I’m just amazed how much current there is along the equator and little there is along the West Coast of North America. Make sure you watch this in all its HD glory.

Most of the names on the 2012 Wilderness Systems Pro Staff roster have long been at the forefront of the kayak fishing phenomenon. This year, new talent from every corner of the industry joins the ample experience and enthusiasm of the industry icons. As competitors, trainers and ambassadors for the sport, the Wildy Pro Staff is a crew of undeniable experts – accessible to anyone with an interest in getting on the water and fishing from a new perspective. 

“I'm excited about what the 2012 Wilderness Systems Pro Staff has to offer,” said Chad Hoover, team manager and long-time Pro Staff member. “Our team consists of some of the best anglers in the sport with diverse skill sets. Our goal is to provide anglers of all skill levels with valuable insights and expertise to make their time on the water more enjoyable.”

Here is the roster for the 2012 Wilderness Systems Pro Staff:

• Chad Hoover (Norfolk, Va.): Author of Kayak Bass Fishing; host of NBC Sports Knot Right Kayak Fishing; Owns www.kayakbassfishing.com and jovially owns up to his nickname, “Knot Right.”
• Captain Dean Thomas (Aransas Pass, Texas): Guide, mentor, and non-discriminatory angler who will fish for whatever is biting.
• Jeff Little (New Windsor, Md.): Author, resident river smallmouth expert and undaunted by a little snowstorm when it comes to getting out on the water. Co-owner of ConfidenceBaits.net
• Jeff Suber (Crawfordville, Fla.): Adventure junkie and shallow water redfish fanatic, who co-organizes the largest charity kayak fishing tournament on the Florida Gulf Coast.
• Chris Fierro (San Diego, Calif.): Specializes in large species off the coast of Southern California and Baja, Mexico. When he’s not fishing with rod and reel, he’s spear diving from his Tarpon 160.
• CJ Siebler (San Diego, Calif.): At 24-years old, CJ is the youngest Pro Staffer and an unchallenged expert at rigging with advanced wiring and electronics.
• Chris LeMessurier (Berkley, Mich.): ACA-certified kayak instructor and record-holding angler. Owner of KayakFishtheGreatLakes.com and organizer of the popular NoMo Charity Fishing Tounrament.
• Bill Schultz (New Berlin, Wis.): Overall fitness advocate and smallmouth bass aficionado, Bill is the leading voice of fishing for smallies in legendary Door County.
• Joe Poole (Leander, Texas): Loves kayak fishing “because it is simple, silent and stealthy,” and shares that experience as a volunteer with Heroes on the Water.
• Erick Bell (Mooresville, N.C.): Splitting time between his Tarpon 140 and Ride 135, Erick focuses on competition fishing and the purity of landing a perfect cast from his boat.
• Captain Jason Stock (Madeira Beach, Fla.): Operates a private fishing charter company and known for finding fish year-round and even in the toughest conditions that South Florida can muster.
• Todd Llewellyn (St. Petersburg, Fla.): Loves the freedom of his Tarpon 160 for getting him to places where non-kayakers cannot reach.
• Chris Gorsuch (Walnut Port, Penn.): Primarily a river fisherman who grew up fishing the small streams of upstate New York and now defines a perfect day as one spent casting on the Susquehanna River.
• Tommy Samuels (Charleston, S.C.): Prefers the Tarpon 160 for Low Country, South Carolina, waters.
• Dave Easton (San Diego, Calif.): If you want to catch a white sea bass like the 60-pounders Dave has reeled in, follow his gear recommendations and paddle fast to keep up.

Check out full bios of the Pro Staff at www.wildernesssystems.com. We welcome you to join the Wilderness Systems angling community to share and learn tips and the latest news in kayak fishing. Also, join us onFacebook.

