kenham
08-05-2008, 02:27 PM
Hi,
My name is Ken. I'm originally from Campbell River and am now living in Vancouver for work and school. I started paddling back in September and have been training with a group of people based in Vancouver (not the VKC) from the get go...mostly flatwater skills, but I have a solid roll and am pretty comfy on up to and around grade 3 water. I've only done about 10 river runs or so in a kayak on the Seymour, Similkameen, and the Mamquam rivers, but have countless runs of the Nimpkish and Thompson behind me as well from back when I was raft guiding.
Here's my thing.
1. Although I've got a few reliable souls down here I can call on to go paddling, I would like to start paddling back home occasionally but organizing a trip with them to the island often poses a problem logistically and economically. What I'd love to do is try to hook up with a few people on the island who share a similar skill level and motivation to explore new waters (forgive the pun!) and develop their skills. Which leads me to my other goal.
2. There are plenty of known rivers I've yet to even see let alone kayak on the island (ie Puntledge, Gold, Marble, Cowichan, Adam, Eve, etc), and plenty of ones I've been looking at on different maps that are off the beaten path in more than one way that I'm sure people have run but not too many other people even know of, north and south. Not to say that I don't want to revisit my old stomping grounds and challenge them in a kayak, but I love variety and it'd be nice to see what else there is to offer in my backyard.
Couple other things...I'm buying a Watersport EZG60 pretty soon here(if anyone else knows of one for sale too that'd be great!), and have all my own gear apart from that. The only issue for me now is transportation which can usually be taken care of by Greyhound...getting to the rivers however is another story. I've also been out kayak surfing to Tofino a couple times, and would love to get out again wherever the waves are good...Tofino is not the only good surf spot.
Anyway, thanks for your time everybody. And happy paddling!
My name is Ken. I'm originally from Campbell River and am now living in Vancouver for work and school. I started paddling back in September and have been training with a group of people based in Vancouver (not the VKC) from the get go...mostly flatwater skills, but I have a solid roll and am pretty comfy on up to and around grade 3 water. I've only done about 10 river runs or so in a kayak on the Seymour, Similkameen, and the Mamquam rivers, but have countless runs of the Nimpkish and Thompson behind me as well from back when I was raft guiding.
Here's my thing.
1. Although I've got a few reliable souls down here I can call on to go paddling, I would like to start paddling back home occasionally but organizing a trip with them to the island often poses a problem logistically and economically. What I'd love to do is try to hook up with a few people on the island who share a similar skill level and motivation to explore new waters (forgive the pun!) and develop their skills. Which leads me to my other goal.
2. There are plenty of known rivers I've yet to even see let alone kayak on the island (ie Puntledge, Gold, Marble, Cowichan, Adam, Eve, etc), and plenty of ones I've been looking at on different maps that are off the beaten path in more than one way that I'm sure people have run but not too many other people even know of, north and south. Not to say that I don't want to revisit my old stomping grounds and challenge them in a kayak, but I love variety and it'd be nice to see what else there is to offer in my backyard.
Couple other things...I'm buying a Watersport EZG60 pretty soon here(if anyone else knows of one for sale too that'd be great!), and have all my own gear apart from that. The only issue for me now is transportation which can usually be taken care of by Greyhound...getting to the rivers however is another story. I've also been out kayak surfing to Tofino a couple times, and would love to get out again wherever the waves are good...Tofino is not the only good surf spot.
Anyway, thanks for your time everybody. And happy paddling!