Easy Portage: An easy portage of the Jim Bean Distillery dam on the Elkhorn in central Kentucky.

By Tom Schlichter

Sidney Stuffle didn’t have a lot of help getting started with kayaking. Like a lot of people without friends or family who take to the water, the 26-year old from Tucson, AZ, had to mostly figure it out himself.

“That’s all part of the fun, I guess,” laughs Stuffle, who after just three years in the sport is already on his second inflatable kayak. “There’s not a big kayaking community out here in Arizona, so I didn’t have anyone to warn me to avoid the rough water starting out, either. As you might imagine, the first few trips were a little hairy before I got the hang of it.”

Salt River AZ: Looking over the front of Stuffle’s 330 sport kayak down Salt River Canyon on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. This beautiful Class III run is his favorite in the Grand Canyon State.

Since then, it’s been non-stop fun for the affable outdoorsman. To get his feet wet, Stuffle explored the typical barriers to entering the kayak game. “I wanted something safe, affordable and easy to transport,” he said. “With an engineering background, I could tell the Sea Eagle line was well constructed. A little more research revealed they were also the safest, most affordable kayaks I could fit in a car. I quickly decided on the Sea Eagle 330 because it felt sturdy when I got in and could be put in a carry bag, hauled to the water and inflated in only 10 or 15 minutes.”

A serious hiker, Stuffle had often focused on pushes to the tops of mountains and high peaks. Eventually, however, he realized he’d rather float through the valleys. Perhaps that explains his favorite stretch of kayaking water.

Big South Fork: Stuffle’s paddling buddy, Warren Maddox exits one of the more relaxing riffles of Big South Fork Gorge in his Sea Eagle 330 Sport kayak. This location is the continuous ¾-gorge on the Big South Fork (1100 CFS). Lower on the river is a long class 2 canoe camping stretch with comparable scenery and excellent bass fishing that Stuffle hopes to paddle in the future.

“I really love the Salt River Canyon right here in Arizona,” he says enthusiastically. “There are 2,000 foot vertical walls on either side and you are on the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation. It’s awesome terrain; secluded once you get going. It’s on some of those stretches where I actually learned to kayak.”

According to Stuffle, the Sea Eagle 330 is a ton of fun on the white water and big wave trains you’ll find over the first few miles of this stretch, known as the Mule Shoe. Inflated to 1 psi, the two-person, 11’ 2”, 26-pound inflatable “bends with the waves” to stay on top the whole time. “It actually gives you the feeling of doing ‘wheelies’ at some points. It’s an adrenalin trip for sure,” he says.

His new single-person Sea Eagle 300x Explorer, by comparison, measures 9’ 10”, weighs 30 pounds and inflates to 3.2-psi. “That one is more rigid,” explains Stuffle, “It rides lower in the water and absolutely punches through the waves and holes. It has sixteen self-bailing valves which are critical for runs that see continuous whitewater. Without those, you would be paddling a bathtub down the river after the first big hole.”

The beautiful Elwha river has recovered after two of the largest dam removal projects in United States History (see: DamNation, 2014 documentary). These shots are from the Madison Falls access where Stuffle went on to solo run the class IV+ rapid through the old dam site. “

To get the most out of either of these Sea Eagle kayaks, Stuffle cautions it is important to know which flows are safest wherever you go. Try to stay in the big waves and the main flows as much as possible, he suggests. The deepest water will help you avoid a lot of potential hazards like submerges trees, bridge pillars and large boulders. “Don’t take on more than you can handle or enjoy, either,” states Stuffle. “I start to feel pretty wet after 10 miles so I like to keep my kayak ventures less than that, but I have paddled up to 22 miles in my Sea Eagle 330.”

Earlier this year Stuffle camped on the Verde River, a class 3 – 4, Wild and Scenic River in Arizona. “It had plenty of rough passages,” noted Stuffle, “and I chose my 300 Explorer for that trip. It performed great – even though it was packed full of camping gear.”

On the beautiful Elwha River, Stuffle went on a solo run through class IV+ rapids passing though the site of a removed dam. “The 300x Explorer kayak punched every hole and breaker I went into,” he said. “The kayak would fill with water, then drain right away through the 16 self-bailing drain valves. Few people have run this rapid. I’m thrilled Sea Eagle made it possible for me.”

Stuffle also recently kayaked the Elwha, Hoh, and Queets rivers in Olympic Peninsula National Park. “It was so special to kayak through the old Elwha Dam site,” he relates. “This Class IV+ rapid really put me to the test, but the 300X Explorer Kayak was incredibly stable! I took out on the beach and carried the boat to the little Toyota Yaris I rented. What other kayak can you put in a Yaris?” he asked. Stuffle added that Alaska Airlines, Delta, and Allegiant were all really cool about the kayak, too. They let him carry it on as a normal checked bag, no questions asked. If you are taking your Sea Eagle on a flight, he suggests using two bags: one just for the kayak and one for your helmet, lifejacket, paddle and other gear.

Catching a glimpse of local wildlife can be one of the highlights of any kayak adventure and Stuffle has seen some interesting creatures in his travels. In Washington State, he came across numerous beaver and otter, then found king (chinook) salmon staging at the river mouth. Closer to home, on the Mule Shoe, Stuffle has spotted bald eagles, huge mule deer and a big male coati – a raccoon-like animal he said probably weighed over 40 pounds.

Future runs on Stuffle’s wish list include a trip downstream of Big South Fork Gorge on the Tennessee-Kentucky border that offers a 30-mile canoe camping run and some great fishing possibilities. He’d also like to kayak the Grand Canyon, but hasn’t been selected in the yearly drawing for permits.

“I’m looking forward to some family kayaking down the line, too” adds the paddling enthusiast. “My wife is pregnant and we have a young son, so I’m mostly getting out on my own these days. I can’t wait for them to come along.”

Our fearless leader, Cecil, loves going for a morning paddle no matter the time of year.

by Tonya Ferrara

School’s in session, the leaves are turning, cooler weather is coming in, pumpkin spice is everywhere and days are getting shorter.  Though we don’t want to think about it, sadly for many of us, boating season is coming to an end (insert sad face, bring on the tears and get ready to hunker down).  Here at the Sea Eagle headquarters in beautiful, historic Port Jefferson, NY, that means we won’t be going out on the water…as much.  Our fearless leader, Cecil C. Hoge, Jr. does brave the cold for a daily morning paddle in the local bay in his FastTrack or RazorLite or a quick trip around Port Jeff Harbor in his FishSkiff.  And we also must continue to test new boats and products so, on nicer days we’ll man up, bundle up and go down to the water.  And sometimes, the cabin fever just gets to us and we have to head outside.  I mean, we are an inflatable boat company after all and we do live on an island so…

Probably not the nicest of days, but it didn’t keep Hawaiian Dan from doing a quick test of the NeedleNose iSUP.

Though summer’s our busy season, we do sometimes get to have a little fun.

It’s not that our boats can’t take the cold, of course (see PADDLING WITH SEALS, On the FastTrack™ to Copenhagen and SAILING AMONG THE ICEBERGS).  It’s just that it can get a bit too nippy for us mere mortals. I mean, standing on a dock or beach or in a boat taking photos all bundled up in a heavy winter coat, hat, and gloves may seem glamorous but trust me, as near & dear to my heart as they are, it’s not always fun standing in bitter breezes taking photos and videos of our boats. But one must do what one must do for the sake of ingenuity, quality, and fun.

T-shirts & shorts to winter coats and gloves, as long as it’s not raining or snowing, we’ll take to the water.

