[Jill Thompson]

Could anyone recommend a good, budget conscious 1 – 2 man tent for kayak camping?  I’ve been seeing ones with quite a bit of mesh that I hear let in a lot of sand on windy nights.  Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Jill Thompson

[Karin Hartner]

Hi Sandra

I agree with Barry. Dry suits are very expensive, especially the Kokatats now that the Canadian dollar is weak against the US.

Start with the wet suit unless you’re planning to become a high performance paddler from the get-go and anticipate spending a great deal of time submerged practicing your skills.

While I do have a dry suit, I actually mostly wear a two-piece neoprene suit (rather that a  farmer Jane). At very reasonable prices MEC sells pants in various lengths from shorts to capri-lenght to long, and vests to wear on top. I just find that more comfortable. I wear a goretex paddling jacket with layers under as rain gear or for warmth unless I’m winter paddling.

Karin

[Barry Dutour]

Hi Sandra

A farmer Jane will be more versatile.  If conditions are good maybe you just paddle with the Jane  and if its worse you can add a neoprene jacket… or don’t even bother with a jacket.  If your paddling is limited to good weather you could get by with just the Jane and whatever upper body wear you think you need.  I know I would think the sleeves of a wet suit jacket would be a little restrictive to wear all day. But it would be extra warmth for rescue practice or rolling practice when you will definitely get wet.

As for a dry suit they are the ultimate protection and expensive.  A dry suit provides protection to keep you dry and that’s all.  You add whatever insulation layers you need underneath from a tee shirt in good weather to fleece upper and lower in March in Ucluelet.  It also takes a while to achieve a lever of comfort with the gaskets to loosen a little and you to accept the restriction.

If you start with a Jane they are always useful because there are conditions where it is everything you need, summer paddling for instance.  If you expand your seasons or paddling destinations add a dry suit then.

Good luck

Barry

[Jonathan Stewart]

Hi, Luke.  You’re added to the list; a few so far, and hopefully more to come!  I’ll get a sense of what dates work for the most people, and also check with the Lodge about available dates.  Noted that before the 18th works best for you.  Stay tuned!

Jonathan

[Michelle Vandenbroek]

Sounds great, count me in!

[Randy Chatterjee]

And just because we planned to spread the word far and wide, we duplicated this posting under General Discussion here: https://www.skabc.org/forums/topic/fantastic-last-minute-paddling-adventure-in-the-southern-gulf-islands/#post-10793 .  Totally intentional!

Please come!

[Randy Chatterjee]

If you get a sense of deja vous, here is the mirror posting under Short Notice Paddles: https://www.skabc.org/forums/topic/paddling-and-overnight-on-galiano-island-april-16-17/

Some one, come all!

[Randy Chatterjee]

And we’d love to have you.

Please send an email to Chantal and/or Randy, emails above in the posting, and we’ll help to organize everyone. Please let us know if you need a boat or anything else, whether you can drive (type of car) or would like to carpool with someone else, if there are any foods you cannot eat,  and where you live.

Thanks.

[Chantal Ethier]

Join us for this adventure, you don’t want to miss out!!!  Discover what makes BC an amazing place to paddle.  Join a group of enthusiastic kayakers of various skills and abilities – we’re heading to Galiano Island next weekend (April 16/17) and are sure to have a great time!!!

Galiano is the second largest island in the Southern Gulf Islands; it’s an attractive getaway location where we’ll enjoy spectacular views.  Sandy beaches, access to islets, islands and the rich wildlife.  With some luck we’ll see some eagles, double-crested cormorants and their unique nests, seals, sea lions, otters, etc. – if I’m/we’re particularly lucky we might see a whale (fingers crossed).

The trip wouldn’t be complete without a feast on Saturday night and again on Sunday morning.  Randy will delight our palates with an array of delicious food; a wonderful salmon dinner on Saturday night; Paddlers are kindly asked to contribute side dishes.  The feast continues on Sunday morning with pigs-in-blankets, French toasts, grapefruit, espresso and other goodies.

As we make our way to the Island, we’d like to have a huddle on the ferry to discuss our plans for the weekend.  We want to make sure that everyone gets as much out of the weekend as possible.  Some of us are keen to practice exits, rescues and rolls; it’ll be a great opportunity to practice and learn for those who are not familiar with these.  we want to reach a consensus prior to setting up camp to maximize our time on the water.

