Swears by them

Last summer I had a gift cert for sporting goods, so I used a bit on these paddle grips for Laura.

They work like a charm. Before we got them, she had blisters a few times, especially on our longer trips on the Big Sioux River. We tried some cheap gloves off the rack at Ace, thought they would work, but they didn't.

Then we got these bad boys.

They're basically padded neoprene sleeves that slip over the paddle shaft. I think these are Yakgrips, they were about $15. They stay in place even when they get wet, and they are nice insulators on both hot and cold paddles. Plus, most importantly, she no longer blisters between her thumb and forefinger.

I don't use them, but sure would have that first year I was paddling and getting blisters. For anyone who fights that battle and is tired of it, we'd recommend this piece of gear.
Last summer, we gave Laura's paddle to a friend who was getting tired, and she liked them, too. Bies's out.

Sweet - more paddlers!

One blog leads to another, so they say, and after looking over Pat Wellner's Pierre-based blog that Jay Heath mentioned, http://www.piratesofthemissouri.com - I contacted the Black Hills Paddlers site, http://blackhillspaddlers.org/, it has paddling guides with directions to both flat and white water in the Black Hills area.

The SDCA blog also will have a link. Check it out.

Yak review: first time in a Current Designs

Quite a few paddlers said "Where's the white boat?" when they saw me Saturday on the Big Sioux River. The white one was home in the garage, grumbling about being left out. I was test-driving a Current Designs Sirocco, and I have to say I loved it.

I was nervous beforehand as the owner said it feels tippy, and since the trip on the river offered right-away rapids, I was hoping it wasn't there that I found the feel of the boat incorrectly.

It felt about as fast, perhaps a bit faster at times, as my QCC fiberglass boat. And it's plastic. But it is a lot more narrow, and the conditions were pretty much ideal Saturday.

On the cons side of things, it was not as roomy, but it had a lot of nice features, including the rigid seat, and the firm thigh pads.

It was a bit tippy, i.e., it has a definite "spot" where you want to lean to, and on the way to the spot, it can seem unstable, but it never spooked me once I got in and got going. Turned well, and the in-and-out wasn't really as tough as I thought it was going to be, being used to a larger cockpit.

I realized the back pad of the seat was probably not as tight as it should have been when I was cleaning the boat today. I noticed myself wanting to lean back into the cockpit wall of my glass boat on Saturday, but this one has nothing there. In a way, it was good, reminding me to sit up and paddle, not slouch or get lazy.

If you're ever E-baying it and see a Current Designs Sirocco, or find one elsewhere online or in person, I would recommend it. It's a sharp boat. Plus that super-pointy snout she's got, it's just cool, menacing a bit, and seems to scream "sea kayak" to me.

Jarett

What an awesome cruise!

Blessed with the first super-nice day of spring, the April 19 cruise on the Big Sioux River was a hoot, and we do feel sorry for all who missed it.

Things started smoothly with a orderly set-up at the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal powwow grounds north of Flandreau. We send huge thanks to David from the tribal office who authorized our use of the spot. We're pretty certain we left it as we found it. It was a pretty perfect place to launch. (A few paddlers asked me, and I do believe they would be OK with people launching from there in the future, but call the tribe's office in Flandreau before you do so, to be certain. 605-997-3891.)



KDLT news was out at the event and mentioned the cruise on their 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts. Their Web site also has information (text) on the event. Thanks, KDLT, for the coverage. About 70+ paddlers were in the mix, with everything from one-man canoes to inflatable kayaks taking on the river's cold but mild current. (FYI, our club name is the South Dakota Canoe Association, and kayaking does not have a C in it.)

I was quite proud of Laura, who was the first woman to put-in. The rapids were a bit intimidating for everyone setting up and looking the site over, but she was hot to hit 'em, and while she got snagged near some brush in the mouth of the fast water, she put her experience to use and got her self free. She was up front taking these nice snaps during the cruise.








The tribe's bison herd was visible and these cool horses were "performing" along one stretch of the river. They were beautiful. Other wildlife sightings included beaver and muskrat, plenty of birds, including a possible baldie!






Our friends Bret and Dawn came up from Omaha, and they had a blast. Dawn sailed through the rapids like a professional, and while Bret got wet last summer on the BSR, he stayed dry this time around. It was really awesome having them with us on this trip. Dawn beat all of to the take-out spot.



The conditions were just-right for the day: the wind was only noticeable on a few stretches, and I'm guess several people (like me) didn't notice how sunny it was and are looking at pink cheeks today. Or pink forearms.

As I paddled the route, I chatted with a number of folks who were enjoying the trip. I know one chap mentioned it was a bit short as people were finishing and loading in the Flandreau City Park. It was done and over in about two hours, but for early season, it felt right for a lot of folks. If we revisit this route, we could continue on to a take-out near the lowhead dam in Flandreau proper, it'd pry add an hour, plus it'd give paddlers a chance to explore the fat part of the river on the north edge of town.

With no injuries or wet folks at the end, I call the event a success. My thanks go out to all the paddlers who came to take part, special thanks to my wife, for all her support and encouragement, and huge thanks to Steven Dahlmeier for putting in a TON of help with getting out the word. Jay Heath, the leadership of the SDCA, and the Sierra Club, all deserve my thank-yous as well.

Laura and I are hoping to get out and test drive a pair of boats we want to buy, but probably not today. We're hoping to post on Lake Benton this week.

Don't forget the May 10 Missouri River paddle in Vermillion. We'll be posting about that soon, too, both here and on the official SDCA web log, www.sdcka.blogspot.com.

Jarett