Now, just to be clear, the cooler months are a fabulous time to go out for a paddle or to motor around.  Our bays are far less crowded – that means very few boats and no swimmers to navigate around. Also, the water is cleaner and clearer since motorboats are not churning up the bottom. Plus, the weather is brisk, so no danger of mosquito bites (fist pump!). And on sunny days the air is clear and refreshing.  So, as long as the water and weather conditions are favorable and it’s not snowing (except for crazy Hawaiian Dan that one time) or raining hard we can head down to the water for some photos or testing. And because developing new models seems to often take far longer than anticipated, we often find ourselves testing final prototypes in November, December and even January.

A warm autumn day is a perfect time to hit the water in the FishSkiff.

Safety and Comfort First

If you do go paddling in the colder months, remember to dress properly.  Wear layers, you’ll warm up especially if you paddle hard, but its chilly out this time of year so it is better to overdo it.  Waterproof gear is a great way to go – gloves, jacket, pants, shoes.  You may even want to keep an extra set of clothing in a dry bag just in case. Also, be sure to know the weather and water conditions and to let someone know of your float plan – where you’re going, when you’re leaving and when you plan to be back.  You can even fill out a U.S. Coast Guard Float Plan form with all your information.  Basically, use common sense when going out on the water no matter what time of year it is.

Most important of all, do NOT forget to wear a life jacket. It is always a good idea in spring and summer to wear a life jacket, but in fall and winter this is even more important. In our parts it is the law to wear a life jacket when paddling November through March. This is because the water temperature can be close to freezing and any exposure to cold water for more than ten minutes can put you in serious jeopardy of hypothermia or even death. So please always wear a life jacket when going out in the colder weather. This is particularly important because in the Fall and Winter there may be no boats to come to your rescue.

Don’t be a “NO.” Wear your life jacket the correct way all the time! Especially in fall & winter when hypothermia sets in quickly .

We also especially recommend the Sea Eagle Waterproof Kayak Blanket to keep you warm and dry.  This polartec lined waterproof blanket protects against wind, cold and the dreaded paddledrip that somehow works its way from your paddle to your clothes. Yes, even if we are pretty hardy people, it is nice to be toasty and dry while out paddling or boating.

I used the Sea Eagle waterproof blanket while riding in one of our Sport Runabouts one chilly winter’s day and let me tell you, this puppy works like a charm!  Obviously, I wasn’t paddling in a kayak, but it was a pretty brisk day when we headed out of Port Jeff Harbor into the Long Island Sound to get some photos of the FishSUP, I believe.  As we were heading through the channel another boat passed us going way too fast for the area and SPLASH! I got soaked!  Well, I should say I would have gotten soaked, but thankfully, I had the blanket covering my feet, legs and arms (yes, the blanket’s 53″ long, but I’m only 60″ tall so most of me was covered).

Staying warm & dry with our Waterproof Kayak Blanket – it’s not just for kayaks!

Safe Storage for the Winter

When we’re not out on the water, we keep our boats folded and in their storage bags, when possible.  The best place for them is in a temperature controlled room, but like you, we don’t always have that option.  So, we’ll stack the folded boats in our annex in a spot where they cannot fall or something cannot fall on them.  In frigid temps, our unsupported PVC boats (SE 330s, 370s & 9s) can become rigid and sometimes brittle, so it’s always best to store them where a sudden impact is not possible and where unfolding them is not necessary.

Piled up for the winter.

Storing an inflatable boat in a closet, garage or basement in a high place is best. But if that’s not feasible and you need to keep your boat in a shed, find a clean garbage can or plastic storage box with a tight lid – one that is big enough for your boat and inflatable seats to fit in completely with the lid firmly closed.  This will help prevent mice and other critters from chewing a big hole in your boat.  They might be little, but they can do some major damage, even rendering the boat useless.  At the very least, it could ruin a planned trip and cost you time and money to patch the holes.

A little rodent can do MAJOR damage to inflatable boats. Store your inflatable properly to keep it safe!

At Sea Eagle, we love…I mean LOVE being out on the water. We’re totally in the wrong business if we didn’t.  Sometimes, though, the weather just doesn’t cooperate here in the Northeast and we have to pack up our beloved inflatable boats, kayaks and SUPs and begin the countdown to spring or hope for the odd warm winter day. If you live in an area where the weather is warm and the conditions are perfect all year, you’re very lucky, take advantage of it.  If not, be sure to pack up your boat and store it properly, so when warmer days do come, you can just unpack, unfold, inflate and go!

Catching a beauty like this makes any day better!

by Bill Marts

I had just received my new Sea Eagle FishSUP12.6 inflatable SUP and wanted more than ever to get to fly fishing for carp. I am new to fishing from a SUP. But I have day-dreamed, thought about, imagined, planned for and was making it happen on this trip. I KNEW it would be a perfect platform from which to hunt for carp. I, 99% of the time, sight fish for carp and shallow-water fishes (bass, bluegill, crappie etc.) and fishing from a SUP had to be the answer. It is all about stealth with shallow-water-flyfishing and sighting the fish. I also wanted to fish the SUP during a Carp Tourney I organized for Emerald Water Anglers, a fly shop in Seattle, WA. It was being held in Eastern Washington at Banks Lake about a month later. I wanted to know what I was doing at the tourney so I finally traveled to Eastern Wash (over by Vantage), the temps were near and at 100 the whole week. But, have to tell ya, I loved fishing in it. This was in preparation for the tourney. I had fished with the FishSUP the week before and got towed around (fun ride) by a few BIG carp before the hook straightened out on both fish and I was looking forward to trying again with stronger hooks. The FishSUP is designed for an electric motor, so I put one on. I was at the downwind leg, of my first drift of the week, fishing on my new SUP and, so far, it was great, casting to a carp here and there.

Heading out to find some carp.

Got to camp a little late and set up after sundown and looking forward to dinner. Then, I couldn’t use my stove because the wind was blowing soooooo hard. It got up to 60 mph (official) during night and morning. That was OK, my tent held up with no problems, except at 4:30 am, the fire trucks set off their sirens and flashing white and red lights in the campground with the announcement of a level 3 evacuation. GET OUT NOW!!! I could see the wildfire’s glow barely a couple hundred yards away. I got everything thrown, including my SUP, in my truck except my tent when they came by again and said, “leave the tent”. At least I got out OK. Everything was all good then until I rear-ended the guy’s trailer in front of me. Just little dents. Idling in my truck while looking in the rear-view mirror at the fire closing in on the campground. The guy in front of me was good about it.

I calmed down some and went to a nice place at Burkett Lake; made some phone calls to let everyone know I was OK; took a nap and decided to go fishing at another place. Good plan EXCEPT the truck battery was dead. OK…… I just joined AAA this year and they would come to where I was and give me a jump. Great! Three hours later he showed up and jumped the truck and the world was good again. Backing up, I didn’t realize how close the tow truck was to the rear end of my truck. UNTIL I hear this crunch and I look back in the side mirror to see my passenger-side tail light (the whole unit) hanging from its wires (good thing for wires). This kind of got to me and I yelled F*%$ so loud it was still echoing off the canyon walls two days later. All is well —— Just like Red Green, I go nowhere without Duct Tape. The tail light still worked. So, I taped it back on. Too late for fishing so I stopped into a small cafe in Mattawa. I was looking forward to a quesadilla and a cold beer. Slept out under the stars (my tent back at the campground) and it was great. Had my cot and pad. Had some tunes (Allman Bros Eat a Peach album). Had a cold beer. Watched the clear, star-speckled skyway late into the night. Had a great day of fishing the next day with a friend. Went back to the camp and they had taken my tent down and stored it at the ranger station. What a kind thing to do. Went to another lake campground where I was to meet another friend; set up camp again, settled in to have a hot dinner of brats and chili. BUT, I couldn’t get the stove to work. Cold dinner, but I had cold beer. So, it wasn’t a total loss. Beautiful night with calm winds.

