Team Fat Paddler and Friends on Middle Harbour

The best days are always the ones shared with good friends. On this particular day Team Fat Paddler met up at new member Seaman Riddler’s place on Middle Harbour for a bbq and some seal launch fun. We were also joined by Malcolm from Carbonology Skis who fortunately went easy on us in the speed stakes! From there on it was all fun as we ate, paddled and swam our way through the session! Hope you enjoy the video. Cheers, FP

Tags: Team Fat Paddler

The Riddler launches himself down the ramp. Easy, right?

Over the last year I’ve come to know a rugby-loving fella via Twitter who also has a penchant for paddling. We’ve met a few times and always share a good laugh, and a few weeks ago “The Riddler”, as we’ve decided to call him, joined Team Fat Paddler for the Summer Series race at Balmoral. We lost him somewhere on the course but we have it on good authority he went swimming and needed a rescue much like our own Captain Grumm in the Bridge to Beach earlier this year. Not that it kept him from the sausages at the end of course!

Earlier this week he sent us a video of his attempts at seal launching off his own boat jetty, a video that made me laugh so much that I had to share it with the rest of Team Fat Paddler. I think Commander Alan summed it up perfectly when he wrote, “congratulations on an exemplary video in the TFP ouvre: suicidal, potentially damaging to equipment, and performed with very little forethought or planning but maximum optimism”. I couldn’t have put it better myself. But enough of us, have a giggle at the The Riddler’s expense.

Needless to say the video pushed our friendship with Riddler to that extra level and as a result he was invited to join Team Fat Paddler. With a resounding “yes”, Seaman Riddler was accepted as our latest team mate, and we look forward to watching him do more silly things with us… as well as perhaps teaching him how to brace and self-rescue – ha! Cheers, FP

Seaman Riddler about to demonstrate the effectiveness of the non-paddle-brace

Seaman Riddler, the newest addition to Team Fat Paddler. Welcome aboard Seaman!

Tags: seal launch, Seaman Riddler

Lt Cmdr Gelo having a heap of fun at the newly named "Gelo Cliffs"

A small contingent of Team Fat Paddler gathered at the The Spit to see off one of the team’s most popular members, Lt Cmdr Gelo. After a year paddling canoes and kayaks with us, the Greek-born Gelo has had to return to Europe to take care of some family matters, leaving behind a country he loves and a team he’d found friendships within. Nat, Grumm, Gelo and I set out for the last TFP paddle before Gelo’s departure, with him determined to squeeze in as many different paddling experiences as possible into the session.

Cruising past the Grotto Point rock garden

Gelo exploring some rocks looking for some fun

The morning’s conditions were pretty flat with virtually no surfable waves at all, but we were able to find some swell coming into the Grotto Reserve cliffs which made for some interesting paddling in rebound and froth. Gelo and I backed our boats into the cliffs and played around in the bouncy stuff whilst our faster paddling mates in their composite boats took off for safer waters… which we discovered later meant a cafe in Manly! In the meantime Gelo and I decided to rename the Grotto Reserve cliffs to “Gelo Cliffs” in honour of his previous thrashing during our session with Captain Kuk of the Tsunami Rangers.

Rebound and spray, a great way to wake up in the morning!

After a few hours playing in the rocks the rest of the team returned and we made our way back to The Spit where we were joined by Lt Cmdr Alan for the usual Egg & Bacon roll breakfast…. Gelo’s last until he someday returns to our shores.

Finding some fun at the newly named "Gelo Cliffs"

Starting to get pretty bouncy now at Gelo Cliffs

Oh yeah! I think we're having fun now!!

When the morning was done, we took a quick moment to interview Gelo about his experiences in the team. We’ve added his responses to the following video dedicated to his year with Team Fat Paddler… a year of crazy stuff ranging from horse rescues, to rock gardening, to the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic and more.

So from all of us at Team Fat Paddler, safe travels and fare thee well. Stay in contact and your Aussie friends will await your return when fate leads you back Down Under. Cheers – FP.

