Taking advantage of Chicago’s manmade shoreline
Our local environment. Photo credit: Joyce Ann
When we think about taking advantage of a local paddling environment, we tend to think about exciting and even exotic things: rock gardens, tidal races and tiny islands.…
read morePhoto Friday: A rainbow of kayaks
Part of the kayak line-up before our Open Water Journeying course.…
read moreBuy my kayak! Avocet LV is perfect for smaller paddlers
The Avocet LV is one of the few boats suitable for smaller paddlers.There aren’t many performance sea kayaks suitable for very small paddlers. Many boats claim to fit kayakers who weigh less than 130 pounds, but few actually do.…
read moreA full weekend of big waves and rough water
This has been a stormy start to summer in Chicago. We’ve had lots of rain and, to our delight, several days of strong northeasterly winds.
Northeast winds yield big waves on the southwest side of Lake Michigan. … read moreBlue skies, smiling at me, nothing but blue skies, do I see
You know that expression about how some people paddle with dark clouds over their heads, while others see only blue skies?
That was our experience on Friday.
Pat Rota paddles out under menacing clouds.… read morePaddling in fog: a quieter experience on Lake Michigan
Paddling out through the fog.Warm air, cool water and still winds conspired to create fog along the shoreline on Thursday morning. The four-mile crib was invisible from Burnham Harbor. The only way to get there was to paddle a 67-degree course and wait for it to come into view.…
read morePhoto Friday: Evidence of higher Lake Michigan water levels
Taking a photo below the surface near the breakwater at 12th Street Beach. The view below.A few months ago, the breakwater at 12th Street Beach was barely below the surface.…
read moreNew course offering: Open water journeying!
Journeying along the scenic Chicago shoreline. This has been a busy paddling season, between the private lessons and club trainings we’ve offered, the coach trainings we’ve participated in, and our personal paddling adventures.… read more
A Father’s Day poem for paddlers
To all of you dads who would rather be paddling than opening gifts amid family prattling. To all of you dads, be you homely or dashing, who want to get out on waves cresting and crashing.… read more
Photo Friday: Another excellent use for duct tape
A buoy outside of Jackson Harbor in Chicago.
A little bit wonky, but we guess it works!…
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