PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.
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Cyril Derreumaux and the USCG search and rescue crew. Photo: Courtesy of Cyril Derreumaux
Cyril Derreumaux aborted his attempt to paddle solo in his custom kayak, Valentine, from San Francisco, California to Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday, June 5th. The sea state had deteriorated significantly with wind speeds exceeding 45 knots and troughs in the swell greater than 4.5 m. The challenging conditions on the ocean were compounded by the dual outages of his tracking and navigation equipment and his sea anchor becoming disabled in the storm. The latter left the Valentine in a precarious state at the mercy of the great Pacific.
As night fell, Cyril knew the situation had become unsustainable as he was unable to eat, drink, sleep, or communicate reliably with his support team onshore. The Valentine had drifted within approximately 60 nautical miles of the California coast and after consulting with his support team, Cyril made the decision to request an emergency evacuation.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) promptly initiated a Search & Rescue operation and Cyril was hoisted from the deck of the Valentine into a USCG helicopter around midnight.
The Valentine remains adrift at sea and plans are underway to track and recover the kayak.
For details on Cyril Derreumaux’s preparations for the excursion, read Kayaker Plans Solo Journey from California to Hawaii.
Up until this point, my river paddling experience had been limited to the South Platte River. I was looking forward to developing my skills as a whitewater paddler and knew the Arkansas River with its faster flow and small rapids would be a whole new ball game. The river was running at around 760 cfs, a good solid flow. I met up with three friends at Wilderness Aware Rafting in Johnson Village, just south of Buena Vista Colorado.
When I arrived, Steve who I first met during my Downriver SUP class a month ago, was already there. He had taken the initiative to organize the trip and we exchanged greetings and began the ritual of prepping our boards. Steve and I both have inflatables from Hala. I have the Straight Up which is an all-around board and Steve has the Atcha. The Atcha is three inches wider and a foot shorter than the Straight Up and is designed specifically for white water. As Steve and I began pumping up our boards, Shane and Melissa showed up and pulled out their Hala boards. Shane has the Hoss while Melissa paddles a Straight Up. All together we looked like a Hala advertisement!
Once all our boards were fully inflated to the requisite PSI we carried them down to the launch spot. We shuttled a couple of vehicles to the pull-out area at Fishermen’s Bridge which is roughly four miles south. We all got pumped for our first SUP trip down the Arkansas River on the drive back to the launch area!
Launching on the Arkansas River
Looking at the river, I could tell it was moving swiftly. Steve launched first and was immediately pushed down river and had to navigate around the rapids and rocks. When it was my chance to join the fray, I popped up on my board and started paddling. I was headed right towards a large rock and instinctively used the bow stroke I learned in my Downriver SUP course to correct the direction of my board away from the rock. Once I passed the first rock I scanned down river to see what was next. Almost non-stop class II-III rapids!
The four of us moved downriver through the rapids. There was a group of rocks around the first bend on the right so I steered left through some rapids. My board spun 30 degrees to the left which caused me to go through the rapids at an angle. First fall of the day! The water was cold yet refreshing. I quickly scrambled up on my board and got into my stance because I knew the next set of rapids was coming soon.
Later downriver we pulled to the side to rest as we all needed a breather. Steve talked about how fast the river was moving and how it did not allow you a break. You constantly had to stay focused on keeping your board pointed downriver to navigate around the rocks, or sometimes shoot the gap between rocks. We relaxed on the river bank and took in the views of the Collegiate Peaks and enjoyed the Colorado sunshine. A perfect day for paddling.
The rapids were less frequent further down river and we discovered multiple chances to play in the eddies. I saw everyone getting more confident with paddling on the river, including myself, as the trip progressed.
After two hours we reached our exit point at Fishermen’s Bridge. We pulled our SUPs out of the water and congratulated each other on a successful river SUP trip. After packing our gear we headed to Buena Vista for some well-earned snacks and drinks at the Deerhammer Distilling Company. I recommend trying their Downtime Single Malt Whiskey…very smooth.
#DeerhammerDistillingCompany #ArkansasRiver #WhitewaterPaddling #HalaGear #WildernessAwareRafting #Colorado
PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.
