John, Sharon & Rob do Broughton Island

Rob has written this brief summary of his trip out to Broughton Island last weekend with Sharon & John.

Standing at the lookout above Fingal Bay we still couldnt see any evidence of the Northerly headwind that was forecast to blow all day at around 15-20knots. A fat 2 meter swell was breaking across the Fingal Spit "zipper style", but in deep water there was only an occasional ruffle on an otherwise glassy sea. In the distance Broughton island faded in and out of focus in a light mist.

After rounding Yacaaba we cruised north waiting for the stronger headwind to arrive, but it never happened. 

Our Campsite offered stunning views across the cove but our first mild starlit night gradually gave way to a fierce south easterly wind and pouring rain,  In the  morning the very versatile John set up the tarp as a shelter just in time for a lazy hot breakfast and espresso coffee and we were all so glad to be there with another day up our sleeve that the dramatic shift in weather did nothing to dampen our spirits. 

Managing expectations is often the biggest challenge when heading out to Broughton Island.  In the local scene everyone knows "Broughton" is home to: huge sharks, prolific whale sightings, great camping, beautiful walks through coastal heath with stunning vistas at every corner, abundant fish life hiding in the rock gardens, a heavily indented coastline inviting exploration and of course, the thrill of arriving there by kayak with the Iconic Looking Glass Rock and Little Broughton Island guarding the entrance to the refuge of Esmerelda Cove.

So as we enjoyed our cosy retreat amidst the conditions with the tarp slapping and straining, I wondered how many of the Island's many treats we would enjoy during the rest of our visit.

The  video above answers most of my questions, but we left out the capture and consumption of several delicious fish and gratefully did not have to tick the box for huge sharks. It also empasises the extra effort required to manouvre fully loaded boats in tight spaces!

Rob Mercer.

A Royal Challenge Indeed

Cue 'Chariots of Fire'.... Running the last stretch to the end of the weekly BBAC Club Trial

Last November I pulled alongside a guy paddling his V10 back into Gunammatta Bay from the Hacking, as I was heading out for a run along the coast. He was struggling a bit into the tide and told me it was his last hit out before the Royal Challenge, a 21km paddle split between a 21km trail run along the picturesque Lady Carrington Drive in the Royal National Park.
He asked me if I'd be interested and straight away I shot back, 'nah I'm a paddler, never been a runner'. Turns out the tired dude was Steve, the race organiser, so I offered some prizes in the way of sponsorship, as we're always happy to get behind events with a paddling element supporting such a worthy cause (the KIDS Foundation).
I went home and thought about my reflex answer, and while it's true even in my days playing rugby I was far more likely to run over someone than around them, I figured it was a bit of a cop-out to decide that 'I don't do that'! You know the story, Dragons don't dance, knights don't knit, witches don't play hopscotch etc etc....

So, for the first half of this year I've been slowly toughening up my 'undercarriage', running as little as 2-3km to begin with, trying to acclimate my hips, quads and joints to the joys of high impact, repetitive strain running. Running types I've spoken to have all said I'll be aerobically fit enough &, to my likely detriment, mentally tough enough to finish a half marathon along a bush track, but I'll probably hurt myself in the process unless I build very slowly. All the warnings about knees, Achilles tendons, hip flexors, even hammies have been heeded.
My kids run down at Brighton Beach Athletics Club each winter Sunday morning, and last season I simply turned up with my coffee and watched. This year I've joined the club and have started the program which will see me hopefully doing the 12km trials by September. Seven weeks in & I am now completing a weekly 6km time trial with the club.
I'm off the near front mark in the handicap race, and yesterday for the first triumphantly gunned down the runner in front of me at the 4km mark, only realising when we got back to the finish (with him coming hard at me again) that he was about 70! It's humbling to be the guy who is clearly identified as the beginner, and equally humbling to be quietly offered sound advice about breathing, running style, programs for building strength etc from the other club runners at the post race warm down.
One of the things Rob always impresses on me is to try to remember what it's like to start out at something, because you're a better instructor for it. So far I'm not having to try too hard when it comes to running.
I enjoy being outside my comfort zone and trying on new physical and mental challenges to an end. The goal is always what motivates me, but the spin offs are staying healthy and fit. Give me a paddle event or trip to work towards, and in a month I can be fit and ready to go. This running caper will take a lot more commitment and has already be a harder road to hoe, just great.

If anyone else is thinking about taking on the Royal Challenge, details of the race can be found on their excellent website HERE. For paddlers not so keen on committing to such a bloody big run through the bush, I have about half a dozen very competitive club runners who are interested in doing the run leg, in the teams event with a paddler. The race is on November 23, so all those Hawkesbury paddlers should still be on top of their game for a shorter challenge. I'm secretly waiting for a paddling mate to step up & have a crack as well, that will be all the motivation I need to get really serious about it all!
Expedition Kayaks are once again sponsors of the event.