Busted tail light won’t keep me down!

The stars are aligned again. My friend arrived at 9 am and we went out on the lake fly fishing for carp. Great fishing. Except for my broken rod on a huge carp. Not to worry, tho. I had a spare back in the boat. Got it rigged up and got back to fish. We both hooked more, that is- UNTIL I slipped in the mud in the lake in a hole and then pulled a muscle in my neck as I was looking UP at the water surface. My feet were doing that forward shuffle (like when snow skiing) and your upper body is leaning back and your feet are up in front of you like trying to walk up a wall. I was still straining, looking up, trying to get to the surface to gulp in some much-needed air. The oddest thought went through my mind while under water, I was thinkin’ “it would be so embarrassing if I were to drown while wading a lake in 3 feet of water. I finally came to the surface. YEAH!!! Another great day as hot as it was there, I am super cooled off.

Well, now it is lunch time, Thursday. Good lunch with a couple of cold pops. Went to one more place. Fish everywhere. Hungry fish. BUT, the mud was up to ankle-deep and was like walking in glue. Every step required rocking your foot back and forth to release the suction, I wished I had the FishSUP at that time but we were fishing out of my friend’s boat. The fishing was better every step forward. There were so many feeding fish that I finally figured it was better to stop and stand still and cast to passing fish. It worked! EXCEPT….. the longer one stands in one place, the more the mud sucks in/down one’s feet. I had been there quite a while and saw a particularly large carp just out of casting range. I took a step toward it, but only in my mind. My feet were Stuuuuuuck. I took another dip in the lake. Since I had some experience in this type of event, I only went in up to my chest. I got up quickly and tried to rock my way out of this predicament. My feet stayed put but my body went forward again. By now, I am very skilled at this game. I started to move but no fish around. All is good again. It is still hot and I am very cool. All in all a great day!

Packed up the next day to head home and it went smoothly. Got home in good shape. I THOUGHT….Later that night I discovered that I had been chewed on around both knees. Little round red marks. No big deal. UNTIL the next day when they appeared much redder and blistered. They broke later in the day. So, life is great again. But, I still have marks some 6 weeks later. Wonder what it was??

I am heading back in 6 days for 4 more nights of camping and carp fly fishing at the 2^nd Annual Carp Jamboree. If only it can be as good as last week!

The 2^nd Annual Carp Jamboree, 2018.

Well, I went to Banks Lake at Coulee City Community campground (our headquarters) the next week three days ahead of tournament day of the Carp Jamboree with my brother (Boyd). We got camp set up by mid-day and some friends showed up early, too. Water was calm and perfect so we went fishing. The fishing was awesome. Next day was the same. Great water, skies (need clear skies for good sight fishing) and fish were on the feed. I was getting excited for the tourney. Friday was also good, but Boyd and I stayed in to prepare for other participants arriving and getting ready for a Carp Fly Fishing Clinic I was to give that late afternoon. It went well. The forecasts were for some winds in the AM, getting calm by afternoon. That is good enough!

BUT…..the forecaster forgot to tell Boreas (Greek god of north wind). The North and West winds blew hard bringing the air and water temps about 10 degrees lower than the last three days. No using the FishSUP this day. I just don’t know how to paddle against heavy winds. Where fishing had been excellent the last three days, now there were no to hardly any fish, unless you could go miles up-lake where the wind was not as much of a problem. I was not going to fish for any of the prizes, but I wanted to fish on the FishSUP. No luck this trip.

The winner, Matt Paluch, landed 7 carp this day. He took home the FishSUP 12.6 as his choice first prize. Other participants won rod, reels, fly lines, chest packs, hats and stainless-steel water bottles. Everybody got something whether they caught a fish or not. I had delivered to our camp, pizzas, chicken wings and salads and, of course, the keg was tapped and everyone enjoyed the party into the evening. Can’t wait for next year’s jamboree.

I am now waiting for the arrival for my next craft from Sea Eagle; the FishSkiff16. I will use it for guiding shallow waters in a silent, stealthy manner, next year. We’ll “Fish like a Heron”.

True story, Bill Marts.

It was a crazy week – wild fires, busted tail light, broken stove, broken fishing rod, bug bites…but at least the carp were still biting.

J.P. shared an expedition with friends on the Papaloapan River in Veracruz, Mexico.

By Tom Schlichter

“I’m all about adventure,” says J. P. Garza, 51, of Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. “I love to explore and discover natural new places, especially by water in the southeast of my country and in Central America.”

Garza has traveled most of these regions by roads, terraces and trails, not only by car but by mountain bike as well. In fact, until recently, he considered himself a serious cyclotourist. These days, however, he prefers touring with his Sea Eagle RazorLite^® 473rl inflatable kayak (IK). He has paddled over 3,000 kms (1,900 miles,) he says, never repeating the same river, lagoon or sea shore.

“Water is a resource that abounds in this area,” explains Garza, “and it offers a different perspective when exploring and enjoying the natural world. Rivers are the oldest paths of my country and while many have forgotten their importance these days, they have served as the main means of communication in the jungle since the pre-Columbian era. That’s why their shores host old churches and abandoned ancient cities – and it’s why I think waterways are the best and most interesting means to discover and learn about the natural beauties and historical places that we have.”

Garza stresses such adventure and contact with nature must be accomplished with respect for the environment and an ecologically healthy approach. If it can also be inexpensive, so much the better. Inflatable kayaks, he says, are the perfect fit as they allow him to achieve all of the above. Being able to maintain a decent speed without the noise of an added motor lets him quietly cover plenty of water and leads to more wildlife encounters.

The Champoton River in Campeche, Mexico, says Garza, is a beautiful stretch you can really only see and enjoy fully by way of an inflatable kayak.

“Using my IK, I come across a lot of wild animals on these trips,” reveals Garza. “Some, like a jaguar I spotted in the Belize River, few people ever get to see in a natural setting.”

Another important reason for kayaking on these expeditions, states Garza, is that it allows access to places larger vessels can’t navigate due to rapids, shallow waters or other obstacles. What you can’t push through on the water, you can sometimes bypass by carrying your IK, he explains.

In his expedition search for the beginning of the Champoton River in Campeche, Mexico, Garza had to back-pack in his Sea Eagle RazorLite® 473rl inflatable kayak.

“Many of the places I explore have never been navigated,” continues Garza. “I do serious expedition tours, so I need a kayak that’s inflatable to have the freedom to transport it in any way: taxi, bus, Uber, car or even carrying it on my shoulder. Using my Sea Eagle RazorLite^® I have navigated rapids, flat waters and the open sea. It’s extremely versatile, easily portable and – inflated at 10 psi -incredibly hard. Its overall performance is as good as a hard shell kayak yet it remains as portable as a regular IK. Sleek and narrow, it goes real fast but remains tough enough to take far from the nearest road with no concerns about getting back. Stability is another issue that kayakers are always worried about, but not me. My RazorLite^® handles anything Mother Nature dishes out.”

