* * * NACK Trip Album * * *

Peer Practice 2005

One of the nice things about a peer practice is the opportunity to try out other people's boats. Some boats are too fragile or expensive or just too new, but usually a polite request will not be turned down. Here Doug helps balance Linda's Inuk while Pam attempts to enter. This is a racing sea kayak with a native-style cockpit and a little difficult to sit.

The point of a peer practice is to work on your skills, even if it is the first time in a native boat with a native paddle. Here Linda is practicing her sculling draw stroke with an inuit paddle in Pam's skin-on-frame boat.

In an unfamiliar craft it is best to warm up with skills you know well. Here Gordon performs a low-brace turn in Stu's skin-on-frame boat.

Frank enjoyed paddling Linda's Kirton Inuk, a sleek 18-ft, round hulled racing sea kayak. This boat is steered with a tiller bar between the toes. The paddler may sit the boat with knees together like an ICF K-1 racing boat.

Gordon had never rolled a skin-on-frame before. In a boat of this construction, one is sitting below the water line with little freeboard. Balance while sitting still is a bit of a challenge, but rolling is often easier than in commercial sea kayaks. Here Linda provides backup in case a bow rescue is needed.