First Aid Refresher

Rob & I need to have up-to-date first aid qualifications as part of our Australian Canoeing Sea Instructor qualifications, and by coincidence our current certificates were both due to expire this month.
Sharon managed to find a little gem in Eden Findlay, a local emergency & first aid trainer who runs his Senior First Aid course out of a legendary local watering hole of which I have particularly warm & hazy memories, the Clovelly Hotel.
I've heard long & mournful whining over the years about the folly of us sea paddlers having to update our ticket every three years, and it's generally the single factor that causes people to allow their leader, guide or instructor qualifications to lapse.
I have a more cheerful view on it all, having had to use my first aid skills in two life threatening situations over the past few years. The first (link HERE) was a successful resuscitation of a poor dude who had stopped breathing and was for all money as dead as Julius Cesar. The second was just last year in Melbourne helping a young girl out of an horrific car crash and making sure she didn't lapse into shock.
Both experiences left me feeling very empowered, in stark contrast to the onlookers present who were mostly in a state of shock themselves, with a few admitting afterwards to their shame that they 'just wouldn't have known what to do'.

Eden was brilliant, tuning into the water-specific emergencies with which we are most likely to deal & tailoring the day to our needs, whilst still running through the full range of the First Aid spectrum. As always, in three years since my last refresher things have changed. It's now optional to perform the 'mouth to mouth' part of CPR, with chest compressions the overwhelmingly more important element of the first aid. We got to play with Epi Pens, and will now carry them in our first aid kits in the kayak. We'll probably also invest in a resuscitation bag. Jellyfish sting treatment has changed (again…!)
To top off all of the great info Eden provided he also shouts you a ripper of a counter lunch & a cold schooner. It was the most lucid & enjoyable day I've spent in the Cloey Hotel ever!
If you're thinking about doing a first aid course or a refresher with some mates, please consider Eden's services. His company is EFI Training & you can contact him at bodyburner@bigpond.com.
And finally, don't just consider it, do it. A community full of first aid trained citizens would be a safer place.

I'm not crying....

....it's that bloke with the bucket throwing litres of water into my eyes.....

Rob, Greg & I met 'Katriana & Simon' down at Bundeena yesterday with some promising bar conditions in the offing.

 Greg in front of the pile

 Greg on top of the pile...

A steep southerly swell, and the prospect of a stiff breeze swinging offshore, lured all five of us down for a dip.

Simon & Katriana Danson (not their real names)

What transpired was a wacky afternoon surfing in amongst the chop and waves. Wave faces lifted by the wind had plenty of steepness but very little drive - my top speed all arvo just broached 10kmh.
The part of the Bay cut up most by the wind opposing the flooding spring tide was right in the middle of the fastest part of the ride, so you'd hook into a steep face and then 'mogul' your way through a maze of whitecaps and bumps, all the while copping a torrent of cold salt water in the chops.
The volume of spray made it almost impossible to see what you were doing, which kind of underlined how important some semblance of vision is when you're surfing.

I can just the see the pitiful expressions on the faces of readers who sat in front of the weekly budget reports all Friday arvo while we were out suffering....
Enjoy the video of Rob busting some moves in the Gemini SP.

Rob's Pics

Rob is forever experimenting with cameras, angles, techniques for shooting paddlers in rough water, & sent me through a few pics from his paddles on Saturday & Tuesday. Enjoy them….

 Tuesday crew head back into the harbour

 Bound for North Head

 Paul in front of the Hornby Light

 Rescue practice

 Matt framed through the arc of water lifted by Rob's roll

 Steve & Kate head for the Gap

 TK taking a shower

 Sydney cliffs

Late arvo outside the Heads

Rob Schumacher Exhibition

Paddling mate Rob Schumacher has been busy putting together a body of work for an upcoming art exhibition on the edge of Sydney Harbour. A few of the paintings being exhibited are expansions on snapshots Rob has taken from his kayak, paddling around & outside the Sydney area.
We're heading along to the opening on May 25, & encourage paddlers to get down to the Landship Gallery at Mosman & have a look for themselves. It's a great venue overlooking Camp Cove and the Heads.
You can read more about Rob's art on his website - www.robschumacher.com.au

When the Planets Align….

So the theory goes, mid ebb + long period swell with some east or otherwise very big from the south + offshore wind = perfect runs on our favourite bar surf spot.
On a clear Tuesday morning, with conditions kinda shaping that way, we paddled across from Wally's Wharf hopeful but not too convinced, taking fast boats in case there was some tiny ingredient that Poseidon had left on the shelf.

Happily, the bar was right on song, a fleeting but seemingly more frequent event in the current wacky Sydney weather patterns, and we had a ripper of a time.
Rob got to spend a couple of hours sussing out the Pace 17 in the surf, while I went looking for steeper & steeper sections in my V10, with mixed success!
We also tested out a couple of camera mounts which change-up the well worn angles a bit.
All done, of course, in the name of product research.