Sun Protection

Summer is here!!!  The UV seems to be stronger each year.  Many days on the water, I feel fried.  Most chemical sunscreens are not good for your body or the environment.  Mineral sunscreens like zinc work for some but not for others. 

I have found the best sun protection is to be covered up.  Here is my favorite combo at the moment -

For whitewater - river or ocean, I like the Shred Ready Zeta Helmet.  The small is a great fit for my small head and the brim gives lots of sun protection.  For flat water days, I wear a floppy sun hat.  If it is windy, then a ball cap.  Lately I have been digging the fit and sun protection from my new Immersion Research Women's Trucker Hat.  Usually trucker hats are way too big for me but this one fits my pea sized head and gives great sun protection.

As you can see in the photo, I am pretty covered up.  Cold water paddling necessitates a drytop or wetsuit which suffices for sun protection too.  On flat water paddles days, I try to protect my skin from the sun with a lightweight hoodie.  I like the hoodie because it protects my neck and helps to shade more of my face than a regular sun shirt.  I practically live in my Immersion Research Highwater Hoody.

Hoodies are great on and off the water and give extra protection for the neck and face.

To further protect my face, I will wear a sun mask.  These can be a bit of a pain with sun glasses.  Sometimes they interfere with ventilation under the glasses and cause fogging up.  I deal with it or readjust as necessary.

Game face - fish-on!

Of course protecting the eyes from the sun and the glare off the water is super important.  I am hooked on polarized lenses especially those from Maui Jim.  Maui Jim's are a bit pricey but so worth it.  Everything looks crisper with them and their warranty repair service is top notch.

Do you have any suggestions for sun protection?  If so, please share.

I Don't Care Why -

“I don’t care why they invited me. So many times in my life people said no to me because I was a girl.”  Manon Rheaume

Manon Rheaume was the first (and only woman to date) to play in an NHL game.  Check out this video interview with Manon Rheaume.

Being a woman in sport is a double edged sword.  Sometimes, you are discriminated against for being a woman.  Other times, you are include because you are a woman (these "token chic" experiences often lead to further discrimination).

Last year, I stopped posting on my blog and Woman on Water Facebook Page.  I changed my Woman on Water Instagram name to Cate Hawthorne because I was questioning what it meant to be a woman in a professional sports.  

I don't want to be identified by my gender but by who I am.  However, the reality is that my gender does contribute to who I am.  The world is more black and white and male and female than many of us believe or want.  Despite our best intentions, we are not blind to color/race/gender/sexual preference.

I am uncertain if I should be flying the flag as Woman on Water but feel that my contributions have a place.  I am inspired by women like Manon Rheaume.  I hope to inspire others to be the best that they can be and to get out and enjoy life - on an off the water.

Swimming with Your Kayak

Sooner later, it happens . . . your kayak capsizes and you are in the water.

Often kayakers rely on other people to assist them with getting back into their kayak, but sometimes it is necessary to be able to swim your kayak to shore or to swim to your paddling team for assistance. Usually in ocean rock gardens, you will want to swim away from the rocks and toward deep water.  On the river, you usually will be swimming to shore.

The number one thing to do when you capsize is to hold on to your kayak and paddle.  For more on this check out Hold on to Your Kayak.

The second thing to do is to gain your composure and figure out what to do.  Often this means swimming with your kayak away from the hazard that capsized you, swimming to a safe spot, swimming to shore, or swimming to where a friend can help you.

Here are some tips for when you need to swim with your kayak -

1. Right the kayak.  Kayaks move more efficiently right side up.

2.  Get to the end of the kayak (bow or stern).

3.  Grab the carry handle or swim toggle on the end of the kayak with the same hand that you are using to hold onto the paddle.

4.  Choke up on the paddle so that it is streamline and out of the way.

5.  Use your free arm and legs to swim to safety.  We usually use a side stroke similar to what life guards use.

As you are swimming, figure out if you can use wind, waves, or current to help you.

If your friend is swimming, call out to them with encouragement and simple directions.

Practice these skills in easy water to perfect your technique.

A Series of Unexpected Storms

Who would have thought that we would have 2 back to back rain storms in the middle of May?  And more rain forecasted in a couple more days?

We were in denial last week when we saw the weather forecast for the 3rd week of May 2019.  We had scheduled rolling lessons, beginner sea kayak lessons, the Big River Walk and Paddle, Whitewater of the Sea, Kayak Safety Clinic, and an Afternoon on the River Benefit.  Those plans all got washed out . . .

It poured and poured and blew and blew all day Wednesday and Thursday.  When it became apparent that we were going to get over 4 inches of rain in under 48 hours, high winds, and more significant rain and wind coming, we cancelled our weekend events and hunkered down for office work and rolling lessons in the pool.

Friday the sun poked out and we had had enough rain to make Rancheria Creek Run.  Rancheria Creek is the primary tributary of the Navarro River.  It takes a lot of rain for it to be runnable and running it in May is relatively unheard of (of course there are debated stories of paddlers running it in May in the 1990's).After a morning of office work, we joined a friend to run Rancheria Creek.   It was a treat to run it in the late spring.  The trees and plants were green, and we felt like we were kayaking in a rain forest. 

Especially spectacular were the wild azaleas blooming along the river.

It was particularly novel to be paddling on a warm, sunny, spring day and wearing shorts and a drytop.  It seems that most of the time when we are running Rancheria, it is raining and chilly.  Usually, we are wearing drysuits and keeping an eye on time to make sure that we finish the run before dark.

We had some large rain storms this winter that flooded and changed many of our local waterways.  Signs of flooding and extreme flows were evident as we paddled down Rancheria Creek.  Many trees were uprooted and lined the river banks. 

As we paddled, we were on our toes watching for trees down across the river creating hazards and strainers.  Sure enough - we encountered a river wide strainer that required portaging.

One never knows the exact flow of Rancheria Creek because there isn't a gauge.  We estimated it to be about 740 cfs but could be guessing too high or too low.  There was enough water for clean routes through most of channels.  Of course, Paul had to try his luck on "The Ledge."

There were also a couple of nice surf waves including this all day wave.

Who knows if it is climate change or just an odd storm pattern.  We do know that we can't control the weather and that it is best to go with the flow - especially if Rancheria Creek is running in the spring.