Kayak Noise_ Nootka Island

Kayaking Nootka Island 2010.........

Alex Matthews & Friends – Nootka Island 2010

Alex Matthews here, signing in on the ‘Kayak Noise’ blog.

Last month I had the chance to take off up the coast of Vancouver Island for a 10 day trip to Nootka island and the Nuchatlitz area, launching from the small town of Zeballos. Nick Castro of Active Sea Kayaking (http://www.activeseakayaking.ca/) was the instigator, with his partner Sandra, and their good friend Jen rounding out the gang.

I was paddling Spike’s newest sea kayak design - the Looksha Elite. I’ve logged quite a few miles in the Elite now, and it’s a cool boat that combines positively HUGE storage capacity with a very efficient hull for good speed, and tremendous maneuverability. Because the stern of the Elite has so much rocker it spins on a dime and is very fun and sporty to paddle (great down wind), but it’s quite rudder dependant in some conditions. I really like it and it’s become my “go to” boat for multi-day trips. If I was still guiding I would definitely be working out of an Elite: it’s fast, comfy, is really easy to swing around (ideal for doing a head-count when keeping track of guests behind you), and positively swallows gear! It’s also stable enough when loaded that I think you could put a client in it without worrying about them flipping.

The only downside I encountered is that when FULLY loaded, the Elite ends up weighing a ton (duh)! I wanted to see just how much I could stuff into the boat and went a little crazy. I ended up with my usual gear, plus enough food for over 2 weeks, extra water, extra clothes, and a full complement of camera gear. The kayak swallowed it all with ease but was of course really heavy. So it’s like the old backpacking adage: “be careful with a really big pack, because you will have a tendency to fill all the space available. And then you’ll have to carry it!”

At a measly 150lbs, I’m definitely small for the Elite, but it does a really good job of not feeling like a big boat. And while I am campaigning for a lower volume version, I must admit that all that cargo capacity is pretty corrupting (I’m getting old and soft, and luxury certainly has its appeal). I’m not sure that I’d be willing to give it up.

All photos by Nick Castro or Alex Matthews

Kayak Noise - Trip Humour

Thanks to Dave Aharonian....
These are some fun shots that Dave (see previous post on Dave and his story, click on people label) took while on a trip paddling down the west coast of Vancouver Island with Alex. Dave was kind enough to let me post his shots. Check out Dave's website at http://www.daveaharonian.com/

OK, So how did that roll thing work again?

So these are some great shots. I was meant to come up with some really funny captions. Well I did what I could but I kinda think they suck so if you can come up with a caption please post it.

Kayak Noise - Trip Humour

Warning organic vapors may be harmful...

Kayak Noise - Trip Humour

They said the blue warbler nested on this island somewhere....

Kayak Noise - Trip Humour

Hulk Hogan on Survivor...

kayak Noise - Looksha Elite

My new Elite has arrived....
Unwrapping my new boat it is always a great day.

Kayak Noise - Chatham 16 at Skookumchuck

Bryan Smith surfs the Chatham 16 at Skookumchuck.....

All the photos were taken by Gary Luhm Check out his site and more great photos at http://www.garyluhm.net/

Thanks to Gary for letting me use these photos

Kayak Noise - Quadra Island

Alex and crew head to Quadra.....

Alex Matthews here, reporting in on the ‘Kayak Noise’ blog.

Last weekend I headed up-island from Victoria to Quadra Island. The crew consisted of the usual suspects: my beautiful wife Rochelle, my good buddy Dave Aharonian (see the article about him in a previous post), and the inimitable Nick Castro of Active Sea Kayaking (http://www.activeseakayaking.ca/).


We loaded up with a couple of Chatham 16s, Dave’s Nordkapp, and one of the highly coveted and all too rare Looksha Elites. Our plan was to stay at the Discovery Islands Lodge (http://www.discovery-islands-lodge.com/) for 3 nights and paddle daily at Surge Narrows – a local playspot of rare scenic beauty just 20 minutes paddling from the lodge. The constricted channels and bottom geography at Surge create a couple of good play waves on a flood tide.

An awesome time was had by all – we played hard, ate like kings thanks to Rochelle, and relaxed in total rustic luxury at the lodge. If you’ve never stayed there, then you should! The owners/operators Ralph and Lannie Keller are wonderful. Check out a slide show here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/45728820@N04/sets/72157623028104976/show/

Still not convinced? Then consider this: every day after paddling, we would stoke up the sauna on the dock in front of the lodge and bake our sore muscles until we were relaxed pools of goo. A quick hot rinse in the outdoor showers, and then we could head upstairs for a mellow evening in front of the wood stove - my idea of a perfect getaway!

P.S. We ran into local paddlers Brent, Paul, and John, who shared beta on the best spots and generally welcomed us to the area. Thanks guys!


All photos By Alex Matthews or Rochelle Relyea

Kayak Noise - West Coast

A few photos from the West Coast.....

Kayak Noise - Jon Turk

Paddling the Vanuatu chain....

Jon Turk paddles along the Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific in a sit on top kayak, making long crossings on the open sea. Jon finds friendship and adventure as he passes from island to island. ...

We will be paddling Ocean Kayak Prowlers, generously provided by my major sponsor, Johnson Outdoors. I believe that sit-on-tops are not only fun for warm-water recreation but also they are the best kayaks on the market for serious open ocean adventures in tropical waters. We plan to spend many days at sea and I know that I would get cramped in a cockpit boat. We will relish the stability, speed, agility and the ability to wiggle around, all offered by the Ocean Kayak Prowler.


It's amazing, we think of sit on tops as rec boats but Jon has done many serious crossing in exposed conditions. You can check out more at his site http://www.jonturk.net/

Kayak Noise - Looksha Elite

Pictures of the Elite at the Beach.....

Kayak Noise - Photos from Baja

Cruising the blue................

Groovey Surf Boat

Here are some pictures of the Groovy. This is one I later put fins in you can see the fin boxes in the hull.