Body Boat Blade Sea Kayak Rescues video review

Ok, anticipation was high when we received a copy of this DVD. Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme are co-owners of Body Boat Blade International, a kayak shop in the San Juan Islands of Washington that is well known for quality, high level instruction. The videographer is Bryan Smith of Reel Water Productions, who was behind the Pacific Horizons and Eastern Horizons films, both well done sea kayak porn worthy of adding to your library.

So, did the DVD live up to our expectations? Let's take a look at the good and the not so good:

The Good
The camera work and editing was excellent. The shots were clear, didn't look like they were taken through a salty lens, and the cameras were well-positioned. The look of the videos was better than most we've seen. And the sound was also excellent - no wind noise, appropriate volume, etc.

The opening scene of the paddler getting flushed out and separated from the kayak was a excellent way to catch the viewer's attention. And it was good to see rescues in challenging conditions. Classes generally teach how to rescue in flat water, but you aren’t as likely to wet exit in flat water as you are in waves and currents. Good reminder that we should practice the rescues in these tougher conditions.

The video had a good discussion of toggles and decklines – what they do and why you would want them.

The Not So Good
This video claims to “give all the tools” one would need, but we found that it doesn’t meet this goal. I guess that would be a tall order for a 30 minute long video (plus 5 minutes of extras). This video shows a variety of rescues in conditions varying from flat to advanced, but doesn’t provide the details one would need to learn these rescues from scratch.

If you are a novice paddler, watching this video may be good to show you the types of conditions that a sea kayak can be rescued in, but won’t do much to get you ready to do so. The Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 2 video, which also covers rescues, would be better. California Kayaker Magazine will be running a review of the Gordon Brown volume 2 video in the upcoming Spring 2012 issue (and the volume 1 video in a future blog post here).

We do think the Body Boat Blade Sea Kayak Rescue video shows much that an intermediate or advanced paddler could make use of, but they would likely need to watch it a few times to catch the details. For example, they sometimes use the heel-hook re-entry, sometimes the classic lunge on the back deck, and from time to time the swimmer will get back into their boat from between the two boats. Nothing is mentioned on when or why you would use one over the other, but it is good to see them done so you can get some info that will hopefully give you some things to try the next time you are doing rescue practice. No one rescue method works in all situations, so having multiple ways of doing a rescue in your repertoire is important.

You can take a look at the video’s trailer below:

Summary
Get it if you want a complete library of every sea kayak DVD out there. There are much worse ways to waste 30 minutes than watching this DVD.

Don't get it if you are looking for the 1 DVD that will teach you everything you need to know about rescues. The Gordon Brown video will be better for this, but in reality taking a rescue class would be much more useful, as they not just teach you, but also make you try the rescues.

Review - Cobra Surf Ski

This is the first of what we hope to be many reviews that will be posted on the California Kayaker Magazine blog. These reviews will be on various kayaking-related products that we weren't able to publish in the magazine for one reason or another, but are still on products that might be of interest to our readers.

This first product we are covering is the Cobra Surf Ski. Beyond the duck-billed platypus’s nose, what intrigued us was that it was made of rotomolded plastic. We though this might be a good entry-level surf ski – a boat that provides the speed and training benefits of a surf ski, using a more rugged material at an entry-level price.

First, what is a surf ski? Wikipedia describes them as “Typically 16½-21ft long and only 16-20" wide, surf skis are extremely fast when paddled on flat water (only an Olympic K1 or K2 kayak is faster) and the fastest paddled craft available over a long distance on ocean swells. They track well but are less maneuverable and have less transverse primary and secondary stability than shorter, wider craft. Despite its typical instability, a surf ski (with an experienced paddler) is a very effective craft for paddling in big surf. Its narrowness and length helps it cut or punch through large broken waves. Double bladed paddles are used, often with highly contoured wing blades for extra efficiency.”

Two reviewers tested out the boat. They were PD (6’ 220 lbs, surfski novice) and KL (5’5” 125 lbs, owns a Futura brand surfski which is used for fitness paddling).

Form and Fit:

PD: The boat fit me well, but there was not much more room to move the foot pegs for anyone much taller than I. I am also at the stated weight limit for the boat, but it seemed to work fine. Likely I was sitting lower in the water, so had a wetter ride, than someone lighter would have.

KL: The seat cup back was more comfortable than my Futura.  It didn’t have a back band, and felt like it needed one less than my Futura (which doesn’t have one either). The seat bottom on the Cobra was a little uncomfortable, as I could feel it flexing and if felt like I was riding on my tailbone. Seat padding would probably fix this.

