RATINGS
A-Difficult 10 + miles
B-Moderately difficult 6-10 miles
C-Easy to moderate 3-6 miles
D-Easy 2-3 miles

TRIP RATINGS
A-D    Spring & Fall Rescue Training
B        White Point
C        Four Mile Creek - Freeport
A-D    Demonstration Day - Leeside Park
C        Upper Shoal River
C        Escambia River
C        East Bay River
B        Bunker Creek, Choctawhatchee River
B        Turkey Creek
B        Rocky Creek
A        Destin to FWB and back with dinner stop
B        Fort Pickens from Bayou Chico
A        Cross Bay - Destin to Rocky Creek
A        Cross Bay - Near Mid Bay Bridge
B        Turkey Hen Creek
B        Titi Creek
C        Yellow River - Hwy 20 to Hwy 90
C        Blackwater River
C        Lower Econfina - Snorkel Trip
A-B    Gulf
C        Pirates Cove from Liza Jackson Park
C        Alaqua Bayou & Creek
D        Basin Bayou & Creek
C        Black Creek
D        Family Day Picnic/Paddle at a Park
D        Destin Harbor - Evening Paddle
C        Point Washington or Marlice's to Mangos for food
D        Coldwater Creek
C        Juniper Creek
D        Lake Cassidy
C        Wakulla & Wacissa Overnight at Lodge
B        St. Vincent Island Overnight from Apalachicola
B        St. Andrews Park to Shell Island (Panama City)
C        Boiling Creek
C        Navarre Beach - Juanas for food
C        Toms Bayou from Lincoln Park
B        Boathouse Sunday Brunch / Turkey Creek
B        Cinco Bayou
B        Garnier Bayou

In order to gain access to a number of great areas for paddling you will need a pass. You can purchase a pass at the Jackson Guard on Hwy 85 just north of Hwy 20 in Niceville.  Keep in mind Rocky Creek, Turkey Creek, Boiling Creek, Weaver Creek, Titi Creek, Shoal River, and other rivers and creeks are on the base.

Jackson Guard hours are Monday thru Thursday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm, Friday 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday 7:30 am to 12:30 pm. 

The Forward Stroke

By Ed DeBee - ACA Sea Kayak Instructor

We all use it. I'm guessing most of us use the forward stoke about 90% of the time we're moving our kayaks through the water. However, we may not be taking advantage of some techniques that will make forward progress more efficient and less tiring. Here are some tips.

To find the correct hand placement on the shaft, hold the paddle over the head, then lower the shaft until the upper arms form a straight line with the shoulders and base of the neck. Now make sure the elbows are at 90 degrees to the upper arms. Your forearms should look like a football goal post. Make sure there are equal portions of the shaft extending beyond the hands. You've now formed rectangle with your shaft being one long side and your upper arms and chest being the other. The short side of our rectangle (called the Paddler's Box) is formed by the forearms.

Lower the paddle until the shaft is chest high while preserving your Paddler's Box. Now relax your grip. Most cases of tendonitis come from a tight grip forcing the wrist to bend left and right. Ah, that's better. Now try to maintain the rectangle while rotating your torso. That's right, we are going to put the right blade forward by twisting at the waist and “aiming” the chest toward the 10 O'clock position (12 O'clock being the bow of our kayak.) This is called the “wind up.”

Now raise your left elbow bringing the right blade to the water. As the blade is about to enter the water, try sliding it under with a slight forward motion of the left elbow. This is a little like spearing a fish. Doing this prevents splash caused by pulling down on the blade. It also extends the blade an inch or two farther forward giving a longer power stroke.

Once the blade starts into the water (called the Catch), avoid the temptation to pull with the right arm. Rather, begin the stroke by pushing with the top arm while unwinding the powerful back muscles you just worked hard to wind up. The best technique I've found while unwinding is to use about 60% push with the top hand and 40% pull with the bottom hand. Since the shaft is resting in the vee of the top hand, no extra work is required to hold the shaft. So, open those fingers up there in the sky and let them have some blood flow. At the moment of the Catch, the shaft going through the bottom hand should be held by the index and middle finger and exit your hand almost at the tip of your little finger. As the unwind progresses start closing the ring and little finger so that all four fingers grip the shaft as you pass through 12 O'clock with your chest.

