Kayaking Interview - John Kimantas
Kayak & Canoe Gear, Boating Safety and Publishing Paddling Guides
John Kimantas, an avid kayaker based in North Vancouver, British Columbia discusses kayaking gear, paddling safety and writing his books on paddling.
This is the second part of an interview with John Kimantas for Boating and Sailing at Suite101. Here John discusses his thoughts on kayaking gear, boating safety and the work involved with producing his latest book, the Wild Coast 3. The first half of this interview covers John's kayaking experience and recommended paddling trips along the shores of Vancouver Island.
1. Your personal website reviews gear that has passed the 10,000 kilometer test. Could elaborate on your practical standards used in these reviews and describe your favorite gear choices?
There wasn’t much of a litmus test. It was simply the gear that I didn’t have to replace over the course of kayaking about a full year on the water. This is a fact that has to be celebrated, as a good many bits of equipment didn’t make it to any reasonable expectation of a useful lifespan. Dry bags and cases are my personal bugbear, as most didn’t survive a single season, and some were leaking or quickly damaged from the outset. My favourite is a Serratus soft camera case. It was never billed as waterproof, but I had it one full summer strapped to my deck bag getting splashed and rained on and two summers sitting in my cockpit getting kicked and sloshed around, and it never leaked. Still hasn’t (I’ve also used it extensively for hiking). During all this is has protected my vulnerable 35-mm film camera (now replaced by an SLR digital). Serratus was a Canadian company that made many good product. Sadly it was purchased by MEC, which chose to close it rather than compete with cheaper Asian products. An unfortunate end to a great Canadian company.
2. Kayaking and canoeing are safe outdoor activities for those paddlers properly prepared for the sport. Can you detail some personal safety tips for a paddler interested in visiting a site detailed in your guidebook?
I have to say follow these steps and you can’t go wrong:
- Start your trip early before the day’s winds rise, and plan to be off the water early to avoid the higher afternoon winds (the prevailing weather pattern on the BC coast in summer).
- Listen to the marine weather forecast, and stay off the water if the weather sounds risky. Don’t leave your campsite or be duly cautioned if there is wind in the early morning or if the wind direction is southerly. If in doubt, don’t go out.
- Always be sure of safe pullouts along your route so you can get off the water with about an hour’s notice of the change in weather. If you don’t know of any safe pullouts, be aware you are at risk, and act accordingly.
- Always wear a PDF.
- In areas of open water, wear a wetsuit.
- Carry a marine radio.
People often learn to Eskimo roll for safety. My feeling is risk assessment is a far greater safety tool. Learn the weather patterns, get a feeling for changes and be aware of where the risks are and you’ll likely stay upright, which is a better goal.
3. To this point, you have written three guidebooks and three supplementary coastal atlas covering most, if not the entire coast of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Are you currently working on a new project? What's coming next?
I’ve gone back to my hiking routes. Watch for the Essential Vancouver Island Outdoor Recreation Guide next spring.
4. Talk a bit about your publisher, Whitecap Books. How have they supported your efforts? What should we know about them?
I was exceptionally lucky as a first-time author to get a publisher who was willing to print a large volume in full colour, then support a series. I was equally lucky to have then accept a hugely oversized manuscript for the third volume and publish it at almost 600 pages in full colour without batting an eye when they could have handed it back and told me to cut out several hundred pages. The results speak for themselves – there is no comparable series of guides for the BC coast, thanks to their support.
5. Your kayak of choice for researching the Wild Coast 3 was a Seaward Ascente. Can you provide a review of the craft and detail your relationship with Seaward Kayaks?
Seaward is a great Vancouver Island manufacturer with one of the best finishes in the business, which I think has suffered greatly in recent years in the industry due to the consolidation of many companies and the relocation of manufacturing, quite often to Asia. I’m sure you’re probably aware of the decline of quality on many previously wonderful lines. The Ascente is a good middle-of-the-road touring boat, with good storage capacity and good handling but it may be too tippy for novices.
6. Based on our discussions here for Suite101, what other thoughts would you leave with visitors to the website?
What a great resource! I’ll be spending a bit of time looking through the boating articles. Looks like there’s lots of useful information here. Best of luck with the site.