About Wilderness Systems:
Innovative designs tuned for performance, premium outfitting, and superlative quality have aligned Wilderness Systems boats with the most acclaimed paddling experiences in the world. Since 1986, Wilderness Systems has pushed the limits of design and innovation, by refusing to compromise. A Wilderness Systems kayak offers the ultimate in performance and design for the recreational boater to the expedition paddler. Taking that same drive into the angling market, Wilderness Systems fishing kayaks exemplify the ultimate experience for anglers. For the times you can’t be on water, experience Wilderness Systems at www.wildernesssystems.com and join the Wildy Community.

Here in North America, Coleman Fuel (naphtha or “white gas” as it’s also called) has been the fuel of choice for camp stoves and lanterns since the dawn of time. It’s been so popular that if you go into any old garage you are bound to find a rusty tin container of the fuel under the workbench against the back wall.

According to Frank Schmidt a Senior Project Engineer at The Coleman Company, the fuel was developed in the early 1950’s as small motor fuel for lawnmowers, outboard motors as well as an industrial cleaning agent.

The popularity of Coleman Fuel as motor fuel declined in the late 1950’s with advancement of other, better fuel technologies but it has since remained the go-to choice for heating camp coffee in the morning.

So what is Coleman Fuel made of? In its simplest form it's a petroleum product either derived from natural gas or distilled from oil, coal tar or peat (partially decayed vegetation matter) due to its high carbon content. It also has a several other chemicals mixed in which include cyclohexane, nonane, octane, heptane, and pentane.

Coleman Fuel is ideal for small stoves and lanterns due to its refined purity and high heat output. It also doesn’t give off the black smoke and toxic fumes that regular gasoline or kerosene does.

Though it’s almost as flammable as gasoline, don’t put it in your car’s tank as the lack of some additives will cause engine knocking and eventually destroy your engine valves. Both of those are generally not good things.

How long does Coleman Fuel last before it loses its octane punch? A Coleman rep on a message board said this:

An un-opened container of Coleman Fuel stored in a dry area with no rapid extreme changes in temperature will remain viable for five to seven years. An opened container stored in the same area will remain viable for up to two years though will be at its best if used within a year.

More info on backpacking fuels: fuel.papo-art.com

Bryan Hansel from paddlinglight.com has highlighted what should be a wake-up call to the entire outdoor industry.

The results from a long-term survey were recenrtly released by the US Forest Reserve. The survey (which was completed back in 1969, 1991 and finally in 2007) has been looking into who the users of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area (BWCAW) are.

The survey result paints an interesting picture into the health of canoe tripping in the BWCAW and I feel could also be anecdotally applied to other major canoeing areas across North America as well.

…we found out that the average user age in 1969 was 26 and in 2007 it was 45. We also found out that first time visitors have dropped from 30% of visitors to 6%. This means that fewer people are being introduced to the BWCAW. I’d guess that also means that the age of the average visitor will continue to rise and current users grow older. As a point of reference, the average age in Minnesota is 36. The study suggests that one way to explain this is: “While it is important to recognize that younger individuals and first time overnight visitors continue to use the BWCAW, trend data suggest that a strong and substantial cohort of aging, repeat visitors to the BWCAW exists.”

One interesting observation from the study is “Just less than half of the visitors in 1969 had visited other wildernesses besides the BWCAW at that time, but this rose to 57% by 1991 and 75% by 2007.” To me that seems to suggest that once people experience how magical wilderness areas are, they want to visit more of them.

What does this mean for the outdoor industry and outdoor camping? It means that current participants are getting older and we are not introducing young people to the outdoors as our parents did to us. If something isn’t done soon I feel an entire generation will miss out.

More info: paddlinglight.com - Original Survey Report

Flickr Photo Credit: Big Sag - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en_CA / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Michael Pardy has been active in the paddling industry for the past 24 years. Based our of Victoria, BC he is a sea kayak instructor, guide, author as well as co-owner of SKILS, a guiding and paddling skills development school that operates across Canada. Michael is also very active in the politics of paddling serving on the Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Program Development Committee as well as the past-president of the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC.