© PaddleXaminer 2023 – All Rights Reserved
LivBar is a vegan, USDA certified organic nutrition bar packaged in a compostable wrapper. Available in five exciting flavors, the ingredients in LivBars are sourced from the highest quality Certified USDA Organic ingredients. AND, all the ingredients are listed in plain English right there on the label. What’s more, every LivBar is made in the company’s innovative solar powered facility here on the West Coast in Salem, Oregon.
Additional attributes include:
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Organic, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, corn free, and GMO free.
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They don’t melt or freeze which makes them perfect to carry with you while paddling or stash in your car for a quick post-paddling snack.
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Provide balanced, sustainable energy with healthy fats, carbs, fiber and protein in whole food form.
Our Take
In a market seemingly saturated with products, each making similar, if not identical claims, LivBar has pulled off an upset by introducing an energy bar that is refreshingly unique and highly satisfying. We’re a bit food motivated here at PaddleXaminer and take it from me, LivBars are fantastic! They taste great and are the perfect portion size for a post-paddling snack. 🤗
If you are looking for a clean tasting energy bar that is highly portable, organic, and sustainably packaged by a small, family-owned business, LivBar is definitely for you. 👍👍
The 14th Annual Cape Cod Bay Challenge (CCBC), the oldest and most recognized stand up paddle (SUP) event in the Northeast, returns this year in-person and virtually to benefit Christopher’s Haven, a home for kids when cancer hits home. Paddlers will complete the challenge either on their own time from various locations between Saturday, July 24 and Saturday, July 31, 2021, or by participating in an in-person paddle on Saturday, July 31, 2021 from Duxbury Beach.
For the first time, the CCBC is offering two different in-person paddle options: a 16-mile distance paddle, or a five-mile “CCBC-Lite” paddle. Distance paddlers will depart Duxbury Beach at Noon on Saturday, July 31 and make their way north up the coast and into the South River to finish at the Rail Trail Bridge 7-miles up the river. CCBC-Lite paddlers will start near the Sea Street Bridge in Marshfield and meet up with the distance paddlers at approximately 4pm to head up the South River to the finish. Upon arrival at the Rail Trail bridge, paddlers will exit the water and walk their boards across the street to the After Paddle Celebration at the Levitate Backyard & Rexicana Surf Cantina from 6:00 – 9:00pm. Paddlers and non-paddlers alike are welcome at the celebration, but all must register to attend.
Based on the success of the virtual paddle last year, the CCBC is offering a remote paddle option for those who want to raise money and awareness for Christopher’s Haven but can’t participate in-person this year, or who may want to participate but live in another part of the country. Virtual paddlers nationwide will take to the water from a location of their choice to paddle a minimum 15-mile route between Saturday, July 24 and Saturday, July 31. Virtual paddlers should not paddle alone and will be required to have a support boat if they are paddling a route that will take them further than 1/8 of a mile offshore.
After registration, all paddlers will receive a link to set up a GoFundMe 2021 CCBC page to help raise funds for Christopher’s Haven.
“The tradition of the CCBC will carry on this year in three unique, exciting ways,” said CCBC Co-founder Bob Babcock. “By adding a shorter, five-mile paddle this year we hope to reach even more people for our in-person event while still offering the virtual paddle option. Our safety protocols will still be strictly enforced as our paddlers’ safety remains our top priority.”
100% of the proceeds from the CCBC will benefit Christopher’s Haven, located at One Emerson Place in Boston’s West End, across the street from Massachusetts General Hospital. Over 500 families have stayed at Christopher’s Haven to date, and the Cape Cod Bay Challenge’s support over the past 14 years has contributed to making those stays possible.
“It’s invaluable what Bob Babcock, Mike Chase, and their team at Cape Cod Bay Challenge has done to support us for well over a decade,” said Christopher’s Haven Executive Director Joyce Duvall. “We cherish all of our partners, but it’s truly special when an organization from outside the Boston region supports our cause and spreads the word about what we do to other parts of the state and beyond. Christopher’s Haven is welcoming and accepting of families and children from all over the state, the country and the world, and organizations like CCBC help us get that message across,” added Duvall.
Christopher’s Haven operates and manages nine residential apartments and a community area (The Loft) that offers a space for recreation, sharing and support for the families. As of May 2021, 500 families have stayed in the fully furnished and equipped apartments located at One Emerson Place (across the street from Massachusetts General Hospital). Families value the close proximity to the area medical centers, treasure the ability to be together in an apartment setting with their whole immediate family, and cherish the much-needed support with other families facing similar circumstances during interaction in The Loft.