Given his need to travel long distances – not always an easy task in the areas he explores -Garza especially appreciates that he can simply pack up his RazorLite^® and bring it anywhere. He also loves that it folds into a small square that can be easily stored. Storage room is at a premium in many Mexican homes, he notes, so being able to put it away neatly is a real plus.

“My Sea Eagle RazorLite^® weighs only 35 pounds,” says Garza, “and it packs-up nice and tight. It can also take a beating and keep on going. My girlfriend Xiomi and I took it close to the Guatemalan border recently and paddled over 400 kms (250 miles) down the Usumacinta River to the Gulf of Mexico. We needed the fastest two-person inflatable kayak in the world to travel such a distance in only five days and the RazorLite^® was it. On the last day of the expedition, Xiomi and I had to paddle over 100 kms (70 miles) from Jonuta to Frontera City as there were no places to stay the night. I’m convinced the Sea Eagle 473rl is the only two-person IK in the world that can cover so long a distance in a single day.”

The Usumacinta River, which flows though southeastern Mexico and northwestern Guatemala, provided Garza and Xiomi with a more than 400 kms (250-mile) IK adventure.

It would be almost impossible to do the expeditions he and his girlfriend undertake twice a month using a hard shell kayak, believes Garza. “The logistics would be too complicated, especially when you have to cross international borders. For us, it doesn’t make sense to waste the extra time, money and effort to travel with a hard shell. Many traditional kayakers don’t know about the latest IK technology. They don’t know how fast and how tough these kayaks can be, especially with drop-stitch design like Sea Eagle uses in its RazorLite^®. Hopefully, my fellow kayakers are starting to see this when they view my adventures on social media or read the articles I write in magazines and Mexican newspapers.”

As for the RazorLite’s speed, Garza finds it exceptionally fast. “My girlfriend and I entered a 37 kms (23-mile) hard shell kayak race with it and finished third overall. We were the only IK in the race. The RazorLite’s sleekness is one reason for its great speed; another is that it is so steady and solid it feels like a hard-shell kayak. It’s as tough as they come, and very responsive. It lets you get in a lot of exercise without feeling like you are doing that much work.”

J.P. and his girlfriend, Xiomi, recently took third place in a 37 kms (23-mile) kayak race. Their Razorlite was the only inflatable in the field.

Garza says there are places in Mexico and Central America that can be reached only by kayak such as the lost archeological site Arrecife, which is hidden in a small islet in the north of Cozumel. The entire Champoton River, from its remote beginning to its terminus at the Gulf of Mexico, is another example. Here Garza had to backpack in to find the narrow creek which served as the river’s origin. (You can see a clip of this trip on JP’s Facebook page, here.)

“I push into places other people rarely see and I find that tremendously rewarding,” surmises Garza. “When you get into these places, you never know what you might see. Last winter Xiomi and I navigated in Expedition Gran Arrecife Maya, paddling more than 500 kms (310 miles) from Majahual, Mexico to Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Over 17 days we used our inflatable kayak to explore the second largest coral reef in the world. We saw amazing islets and breath-taking scenery. There were many kinds of wild animals here including sea turtles, dolphins, alligators, monkeys and a great diversity of fish.

“I think if more people kayaked, they might have a better appreciation for the environment and all things beautiful, peaceful and wild. That might help them to be more conservation-minded – and that’s something we really need in today’s world.”

At Sea Eagle, we couldn’t agree more.

At the SportsAbility event held in Tallahassee in April 2018 by the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association, attendees were able to experience the joy of getting out on the water on an iSUP thanks to Tom Weldon who designed an amazing device to allow those with disabilities to paddle safely. Tom is pictured here with Maxim Davis. Photo courtesy of FDOA.org

By Tom Schlichter

“I can’t tell you how good it feels to get back on the water and paddle,” says David Jones. “It’s taken a lot of experimenting over the years, but we finally have something that works really well.”

Jones, president of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA; www.fdoa.org), is a 63-year old hemiplegic who cannot use his left arm. He loves to be on the water and, up until this summer, had greatly missed being able to fully participate in paddling situations. With the help of fellow FDOA member and friend, Thomas Weldon, however, Jones is thrilled to be back in the game.

“I’d made several unsuccessful attempts to kayak using different types of paddles and adaptive strap-on devices,” explains Jones. “None of them worked out very well so I basically gave up on paddle sports. With help from Thomas, however, we finally figured out something that works – and it’s opened a whole new world of things I can do, places I can go and groups I can join to have fun on the water. Just recently, for example, I took a trip with Thomas on the Withlacoochee River in northern Florida. It’s such a beautiful place – one I couldn’t have fully enjoyed until now.”

With the help of Tom’s invention and SportsAbility, this young man is able to feel comfortable and stable enough to paddle the Sea Eagle NeedleNose solo. Photo courtesy of FDOA.org

In addition to the awkwardness of most adaptive paddle devices Jones tried out, he found that simply getting in and out of a sit-in style kayak presented plenty of problems, especially during the course of activities. Still, after outfitting yet another sit-in kayak with new adaptive gear, Weldon convinced his buddy to try again. That’s when he came up with a radical idea. While following Jones on a Sea Eagle NeedleNose™ 14 (NN14) inflatable stand-up paddleboard (SUP), Weldon thought of switching the setups to put the adaptive gear on the inflatable SUP. That, he suspected, would be easier for Jones to maneuver, balance, and mount or dismount.

“Worked like a charm,” said Jones. “Thomas went home and built an adaptive apparatus to mount onto the Sea Eagle SUP and it turned out to be great as a sit-down device. He started by securing a sit-down kayak-type seat on the board that enabled me to sit and brace myself so I could paddle with one hand. For the paddle, we used an Angle Oar (www.angleoar.com). It’s an adjustable, double-bladed oar attached to a pedestal that sits between your knees and rises about 18 inches from the floor. The oar pivots on the center of the pedestal. As you lift it with one hand it puts the paddle in the water on the opposite side. So, you actually use a rowing motion to dip the blades with a kayak paddling rhythm.”

Getting ready to hit the water! Tom’s making sure everything is set for Sunil Patel. Photo courtesy of FDOA.org

To make the SUP extra-stable, Weldon added small outriggers which also responded to foot pressure for improved steering. Attaching everything to the paddle board proved easy since the NN14 had plenty of D-Rings conveniently positioned around its perimeter for securing accessories.

“The seat configuration, along with the Angle Oar, proved a perfect matchup for the Sea Eagle SUP,” continued Jones. “We used it very successively on a river run and plan to use it now on a regular basis with a paddling program we are about to start. Because the NN14 is an inflatable that weighs just 27 pounds we can load several in a truck at once. That makes the logistics of getting them all to the launch site relatively easy. Once there, each SUP takes less than 10 minutes to inflate.”

Tom and Sunil loving the great outdoors! Photo courtesy of FDOA.org

Of course, helping the physically challenged enjoy the great outdoors is what the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association is all about. According to Jones, the program has a mailing database of roughly 16,000 members and offers a series of outdoor adventure trips throughout the year. The program includes paddling sports, water sports and a variety of other outdoor activities. Twice a year the group hosts a major SportsAbility event, drawing between 1,000 and 1,500 participants to each gathering. Their year-round Miracle Sports Program has about 200 active participants, an ALLOUT adventure series offers a variety of outdoors opportunities including hunting, and a program designed to provide resource information for those with brain and spinal cord injuries serves several thousand more.

In addition to paddling, Jones loves to fish. That has led him and Weldon to consider exploring the possibilities of building an adaptive paddle device for Sea Eagle’s inflatable FishSUP™ 126. That paddleboard is wider and even more stable than the NN14, and it is easily tricked-out to be an angling machine.

