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WEATHER LINKS * BOM Perth local waters * Note that weather links appear only on the homepage now. |
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Welcome to the Homepage of the Sea Kayak Club of WA inc. Western Australia has some of the best sea kayaking locations in the country plus the sort of weather conditions that allow us to enjoy this satisfying and adventurous activity year round. If you have a yen to get out on our pristine Indian Ocean waters with a supportive group of experienced and likeminded people, to improve your fitness, commune with nature and to paddle your own boat into adventurous, scenic locations then you have come to the right address for information as to how this can be achieved. If you are unable to find all of the information you need by clicking on the various site menus please do not hesitate to contact our President, Vice President or Secretary. Welcome also to any of our existing members who may be visiting the web site in search of information, the aim is to provide a one stop location for all information pertaining to club activities.  Falcon Bay surf day Photograph: Alan Hale Les Allen takes the perfect wave.  South Coast seas Photograph: John Radovich Dave Rowlands tackles some rough conditions at the 2013 Sea Kayak Symposium off Albany.  Sisters Photograph: Sue Harrington The Sisters is a group of isolated rocks about 5km to the south of Penguin Island.  Shoalwater sailing Photograph: Sue Harrington Judy Blight and Royd Bussell had a pleasant following breeze during a recent paddle near Bird Island.  Seal Island Photograph: Royd Bussell Close to the site of the 2013 WA Sea Kayak Symposium, Linda Glover paddles past Seal Island in King George Sound near Albany.  Rottnest Island Photograph: Royd Bussell Neesha Copley glides through Crayfish Rock on the north side of Rottnest Island. There are some more of Royd's pictures in the Gallery. For more photos, see the photo gallery. |
Current program Saturday 18 May Sunday 19 May Friday 24 May Saturday 25 May Sunday 26 May Saturday 1 June Sunday 2 June Sunday 2 June and Monday 3 June News Do-It-Yourself LogbookThe Club has put together a do-it-yourself logbook kit, so that those paddlers who would like a logbook can easily make one. The instructions and files for printing are here. Videos Ian Watkins from the Albany branch has put some great pictures taken by various paddlers at this year's symposium on a YouTube slide show. Tim Hale's YouTube video of a gentle and fun paddle from Hillarys is here. Trip Reports Jo Foley has written up a report for the Jurien trip in March this year. Sue Harrington has written a great report from the July trip to Fiji, with lots of photos. See the Trip Reports page for this and other reports. Survey on Ocean Users and Sharks in WA The WA government has recently changed policy concerning the management of sharks, such that the Department of Fisheries can track, catch and, if necessary, destroy sharks identified in close proximity to beachgoers. Researchers at the University of Wollongong and University of New England are interested in learning more about the views of ocean-users on this issue. They want to assess the WA government response to recent events, and the implications of the change in policy. As part of their project, they have made a questionnaire to try to gauge the views of ocean-users towards sharks. In particular, they want to learn about the thoughts of ocean-users towards shark management in WA. Click here to link to their online survey. Launch Site Maps There is now a page (here) with a table of launch sites, with links to a map for each site showing the actual launch site and nearest parking. There are also downloadable maps that you can print off, plus GPS waypoints for each of the sites. Both .kml files (for Google Earth) and .gpx files for GPSs are there. The Current Program summary (above) has clickable links to the launch sites, as will the more detailed Activities program page. Thanks to Royd Bussell and Jo Foley for doing the hard work to make this happen. Updates to the Safety Guidelines The committee is continuing to update the Safety Guidelines and Operating Procedures, and the latest edition (Feb 2013) is available as a pdf document on the Safety and Training page. This edition has been sent to all members. Retracing Oskar Speck - India  SKCWA member Sandy Robson is taking a break from her big expedition. She's now back in Australia, and was recently seen at Penguin Island by paddlers on a club trip. She's paddled the western coast of India and part of the eastern coast. For the next stage she plans to paddle around Sri Lanka and then complete the eastern coast of India. See her website and blog here. Canoe and Kayak Guide to WA (2nd edition) Martin Chambers has produced a new edition of his guide to paddling in WA. From mid-November, it will be available from paddlesport retailers, outdoor shops or online. Safety Equipment Exemptions The Department of Transport has exempted paddle craft users from the need to carry Type 1 PFDs, anchors and some other items. For more information, go to the Noticeboard page. Emergency Equipment Sandy Robson has written a great review of position-indicating and signalling equipment after attending a search and rescue workshop at the NSW SKC Rock and Roll Symposium. Click here to read it. The Sea Kayak Forum Tim Robinson's Forum for Sea Kayakers in Australia is run independently of a club or business with the idea that it would be of benefit to clubs and businesses and would be available to kayakers world wide. There are posts on general kayak talk, techniques, equipment etc., and if you register you can post information yourself. See http://www.seakayakforum.com/. ...More news |