JBK - Just a perfect day.

It dawned on me today whilst paddling my New Wilderness Tempest 170 Pro out past Bowen Island, that I had owned in the last twenty years of Sea Kayaking, ( 15yrs of which operating JBK ) personally, 11 Brand New Sea Kayaks , and literally hundreds of Sea Kayaks over the years in our hire and tour operation fleet.

New Composite Tempest 170 Pro

Such a realisation gets you wondering whether there is really many differences from model to model, or whether I had succumbed to the bright and colourful gel coat or the newest in comfort outfitting yet again. At JBK we are dealing with so many choices now on a daily basis with Specifications, layups, colour options , rudder fittings, varying price range, quality and usage options.

The fact is that, there are marked differences in each craft, some worth noting, some not so, but for just a few hours today,I found myself taking in the water movement around me, the clarity of the water, the temperature of the sea and air, and the sureal atmosphere of the bushfire smoke that moved in with the brisk southerly change cloaking JB and the 9 or so warships that cruised nearby.

Although I had done it thousands of times before, Janet and I simply went "Sea Kayaking". There was no talk of boat length, shape, or style, we just paddled and chatted about the Wallaby that joined us on the beach and took it all in. Coffee and Lunch on Murrays Beach and a couple of Eskimo Rolls on the way home.

Wallaby joined us on Murrays Beach for morning tea.

The day was perfect and I remembered today, after an extremely busy summer of facilitating kayaking at JBK for thousands kayakers, why I love this Sport. Kayaking is a lifestyle recreation and the gear just allows you to do it, not better, maybe a little more comfortably, maybe a little quicker than your last kayak, but don't get too tied up in the Specs of your kayak, enjoy it for what it is. There is far to much emphasis on boat specs and equally to many opinions as to what constitues a good sea kayak. Sure, good advice is always important but one should exercise caution as to where that advice is sought from.

On your next paddling adventure, take a good loook around you, soak it up, it is incredible where the kayak allows you access to. I am looking forward to the upcoming Autumn and Winter, as the seasons change, as the wildlife and sea conditions vary, and as the colour of the sky goes from bright blue to a more subtle aqua tone, remember how fortunate we are to be able to access and immerse ourselves in our waterways.

Regards
Ross Boardman / JBK

JBK - Women In Kayaking Weekend.

Well it was a beautiful sunny, hot weekend for our Women in Kayaking, (WIKS) program held on the 7th/8th February 2009. With the forecast for 30+ degrees and strong winds we held the skills day at Palm Beach at Sanctuary Point. Totally protected from the Northeaster the ladies started the day with the basics on equipment orientation and handling.

Bonnie Tregenza demonstating correct technique for lifting and carying a sea kayak .

We moved through stroke techniques on the water, and while there were some nervous starters everyone quickly picked up the skills and gained their confidence quickly. With the promise of extra Carrot Cake for the first to capsize there was great commitment shown in the Sweep stroke practice session with Cate getting the honors of first one to take a swim. The rescue techniques followed in groups with everyone learning to perform a Wet exit, Assisted Rescue and Paddle Float Self Rescue. The girls dealt well with their reservations about capsizing with big smiles and lots of laughs and encouragement.

After a great first outing everyone pulled up well for our Jervis Bay Explorer Paddle the next day. With the same weather forecast we filled our kayaks with delicious morning tea and headed out from Callala Bay for a fantastic paddle to Carama Inlet and Hare Bay. Crystal Clear water and a dolphin or two gave us a brilliant morning on the water as we chatted and paddled taking in the surrounds of the Marine Park. After a relaxing stop for coffee/cake and fruit on a deserted beach we had the wind behind us for a nice ride home surfing the waves. Thankyou to Maria for "volunteering" to demonstrate a capsize in "real terms" as a sneaky gust of wind played with us near shore.

Well done to all the ladies on our weekend ... Everyone paddle extremely well and Bonnie and I had a great time kayaking with you all. We look forward to seeing you on the Women in Kayaking Program Part 2 on the 4th/5th of April 2009.

Our Next Overnight Womens Kayak Camping Trip ( WIKS In the Sticks ) is also planned for the 16th - 17th May 2009.

Cheers - Tracy Gibson JBK Training Cordinator / Sea Instructor