solo 5 hours 10 minutes total time from Alamitos Bay to Cabrillo Beach and back, 23.2 statute miles.

     Since I missed Duane Strosaker’s annual “Catalina for Lunch” paddle, I created my own open ocean trip.  I paddled solo from Alamitos bay, on 11/14, to the Belmont Island (site), then on to Platforms Esther, Eva and Emmy off Huntington Beach and then back, 18.5 statue miles in 3:55.

     I circum-paddled Mission Bay solo 13.7 statue miles in 2:25  on 8/21.

     11/28 I joined the CKF fifth annual Day After Turkey Day Paddle from Cabrillo Beach to Smugglers’ Cove and return, 12.4 statute miles

     There were many other short paddles and some great surfing and rock gardening tips with CKF.

     A grand total of 54 times on the water covering 475.2 statue miles.