1) How long have you been in business and what got you started?
I started at camp when I was 12 years old.  At the time, I was living outside Canada with my family.  My parents recognized that I had very little contact with Canadian culture and they agreed that my transition back to Canada would be aided by some quality time at a children’s camp in Ontario.  That was over 30 years ago.  Since then I have transitioned from camping to canoeing, through white water paddling and out to the west coast where I took up sea kayaking.  Along the way I have worked as a junior leader, guide, sales associate, instructor and many other roles to keep at least one foot in the paddling industry. Currently, I run SKILS, a paddling and leadership training business based on Vancouver Island.

My passion for paddling grew through my years at camp.  The summer I was 14 our counsellor took us on an extended canoe trip that included some white water on the Madawaska River.  This is my earliest memory of a deep passion for paddling.  The trip had its challenges; we ripped the nose off one boat and I had to be evacuated for a deep cut to my forearm.  Still, I was hooked.  I moved back to Canada when I was 15 and started at Rideau High School in Ottawa.  Rideau had an Outing Club and they offered regular white water canoe trips.  Those teachers were enthusiastic, patient, and dedicated.  They kept my passion for paddling alive through my teens and into my early adulthood.

2) What’s the best part of your job?
The people.  I love the variety and quality of people I come across in this work.  With very few exceptions, I find paddlers warm, caring, and engaging.  Paddlers come in all shapes and sizes, male and female, young and older, and from different socioeconomic backgrounds.  There aren’t many jobs that allow you to meet this many people.  Their diversity of experience, knowledge, and opinion helps keep my mind fresh and open.  It took me a while to realise the importance of other people in my passion.  I love paddling, but importantly, I love paddling with people.  I have done some solo trips over the years, but I now know this is not enough.  I work with my friends and form strong relationships with students.  I get to travel, have adventures, and learn.  All because of the people in and around the paddling community.

3) What’s the most difficult aspect of the job?
The hustle.  There is no “profession” of paddling.  In order to stay in the industry and on the water, I have to look for new and novel ways to apply my skills.  Over the years, I have worn many hats in aid of my passion. I’ve worked retail, packed trips, fixed boats, answered phones, worked for others and myself.  This meant seasonal work, frequent travel, and interrupted relationships.  Because I didn’t know where the next pay cheque was coming from, I said yes to almost everything.  This was fun, especially when I was young but it’s hard on the people around you.  I have an amazing and patient wife and son who tolerated some of my long absences from home.  I guess the benefit is that when I am home, I am really present.  Using the excuse of outdoor adventure, we’re able to travel to some exciting places.

4) What are two tips you can give to somebody looking to start their own guiding/paddling school?

• Start small, work hard, and do every job.
• Figure out why your company and trips are different then promote that difference like crazy.

6) If you could tell something to your 18 year-old self, what would it be?
Think outside the box.  At 18, I described my professional self as a guide and paddler.  This was true, but not very original.  I was (and continue to be) an educator, facilitator, leader, problem solver, entrepreneur, program developer, logistics manager and many descriptors besides.  With hindsight I realize paddling is an amazing training ground for many skills.  These skills are in demand in many fields.  Look for the crossovers to related fields.  It’s on the edges of the sport that many interesting and unique opportunities reside.

Top and bottom photo credits: Bryan Debou

Alex Matthews just posted a great report on his first visit to the Golden Gates Sea Kayak Symposium which took place in San Francisco a couple of weekends ago.

I got the latest Adventure Kayak in the mail yesterday and it got me thinking of how the image of sea kayaking in the media has changed over the years. Below are the first six covers from way back in 2002.

These are the six most recent covers (including the latest above). Maybe it’s just me but I think that sea kayaking looks a lot more fun and personal now.

Pesda Press has just released Doug Cooper’s latest book, Rough Water Handling.

Here is part of the description from the Pesda Press site:

A practical guide that will help you to master the skills needed to manoeuvre a sea kayak efficiently in rough water and advanced conditions. For intermediate and advanced paddlers. Doug draws on his personal and coaching experience to help the reader master sea kayak handling skills and techniques. Accurate sequential photos and simple concise language make the descriptions easy to follow and understand.