When the right hand is even with your right hip you should be facing 2 O'clock and the right blade should be lifted or “Clipped” from the water. Do not continue the forward stroke beyond the hip during the power phase of this stroke. Doing so will cause you to lift water upward with the power face, forcing the kayak hull deeper into the water and slowing forward progress. Now you are wound up and ready to repeat the process with the left blade on the other side of your boat.

Once you've got this motion smooth, try using the ball of your power side foot to push on the peg. For the right side stroke above, your right foot should be pushing on the right peg while your left foot is relaxed. This prevents your buttocks from sliding forward in the seat while in the power phase and delivers all the energy of your stroke to the hull. Use your left foot to push when forward stroking on the left side.

Now to review. Set up the paddlers box, relax the grip, wind up, raise the back elbow, spear the fish, unwind, push with the top hand, pull with the bottom hand, push with the power side foot and relax the foot on the free blade side. Don't let your power hand extend beyond your hip and when it gets there clip the blade from the water. Remember, this method helps us use the large back muscles which don't tire as easily as arm muscles and that is the secret to endurance.

Does it work? When I started paddling it took about 1,000 strokes to make a mile, now I'm down to around 680. Works for me. Practice and have fun on the water.

Please visit Ed's Kayak Website for more info about him and other great information. http://users3.ev1.net/~edebee/

Its time to take cover.  Did you know that in Florida during last 38 years 90% of the deaths and injuries due to lightning occurred during the months of May, June, July, August, and September? On an annual basis there are more thunderstorms, as well as more lightning related deaths and injuries, in Florida than in any other state.

What are you chances of being hit by lightning while boating?  Well statistically  more people get hit while standing in an open field during a thunderstorm.  25% percent of the people killed by lightning in the last 38 years occurred while they were engaged in a water-related activity.  And remember the reason more people get hit in an open field is that there are probably just more people on land than in the water at any given time.  Plus you have to remember to include all the golfers carrying their own lighting rods.

A lightning report prepared by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has some interesting information and safety tips.  Most people believe that if they are outside the thunderstorm rain area, they are not at risk from lightning.  This is not true.  When thunder is heard, especially if the lightning strike is within three miles, you should seek shelter.  The adage “if you hear thunder you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning” has lots of merit.  Cars are safe from lightning.  WRONG.  The belief that the rubber tires on a car or the rubber soles of shoes protect the wearer from being struck by lightning is incorrect.  Due to the extremely high voltage associated with lightning, rubber soles or rubber tires provide little or no protection.  It is true that the inside of steel framed car with a metal top is much safer than being outside, but you must make sure you are not in contact with any metal.  Open-top cars or convertibles offer no protection.

So what do you do to protect yourself? Reschedule your outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. One of the safest places from lightning is the inside of a sturdy building.  You should avoid small sheds or isolated trees.

Ant stings can easily become infected and can leave permanent scars.  Fire ant venom is an oily alkaliod mixed with a little protein. Your one chance to lessen the effect of the bite is to quickly break down the protein.  You can dab the bite with diluted beach or cover it with a paste of meat tenderizer and water.  Treatment must occur with in 15 minutes after the bite to be effective.  If a bite leads to chest pains, nausea, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling or slurred speech, you should be taken to an emergency medical facility immediately.

It never hurts to keep in mind what to do in case of a snake bite emergency.  If anyone in the group has a cell phone that could be dropped into a dry-bag it could save a life.  Also, at any point in a paddle, could you identify your position to a life-flight crew?  Take mental notes along the way: notice open meadows for possible landing zones, or identifying landmarks such as power lines crossing the river.  Plan for contingencies such as stopping halfway and hiking out to the nearest road. Let’s be safe out there!