Keeping "technology" dry and operable on the kayak deck...a cool piece of kit.

My spouse and paddling partner - every so often she'd disappear!

Yesterday was a sweet day to be on the water. The weather was changing and there was a brisk wind from the south-east. We don't get the swell of the more open ocean here. Our local launch spot, at Maple Bay, is in an area that is protected by both Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island. So yeah, "rolling" waves can be a bit of a treat.

Paddling into the action, the decks of the kayaks experienced lots of water washing over them which provided an excellent opportunity to test a new piece of "kit" we recently acquired - a couple of SealLine eCases.

Nice and flush on the deck, clipped and bungeed.

Being able to communicate with others can be very important when you're on the water in a sea kayak. We always have with us a VHF marine radio and also our cell phones. It's ideal if both pieces of equipment are waterproof, and that we are able to USE them with some degree of ease - especially if everything else is going "south". The radio is not problem. Cell phones, on the other hand, are usually vulnerable and built for dry-land use. Sure, it's easy to keep them safe in a dry bag or waterproof Pelican box - but they are difficult to keep dry and use, at the same time. Especially in conditions when you might be needing to call for assistance.

The SealLine eCase is bright (ours are orange), and sits flush on the deck. The phone is clearly visible through the urethane window and it is fully submersible. The best (and most useful) part, however, is that the iPhone is fully operable, including all the "touch and swipe" features. The next best bonus is that the phone, enclosed in the eCase, floats! (Not that either one of us has ever accidentally dropped anything over the side - and witnessed it tumble, in slow motion, into the depths. Well, maybe a couple of times.)

A nice piece of kit!

We tested out the SealLine cases in the kitchen sink first - no problem. In the real world of wet sea kayaking - once again, no problem. We found ours at Mountain Equipment Coop in Vancouver but they are widely available. At about $20 bucks - a darn good buy!

And no, I didn't check email, "surf" the web, or get temped to crank up any of the fun "apps" out there. :)

Duncan.

A work in progress...and the challenges of practising what you preach: A confession.

A moment I might have forgotten...but for the camera.

I'm forever counselling, advising, sometimes even (and this is pure pecksniffery), admonishing people to live in the moment. All I'm really trying to say is that we need to be present and not let the moment or the experience slip away because of any of life's many distractions.

It's all about situation awareness - life's too short not to have it. And life can be really short if you don't have it. I learned that during my time in the army.

There's more though. We need to be aware of and appreciate each moment and each situation, no matter what - and that means making an effort.

Sometimes, I seem to forget all this. Which is why sometimes my admonishing others is a lot of pecksniffery! There are blunter terms that I have decided I shouldn't use. :)

That's when it's good to have a camera around...to record the images we sometimes miss. They serve as a timely and necessary "wake up call".

Indeed, I guess some of us are "a work in progress"...sigh.

Working on it,

Duncan.