To Guide…

It should go without saying that we need to respect the history and natural area of Door County.  I guess someone needs to say it, because I have heard rumors of people (and kayakers) defacing pictographs, stealing wood from shipwrecks, and not respecting Door County’s natural environment.

Lets put those rumors to and end and follow the leave-no-trace principles.  If we and future generations are going to be able to appreciate the beauty we see today, lets follow my own rule of thumb.

“Take photographs, and leave paddlestrokes.”

Here is a list of Day Tour guide gear, not all of it is mandatory or necessary, but most of the items you can use for other activities, and are good quality investments for future outdoor activities. I want to strongly encourage you to put these on your wish list, but do not expect you to own/buy them outright, as they can cost a lot. I rated them from (Mandatory…1 ——>10 Get by without) Most mandatory gear, I will have plenty extra available. Anything in bold I do expect you to have!

1. Clothing- The elements(sun, wind, cold) are energy zappers and hinder your ability to think clearly. Stay protected, stay prepared. “You only paddle as good as you look”
   1. DrySuits/Tops/Bottoms- In early season the water is cold until ~June 15(weather dependent). I usually get away with a wetsuit, because they are less expensive, last longer, and don’t look so funny. But if you are hardcore, and want to eventually paddle in Alaska, or during the late fall or early spring months these are worth every dime. (10)
   2. WetSuits- Less expensive than a drysuit, keeps you warm and comfortable during training sessions. Most of our free time to learn is during the May/June and Sept/Oct. when the water is cooler. (6) I have one or two extra, but they are quite large
   3. Rain Jacket-Light, packs into small size (3)
   4. Fleece/Poly 200-300g Pants/Top-Warm, thick and fuzzy. Great to put on after a paddling session.(3)
   5. Bathing Suit-I live in this in the summer; late june, july & august(1)
   6. Poly or wool base layers- Staying warm allows you to think more clearly(5)
   7. Rash guard- These are usually thin layers used to protect you from the sun, wick water and hold a little heat(5)
   8. Sunglasses and strap- The sun’s rays are bouncing off of the water and creating more light from different angles. PROTECT YOUR EYES! I prefer polarized, but they cost more. (1)
   9. Hat-Make it funky and make sure it doesn’t blow off in the wind(1)
2. Helmet-If you would like to get into some more adventurous situations this summer like kayak surfing or kiteboarding, this is (1), if you are not extreme inclined(10). A low-pro bike/snowboard helmet is an allowable substitution for your first year.
3. Paddle-A nice light ergonomic carbon fiber paddle is a dream to use and a nightmare on the finances.(4)We have plenty of high quality fiberglass paddles to use guiding.
4. Dry Storage- We are surrounded by water, so keeping things dry is quite necessary
   1. Roll Top Bags- Used to store extra clothes in kayak bulk head. Clear see through are preferred.(2) I have extra of these available to use during the season.
   2. Boxes- Electronics, these are kinda fun for some reason. I have a large one for my camera gear/computer. Cons=Expensive
   3. Deck Bags- To carry personal items used during the tour and have easy access to. E.g. Sunscreen, Food, Water. I am looking into finding deck bags that are waterproof backpacks as well, negating the need for extra gear.(1)
5. Footwear- I hate this category as I have not found a decent pair of water shoes to date other than my flip flops, which, for most tender feet, are unsuitable for walking/running on slippery rocks and zebra mussels.(?)
   1. Strapped sandals- (Tevas/Chacos)Don’t fall off your feet, but are a pain when a pebble or sand gets in between the shoe and your foot. Don’t keep water to close to your feet other than on the straps, so not much prunage.(3)
   2. Flip Flops/Thongs- Fall off easily, I don’t mind as I usually go barefoot(not recommended)I usually go through 2 pairs a summer @ $1.95/piece(4)
   3. Water shoes-rugged, keeps most pebbles out, but with most I have used the shoe still traps water close to your skin(8)
   4. Water walkers-Uggh, can you say “Prunage” but works well to keep your toes warm with a wet suit(7)
6. Safety
   1. Tow Rope-By far one of the most important tools of a guide. I have only found a few of these I like and they are usually overpriced. We will learn knots and line shortening techniques and make these in guide training around a camp fire.(1)
   2. Pump/Sponge- Supersoakers that we provide work just as well, but it is nice to have a sponge also.(1)
   3. Kayak skirt- Custom fit to the kayak combing(1)
      1. Neoprene-Advanced, used in surfing, rolling, whitewater(5)
      2. Nylon- Beginner, used to teach, wick water with mediocrity.(5)
      3. Mix Neoprene/nylon- Usually the best for touring and lake surfing.(1)
   4. Pea-less whistle- Communication. Not something that is fun to share with another mouth, necessary attention getter, when wind is louder than your voice. Attached to your pfd.(1)
   5. Light- I prefer a waterproof headlamp(more than just kayak use). Coast Guard requirement on every kayak when you go out 1/2 hour before sunset. Not required to be on, but required to be able to turn on easily.(1)
   6. PFD/Life Jacket- type III(1)
      1. Kokatat makes a bomber low profile jacket. Simplicity, light, long lasting, I have had a few of mine for 5 years, with minimal wear.
   7. Kayak Specific First Aid Kit- Large kit available on each bus(1), Personal/Guide kit*(1)
      1. Analgesic: i.e. Motrin or aspirin*
      2. Dramamine/Ginger candy*
      3. Betadine, iodine or alcohol swabs*
      4. Waterproof Band-aids*
      5. ACE Bandages: 1 @3″ – 5″
      6. Stretch Gauze: 1 @ 2″ – 4″
      7. Sterile Compresses
      8. Medical tape*
      9. Moleskin or Second Skin*
      10. Antibiotic Cream: i.e. Neosporin*
      11. Tweezers
      12. Intestinal Antiseptic
   8. Materials for starting a fire. Overnighters (1) Day trips(7)
   9. Compass-Good Teaching tool(3)
   10. Knife-Attached to PFD(1)
   11. Laminated Map- Good Teaching tool(3)
   12. Emergency shelter/Space Blanket- Along with extra set of clothes in case of cold water immersion.(1)
   13. Sunscreen/Lip balm – We will have a large 1 gallon jug on each bus.(1)
   14. Extra food and drinking water- A few energy bars/Gorp/dehydrated fruit/chocolate and a spare water.(1)