Apparently the group campsite is a nice flat, covered surface on a gently hill, close to the water with a great view.  There is a sink for washing up, toilets and a fire pit.  Saturday night might be chilly so bring warm clothes and let’s hang out by a nice doze fire.

We will leave the Tsawwassen ferry terminal at 8:35am on Saturday, April 16th and we will leave Sturdies Bay at 5:05pm on Sunday, April 17th .  The cost for this trip consists of splitting the expense of the ferry and $10 per person for the campsite, depending on carpool arrangements.  Overall the cost should be approximately $75 to 95 per person, excluding the cost of gas which will be at the discretion of the drivers.  For more information please don’t hesitate to contact Chantal at chantalethier@msn.com or Randy at chat@me.com.

See you then 🙂

[Anja Pakendorf]

I would love to come 🙂

[Randy Chatterjee]

Join us for an adventure you don’t want to miss!!!  A cancelled course (Navigation) has left us a group reservation–without a group–at Montague Harbour Marine Park on Galiano Island next Saturday night (April 16th).

Galiano Island is the second largest and one of the most sought after destinations for kayakers in the Southern Gulf Islands.  It’s an attractive getaway location where we’ll enjoy spectacular views, sandy beaches, access to islets, islands and the rich wildlife.  With some luck we’ll see some eagles, double-crested cormorants and their unique nests, seals, sea lions, otters – and if we’re particularly lucky, some whales (fingers crossed) and much more.

The trip wouldn’t be complete without a feast on Saturday night and again on Sunday morning.  Randy will delight our palates with an array of delicious food; a wonderful salmon dinner on the grill.  Paddlers are asked to kindly contribute a side dish for dinner.  Then the feast continues the next morning with pigs-in-a-blanket, made-to-order omelettes, French toast, grapefruit, espresso and other goodies.  (And yes, you will be hand-grinding your own coffee beans on the spot.)

As we make our way to the Island, we’d like to have a huddle somewhere on the ferry to discuss our plans for the weekend.  We want to make sure that everyone gets as much out of the weekend as possible.  Some of us are keen to practice rescues, exits and rolls; it’ll a great opportunity to practice and learn (for those who are less familiar with these).  We want to reach a consensus prior to setting up camp so that we can maximize our time on the water.

Apparently the group campsite is a nice flat, covered surface up on a hill close to the water with a great view.  There is a sink for washing up, toilets and a fire pit. Saturday night could be a bit chilly so bring some warm clothes and let’s hang out by a nice cozy fire.

We will leave the Tsawwassen ferry terminal at 8:35am on Saturday, April 16^th and will leave from Sturdies Bay at 5:05pm on Sunday, April 17^th.  The cost for this trip consist of splitting the expense of the ferry and $10 per person for the campsite, depending on carpooling arrangements – overall cost could be as low as $75 to $95 per person excluding gas which would be at the discretion of the drivers. For more information please don’t hesitate to contact Chantal at chantalethier@msn.com or Randy at rchat@me.com

Info about camping gear and kayak rental:

For those of you who might be lacking in the camping gear department, Randy has kindly volunteered some of his gear – first come first serve.   If you don’t own a kayak, you can rent one right in Montague Harbour.  After a brief search I found that Galiano Kayaks seems to offer one of the best deals for 2-day rentals ($100 for singles and $145 for doubles), they can be reached at 250.539.2442. Please note that you are responsible to make arrangements for the rental of your kayak.  You are also responsible to ensure you have the camping gear you require for your comfort.  At this time of year and depending on the weather conditions, you may need a wet or dry suit; wet suits are available for rental at Deep Cove at a cost of $40 for 2 days.  If you choose not to bring along a wet or dry suit, please be sure to bring additional clothing just in case. Lastly, you are asked to contribute a side dish to the dinner on Saturday night and bring your lunch for Sunday as well as snacks and beverages for the weekend.

[Hugh Davies]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

[zoran Bogdanovic]

<!– .bbp-reply-author –>

I would be interested, Contact me at zoran.bogdanovic@gmail.com

I would be interested, Contact me at zoran.bogdanovic@gmail.com

[Sandra Waddle]

I am a beginner paddler. If I am buying a wet suite, which one should I get? Can I use a farmer jane? Or do I need sleeves?

Or is a dry suite just so much better??

Thank you!!

[Sandra Waddle]

Anja, Who is doing the radio course? Sandra

[Author]

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