In case that “Google” or “Ask Jeeves” isn’t sufficient to answer your kayak question, next time try “Ask Greg”! 
You can find my new Ask Greg page among the options at the top of the screen. Please keep it in mind the next time you have a question or want to browse.
I look forward to helping you with any kayaking questions you might have.
I’m happy to report that my fragile male ego wasn’t bruised too badly, first time in a K1 
At least I didn’t unintentionally swim but my bracing and sculling skills were heavily tested. My girlfriend, Pauline Besson, did very well, and managed to stay upright, but did have a capsize or two. Most other friends who tried it went about fifteen feet, the boat flopped to its side, and into the drink they went.
For the first few minutes Pauline stabilized the K1 while I simply got accustomed to the feel. My first thought was, “You’ve got to be kidding me”! I was (over) confident that it would be a piece of cake, however the initial stability, or rather the lack of it, was much different to anything I have been in before, and that includes some very narrow V-hulled boats.
… Only tippy paddlers.
At least that’s what I used to tell students …. before I tried a K1 sprint kayak.
So why a K1? I’m working with computers again — great for cash flow and rebuilding bank accounts, but not so great for long trips and expeditions. However the silver lining is that there is plenty of time to train and complete in the local races, grow stronger, and learn some new skills. Also, my interest was piqued by what I have heard about these slender hulls. Surf the web and you will discover comments such as “the K1 is the formula 1 of the kayaking world”, “separates the men from the boys” , and “if you can paddle a K1 you can paddle anything!”. While it’s best to treat what you read on the internet with healthy skepticism, that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one!
I always find it rewarding to branch out into other aspects of the diverse world of kayak-sport. Being a “beginner” again in a new discipline is humbling, keeps you grounded and you experience the thrill of rapidly learning and improving. That’s great fun if you have been doing something for years or if you feel your skills have plateaued.
One of my nagging New Year’s resolutions was to post more often. I’m usually on to the next project/trip without wanting to write about the previous one…
I’m in the process of updating this blog to a new version of WordPress.
During this time the site may be down or incomplete. Please check back soon.
Best,
Greg Stamer
“Actually, this is just a place for my stuff … That’s all I want, that’s all you need in life, is a little place for your stuff … Everybody’s got a little place for their stuff. This is my stuff, that’s your stuff. That’ll be his stuff over there. That’s all you need in life is a little place for your stuff.” — George Carlin
My A/C has been out for weeks and it doesn’t cool down much at night in the Florida mid-summer. I have been testing myself to see how long I can keep at this game (and the energy savings have been huge). Temps inside my house have been creeping steadily upward and currently the house is a toasty 87F (30.55 C) and it’s midnight. Funny thing is, I’m heat-adapted and perfectly fine sleeping with just a pair of box fans to keep the air moving. However, the heat and humidity is finally taking a toll. My tents, jackets, and other expensive gear have started to delaminate and fail due to heat and humidity, so I’m off to get a new A/C compressor fan motor tomorrow.
Partner Linda Bartlett tries out her spanking new Impex Force 3 in Newfoundland’s Terra Nova National Park
I just returned from a whirlwind trip — teaching and speaking at the Atlantic Canadian Paddling Symposium in Nova Scotia before rushing off to Newfoundland to teach at the annual Kayak Labrador and Newfoundland (KNL) symposium. This isn’t as crazy as it sounds — next year the Atlantic Canadian Symposium will be held in Newfoundland (in lieu of the KNL event).
I should be accustomed to it by now, but it still feels silly to pack a suitcase full of winter clothes and gear, including a drysuit, and heavy wool insulation, when the mercury outside my Florida home is topping at a sweltering 90 degrees (32 C). I first experienced this disparity in 2000 when I traveled in summer to Greenland to compete in the 2000 championship. Flying from Baffin to Greenland I was shocked into reality as I gazed at the brilliant ice pans below that glistened in the sun. A chill went through me. “You’re not in Kansas any more”. Now, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia aren’t as cold as Greenland, but it did snow briefly in Newfoundland when I arrived!
Enjoying a gentle swell at La Jolla.
Jen Kleck of Aqua Adventures must have pulled a few strings with the weather Gods. Even coming from sunny Florida I could not help but to be mightily impressed with the warm, Mediterranean-like weather in San Diego. The eighth Annual Southwest Kayak Symposium, held on Mission Bay, took place in glorious Spring conditions, with brilliant greenery, crystal blue skies and palm trees swaying in the warm sun.
As a Floridian, the conditions felt familiar, but distinctly different. The expected humidity was absent and the rolling panorama of hills, the Pacific swell, the cacophony of seals and sea lions on the rocks at La Jolla, made for a very memorable event.
The Southwest Kayak Symposium is held at “CampLand on the Bay”, a funky RV campground on Mission Bay. It’s an RV camp on steroids and is a microcosm of American/California culture. Lurking amid the lush vegetation are mammoth RVs with sides that pop-out to house-sized proportions, grocery stores, hot tubs, golf-carts and other conveniences. The venue (complete with chatty parrots overhead that attempt to drown out conversations), is a great place for a symposium, with large open areas of lawn and easy water access. Mission Bay offers beginners a safe place to whet (wet?) their appetite, while nearby La Jolla (the Jewel) offers more challenging conditions with Pacific surf and sea caves.
Jean Totz (past Sweetwater partner) and Jen Kleck ( Aqua Aventures San Diego) enjoy lunch on Sunday when the temps felt “more like Florida”
Spring weather in Central Florida is moody and sometimes downright bipolar. You can be blessed with warm, summer-like days, the beaches filled with bikini-clad sun-lovers, or cold stormy skies and near freezing temperatures. Participants at the 13th Sweetwater Symposium got to sample a bit of both moods.
After a year’s hiatus the 13th annual Sweetwater Symposium was held Feb. 26 – 28, with BCU/ACA/Greenland week starting Feb. 22. Although the week started with balmy temps in the mid seventies, by Saturday a cold front bringing arctic air had paddlers bundling up in full winter gear. Dry suits in Florida? Yes, it is true. Fortunately Suzanne Hutchinson, Kokatat rep, was on hand to discuss drysuits and help paddlers with new gaskets. I was happy to have brought my Kokatat drysuit and storm cag — the same gear I wore in Iceland and Newfoundland. It was the first time I have ever needed it in Florida at midday. The cold front blew through Saturday afternoon creating some very fun and challenging conditions and paddlers were soon greeted to blue skies with warm temps on Sunday. “This is more like it”, one participant grinned, as he strode by me in shorts and sandals, on his way to the water.
Lost in Iceland was originally published in the October 2008 issue of Sea Kayaker Magazine. The entire text follows below (you may need to click on “Read the full post” to view).
I will be visiting Newfoundland again this month and beginning work on a new article for Sea Kayaker about my solo circumnavigation of Newfoundland last year. With a new project on the way, and adequate time since it was published, I’m happy to finally share this article on my website.
Lost in Iceland was meant to be different — I forced myself to be uncomfortably honest and open, but I think that made it more human and hopefully, more interesting. I have received more comments on “Lost in Iceland” than all of my other articles combined and its been translated into three additional languages for printing in various magazines and digests. The version presented here is longer than the printed version and includes some text that had to to removed due to space considerations. I hope that you enjoy it.
Greg Stamer
I have created a new gallery album of images from Iceland. I am currently working to post the complete contents of my “Lost in Iceland” article , an account of my 2007 circumnavigation, that appeared in Sea Kayaker magazine. Please check back soon!
The “Horn” on a rare day without fog. Iceland 2007.