KL: The foot peg adjustments are great if you rarely adjust. Replacing the allen-head bolts with wing-bolts (like what is on the Futura) would make adjustments more convenient.

Performance:

PD: The Cobra definitely feels like a surf ski–in other words, fast and tippy. In the half dozen times or so I have paddled it, I never flipped over, but it does feel unsteady until you get used to it. As I have often heard, surf skis are much more steady when you are moving, and that holds true for this boat also.

KL: The Cobra felt more stable than my Futura. It weighs about 10 lbs more and is a couple feet shorter. I didn’t do a head to head comparison, but it likely was somewhat slower than my Futura, as would be expected from a boat that is shorter, heavier, and wider. Still, it seemed to take much less effort to paddle it than to move my 68 lb sea kayak.

PD: I tracked speeds with a GPS and found that I was between 0.5 to 1.0 mph faster in the surf ski over a distance than I am in my 17’ 6” touring sea kayak. May not sound like much, but that is about a 20% increase in speed!

PD: We did do recovery practice to make sure that should we flip over, we would be able to get back on, and we were able to do a cowboy scramble type recovery. It takes a little more balance than a sea kayak, but with the low deck and being a sit on top, it in many ways is easier than doing this type of recovery in a sea kayak. For more information on how to do a cowboy scramble, see the skills article in Issue #7 published Fall 2011.

What is with that funny looking nose?

Surf skis are said to have originated in Australia and used by lifeguards for surf rescues. One of the designs they came up with was a flared nose to prevent the bow from diving when surfing down large steep waves on the way back in to shore. Most currently made surf skis now are not used in surf zones, so don’t have this design. 

To see some surf skis with these noses being paddled in large surf (about the upper limit of what these boats should be used in), take a look at a video of an Australian race series at http://youtu.be/d-6gE-nZE1k. Probably not Cobra boats in the video, but ones with similarly funny looking bows...

Who should paddle this:

This does seem like it would be a good starter boat for someone who wants to try surf skis. You pay a bit less than composite boats, but get a heavier boat. For more advanced paddlers, with the plastic being more indestructible than composite, this could be a good trainer boat or for times when you will be in more aggressive conditions (such as in the surf).

Specifications:

Length: 17'4"

Width: 20"

Weight: 46 lbs.

Capacity: 220 lbs.

MSRP: $1580



More Information and to find dealers:
http://www.cobrakayaks.com/surf_ski.html

Open Letter: Changes to California Kayaker Magazine

I am writing to announce some changes at California Kayaker Magazine. Effective immediately, the Winter 2011 issue has been canceled. And for 2012, we will only have 2 issues - Spring and Summer.

The magazine has always been more of a labor of love for me than a money-making opportunity. I’ve known from the start that this would never be something that would make me rich, but I did (and still do) have hopes that it would at some point more than cover its costs. The Summer 2011 issue did that, but unfortunately, the Fall issue slipped back into being a loss. And based on preliminary ad sales, the Winter issue would also be a loss.

Unfortunately, my other sources of income, which I had been using to keep the magazine afloat during startup, have seen cuts such that I can’t afford to carry the magazine right now.

The Spring and Summer issues have been in greater demand by both advertisers and readers, so the plan is to publish just these issues for 2012. There are a sizable number of “seasonal” advertisers who only want to promote their businesses in Spring and Summer. And readership is also higher, as more people are interested in kayaking during these seasons (and some shops in the mountains and tourist areas reopen, after seasonal closures). So the plan for 2012 is to focus on these two issues.

I am sorry that I have to make these changes. Feel free to post a comment or email to me any questions, or any comments or suggestions on how I should take this magazine forward.

Sincerely,
Peter Donohue
Editor

California Kayaker Magazine - Fall 2011 issue

The Fall 2011 issue of California Kayaker Magazine has been published.

Contents include Cowboy Scramble recovery, Traditional Arctic Kayak Symposium, Salton Sea, comparison review of GoPro HD Hero vs Oregon Scientific ATC9K "mountable" waterproof cameras, review of Delta 10 kayak, Interview of American Whitewater's President, and much more...

Download the PDF (6 megabytes) or

Read the issue online using Yudu.com's Flash viewer 

About California Kayaker Magazine:

California Kayaker Magazine is a print and online magazine focusing on being the source for kayaking information for California. We are dedicated to promoting fun and responsible kayaking, and advocating for increased paddling opportunities in this region.

The stories in California Kayaker Magazine are written by local experts and include articles on places to paddle, tips on how to improve your paddling experience, and information of concern to paddlers and the local paddling environment. Covers all types of kayaking (touring, white water, surfing, fishing, etc.) and for paddlers of all levels (those entering the sport to 5 star paddlers).

