Bald Head Island Circumnavigation

August 20, 2018Sea Kayakingtrip reportsyaknc

Two buddies and I completed a 41 mile circumnavigation of Bald Head Island last weekend. We started at Carolina Beach State Park, paddling South down the Cape Fear River to reach Bald Head Island. We then paddled around the South facing beach and then traveled ocean side North, passing Fort Fischer, Kure Beach, Carolina Beach, and then returning to the Carolina State Park through Snow’s Cut. It took us 9 Hours 15 Minutes of paddling, with a total time on the water of just under 13 hours.

Spaghetti Strings: Visualizing the Surf Day

August 7, 2018Sea Kayakingyaknc

When kayak surfing, I am always amazed by the amount of energy and distance you end up putting in over a relatively short distance. This week, I went to Bogue Inlet and tried out a new GPS App on my phone. The app is geared towards running, but I was able to export the GPS … Continue reading Spaghetti Strings: Visualizing the Surf Day →

Confused Seas at Emerald Isle(My Favorite Playspot)

July 2, 2018Sea Kayakingyaknc

This weekend, I spent Saturday playing around at Emerald Isle, paddling around 15 miles, with 6 of those being against the tide, so it felt like a lot more. There was almost no wind and swell was very light, but we still had fun playing in the confused seas and checking out two of the buoys off the coast.

Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro Island Circumnavigation

June 11, 2018Sea Kayakingtrip reportsyaknc

A group of 3 paddlers and myself circumnavigated Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro Island last weekend. Initially, we had planned on camping for a night on Masonboro Island in between, but one of the local paddlers offered to let us stay at his house, so we ended up breaking it up into two relatively short(13 mile and 19 mile) day paddles, sleeping and eating in comfort.

Back to the Beach

May 27, 2018Sea Kayakingyaknc

Due to some scheduling issues, it has been awhile since I have been able to make it out to the beach to do some ocean kayaking. However, this weekend, I spent an afternoon playing at Emerald Isle with a friend. Magic Seaweed had the surf conditions at about 1-2 feet, building towards the end of … Continue reading Back to the Beach →

Kayak Review: Dagger Alchemy 14S

May 17, 2018Kayak Reviewsyaknc

After several years of owning my Dagger Alchemy 14.0S, I have finally gotten around to writing up a review on it. When I first got my Alchemy, I had been paddling a Necky Manitou 13 for a year or two and while the Manitou is an awesome boat in its own right, moving to the Alchemy really helped me to skill up, as it feels much more like a proper kayak.

These days, while I don’t use it as much and it wouldn’t be my first choice for use on the ocean or lake, I still use it frequently on the river and have no plans on getting rid of the boat. For a plastic boat, it is still incredibly kayaky and made of rather thick plastic compared to other similar models.

Finding the Right Water Level for Milburnie Dam Falls

May 7, 2018Neuse RiverJohn

Since the removal of the old Milburnie Dam, a new area of rapids has been added to the Neuse River. Where before, this area offered a couple of minor waves that you could nose your boat into, there are now several nice play spots. However, determining what the water level is at Milburnie Dam and how to know when it is fun to go out there, is not so straightforward. Together with a local paddler, who has largely been the drive behind much of our discoveries, we have been able to figure out a few decent metrics for gauging the neuse river here.

Gear Review: Sea to Summit Ultra Flex Booties

April 28, 2018Gear Reviewsyaknc

As a kayaker, the quest to find comfortable and practical shoes is something that most people spend a good deal of time(and possibly money on.) Among whitewater boaters, actual shoes like Astral’s Brewer are often quite popular. Others prefer dive booties or booties more geared towards kayaykers, like NRS’s Freestyle or Desperado water shoe. I’ve … Continue reading Gear Review: Sea to Summit Ultra Flex Booties →

Playing at Falls Dam

April 24, 2018Neuse Riveryaknc

Several years ago, I discovered the area on the other side of the Falls Lake dam, which is the start of the Neuse River. It can be a great park and play spot, with a short stretch of several cool water features that offer a nice standing wave, several cool rapids, and plenty of places … Continue reading Playing at Falls Dam →

Circumnavigating Portsmouth Island / North Core Banks

April 4, 2018Sea Kayakingtrip reportsyaknc

A friend and I recently completed a 65 Mile Circumnavigation around Portsmouth Island(North Core Banks,) which is a barrier island on the North Carolina Coast. I wrote a detailed trip report on the CKC website, which you can find in this post, but have included a bit more information here about this amazing ocean kayaking trip!