“We definitely have to look into that one,” says Jones. “Who knows, being wider and super-stable, it might even eliminate the need for outriggers. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Colt Creek State Park, FL, happy and calm to start the day.

by Tom Schlichter

Suzanne Daigle had wanted an inflatable kayak for a long time. She wasn’t quite sure where to start looking, but she did have a pretty good idea of what she needed.

“Fortunately,” she said, “a friend steered me over to Sea Eagle and it turned to be a perfect match. What great advice!”

Daigle, you see, was planning to sell her house, buy an RV, and drive around the country checking out places she had always wanted to visit while finding new spots to investigate along the way. It didn’t take long for her to do some research and narrow her potential kayak choices down to a few Sea Eagle models. As soon as she sold her house, she was on the phone to place an order.

Suzanne’s Fast Track conveniently fits under her RV, so if she decides to stay near the water for a few days she just tucks in and adds a lock and chain to keep it safe and conveniently in reach. Keeping it under the RV also shades it from the sun which, in the long run is good for the kayak shell and color retention.

“For me, that was a symbolic moment – I had the proceeds check from my house sale in my hand, ready to deposit and was already making the call to Sea Eagle from my car. I was heading out on the road with no turning back. It felt exciting, refreshing. It would be the adventure of a lifetime. Having that new inflatable kayak and RV was just the starting point.”

Initially, Daigle, who works full-time as a business consultant, both nationally and internationally, was thinking about a different kayak model but the Sea Eagle customer representative who answered the phone helped her find an even better match for her new lifestyle.

“He took the time to ask me about the kind of things I wanted to do on the water and what I thought was important in a kayak,” revealed Daigle. “After a bit of conversation, he suggested the 385ft FastTrack™ Pro Carbon Package. It turned out to be a sweet fit for my new lifestyle. I’m an organizational transformation consultant. I work hard to help businesses give their employees a greater say in important decisions. I wanted to live my personal life the way I invite organizations to step out and take more risks.”

Two things Daigle knew she wanted in a kayak right from the start was the flexibility to handle both small and large bodies of water, and the feel of a “good kayak” ride. She had previously owned a hard-shell sea kayak that she took on New York’s Long Island Sound and even used to paddle across the Hudson River. These days, based in Florida, she hopes to paddle on the Gulf Coast, tuck in and out of inlets and bays, plus poke around on rivers, lakes and ponds.

One thing Suzanne Daigle really loves about her Sea Eagle inflatable kayak is that she can pull it out of her RV and be on the water in ten minutes. It’s perfect for big water or small – anywhere, any time.

“I’m not planning on whitewater rafting,” Daigle explains, “but I still want the flexibility of a smooth ride in gentle waters as well as the stability and ruggedness necessary for wide open spaces. A little extra room to carry stuff along is necessary, too. I like to bring my breakfast on the water, a towel and enough gear that if I happen to find a little deserted island to relax on I’ll be able to just hang out for a while. The 385ft FastTrack™ has plenty of room, a pair of clip-on dry storage bags, and a great set of paddles that are both exceptionally strong and lightweight.”

Daigle says she is still just getting to know her inflatable, but she’s real happy with it so far. She said she was “blown away by the quality” of the kayak and its accessories. She loves the comfort of the pro high back seats and how easy it is to inflate and deflate. On a recent trip to Lake Placid, FL she paddled on expansive Lake-June-In-Winter before transitioning to a smaller lake and found her FastTrack™ easy to transport, paddle and maneuver in both situations. She’s had it out in strong winds, on quiet mornings, and even on a Florida pond that held a few alligators.

“My brother, an ER doctor, was very concerned that I launched on that one,” she chuckles, “but I felt quite safe since the Sea Eagle is so tough. The company has a video where someone drives a Jeep over one of their inflatable kayaks and there’s no visible damage at all. In that same video, they repeatedly put the claw of a hammer to the hull and it just bounces off. That’s one rugged inflatable, so I haven’t felt worried at all.”

On her most recent trip, Daigle found herself all alone on a beautiful lake, which she instantly realized was exactly why she wanted a Sea Eagle in the first place.

“Sometimes, I just want to get away from it all, to explore, to relax – whether I’m going around the corner or across the country. With my new kayak, I just pull it out of the RV, take ten minutes to inflate it, and go. It’s so easy – no renting, trailering or dealing with anyone else. I’m fully self-sufficient when it comes to kayaking now. That gives me a tremendous feeling of independence.”

As for setting up, transporting and storing the 385ft FastTrack™, Daigle reports it’s been a breeze. She viewed videos on the Sea Eagle website that explained how to easily assemble, inflate and fold-up the kayak for storage, which got her up and paddling in no time.

“Really,” she says,” “it’s nothing you can’t handle. I decided on the Carbon Pro Package because it had everything I needed. It has two tall-back clip-in seats with good back support, two double-end paddles with carbon shafts and asymmetrical blades, two stow bags, a foot pump that works just fine, a slide-in swept-back skeg, plus a repair kit and carry bag. Buying everything together as a package deal saved me about $500 over buying each piece as an accessory.”

One accessory Daigle did add recently is the EZ Cart, which can make transporting a little easier if you have to cover some distance between the car, RV or truck and the launch site. This innovative thinker, however, took the wheels to another level.

“One day my brother-in-law said he saw someone towing a kayak behind their bike,” she reveals. “The first chance I got, I was doing the same. A few straps lashed to the rack on the back of my bike and I was on my way towing my kayak like a pro. So, here I am in my early 60’s, riding my bike, hauling my Sea Eagle inflatable kayak and ready to hit the waters wherever it takes me.. I’m thinking to myself: ‘Wow! I can kayak anytime, anywhere.’ That is so cool. Just pull my Sea Eagle out from the RV and go.”

Where is Daigle headed next? She claims to have no specific destination in mind yet but travel she will.

“For now,” she says, “it’s mostly where my business leads me – maybe out west. I’ll just take things day by day – but wherever I go you can bet my Sea Eagle FastTrack™ is coming along for the ride.”

Waiting on the humans in Darren Lowe’s latest Sea Eagle acquisition, the 14sr Sport Runabout.

By Tom Schlichter

“I guess you could say I’m hooked on inflatable watercraft when it comes to fishing and boating,” says Darren Lowe, 50 of Bunker Hill, WV. I have three different Sea Eagle models already and each one has a purpose.”

No kidding. Lowe owns a Sea Eagle 375fc FoldCat™ pontoon boat, 380x Explorer Kayak, plus a 14sr Sport Runabout that his wife got him for Father’s Day last year.  According to Lowe, different scenarios determine his choice of vessel for the day.

“I was raised on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi so it wasn’t until I had a family and began selling raw materials to the chemical industry that I began to dabble in freshwater fishing,” he explains. “By then, my sales territory included Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, a stretch that offers some stellar sweet water fun with smallmouth bass. Once I started catching bronzebacks on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers with my son I instantly fell in love with river fishing. The only problem was that traditional hard shell kayaks left me feeling cramped after a long day on the water.”

Nice bronzeback caught on the 375fc FoldCat.

Lowe began searching for something more comfortable. He wanted a vessel he could take along as he traveled his sales route – one that wouldn’t look like a big yellow banana on top of his car when he pulled up for a business meeting. Since his background was in polymer chemistry, it made sense he would be intrigued by the possibilities of polymer-based based inflatables.

