RICKA Openwater Rescue Practice, Dutch Harbor - May, 2012 - Paddling from Bay Campus to Dutch Harbor on Jamestown to do rescue practice in protected and open water. This video shows paddlers teaming up and practicing being the rescued and the rescuer. Watching this video is informative if you try to see the mistakes (and sucesses) of the teams. After lunch we moved down below the picnic area on Ft Getty to have better openwater pracatice.

Spring Paddle from Kings Beach - May 20, 2012 - Launching at Kings Beach, Newport, RI. Paddling east around Lands End to Sheep Point Cove for lunch and back. Swells 3-5 ft. with rock gardening along the coast. Sound is limited because the microphone is embedded in the waterproof camera. Viewable in 720p HD. This video was taken with the new Tachyon Micro HD camera. Click to view a short 40 second clip of the paddle. Click for a view of the route.

After Paddle Rolling Fun - September 18, 2010 - After a day paddle at Ft. Wetherill, members of ConnYak and Ricka relax trying out their rolling technique. Some very good, some need work.

Waiting for Hurricane Igor - September 18, 2010 - A ConnYak paddle with Ricka invited, from Ft. Wetherill to Beavertail and to the Narrows for lunch. Hoping for surf from Hurricane Igor, but it was too far south for much surf. Nevertheless swells along the shoreline of Beavertail provided good play. (Putt-putt sound is Tachyon camera electonic background noise.) Click for a map of the route.

Kayaking from 3rd Beach, Newport, to Sakonnet Point. - September 11, 2010 - A RICKA sea kayaking paddle across the Sakonnet River entrance to the islands off the Little Compton coastline. Not a lot of surf but a beautiful summer day on the water and on the beach for lunch. (Putt-putt sound is Tachyon camera electonic background noise.) Click for a map of the route.

Rescue Practice at URI Bay Campus - August 26, 2010 - Regular rescue practice for the sea kayakers to improve their skills. This practice in late afternoon was for assisted rescues using the leg over technique. The cowboy self rescue was also done as was rolling practice. Weather perfect with air about 80F and water about 75F. This video was taken with the new Tachyon XC helmet camcorder. The field of view is about 90 degrees. This means objects look like they are twice as far away as in normal perception.

Kayaking Ocean Swells off Jamestown, RI - October 25, 2009 - Paddle from Ft. Wetherill, Jamestown, RI, around Beavertail Point, and back through Mackeral Cove. Paddle route was ad hoc and decided as it played out. Ocean swells coming over submerged reefs along the shoreline cause outside breakers. Rough water is caused by incoming waves and reflected waves bouncing off the rocky shoreline, interacting and causing what is called clapotis. Video has easy beach surf launching. Video is from Oregon Scientific ATC2K Waterproof helmet cam. (Potential buyers beware, control buttons are almost impossible to operate while in a sea kayak.)

Sakonnet Point Rock Gardening - July 12, 2009 - Rock gardening in the islands off Sakonnet Point. We launch at the Fishing Access at Sakonnet Point and paddle out around the lighthouse and play in the islands. My kayak used for this trip is a Valley Nordkapp LV.

Level 3 turns into Level 4 Paddle - June ?, 2009 - Offshore Newport, RI. wind and waves picking up on way back toward Brenton Reef. This was the paddle where many of the group baled out at Kings Beach and the rest paddled back through level 5 heavy surf next to Brenton Point. Strong wind and waves from the west would have made a very long and more difficult trip south and around the surf zone. Once around the surf zone we would still have been subject to side breaking waves as we headed back north. Cars were brought back to Newport to pick up the paddlers left at Kings Beach.

Rescue off Lands End, Newport, RI - June ?, 2009 - Kayak tips over in waves off Lands End, Newport, RI. This paddle was from Ft Wetherill, Jamestown, across West Passage, around Brenton Point and east around Lands End. We went about half way toward Easton Beach before landing for lunch. Coming back the wind was picking up stronger than we expected from the SW. The rescue was hurried because the wind was pushing everyone toward the rocks so a double tow was used to finish the rescue.

Rough waves, 20 knot headwind, on Narragansett Bay, RI - July 13, 2008 - Non RICKA trip. Sea kayaking on Narragansett Bay, 20 knot headwind, gusting to 25 knots. Returning from Pawtuxet River Cove to Conimicut Point. The kayak again is the Eddyline Falcon 18 which has a lot of flotation in the front and the pounding is easily seen.

Warwick Neck channel crossing, Narragansett Bay - June 29, 2008 - Non RICKA trip. Kayaking back from Prudence and Patience Islands to Warwick Neck in Narragansett Bay. Boat traffic was heavy because the Quonset Point Air Show had just finished and boats were returning home. This caused a lot of rough confused water in the channel, besides watching out for all the speeding power boats coming up the Bay. My kayak was a Eddyline Falcon 18 which has a fairly blunt front, which causes a lot of pounding in the waves.