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What is a “dam river?” A river with dams on it. Most rivers are dammed, and if they aren’t already, they likely will be one day. What is "your" dam river? Your dam river is a river you paddle on with dams. You need to know how many there are, where they are located, what kind of flows are coming out of them and how they might affect the stretch of water you’re planning to paddle on. You may have more than one dam river. There are many rivers that I regularly paddle in Canada: the Ottawa, Madawaska, Gatineau, Rideau Canal system, Mississippi, and St. Lawrence rivers. And, there are other rivers I hit up and need to learn about when I travel. Every time I want to paddle a river, especially a new stretch I don’t know, it takes research. Where are the dams? Where are the rapids? How paddler friendly is it? How hard is it to navigate? Where is the put in and take out? What else do I need to be aware of? (There are alligators in some Florida rivers, and others affec

Here's more news on Maelstrom sea kayaks provided by a paddler and sea kayak instructor who recently headed out to coastal waters to give the Maelstrom Vital 166 a try. Fern, from www.WannaKayak.com in North Carolina, U.S.A., contacted me a while back with some questions about the Maelstrom Vital 166. Several paddlers have, as they have been looking for more news and reviews from other paddlers on the new Maelstrom sea kayaks, the Maelstrom Vital 166 and the Vaag. Also my BaffinPaddler Web stats show I'm getting the most Web traffic overall for my news on Maelstrom kayaks and Greenland paddling posts. Web stats are so great! So share your news. People are looking for it. I fell in love with my Maelstrom Vital 166 on the first try and have been posting some of my own reviews and following the news and reviews from other, more experienced paddlers like Alex Matthews . Of course, no love story is perfect forever. But it's a great feeling when it hits! I was anxiou

Ever find a little out of the way magic spot that you normally wouldn't notice and not understand why? Some place so simple, so small, and not so far away. But you could feel something there and not know what it was? A spot along the trail, or the water that makes you want to stop and linger while others pass by? There are lots of spots. You can travel far and wide and be amazed by something so obviously spectacular, but at the end of the day, it's about what you feel. I was surprised to find a little pond in New Hampshire that I would not normally even consider with a 16 or 17 foot sea kayak. It was only two miles long and one-half mile wide at the widest point. Not an exciting place to paddle. But a place to relax. The water glows at dawn and dusk. The stars dance off your paddle. Something magic. Swim in it. Your skin will tell you the same. There is something special going on in a small pond, without all the development you find in so many once-nice places, no speed boats,