“On the recommendation of a friend,” continues Lowe, “I went with the Sea Eagle 375fc FoldCat™ pontoon boat for my first choice. I liked that it could accommodate two people comfortably, which made it perfect for fishing with my son or taking out clients that also enjoy fishing. I also liked that it could fold up, pack into two bags, and fit in my car. Because of my familiarity with the polymers used in its construction, I figured it would also be pretty rugged – and it is.”

As time went on, however, most of Lowe’s friends and fishing clients eventually purchased their own boats and kayaks. Finding himself fishing alone more frequently prompted him to pick up the 380x Explorer Kayak in 2016.

Another great catch. This time a largemouth bass from the Explorer 380x kayak.

“I bought the Pro Motor package and then added the fishing seat so I could have the best of both worlds in terms of comfort and mobility,” states Lowe. “I love the raised seat because it lets me see deeper into the water and allows 360° rotation so I can cast in any direction. Most importantly, though, it’s really comfortable and I can take it anywhere in the back of my car because it packs down into a single bag plus the seat. It’s also fast and easy to inflate. I can park my car and be on the water in 15 minutes.”

Before he ever had a kayak, Lowe got around on his favorite waters in a 16-foot bass boat so he still had some affinity for runabouts. That’s why his wife, Martha, surprised him with a Sea Eagle 14sr Sport Runabout last spring.

“Can you believe that?” asks Lowe with a chuckle. “What a terrific gift!” Lowe doesn’t use that one as a break down vessel, of course. Instead, he made a trailer for it and uses it for taking his grandkids fishing and tubing. “Rough water, skinny water, and anything in between,” he says, “the 14sr is up to the challenge. I have a 25-hp outboard on the back so I get plenty of range. I also have the swivel seat for comfort and fishability.”

When he first received the 14sr Lowe wasn’t sure if he should pick up the optional plastic floorboard kit or stick with the inflatable one that came standard. Being that his grandkids range from seven months to seven years-old, however, he’s decided the inflatable floor is perfect for the moment.

“It’s kid friendly,” he says, “so no big deal if anyone falls down or bounces around a little bit.”

Little one catchin’ a little one! Making memories on the 14sr.

Sydney, in the back, taking on the River of Life journey with me in the Sea Eagle® FastTrack™ 385ft. Photo by Keith R. Stevenson, Pocono Record

It’s been almost a year since I gave the greatest sales pitch of my life. The commission priceless. After convincing my otherwise logical husband that I could pull off the illogical, I needed to convince Cecil and John at Sea Eagle as well. That I could kayak from New Hampshire to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor for breast cancer with virtually no experience, out of shape, and 59-years old.

Thing is, my husband Gordon of 29 years is a very smart guy and he knows just how stupid I can be. Stubbornness, on the other hand, is an attribute we have come to recognize as one of my strong suits. A saving grace. Literally. We happen to think it was as useful as any drug to fight my advanced cancer back in 2003. With his anal-retentive planning skills in force and my stubbornness in mind, Gordon figured that if properly planned and using the best gear available, I could pull off the most amazingly incredible epic adventure of my life thus far.

Our River of Life CareAvan…good thinking, Gordon!

The first necessity was a kayak partner, without which there would be no kayak trip. Period. It couldn’t be Gordon because he was going to trailer the new RV he suddenly figured out he’d have to acquire for eating/sleeping arrangements each evening along the 5-state route. Our older daughter, Sydney, 27, is an excellent kayaker as well she ought after considerable expense and two summers at the Marine Science Consortium at Wallops Island, Virginia, as a teenager in the ocean kayaking program.

Just one problem. She was living and working in event management for the university system of Saudi Arabia. In other words, we would have to convince her – possibly bribe her – to take a leave of absence for an important family enterprise.

Next, we needed a kayak. An inflatable kayak. Paddling the internet, Gordon spent considerable research looking for just the right combination of features. Sea Eagle owners already know: there are kayaks and then there are Sea Eagles. Sea Eagle kayaks are superior for a number of reasons in our estimation, including safety.

Why inflatable? Portability. Easy to deflate/inflate as needed for our summer-long adventure. One that not only included actual kayaking but photo-ops along the way for media, meet and greets, and visits with medical, educational, and cancer organizations all excited about the theme and fundraising aspect of River of Life and, hoping for a front row view of Nostos, the name I christened our Sea Eagle, meaning home-coming.

For those unfamiliar with Sea Eagle’s signature inflatable technology, this ain’t your little plastic toy boat with which to frolic in the pool or at the lake. Although you could. The 385ft, just one of Sea Eagle’s many kayak, boat, watercraft options, is expertly engineered with tough as nails, multiple layer, reinforced 1000 Denier PVC and is as resilient as it is maneuverable. Equally so in open water, flat river water, and white river water although different models are designed for specific conditions. I was especially enamored to learn that, having had no experience with white water, it would not capsize. And so very comfortable and roomy. (More on that later.)

Just how does one kayak from Nashua, New Hampshire to the Baltimore Inner Harbor, anyway?

Well, more ambitious folks would probably paddle the Merrimack River in Nashua about 50 miles east to the Atlantic by way of Newburyport, Massachusetts, then keep heading south close to the shore. It is the most direct, the only contiguous route. When I realized it would take me near the celluloid home of Jaws – and his relatives – I wanted nothing to do with it.

Couldn’t do it without the help & support of my wonderful family!

River of Life would definitely not be contiguous geographically but in my mind it all made sense and, would most certainly, evolve organically. ‘I hope Cecil and John will see it,’ I thought, as I explained the meaning behind my madness that blustery, sunny day last February in their Long Island headquarters; the River of Life kick-off just 2 ½ months away.

“First, I’m going to kayak the Nashua River in sections beginning May 13. It runs right through my town, after all. Where I’ve lived for 28 years. It’s just across the street from my house. It’s a slow, lazy river with a lot of history dating back to the mill days of the Industrial Revolution. The Nashua runs south to north 39 miles from Massachusetts into New Hampshire.

Then, I’m gonna kayak part of the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts, arguably the medical capital of the world. Where beyond traditional medical institutions, the pharmacology industry, as well as bio-medical entrepreneurship are the life-blood of a new economy and the hope people with serious medical conditions depend.

While there, I’ll interview Johannes Fruehauf, founder and CEO of Lab Central, an amazing incubator for bio-medical entrepreneurs eager to solve the world’s most complicated diseases.

After which I’ll hopscotch over to Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Near Worcester. Dr. Angela Brodie first worked there in 1962 as a brilliant young research fellow on its shores from Manchester, England, on aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer at the famed Worcester Foundation. It will be a particularly sentimental pilgrimage, all considered. As will throwing the first pitch at the Worcester Bravehearts game in her honor that night.

I’ll brave the Big Apple next and kayak a section of the Hudson. Why not? And, while there, interview one of Dr. Brodie’s former students, now a highly regarded breast cancer oncologist in Manhattan. All the while doing press conferences and social media to promote the fundraising aspect of River of Life; money that will be used as an endowment to ensure that Dr. Brodie’s research facility can work on the next cancer breakthrough following her retirement December 2016 at the age of 82!

Then I’ll come home and wait. Wait for Sydney to get back from Saudi Arabia so she can join me on the most daring part of the course.

Meantime, thanks to an awesome team of support staff dedicated to River of Life from UMD School of Medicine, promotion, marketing, logistics, and general “hand holding,” this fundraising initiative will be one of the school’s largest cooperative partnerships.

