Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean

Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean

By Jonathan White

“‘It’s flooding,’ Lukasi, the elder, said.

It was a quiet beach, and to my eye there was no indication whether the tide was flooding or ebbing.

‘How do you know?’ I asked.

‘Fuzz,’ he answered…

‘What fuzz?’

‘When the tide is flooding, it picks up dust and pollen and insect larvae from the beach that sits on top of the water like a blanket. It doesn’t happen when the tide is dropping.’”

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Ghost Gear

Featured photo by Mira Pavlakovic from FreeImages.

Lost and abandoned fishing gear is one of the most significant contributors to the earth’s plastic problem. Although single use plastics such as plastic straws, water bottles, and grocery bags are often targeted by environmental groups, fishing gear is a far bigger problem in the ocean garbage situation. Global Ghost Gear Initiative was started by World Animal Protection in 2015 to address the issue.

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NDK Line Up

NDK Romany: A Quarter Century

Excerpted from an article by Neil Schulman, published in Adventure Kayak Magazine.

The year was 1993... and one of the most enduring kayaks ever made paddled onto the sea.

The Romany was produced by Nigel Dennis Kayaks - now Sea Kayaking UK - in Anglesey, Wales. It was designed to be easy to handle in rough conditions, neutral in wind, fun in the surf, have enough speed and gear storage for several days, and be strong enough to withstand a good whack on the rocks. The Romany introduced keyhole cockpits, day hatches, and skegs to North American seas.

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Nigel Dennis Kayaks Explorer

NDK Explorer Crosses Atlantic – Without a Paddler

Excerpted from an article by Wendy Killoran, published by Adventure Kayak Magazine.

Most epic kayak journeys start with a paddle stroke, but this trans-Atlantic kayak crossing was unique.

Dan Colodney was involved in a mishap at the notorious Oregon Inlet at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina when he was separated from his NDK Explorer kayak in May 2003. Colodney’s kayak drifted for nearly a year at the whim of ocean currents. It turned up floating off the shores of France.

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Unmanned Kayaks

Feature photo by The Marksman on Unsplash.

For every unmanned kayak reported, the Coast Guard must assume that a person is missing and in distress, and that requires a full-scale search and rescue effort involving Coast Guard personnel, vessels and aircraft.

The Coast Guard estimates a team on the water costs $113,000 per hour.

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