More information on the magazine can be found at www.calkayakermag.com

GoPro HD Hero vs. Oregon Scientific ATC9K cameras

This blog post is meant to provide additional information that goes along with a comparison review of the the GoPro HD Hero versus the Oregon Scientific ATC9K cameras which is in the Fall issue of California Kayaker Magazine. This post provides the raw videos that came out of each camera, so you can get a better feel for how well they work.

Video Samples:

Below are some videos taken while the two cameras were on the front deck of my kayak. The cameras were started at roughly the same time and stopped at roughly the same time. You can watch the Youtube file to see what they look like when uploaded, and click on the name below the Youtube to download the raw video:

GoPro - Sculling Brace:

Download the Raw File: SampleVid-ScullingBrace-GoPro.MP4 (19 megabytes)
This is a boring video, but it does have the GoPro set at 1080p (unlike the videos below).

ATC9K - Sculling Brace:

Download the Raw File: SampleVid-ScullingBrace-ATC.MOV (18 megabytes)

GoPro - Roll:

Download the Raw File: SampleVid-Roll-GoPro.MP4 (17 megabytes)
ps - my apologies - it looks like I had the camera set at 960p, instead of 1080p.

ATC9K - Roll:

Download the Raw File: SampleVid-Roll-ATC.MOV (11 megabytes)

There are two more videos you can also look at - of me paddling through a tunnel in Mendocino.
GoPro:
Download the file (35 mb) or watch it on Youtube
ATC:
Download the file (23 mb) or watch it on Youtube


Effect of Wide Angle on Videos:

For the following pictures, we did a 3 camera comparison: Gopro, ATC9K, and a Pentax Optio WG-1 point and shoot. The Pentax was brought in for comparison so you could see the effect of the wide angle lens on the 2 mountables being reviewed.

Below are the screen shot from videos showing the effect of the wide angle lens. All were taken at highest resolution (1080p for the GoPro and ATC). We recommend looking at the variations between pictures in size on the yellow Cobra kayak and with the Golden Gate Bridge to get a feel for how items at medium and long distance would look. Click on the photo or it's file name below to open the full resolution version. These are the photos that were published in the magazine:

GoPro:	Download the Raw File: WideAngleTest-GoProVid.jpg
ATC9K:	Download the Raw File: WideAngleTest-ATCVid.jpg
Pentax:	Download the Raw File: WideAngleTest-PentaxVid.jpg

Effect of Wide Angle on Photos:

Below are pictures taken with each camera. The GoPro and ATC9K both at highest resolution setting. Once again, look at the yellow kayak and the bridge to get a feel for how the wide angle affects how things look in still photos.

GoPro:	Download the Raw File: WideAngleTest-GoProStill.JPG
ATC9K:	Download the Raw File: WideAngleTest-ATCStill.JPG
Pentax:	Download the Raw File: WideAngleTest-PentaxStill.JPG

California Kayaker Magazine - Summer 2011 issue

The Summer 2011 issue of California Kayaker Magazine has been published.

Contents include swimming for kayaking skills, surfing Baja, paddle ergonomics, tips for Eppie's Great Race, comparison review of Pentax Optio WG-1 vs Olympus Tough TG-610 waterproof cameras, review of Yoga for Kayaking DVD, and much more...

Download the PDF (6.5 megabytes) or Read the issue online using Yudu.com

About California Kayaker Magazine:

California Kayaker Magazine is a print and online magazine focusing on being the source for kayaking information for California. We are dedicated to promoting fun and responsible kayaking, and advocating for increased paddling opportunities in this region.

The stories in California Kayaker Magazine are written by local experts and include articles on places to paddle, tips on how to improve your paddling experience, and information of concern to paddlers and the local paddling environment. Covers all types of kayaking (touring, white water, surfing, fishing, etc.) and for paddlers of all levels (those entering the sport to 5 star paddlers).

More information on the magazine can be found at www.calkayakermag.com

Pentax Optio WG-1 vs Olympus Tough TG-610

This blog post is meant to work in addition to the head to head review published in the Summer 2011 issue of California Kayaker Magazine. The magazine can be read online at http://www.calkayakermag.com/magazine.html, with the review starting on page 26. Specifications for each camera and details of what we found good and bad about each can be found in the article.

Below are the files as produced by the camera, with no editing. I placed them here so you can download them and then compare the two side by side and get a feel for what the camera would produce. You can click on the thumbnail or the photo name to download the full resolution version. Unless otherwise noted, the Pentax images are generally 4-5 megabytes in size, and the Olympus images are 5-6 megabytes in size.