A final photo with Team Fat Paddler. Take care Gelo!

Tags: Gelo, Gelo Cliffs, rock gardening, rock gardens

The Epic V8 (white) and the Think Fit (orange & white).

Welcome to the first guest review on FatPaddler.com! Team Fat Paddler Sub Lieutenant Nat Bradford is a recent convert to the ocean-ski genre and is enjoying immersing himself in the new world of paddling that is opening up for him.

[Author: Nat Bradford] Being very new to the whole surf ski caper, my introduction to the water on the Epic V8 has been a great experience. The boat is stable – really stable. My first test runs on various skis involved me under them more than on them, but with the Epic V8 I was able to get underway and stay upright without needing to resort to major pilates-style core strength and balancing exercises.

Two beautiful boats catering to new paddlers to the ocean ski genre

So after six months of trial and error, and a life changing lesson from Jim Walker (thanks again for making me paddle with you and the tinny attached to the front of the ski, Jimmy), I’ve now completed a few races and countless acts of lunacy with Capt FP and have become a very low skilled surf skier (see what happened prior to my lesson, below).

I’ve become very comfortable with my Epic V8, but the recent arrival of the stunning looking entry-level ski/kayak hybrid, the Think Fit, had me intrigued. On first impressions it looks as though someone had stuck the front of a Think Evo to the back of a sea kayak and just blended them together. That’s not to say it doesn’t look good, it’s just hard to get your head around. Further cross-dressing comes in the form of a raised seat within an enclosed cockpit, a-la sea kayak, but with ski-style rudder pedals. It also has the option for a kayak skirt, and a small day hatch behind the seat that could prove useful on long hauls.

Looks like a ski... errr, no it looks like a kayak. Hmm, no maybe a ski....

Without too much thought, I jumped in and set out from Sydney Harbour Kayaks on a quick shake down paddle. I’d initially left the pedal length too short, but wanted to see just how tippy the Fit felt in comparison to the Epic, and with my knees in my chest this wasn’t going to be a hard task. I was surprised by just how far you could tip without falling out, but suspect if this was the first boat I’d ever paddled, I may not share that sentiment. My other impression, possibly because of its roughly 2kg weight advantage over the V8, was that it was faster from a standing start to  top speed (at least the top speed I could manage). This was after adjusting the pedal length, which was a little trickier than expected due to the screw in mounts versus the quick release plugs on the V8. And one major plus on the side of the V8 – a ruler next to the pedal adjustment/heel mounts makes for matching both sides up just that little bit easier – the simplest ideas are often the best.

A cockpit with moulded seat like a ski, a drain like a ski, and pedals.. like a ski!

But if I’ve learnt one thing from my short time in skis, the one who spends the most time on top of the ski is going to have the most fun. Through necessity, I’m now very proficient at self-rescue so when the inevitable spill happened, I backed myself to be back in the Think in no time. However, the design differences between the Epic and the Think become very apparent at this point, as I drifted into The Spit channel after attempting and failing to re-enter the Fit about half a dozen times – on the one hand I’m glad no one saw me flailing about, but on the other hand I’m not sure anyone was coming to help if I got really stuck. It seems to be a much less forgiving boat to get back into and I imagine this will deter newbies keen to learn the ropes. It’s not that the basic re-entry technique needs to change much, but the action of having to swing your legs into an enclosed foot well is a whole different skill that I’m sure our sea kayak friends know well, but one I’d guess most skiers just aren’t that used to.

Differences in cockpit design make recovery a different proposition for each boat

Back on dry land, I had a chat with SHK’s Candice who’s running paddle fitness training sessions with both the V8 and the Fit – she also thought the Fit was likely to be tippier for a beginner, but that its weight advantage might be better for lighter paddlers and women (ie not someone wearing a TFP t-shirt, for example). We both agreed it was hard to be too critical though given its potential speed benefits, and that neither of us had tested it in swell or surf (NB: this is me comparing notes with a world-class iron woman – which would be like me comparing my low-grade suburban rugby career with that of Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom).