On August 10, we’ve planned to start a multi-week, multi-state expedition down the Delaware River from Port Jervis, New York. Paddling 12 to 20 miles per day, stopping at cities and towns who will be told in advance of our arrival for additional media coverage in newspapers, TV, and radio as Americans, it turns out, are very interested in the only mother and daughter duo to kayak the Delaware.

The remote, natural beauty and perilous white water passages of the Delaware Gap will test our endurance but deepen our mother/daughter relationship and our resolve to complete one more mile, one more day, one more bend to the unknown treasures ahead: Eagles, new friends paddling the same stretch or, days without spying a human soul, the heady rush of rapids pushing us at exhilarating speeds one minute and the sudden slam of kayak on rock, carefully navigating a current so strong it would take your life in a moment, the unexpected phenomenon of quicksand, the welcoming crowds, the breast cancer survivors thankful one among them is sharing their story and rising above the pain and destruction of our disease to live in the fullness of life, a life cured from certain death.

Navigating our way through some rough waters.

The 385ft – FT for FastTrack™ – a stranger the first couple of days that we prayed would live up to the website hype in extreme conditions, became our faithful, trusted companion; a workhorse that took a beating day in and day out but never faltered. Not when we “flew” over a wing damn and dropped 4’ on gnarly boulders. Not when we scudded across 2 miles of shallows, grazed her belly, and imperiled her keel. Not when we were battered by high winds and 5’ swells in open water and fearing loss of maneuverability. Her wide berth and comfortable, water-shedding seats our outdoor living room from which to see the world.

And like clockwork, a sight for sore eyes at the end of each day, Gordon our chief engineer and care-giver, leg rubber, and confidence builder, standing at the appointed ramp to deliver us to a warm meal, warm bed, and brief conversation before we plunged into the dark eddies of a dreamless slumber.

When we reach the C & D Canal, having gone through the heart of Philadelphia – my God, what a scare! – we’ll deflate and head over to the Chesapeake Bay in my home state of Maryland. To my birthplace of Havre de Grace where the mayor will greet us along with throngs of family and friends and name me an honorary citizen.

Passing through the Philly Camden Shipping Yard on the Delaware.

And the next day? August 27, 2017 – if all goes well and we haven’t killed each other yet – Nostos escorted by loved ones and members of the Chesapeake Paddlers Association will paddle the last mile in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor where Mayor Pugh and Dean Reese of the UMD School of Medicine and legions of well-wishers will celebrate our 300-mile tribute to Dr. Angela Brodie. The real hero behind River of Life whose discovery of aromatase inhibitors has saved the lives of millions of women from estrogen positive breast cancer, including mine. Because of her life’s work, Nostos brought me back to my beloved homeland to celebrate the wonders of medical science and the human spirit to rise above adversity and reach the unreachable.

Our success is bittersweet as Dr. Brodie dies of complications of pancreatic cancer on June 7. Her husband, Harry, so proud of his wife’s accomplishments and now telling Sydney and I how proud he is of us.

But there’s more in store. On Monday, August 28 the Baltimore Orioles will name me and Dr. Brodie “Hometown Heroes.” And the entire crowd will give me, Sydney, and Harry Brodie a standing ovation. The front office will donate $5,000 to River of Life. Naturally, the O’s won and even if they hadn’t the night still would have felt like a homerun.

Special guest of the Baltimore Orioles in honor of Dr. Brodie with her husband, Harry and my daughter Sydney. Photo courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles

Needless to say, this was the plan Cecil and John at Sea Eagle bought when the crazy saleswoman from Nashua, New Hampshire asked if they’d be interested in helping a cancer survivor fulfill an amazingly incredible epic adventure. Sea Eagle, they said, would be honored to be part of such an historic venture for such a worthy cause. Their technical support and that of their employees was only matched by the emotional bond that will last a lifetime. I will sing their praises for the rest of my life. And I’m betting that Sea Eagle FastTrack 385ft will outlive us all.

We did it! Baltimore Inner Harbor, August 27, 2017 Photo Tom Jemske, UMD School of Medicine

River of Life Time Line:

Nashua, NH – Nashua River, May 13 – Aug. 1

Cambridge, MA – Charles River, Aug. 9

Shrewsbury, MA – Lake Quinsigamond, Aug. 5

New York City – Hudson River, July 21

Port Jervis, NY – Delaware River, Aug. 10

Dingman’s Ferry, PA – Delaware River, Aug. 11

Bushkill, PA – Delaware River, Aug. 12

Shawnee Inn, PA – Delaware River, Aug. 13

Martin’s Creek, PA – Delaware River

Easton, PA – Delaware River, Aug. 14

Upper Black Eddy, PA – Delaware River, Aug. 15

Lambertville, NJ – Delaware River, Aug. 17

Trenton, NJ – Delaware River, Aug. 18

Burlington, NJ – Delaware River, Aug. 19

Riverton, NJ – Delaware River, Aug. 20

Gloucester, NJ – Delaware River, Aug. 21

Elk Neck State Park, MD – Chesapeake Bay, Aug. 24

Havre de Grace, MD – Chesapeake Bay, Aug. 26

Baltimore – Baltimore Inner Harbor, Aug., 27

Those interested in contributing to the Angela Brodie Endowment for Hormone-Related Cancer Research at UMD School of Medicine can log-on to: www.medschool.umaryland.edu/RiverOfLife To date, River of Life has raised over $36,000 for the cause.

River of Life: the Amazingly Incredible Epic Adventures of Carolyn Choate, Part I

by Carolyn Choate

“Why settle for simply rewriting Homer’s Odyssey from my post-cancer perspective when I could solo the Greek Islands and actually relive Odysseus’ great journey of self-discovery?”

Carolyn Choate recently used our FastTrack 385ft kayak to travel down the Delaware River from Port Jervis, NY to the University of Maryland School of Medicine to help raise awareness and funds for a cause that is close to her heart.  Read part 1 of her amazing journey below and look for part 2 in the coming weeks. 

October has come to a close but this one is especially hard to pack away in the attic of treasures stored. I returned the tandem FastTrack 385ft inflatable kayak that Sea Eagle owners Cecil Hoge, Jr. and John Hoge so graciously lent my older daughter and me this past year for an epic adventure like no other. For a cause that many of you may know all too well. Breast cancer.

I’m a survivor. There’s over three million of us out there. In the United States alone. Still, 14-years ago when they said I had a golf ball in my right breast and wouldn’t live to see my adolescent daughters graduate high school, survivorship meant waking up the next day. And, if I was lucky, the day after that. Until recently, I kept much of my cancer memorabilia in a corner of the basement, hidden from the light of day. Surgeries, aggressive chemotherapy whose side effects would intrigue the likes of Dr. Frankenstein, more surgeries. Boxes of collective heartbreak are piled high.

With my husband and two daughters.

One of the more discouraging side effects was dropping out of graduate school. I was studying ancient heroic classics: Homer’s Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, Beowulf, Dante’s Inferno. Where once I breathlessly peered into the archetypal fish bowl of the human condition, joyfully reading about valiant heroes, exotic lands, exalted battles, and titillating romance, escaping my own misadventures in domesticity and a hectic career in media, cancer treatment made me a skeptic in a fortnight. And a feminist, of sorts.

How come guys get all the fun and glory? The mother of two daughters suddenly demanded from authors of yore. Battles? Boys, you ain’t never seen a battle like the one a woman fights to beat cancer! My shrewish side bellowed to a bewildered husband.

