• Kayak Rolling in the winter with a Tuilik
    Articles,  Equipment

    The Tuilik: a Perfect Bit of Kit for Winter Kayaking

    I love to winter kayak especially when Lake Superior starts to freeze over in late February and early March. It’s a time of the year when other paddlers stay home bundled up in front of the fireplace, and it’s a time of the year that the shoreline changes almost everyday due to the varied ice patterns. When the water and air temperature starts to drop, it’s important to have the right winter kayaking gear, and I covered that in my winter kayaking checklist. One item that I left off the list is a Tuilik. Note: Featured photo by photographer Paul Sundberg. What is a Tuilik? A tuilik (too-e-leek) is a combination of…

  • Wearing the right gear for the risks of cold water paddling.
    Articles,  Technique

    The Risks of Cold Water Paddling

    Even during the summer when Lake Superior’s surface temperature warms to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, capsizing in it can kill you. The most obvious form of death comes from drowning, but other not so obvious dangers, such as cold shock, cold incapacitation and hypothermia, are just as deadly, and can occur anytime the water drops below 60 degrees. Lake Superior kayakers experience those conditions for the entire paddling season. Most kayakers visiting Lake Superior aren’t aware of the risks of cold water says Lake Superior kayaker Sam Crowley, who holds an American Canoe Association Coastal Kayaking Level 5 Advanced Open Water Instructor Trainer Educator certification, which is the highest level available.…

  • Winter kayaking near ice.
    Articles,  News,  Technique

    Winter Kayaking Tips and Resources

    As the northern hemisphere shifts into winter and the water turns solid, many kayakers will hang up the paddling gear and store their kayaks until spring. It doesn’t need to be that way; winter kayaking can be enjoyable, albeit more dangerous than the other three seasons. PaddlingLight features multiple articles that give you great winter kayaking tips. As a trip down memory lane and to help you find the information you need about kayaking in the winter, the articles with tips are listed below. Winter Kayaking Tips “There is no bad weather, only the wrong gear.” -Minnesota Proverb The original winter kayaking tips article is about dressing for cold water…

  • A paddler dressed with the right gear for kayaking in winter.
    Articles,  Technique

    Winter Kayaking Checklist

    Winter offers a constantly changing shorelines to explore when paddling. As the waves roll and the pack ice blows in the shore becomes coated with ice and sometimes the ice piles so high it seems mountainous. Kayaking during the winter presents great risks versus other times of the year. The icy cold water can quickly kill. Before heading out make sure you have everything on this paddling checklist. Winter Paddling Skills Because of the greater danger that cold weather and water present, winter kayaking requires refined and reliable skills. A few that I consider essential are a perfectly reliable self-rescue. Because the paddle float rescue takes time, which exposes you…