I made up a simple bracket to hold the cameras side-by-side, which used for most of these photos (unless otherwise noted) and videos to try to get the same scenes and time with both cameras. Bracket with cameras mounted on it is shown below.



On to the photos...

Olympus Tough TG-610	Pentax Optio WG-1
SunBehind-Olympus	SunBehind-Pentax
This is a basic photo with the sun behind the photographer, which lights up the subject (Lisa Ouellette paddling on the Napa River) and should be easiest for the camera.
IntoSun-Olympus	IntoSun-Pentax
A bit more challenging for the camera is when the sun is behind the subject, as their face and features are now in a shadow (made even harder if the person is wearing a hat).
IntoSun-Olympus-fixed	IntoSun-Pentax-fixed
I had Lisa Ouellette (the photographer who provided the cover photos which the magazine used used for both the Spring 2011 and Fall 2010 issues, but also the subject in these photos) run the photos through some basic editing software. She said "I took them both, and applied a little color correction and noise reduction - the same levels applied to each. I could go farther with adjustments, but only used the adjustments you would find in very basic photo editing software." Above are the results she came up with.
ActionShot-Olympus	ActionShot-Pentax
These are pictures of Lucy O'Brien running a large pour over on the Sonoma Coast, and close ups of each were run in the print version of the magazine. It shows how the Pentax was a little quicker to take a picture, as it caught Lucy earlier on the wave. Cameras were both in P mode, and flash was turned off. Ignore the finger in the top of the Olympus picture - I was not using the bracket but instead trying to hold them side-by-side. Accidentally got my finger in the way. This is not something that would be an issue if I was only holding one camera (and this was why I made the bracket).
HighSpeedSequantial-Olympus (3 mb)	HighSpeedSequantial-Pentax (2 mb)
Camera in high speed sequential modes. Both cameras take about 14 pictures over 5 seconds. The Olympus saved the files in 14 megapixel form, where the Pentax dropped to 5. Bracket was not used, but instead cameras were held side by side.
Underwater-Olympus	Underwater-Pentax
Camera set to underwater photo mode - these pictures of Gregg Helton setting up for a roll were also run in the print version of the magazine. Interesting that the Olympus chose to use a flash, where the Pentax did not. Came out with much different photos, as the flash made things closer light up, but lost anything farther away. And another problem with flashes and kayakers is that the flash lights up all those reflective safety strips we have on our gear.
PoolVid2-Olympus.MP4 (21 mb) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZj3fzR6mKQ	PoolVid2-Pentax.AVI (65 mb) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzN_GNF75QI
Video clip of Gregg Helton doing a pair of rolls in the pool, including both above water and below water scenes. The Pentax files are about 3 time as large per minute, so has better resolution (but you can get longer videos with the Olympus, both because of the lower resolution and also because it allows a file up to 4 gigabytes in size, versus Pentax's 2 gigabyte max). Youtube is a common repository for videos like these, so I have also uploaded the videos there so you can see how well they work for that.
Landscape-Olympus	Landscape-Pentax
For example of general use (not kayaking specific), here is a picture of Napa Valley landscape.
FullTelephoto-Olympus	FullTelephoto-Pentax
Same picture as landscape above, but with cameras set to their maximum optical telephoto (but no digital telephoto). The cameras were taken off the bracket and placed one at a time in the tripod, so that any flex or rocking that the bracket may allow wouldn't affect these photos (and also set to 2 second delay, so that any motion from me pressing the shutter would also not affect the photo).
Below are links to amazon.com's pages for these cameras, so you can get a feel for what prices they are going for at discounters.
MSRP: $349	MSRP: $299

California Kayaker Magazine - Spring 2011 issue

The Spring 2011 issue of California Kayaker Magazine has been published.

Contents include draw strokes skills article, common murres, outfitting your boat (footbeds), review of Advanced Elements AirFusion, and much more...

Download the PDF (8 megabytes) or Read the issue online using Yudu.com

About California Kayaker Magazine:

California Kayaker Magazine is a print and online magazine focusing on being the source for kayaking information for California. We are dedicated to promoting fun and responsible kayaking, and advocating for increased paddling opportunities in this region.

The stories in California Kayaker Magazine are written by local experts and include articles on places to paddle, tips on how to improve your paddling experience, and information of concern to paddlers and the local paddling environment. Covers all types of kayaking (touring, white water, surfing, fishing, etc.) and for paddlers of all levels (those entering the sport to 5 star paddlers).

More information on the magazine can be found at www.calkayakermag.com