And, thus, my scheme to rewrite the world’s greatest epics from the feminine perspective as a legacy for my daughters was hatched. That was October 2003. The same month my oncologist convinced my 45-year old self to have her ovaries removed so as to take a promising post-menopausal drug that would reduce cancer recurrence. Aromatase inhibitors – or estrogen blockers – were developed by Dr. Angela Brodie at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the late 1970s and approved by the FDA in 1994 to treat women, like me, with estrogen positive (ER+) breast cancer, the most common form of the disease. For us, estrogen is the gasoline that fuels cancer growth. I just hoped I lived long enough to fulfill my new found epic calling.

Visiting Dr. Brodie of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Ironically, however, life got in the way. Happily. Like seeing both my daughters graduate high school and college and land terrific jobs. Like me returning to grad school and finally getting that sheep skin after nine years. Like getting a second mastectomy in 2012. (Also without reconstruction.) Because I grew weary of the breast health hamster wheel of MRIs, mammograms, ultrasounds, PET Scans, biopsies, false positives, and worse? Cyclops boob. The annoying appendage that follows you wherever you go like a bad dream; one I was finally liberated from in 2012.

The epic writing plans, though long dormant, were still percolating nonetheless. In fact, as the years passed I began to doodle in the margins. Why settle for simply rewriting Homer’s Odyssey from my post-cancer perspective when I could solo the Greek Islands and actually relive Odysseus’ great journey of self-discovery? You know, get totally immersed and get myself together. What better way to replicate the courage and character of Beowulf through a feminine lens than by hiking alone across Denmark, reenacting the fabled battle with the monster Grendel on the very spot the smack down took place? I called it homework.

In the case of Odysseus, battle worn and without breasts but glad to be alive, I embraced this new version of self; complete in the knowledge that it was my mind, not breasts, that made me a woman. Likewise, the feminine Beowulf – aka Shewulf – slayed breast cancer in honor of all those who fought the monster or died trying. I morphed into a symbol of perseverance. And hope. One the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, at the time, recognized with a medal of honor for my financial contribution to the Danish Breast Cancer Organization for patient services.

Meeting former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford

The personal gratification of completing each epic adventure was only surpassed by the sheer rapture of recalling them to my daughters; writing about them, speaking about them, promoting the notion to anyone who would listen that, when you are fortunate enough to have been given a second lease on life – especially after a near-death experience with something like cancer – you can achieve just about anything.

And then it hit me: After all I had been through since diagnosis, I was worthy of writing my own epic, damn it! One I would dedicate to Dr. Angela Brodie for, without the miracle drug that saved me, there would be no sequel.

Last January, on my 59^th birthday, I decided to kayak from my home on the Nashua River in Nashua, New Hampshire about 300-miles to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland. A stone’s throw from the University of Maryland School of Medicine where an endowment in Dr. Brodie’s name was established at her retirement in 2016 at the age of 82. Did I mention I had no experience save for the five miles – or so – I had kayaked on the lazy river 500 feet from my house over the last 25 years?

Over a month of sane reflection on just how insane this idea was, I considered a route, the time frame, whether my body would cooperate, whether my husband would jump on board the crazy train (make that boat), and whether the University of Maryland School of Medicine would join forces in helping me promote one helluva fundraiser for the Brodie Endowment for Hormone-Related Cancers. But, above all else, I knew I needed the most advanced equipment I could get for keeping me and my side-kick alive for the duration. My 27-year old daughter, Sydney.

Stopping by Sea Eagle Boats to meet with owners Cecil & John Hoge and to decide which kayak would work best for my journey.

On February 24, 2017, my chief engineer and husband, Gordon Jackson, and I took the ferry from Bridgeport, CT to Port Jefferson, LI, to meet the fine folks at Sea Eagle and tell them about River of Life. They had just the kayak – and as it turned out – all the heart I needed for the journey of a lifetime. And, as you’ll read in Part II next month, thanks to Cecil, John, and so many engaged employees at Sea Eagle, River of Life far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Well, everyone except mine. I never doubted it for a second.

Rita Hill, trolling for trout in her Sea Eagle SE 330.

KAYAK TIME IS FAMILY TIME
By Tom Schlichter

From shooting rapids to exploring remote locations far off the beaten track, kayak fanatics list a wide variety of exciting and entertaining reasons for their love of the sport. Still, sometimes, the simple stuff holds the greatest appeal.

“I just love to be on the water with my family,” says Rita Hill of Sacramento, California. “It’s as straightforward as that.”

When Rita first became interested in kayaking, she had no idea such a simple point would be her ultimate kayak focus. “My husband and I moved to Sacramento, CA, about a year-and-a-half ago,” she explains. “As we explored our new surroundings, I noticed all the paddlers on nearby Lodi Lake. They looked to be having a lot of fun so I thought I might enjoy it, too.”

As she began to inquire about kayaking possibilities, Rita was introduced to sit-on-tops and hard-shelled crafts. She wasn’t comfortable with either, especially considering that she has a bad back. “They seemed awkward to carry and a bit uncomfortable,” the retired photographer and former public information officer revealed. “Then I found some inflatable kayaks on-line and the Sea Eagle page really caught my eye. I was immediately impressed with the videos and decided to give it a try.”

Rita ordered up an SE330 and was thrilled right from the start. At 11’ 2” and just 26 lbs., it was easy to lift and maneuver, rugged, big enough for two people and small enough for one.

“For me, it seemed perfect,” continued Rita. “I could easily load it into the back seat of my truck so I didn’t have to worry about getting a kayak rack. I started to go paddling on my own, then my husband got one, my daughter got one, and my in-laws picked one up as well. Now we’re one big happy kayaking family. We all have inflatable Sea Eagles and we’ve been enjoying this adventure for the past two years.”

When she’s out by herself Rita likes to fish from her Sea Eagle, targeting anything that will bite but mostly catching rainbow trout. For this she favors small lakes that aren’t too rough, noting that tranquil water tends to be the family’s preferred kayak option as well.

“None of us are into whitewater rides,” she explains. “We paddle for recreation and exercise, and because we love getting out on the water together. Our kayaks (Rita’s in-laws have an SE370 and her daughter has an SE330) are sturdy enough to handle a chop if they need to but given the choice we’d rather just relax and enjoy ourselves.”

Rita’s in-laws, Mike and Sally Dobson, paddling Donner Lake, CA in their SE 370.

Most of Rita’s personal kayak time is spent on Lodi Lake, but she’ll meet up with family at a variety of waters located within a few hours of home. Recently, she visited Donnor Lake in Truckee, CA with her husband and in-laws.

“We were on the water every day,” she revealed, “just taking it all in. We enjoyed seeing wildlife, watching people on their SUPs and seeing how far from camp we could paddle and still get back in time for dinner.”

Rita and her family like to travel to each new destination with their Sea Eagle kayaks deflated so there is no need to store them on top of the car. Once they arrive, they’ll carry their small fleet down to the shoreline, lay a plastic tarp on the ground, roll out each vessel and inflate them using Sea Eagle foot pumps. Each kayak takes less than ten minutes to fully prepare.

Mike and Sally patiently waiting for the rest of the Sea Eagle fleet to be ready to go.

“You might think it strange,” says Rita, “but I really love the time we spend inflating and deflating our kayaks. We are all helping each other, talking, laughing and doing something together. That kind of personal interaction is way better than having your face buried in a cell phone. We are all working toward an ultimate goal: getting out on the water and enjoying life as a family. It’s really something special and our Sea Eagle kayaks make a great focal point for getting the party started.”

Note: All photos courtesy of Rita Hill.