In from the Cold
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SeaTrek In from the Cold www.vskc.org.au Winter/Spring 2014 Issue 81 The VSKC Bass Strait, and take their kayaks its annual general meeting held to remote and interesting areas. as part of a weekend of activities The Victorian Sea Kayak Club Equally, we all love relaxing short on and off the water, with was formed in 1979, aimed at trips in our local waters, with informative training sessions and bringing together sea kayakers in plenty of time to socialise. presentations from interesting our part of the world, creating We welcome new members and speakers. We run a range of club opportunities to meet and encourage a culture in which trips throughout the year for all organise trips, and to promote members help each other with levels of ability, helping members the interests of sea kayakers. skills, gear, safety, trip to improve their proficiency and Club members have done some information and organisation. take part in trip leadership. We marvellous and sometimes very The club runs training courses keep in touch through this challenging trips by sea kayak and has a grading system, website, email news, and our club around our nearby coasts of although training is not aimed at magazine Sea Trek. Victoria and Tasmania and absolute novices. New members For more information read go to further afield. Our founding are expected know something of the Docs and Downloads link members made the first sea sea kayaking, have access to a from the Web page, and kayak circumnavigation of kayak, and be ready to explore download our Operating Tasmania and the first south to the marvellous opportunities Principles and Membership north crossing of Bass Strait. which sea kayaking offers. The application, or contact our Members regularly paddle across club gets together once a year for Membership Officer. Sea Trek 81 Winter/Spring 2014 In this Edition Regular Columns Editorial 4 President’s Podcast 4 Feature Drowning and Cold Water Immersion (Christoph Sowa) 6 Safety and Training My Longest Time on the Water . and under the Kayak! (George John (with a note from Terry Barry)) 11 A Great Day to have VHF radios (Peter Costello) 12 Resources for the Armchair Pad- dler (Robin Boundy, Terry Barry, Fiona Coates, Bob Fergie, Helmut Heinze, Maggie McPherson, Sue Mountford, Greg Skowronksi) 13 To Suck or Blow? A PFD Theory (Tony Chick) 15 Gear Zeroing in at Point 65 XP18 (Craig Horne) 16 Blind Date – Epic Cover 16x (Helmut Heinze) 17 Trolley wheels!! (David Winkworth) 21 Photo, cropped by HH, showing Terry Barry on a Flinders to Cape Shank paddle, Feb Day Trips and Overnighters 2014. — All drawings in this Sea Trek by A Paddle in the Whitsundays (Neale Meredith) 22 Pizza and HH. Paddling at the Prom (Hilde Mailen Domaas) 25 Club Life Sigla The History, Methodology and Limitations of The VSKC Training (Terry Barry) 28 Back to Rolling (Chris Harding) 29 The • • BF: Bob Fergie CH: Chris Harding CH: Paddler who Snowed in from the North (Hilde Mailen Domaas) 31 • • Craig Horne DW: David Winkworth FC: Sam’s Red Eye – Sat 18 Oct 14 (Helmut Heinze) 33 Fiona Coates • GC: Greg Skowronski • HH: Helmut Heinze • HMD: Hilde Mailen Do- maas • MMP: Maggie McPherson • NM: Odds and Ends • • Neale Meredith RB: Robin Bound SM: Moroccan Stew ( Terry Barry ) 34 A Recipe (Helmut Heinze) 34 Sue Mountford • TB: Terry Barry. Responsible Editor for this Edition: Helmut Heinze Contact [email protected] Photo Stories http://www.vskc.org.au Glad-wrapped paddling with Bob — Collage (Bob Fergie) p34 c Victorian Sea Kayak Club – http://vskc.org.au SeaTrek 81 Regular Columns Editorial ing paddling after a longer tor and rescue expert, on preparing Sea Trek a plea- break, a bit rusty, in need the physiology of drowning sure. In particular, I wish to of some warm-up. But the and cold water immersion. thank Fiona Coates for help title also means: finding The dire topic notwith- getting the translation of oneself suddenly and unex- standing, the text offers Sowa’s article into a read- pectedly in hot (or rather: some valuable background able state. cold and agitated) water knowledge that may come So — the title “In from — George John’s trip re- handy in an emergency. the Cold” may fit only half- port “My Longest Time ...” What else is offer? way but I hope that every- offers food for thought. There is something about one finds a few pages in And some in the Club may the home club of a VSKC SeaTrek 81 to his or her lik- It all began in the depth recognise the scene on the member, who came in from ing. of Winter. I was feel- cover image — from that the cold