Being on the water as much as we do, we have quite a list of lost, broken, abused, and waterlogged cameras! The 2 cameras we are now using for our kayak tours photos are the Cannon SD800 with the waterproof housing, and the Optio stylus wp. We originally were using a Cannon SD 400 with the waterproof housing, but it was lost on a tour.

The Cannon SD800 IS w/Waterproof housing

Positives

• Bigger Buttons to push
• Larger and easier to find
• Takes abuse
• Takes fast pictures
• Good Quality
• View finder

Negatives

• You have to keep the inside lens of the waterproof housing clean as well as the lens of the camera you are using
• we had one of the buttons to turn on the power on the inside of the housing get free an
• old battery charger does not work with new batteries(is this an annoyance of anyone else)

The Optio Stylus WP
Positives

• Smaller
• takes good panoramic pictures
• good resistance to cold
• slips in your pocket and is not obtuse

Negatives

• Gets washed out with light easily
• Slower to take a picture(Not good, as you float by what you want to take)
• No viewfinder
• grainy images
• xd card(you need another card reader if your computer doesn’t read xd cards)
• hard to look at viewing screen with sun on it
• horrible battery life with stock battery

Tips to using a camera on the water

• Turn the camera’s options to stay on all the time, but have it shut off the display after 30seconds, that way you don’t have to turn the camera on and wait for it to load before every photo as well as it somewhat saving the batter.
• shoot with the sun at your back or to the side to reduce glare
• shoot with the sun directly in front of you if you are looking to get a great silhouette photo
• Rain-x on the outside lens of the waterproof housing will stream the water off the lens and reduce unwanted water marks on the lens.
• Attach your camera to your life jacket, but make sure that you can use it within eyes distance and that it does not impede your safety or paddle stroke or bounce around(I don’t like it hanging from my neck for very long, I like it carabinered to my pfd and laying in my lap.