Goals for the 2025 Kayak Season

Before the next kayak season I tend to list goals for that coming season. Typically I don't achieve all (sometimes only a few) of them. So, here are my 2025 goals.

1. We have 3 kayaks - one for my wife and two others. Those other two are:

• Valley Avocet

• Current Designs Squamish

I hope to sell either the Avocet or the Squamish, my preference being to sell the Avocet. Used sea kayak sales have not been good for the last two or three seasons. Once either kayak is sold, I may replace it with a significantly cheaper kayak, meant for guests.

2. My Greenland paddle is a one piece. I would like to modify it to be a two piece.  I do have a ferrule for this modification.

3. I have a goal to kayak a total season's distance exceeding 200 nmi.

4. I have a tentative goal to take a kayak trip to the Salish Sea, maybe base on Hornby Island.

Were the 2024 Season's Goals Met?

Just before the kayak season I listed my goals for the 2024 season. So, how did it go?

1. I sold the Current Designs Slipstream. I was unable to sell the Valley 17.3 Etain, but traded it for a Valley Avocet. At any rate, we have 3 kayaks instead of 4. So this goal was more or less satisfied.

2. The Avocet for which I traded the Etain has a similar (not identical) back band problem for my particular back. This has been fixed with minicell foam. So this goal was more or less satisfied.

3. In the CD Squamish, I added some minicell padding between the coaming and my thighs. No further outfitting was needed. So this goal was more or less satisfied.

4. At this point, I have sold one kayak (CD Slipstream), not two. Had I sold another, I was planning to replace it with a cheaper classic. So this goal was not satisfied.

5. I sold the Aleutian paddle. The Greenland paddle remains. I haven't modified it to create a two piece. As mentioned in the pre-season post, somewhere in the garage I have a ferrule ready to use - if I decide to do so. This was not actually specified as a goal.

6. I did not paddle a distance exceeding my 200 nmi goal nor did I paddle as many as 40 days. Hence, these goals were not satisfied. 

Note: I reached a season's distance of 195.56 nmi on Sept. 17, which was more than the 2024 season. We then spent 10 days in NM and I had limited enthusiasm to continue kayaking in October once back in Sandpoint.

7. The Sand Creek Challenge was cancelled. It probably will not return. So this goal was nullified.

8. I did not recover my roll. Currently at age 83, I may abandon attempts to do so. This goal was not satisfied.