There's no such thing as tippy boats, just tippy paddlers!

I’ll reserve my judgement on the Think Fit until the lads at Think can arrange an open ocean demo at some stage – it’ll be good to have the help around when I need to get back into it! There’s a lot to like – speed, lightness, good looks, but I think I’ve got that already… with my Epic V8, that is.

Two very nice beginner boats... now which one to choose??

Of course, if you’ve never been in a ski before and are keen to join the ever growing legion, give both boats a try – one thing is for certain: when you’re done, you’ll buy one of them!

Sub Lieutenant Nat Bradford - lover of beer, rugby and ski paddling

[FPs Note: A warm thanks to Nat for penning this opinion piece on these entrant boats for the growing sport of ocean skis. And I'd like to especially thank him for that entertaining impersonation of a submarine - haha!]

Tags: epic v8, Kayak Review, Nat Bradford, ocean ski, Think Fit

Paddlers in Australia and New Zealand - prepare to mobilise!

I received a cryptic email last night from Commander Soares of the Tsunami Rangers. The short note urged me to respond to the Big Sur Challenge, a call to the watermen and women of the world to take up their paddles, steel themselves with courage and hunt the wild coastline of  California for the fabled Neptune’s Castle. This imposing pyramid-like rock, awash with giant Pacific swell crashing against its steep sides, hides a treasure left by the Tsunami Rangers some 25 years earlier. A note in a bottle, at the very top of the Castle.

That's not a castle, THIS is a castle! South coast of Australia (Flickr credit: fritzmb)

Reading between the lines, I couldn’t help but feel that Commander Soares was thumbing his nose at his Antipodean brethren. As he shouts out to the coastal paddle tribes of the US and Canada, his omission of the tough coastal warriors Down Under rang loudly in my ears. Clearly he thinks we are incapable, too weak, too apathetic to take up his challenge.

Southern paddlers preparing their raids on the Big Cur

But it’s not the first time the forgotten southern tribes have been underestimated. When the German hordes swept through France back in 1918 they didn’t anticipate coming up against the great ANZAC corps, their troopers fighting fearlessly in slouch and lemon squeezer hats, depriving the Teutonic invaders of their prize. In peacetime the cocky never-beaten Americans forfeited the America’s Cup after 132 years to first the Aussies (1983) and then the Kiwis (1995) in the world’s greatest sailing race. Throughout history the usually laid back nations of the Southern Cross would happily bide their time until the moment to pounce was right, before boarding their metaphorical war canoes in search of sleeping giants to slay.

Training grounds for Kiwis and Aussies - southern cliff zones

And so I put the call out to great water warriors of Australia and New Zealand to form a new paddle tribe, the Southern Raiders.  To the surfers of Margaret River in the far west, the shark-wranglers of Ceduna in the south, the croc-running white-water paddlers of the north, and the Pacific cliff-runners to the east. To the great sea kayakers of Tasmania, the white-water rafters of Murchison, the mighty waka warriors of Waitangi and the glacial heli-rafters of the Whataroa River. To all my Aussie and Kiwi brothers and sisters, I call on you to sign-up to wrestle the mantle of glory from the North Americans, to find and scale the mighty Neptune’s Castle. Then with a flag of the Southern Cross planted firmly at its peak, the left over remnants of a pavlova dotting the landscape, and the tell-tale empty cans of Speights and VB, the Californian paddle tribes will know the Southern Raiders have paid them a little visit.

Behind FP, the way to California.. across the great Pacific Ocean

Of course I cannot do this alone. Will YOU heed the call of the Southern Raiders? Grab a case of beer or a bottle of rum, dust off the kayak, pack your thongs or jandals and get ready for the northern adventure. Leave a comment below and let me know you’re in! Cheers – FP

Tags: Big Sur, Big Sur Challenge, Neptunes Castle, Southern Raiders, Tsuname Rangers