The, technical, tactical, physiological and psychological aspects of these skills are covered in the areas of: high wind paddling, moving water, surf, rock hopping, tide races, open crossings and rolling.

Rough Water Handling is recommended as support material for the British Canoe Union 4 and 5 Star (Sea) awards.

It’s currently selling on the Pesda Press site for £15.99 but should be available via your local bookstore shortly.

Simon Willis is the producer of the multi award winning Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown coaching films and the man behind SeaKayakPodcasts.com.  After years as a BBC reporter on TV and radio Simon started his business, Sunart Media. It produces videos for a variety of business clients and broadcast productions.

1) How long have you been in business and what got you started?

I worked for the BBC in News and Current Affairs for twenty-five years before I started Sunart Media in 2009.  Previously in TV, most people specialized in one particular role, whereas I tackled a range of jobs; presenting live TV and radio shows, reporting, producing other reporters and directing documentaries. Journalism was always the common theme.  I even had a parallel career travel writing and taking photos for specialist magazines and The Sunday Times.    

Nowadays it’s essential to be multi-skilled.  When TV cameras and computer-based editing became simple, I loved the freedom to plan, shoot and edit my own work.  The BBC was happy too, and for a year I had an open brief to bring stories to the screen.  The logical step was to take voluntary redundancy and use the skills to produce content for my own business.

2) What’s the best part of your job?

The best part is that wonderful, special moment when I know what’s going into my camera is absolutely stunning.  As a reporter I’ve had it during interviews, when the guest drops their guard and answers from the heart.  Most recently, it happened during filming for Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 2 when Gordon started the swim-ashore sequence.  I simply couldn’t wait to play it back and check that I captured it all.

Running that feeling a close second are those times when I’m in Scotland’s mountains, shooting for The Adventure Show on BBC-2.  I’ll look around the peaks and think, “This is where I work... what a lucky bloke I am!”  I was a mountaineer and cyclist long before I was a climber, and once even considered a career as a guide.  All these years later to find myself earning part of my living in the great outdoors is fantastic.

3) What’s the most difficult aspect of the job?

Making money!  If Gordon Brown and I charged ourselves our normal hourly rate for filming I’m fairly sure our films would make a loss.  They are a great ‘shop-window’ for his kayak coaching business Skyak Adventures and Sunart Media but they make a lot of demands on our families, especially Gordon’s wife Morag who is heavily involved in the filming.  The real reason we all do them is for the love of this sport.

4) What are two tips you can give to somebody looking to start their own video production company?

Be born to rich parents.  I’m only half joking, as for the first few years you’ll probably work virtually for free.  I was always told, “Knock on lots of doors and when one opens, jam your foot in it”.  Get a camera and use it a lot to work out what you’re doing right and wrong.  Find people whose work you like and try anything (almost!) to hang out with them in a professional capacity.  They won’t pay you but they’ll love giving you advice.  And all the time, the culture of the crazy media industry will start to seep into you.  Looking forward it looks like a maze, but looking back you can always see a path.

5) What about your job do you think would most surprise people?

How little most people in broadcast TV now earn.  Big stars command big bucks, but a recent survey by an industry magazine found the average annual pay for an experienced TV director in the UK is £36,693 (about $58k).  That’s a less in actual terms (not just real terms) than twenty years ago.

6) If you could tell something to your 18 year-old self, what would it be?

Don’t get married.  Twice.  Wait until you meet a woman called Liz while climbing in Alaska... Oh sorry, you mean for work?  Well, at eighteen I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do but was having such a good time, I didn’t really care and probably wouldn’t listen to a balding fifty year old.  By then I’d adopted a philosophy I’ve clung to throughout life, although perhaps that sounds pompous, when really it’s a simple approach: before making a big decision, get all the facts, take time, walk up to the edge of the decision-cliff and pause; then when you step off you will have made the decision that’s right at that time.  You can never, ever have regrets because you know you made the right choice.  Oh, but it doesn’t work with weddings...