Last weekend while at the beach, both the footbraces in my Dagger Alchemy broke. The footpeg on the right snapped first while breaking out through the surf and the left footpeg snapped about 30 minutes later. As it turns out, there was a recall for 2015 model confluence boats(Dagger/Wilderness Systems) that used the KeeperXL and … Continue reading 2015 Dagger/Wilderness Systems Footbrace Recall
Recently, several other paddlers and myself attempted to undertake a somewhat ambitious paddle around the North Carolina Outer Banks. Our initial plan was to start at the Cedar Island Ferry, paddle to Portsmouth, then ocean side around Ocracoke to spend the night in Hatteras. Then, paddle back to Ocracoke to spend the night, having completely … Continue reading Ocracoke Ocean Paddle
I first got to try out a drysuit when doing some winter paddling at the beach. The person who took me out was kind enough to let me borrow his Kokatat Goretex drysuit and we had an awesome day playing in the ocean and intercoastal waterway. On my third and final beach landing that day, … Continue reading Gear Review: Kokatat Hydrus 3L Meridian
I’ve had my Dagger Alchemy 14S for about a month now and have used it quite a bit now, so this isn’t quite a first impression, but pretty close. I’ll do a proper review later, but gotta say this is a pretty awesome boat! The Alchemy handles rough and flat water really well, edges easily, … Continue reading First(ish) Impressions of the Dagger Alchemy 14S
This is the first year I have made it to the pool and I really wish I had started going earlier. It is great fun and you meet some cool like minded yakkers, while growing your skills in a safe environment. In the triangle area, we have pool sessions in Raleigh at Optimist Pool, as … Continue reading Pool Sessions: Fun and Training
The Necky Manitou 13 is classified by Necky as a day touring boat. I’ve had this boat for several years now and found it to be a fun river boat, as it is short enough to be maneuverable, while being long enough and well shaped, so as to offer reasonably good tracking. The Manitou is … Continue reading Necky Manitou 13 Kayak Review
I’ve been kayaking for several years now and, if I do say so myself, progressed quite a bit in that time. However, up until a few weeks ago, my kayaking has been limited to mostly river yakking, with a bit of lake kayaking thrown in. However, recently while doing my weekly Neuse run, I met … Continue reading Introduction to Sea Kayaking – I Think I’m Hooked
In part due to its proximity, I tend to spend a lot of time kayaking the Neuse near Raleigh. For the most part, it isn’t a particularly exciting river, with only a few places that have rapids, but it can be very beautiful and I often enjoy moving on a river more than flatwater. When … Continue reading Lower Neuse River Runs – With Mileage and Takout Points
The Roanoke River offers a lot of enjoyment(boating/fishing/camping) to people in Virginia and North Carolina. Coming from Raleigh, Roanoke Rapids is a great starting point, as is only around 1.5 to 2 hours away and just prior to the town, the river is dammed to form a small lake. From Roanoke Rapids, which is a … Continue reading Roanoke River: Roanoke Rapids -> Edwards Ferry
The Perception Sport Rhythm was my first Kayak and while I quickly outgrew it, it was a great low cost kayak to learn on(read scratch up) without going out and spending a lot on something I wasn’t sure I would enjoy(or scratch up 😉 ). I ended up putting a number of miles on this … Continue reading Perception Sport Rhythm 11 Kayak Review