of the Norwegian By the way, I was not ing miserable and cold and eerie ocean paddle on a hot city of Trondheim; some- too impressed by LeCarr´e’s thought to myself the next summer day from Flinders one else is getting back into spy novel. But in keeping edition of Sea Trek should that saw the pod suddenly rolling after a long break with this Sea Trek’s theme, be all about coping with the and strangely engulfed in due to an injury and many I can recommend another cold. Work started, an in- fog and heavy swell, and more texts. classic that is closer the teresting text on cold wa- emerging back into the I would like to thank sea kayaker’s heart anyway: ter immersion caught my stifling heat as if coming all authors for their contri- Ernest Shackleton, South attention. Time passed . from a different world. Yet butions; the prolific ones (available as Penguin pa- and suddenly spring was another way of coming in who keep producing (and perback) — the story of the upon us with the first warm from the cold. encouraging others to write shipwreck of the Endurance days. The world started This edition of Sea Trek ...), the first-timers who re- in 1914 in Antarctica and looking much brighter. offers a couple of texts veal themselves as talented the epic ocean voyage back Then I was flicking loosely grouped around the story tellers (Neale Mered- in small rescue boats over through a classic novel by theme of coming in from ith and Chris Harding), the more than two years: back John LeCarr´e, The Spy who the cold — at times into the ones who have delivered in from the cold. came in from the Cold. cold, some serious, some texts despite a full sched- Helmut Heinze The text was so so, but more light-hearted. I rec- ule under a lot of pres- Sea Trek the title was good. This ommend in particular the sure. I also have to thank may fit: Coming in from overview by our guest con- for the direct and indirect the cold of the winter into tributor Christoph Sowa, a help I have been receiv- the spring; people resum- German sea kayak instruc- ing that makes the task of President’s Podcast been your paddling high- dled with us too in my Tahe lights this year? While Greenland T. It made me I’ve enjoyed a whole range appreciate again the fact of club paddles, workshops that sea kayaking can be en- and so on, the highlight by joyed by people of all ages far was taking my 90 year and stages in a whole range old dad for a 20km pad- of seascape settings. Being dle at Broulee on the NSW a member of the VSKC is South coast in September. another wonderful expres- But it was not just a paddle sion of this I think you’ll with dad. Our six year old agree. I wonder what have grand daughter Arieta pad- As this edition of Sea c Victorian Sea Kayak Club – http://vskc.org.au 4 SeaTrek 81 Regular Columns Trek goes to press, the an- The program our Man- bers have made themselves for him to enjoy some well- nual VSKC Paddle Fest and agement Committee has available for service on the deserved overseas leave for AGM is all but upon us. planned offers lots of var- new 2014/15 committee. a season. We may yet see Having 100+ members and ied opportunities both on them back for another tour visitors getting together for and off the water. I’m es- of duty on the Management this very special event is pecially looking forward Committee, me hopes! very exciting. The weather to hearing the tales of two As this edition of Sea is looking very promising, remarkable expeditioners Trek showcases again, the the Camp Coolamatong fa- in Scott Donaldson and Ja- club continues to provide cilities are fantastic and the son Beechcroft as they open wonderful opportunities for paddling opportunities on up their recent experiences supportive adventures on the Gippsland Lakes, mouth attempting to paddle solo the high seas. Thank watering. More than these from Australia to NZ and you to all club members though, will be the real circumnavigating Australia for the unique and valued enjoyment of simply get- (including Tasmania) re- Robin Boundy ways that each contributes ting together with old and spectively. to this. I look forward to new friends from our club, At the AGM on Sat- For sure, both Robin many more opportunities in all with a passion for and urday afternoon, the cur- and Voijin will be greatly the future to paddle our fair stories about paddling long rent Management Commit- missed given their remark- seas together. skinny boats on the pris- tee will stand down before able contributions to train- With anticipation tine waters and surrounds the election of the 2014/15 ing and Web-site communi- Bob Fergie of Victoria and beyond.