Svalnäs is a shallow and very beautiful sandy beach on Lake Vänern. On windy summer days days I'm there with some friends for kayak surfing. We share the beach with some guys doing kite surfing.
This week I have been there two times so far as the weather has been perfect for surfing. On Monday we had the last part of a kayaking course and this time it was how to handle the kayaks in a bit bigger seas. I think all learned a lot and had a lot of fun as well. On Wednesday the seas were higher and we were some friends playing in the seas. Some younger guys were trying some surfing in an open canoe.
I have now been kayaking every month since April 2014. That is every month for three years! And I think that I have been on the Lake Vänern every month as well.
This day me and my friend Christer had snow, rain, wind with us, wind against, calm and sun. Spring weather! We started at the Yttre Bodane nature reserve and at the jetty a bit from the parking lot. Some ice at first but then open water and with a good pace we went mostly outside the islands upp to Vingens hamn and around Gåsön.
As it then started to rain (mixed with some snow) we went ashore and into the trees to have our lunch. After a bit it stopped raining and the sun was back.
At the trip back we had some head winds and with my Gemini I had to paddle hard to keep up with Christer.
We saw the first ospreys for the season, probably getting their nest ready.
All in all a very nice day and good training for a long trip we will have in Norway this summer. (More about that in a later blog post).
Some statistics from the day:
Distance = 22,1 km
Time = 5:17
Travel time = 3:33
Average speed (whole day) = 4.1 km/h
Average speed (paddling) = 6.1 km/h
Max. speed = 8 km/h
Christer is getting ready to go out in the ice.
I put the GoPro on Christers kayak. Here we got some small surf.
Not yet summer!
Christer at our "fika" break
On our way back
Christer in his Arrow play
It's not possible to paddle into the quarry at Trollön with this low water level.
After a beautiful day yesterday I was out again this Sunday with my daughter, Paula. She got a new PFD (flytväst), paddle pants and paddle boots. She wanted to test those things together with her other gear and see if its working for winter kayaking. So, this was actually her first kayak trip in the winter.
Myself I tested my new tuiliq from Reed Chillcheater again. I changed what I was wearing under a little bit from yesterday, and today it was perfect!
Here is what I used (and I was not cold or too warm at any time today):
After much thinking a bought a tuiliq from Reed Chillcheater in the UK. I ordered it from them with my measures and two weeks later it arrived in my mailbox. I have the standard keayhole design without the fleece lining. I was thinking it was better to have more layers under and be able to use it almost year around instead of having one that will be to hot most of the year. I think I did the right decision!
With two friend, Anders and Kajsa, we went out on the Lake Vänern a very beautiful January 21:st. It was about 5°C when we started and close to 0°C when we were back in Sunnanå yacht harbor. The temperature in the water is just above freezing!
We went up to Köpmannebro and had som fika (coffee break) on the way. One of the most beautiful kayak trips I have taken on the Lake Vänern.
The tuiliq is great! I have a merino wool top and bottom and a neoprene sweater on. And a pair of old dry pants. (I also got new socks and for the first time this winter I didn't get cold feet when kayaking.)
It was cold at the start but as soon as we started paddling it got a bit warm. When taking a break I didn't need to put a jacket on and when we got back at Sunnanå I had just the perfect temperature. I did a roll in the cold water and that was cold! The tuiliq worked perfect but as I had no insulation on my head except the hood of the tuiliq my head got rather cold. But as you can see in the video I was ok.
For my first test I'm very pleased with the tuiliq. It gives me more freedom of movement than with a dry-suit and spray-skirt and it's better ventilated as it's open to the cockpit. I do get some water in at the sides of my face as I wear glasses, but it's tight around the neck and head so not much water will enter. My cockpit stayed dry except some water that came in with my boots. I'm looking forward to test it more.
Saturday at December 10. A foggy but calm day on the Lake Vänern. The water level on the lake is rather low so there are a lot of new shoals and grunds coming up above the water and new places to run aground. A lot of new scratches on the underside and I have to do some repairs of the gelcoat this spring. Well, the kayaks are supposed to be used.
I did some training with my paddling technique around the small shoals and rocks.
My YouTube channel is getting popular. About 50,000 views now and one clip is over 13,000! That is the one from the calving glacier and ensuing tsunami.
The Tsunami video
New video "New Scratches"
Entering Sunnanå yacht harbor
Ghost like!
Looks almost like a water color painting. No filter!
I have now done my second "Harry Year", that is when you have been kayaking every month for a whole year (calendar year). I don't know where that expression comes from but it's something they call call that when you have achieved this. Probably a guy named Harry did it for the first time.
Actually I have been kayaking 33 months straight, all months on the Lake Vänern!
I have also been out kayaking every week since first of March (missed one week 😒when I was a teacher).
I was out today on a beautiful December day on the Lake Vänern. Windy, warm for December (+8°C) and a bit of sea.
Watch the video from today and also my second video from my trip in Alaska.
As the nice September weather continues I took a short trip at about 10 km close to home. This is att Sunnanå yacht harbor on Lake Vänern. A beautiful afternoon where I practiced my strokes and steering.
The days are getting shorter, I work a lot and soon the autumn will be here in full force. That means some less kayaking now but I hope to paddle an average of 2-3 times a week. The last five months there has been 3-4 days a week.
I also start planning for next year. My plans are to build a Black Pearl kayak and in the summer go to Helgeland in north Norway to kayak for two weeks. Hope to bring some friends with me.
Enjoy my photos from a colorful September
The lighthouse Högeholme will soon be in use again. The local yacht club will take care of it.