Paddler registration, ticket information, and pricing can be found by visiting Eventbrite.
About Christopher’s Haven
Opened on Labor Day 2006, Christopher’s Haven is a 501(c)(3) organization located in Boston, Massachusetts with a mission to operate a supportive community consisting of nine temporary apartments and a community recreation area for families of children being treated for cancer in nearby Boston hospitals. Christopher’s Haven holds the distinction of being the only organization of its kind that offers an apartment setting for the entire family, specific programs and activities for children undergoing outpatient treatment, as well as programs for siblings and parents, and takes full advantage — through the help of an extensive volunteer network — of both the unparalleled medical and cultural advantages of Boston. For more information, please visit http://www.christophershaven.org.
PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.
© PaddleXaminer 2023 – All Rights Reserved
Hi PaddleXaminer, I’m starting to look at new boards and the dugout shape caught my eye. any shot you will write an article about the pros & cons of each board type? It’d be great to read about the differences. Thanks, Eric
Great question! The number of dugout standup paddleboards is on the rise presenting paddlers with some interesting options. Dugout shapes are all about lowering your center of gravity to increase stability. This is why many SUPs with a dugout shape are designed for rough water and downwind paddling.
Shapers have incorporated a recessed standing area to lower your center of gravity and increase stability into SUPs for many years. The dugout shapes simply take that design concept to the next level. In terms of pros and cons, dugout shapes are pretty specific to racing and fitness paddling. They have a true cockpit and you will feel a bit enclosed. Once you get past the idea that you’re paddling a bathtub, the dugout shapes are capable of performing exceedingly well in rough water due to the paddler’s lower center of gravity. Some paddle athletes swear by them, other’s prefer to keep it traditional and stick with a flat deck.
The increased stability gained by lowering your center of gravity has the knock on effect of enabling you to paddle a narrower board. A narrower board is a faster board, assuming of course you can stand on it! As a result, there are a few flatwater SUPs, the Infinity Whiplash comes to mind, that are available in a dugout variant for elite racers. So, if you really want to make the most of lowering your center of gravity and paddling a narrow board, choose a dugout shape.
If you prefer the fluidity of being able to move around on the deck, would like to add accessories such as a deck bag to your SUP, paddle with a pet or other family members, then a traditional flat deck SUP is probably a better option. My personal board is a flat deck Infinity Downtown. I tested the dugout version, and while it was cool, I felt the versatility of a flat deck was a better option for me.
I hope this helps!
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PaddleXaminer is a veteran owned publication based in Los Angeles, California. We provide stories, gear reviews, and news for adventurers on and off the water.
© PaddleXaminer 2023 – All Rights Reserved
Casio America, Inc., is pleased to announce the latest additions to its PRO TREK collection of outdoor timepieces – the PRT-B50T-7 and PRT-B50YT-1. The new PRT-B50T-7 and PRT-B50YT-1 boast a functional design with a wide watch face that incorporates a large, rotating resin bezel and Arabic numeral indices. The PRT-B50T-7 is outfitted with a silver titanium band, and the PRT-B50YT-1 with a Black IP titanium band which makes them easy to take from a professional setting to the great outdoors.
Like their predecessors, the new PRT-B50T-7 and PRT-B50YT-1 are equipped with a quad sensor technology that can detect compass bearing, barometric pressure/altitude, temperature, and steps. Using Bluetooth® and Casio’s Smartphone Link functionality, the timepieces can connect to the PRO TREK Connected app providing additional useful information for the outdoors, such as Route log, Calories burned, Location indicator and more! Additional features include world time (38 cities + UTC), water resistance up to 100 meters, a full auto double LED backlight, 1/100th second stopwatch, countdown timer, hand-retract function, full auto calendar, 5 daily alarms, and 2-year battery life.
Casio’s PRO TREK PRT-B50T-7 (MSRP: $330), PRT-B50YT-1 (MSRP: $380) will be available this spring at select retailers nationwide. For additional information on Casio’s PRO TREK collection of timepieces, please visit www.PROTREK.Casio.com.