OUT & BACK Paddlers Guide Service

04/09/2026

I personally never found stern mounted rudders to be helpful. Proper trim and edging skills are more important.

The Real Problem With Kayak Rudders:

Okay, I’ll be honest. I came up in the world of sea kayaking in the Great Lakes, indoctrinated in the cult of British sea kayaking. Every single one of the paddlers I wanted to be when I grew up were firmly set against kayak rudders. As a younger man, I was steeped in the ways of rudder hatred, but what is really the problem with using a kayak rudder?

I’ve heard all the arguments, including: rudders are dangerous in rescues, they break when you need them most, moving foot pedals makes it impossible to brace, rudders inhibit proper skills development, rudders contribute to loose moral virtue and the increase of gout. Rudders are bad. They will give you smelly feet.

In the intervening years, I’ve paddled some fine ruddered kayaks and most of those criticisms have fallen by the wayside. I no longer fear capsize from an abruptly shifting foot brace, I’ve learned to inspect rudder cables to make sure they won’t part at an inopportune moment, and I no longer see ruddered kayaks as a source of moral decay. In fact, I’ve warmed to rudders considerably. I’m happy to admit ruddered kayaks are faster when racing, more efficient on long expeditions and helpful to beginners who are just getting the hang of paddling.

Despite this change of heart, I still think rudders are a poor choice in a versatile sea kayak paddled in a full range of ocean conditions, from surf to tide races. You see, rudders have one big problem you just can’t get around. The real problem with rudders is trim.

Let me explain: https://bit.ly/4dHgM1m

✍️: Brian Day
📷: Matt Baldelli |
📖: Issue 57 of Paddling Magazine

02/20/2026

Stay safe and never underestimate the power of water. We’ve all been in situations that we weren’t prepared for. Most of us make it back but there are no guarantees.

Swept Away: Paddler’s disappearance provides hard lessons and hope for a better future | A cell phone in a waterproof pouch might have made the difference. Or if he’d chosen his paddleboard that day, rather than the sit-inside kayak that filled with water when capsized. Perhaps if the wind had been calm or the current hadn’t been running so strongly, David Schink would have come home cheerful and energized, as he did almost every day after paddling. Instead, the kayaker went missing with barely a trace.

The what-ifs scroll through Judy Schink’s mind when she thinks back to the February day her husband of 38 years hustled out the door to look for dolphins in Destin, Florida, a seaside community built around a protected bay and a narrow pass to the Gulf of Mexico that is notorious for strong tidal currents.

“He didn’t say goodbye,” Judy recalls. “He said ‘See you later—we’ll go for a walk when I get back.’”

David Schink was no rookie paddler, Judy says. One of their first purchases as a couple was a canoe, and they spent summers at a lake house in Minnesota, paddling, sailing and water skiing with their three boys. David ran marathons and triathlons. He swam competitively in college and once rode his bicycle across Minnesota. At 61 he’d lost little of his athlete’s endurance and none of his enthusiasm for the water.

“He absolutely loved to paddle board every single day,” Judy says. “He was 6’5″ and he would pick up the paddleboard and carry it around like it was nothing. He just was exuberant when he was on the water, and he was so big and powerful I think he felt he could muscle his way out of anything.” It wasn’t unusual for David to be out after dark. At home in Minnesota, he loved to watch the sunset from the Mississippi and paddle home after dusk on the glassy water.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4425FJT

✍️: Jeff Moag
📷: Courtesy Judy Schink

12/09/2025

It’s that time of year again ppl

Boating in cold weather can be thrilling, but it also exposes you to the risk of falling into dangerously cold waters. Always remember to wear your life jacket; it could save your life!

11/22/2025

Now tell me why your dog isn’t wearing a PFD

Tom's last-ditch effort to stay safe before the holiday. 😳

10/19/2025

All paddlers, canoe, kayak, SUP should read and apply. It might save your life

Swept Away: Paddler’s disappearance provides hard lessons and hope for a better future | A cell phone in a waterproof pouch might have made the difference. Or if he’d chosen his paddleboard that day, rather than the sit-inside kayak that filled with water when capsized. Perhaps if the wind had been calm or the current hadn’t been running so strongly, David Schink would have come home cheerful and energized, as he did almost every day after paddling. Instead, the kayaker went missing with barely a trace.

The what-ifs scroll through Judy Schink’s mind when she thinks back to the February day her husband of 38 years hustled out the door to look for dolphins in Destin, Florida, a seaside community built around a protected bay and a narrow pass to the Gulf of Mexico that is notorious for strong tidal currents.

“He didn’t say goodbye,” Judy recalls. “He said ‘See you later—we’ll go for a walk when I get back.’”

David Schink was no rookie paddler, Judy says. One of their first purchases as a couple was a canoe, and they spent summers at a lake house in Minnesota, paddling, sailing and water skiing with their three boys. David ran marathons and triathlons. He swam competitively in college and once rode his bicycle across Minnesota. At 61 he’d lost little of his athlete’s endurance and none of his enthusiasm for the water.

“He absolutely loved to paddle board every single day,” Judy says. “He was 6’5″ and he would pick up the paddleboard and carry it around like it was nothing. He just was exuberant when he was on the water, and he was so big and powerful I think he felt he could muscle his way out of anything.” It wasn’t unusual for David to be out after dark. At home in Minnesota, he loved to watch the sunset from the Mississippi and paddle home after dusk on the glassy water.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4425FJT

✍️: Jeff Moag
📷: Courtesy Judy Schink

10/13/2025

Lessons to be learned for anyone who paddles

09/28/2025

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, in the past three years (2022-2024), falls overboard and ejections contributed to 31% of all boating fatalities. Don’t let nature’s call become an overboard fall.

09/22/2025

Set a good example for young boaters

We hear heart-breaking stories every year of children found alone drifting in a boat because an adult went overboard and didn’t come back up. Set a good example for your children and always wear your life jacket. It’s an InVestment you won’t regret.

09/17/2025

Gotta love those advanced smart devices. Don't know how much money or manhours were dedicated to this effort but this presents a good case for turning off and enjoying the ride.

IPhone Feature Sends False Alarm For Canoeist On Fire In Minnesota | On August 27, 2025 a search and rescue effort began on Seagull Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) after a 911 text went out stating that a person was on fire. First responders did not find any fires, any people on fire or anyone needing rescue. It was later proven a false alarm, with the mysterious text sent using new iPhone satellite technology.

According to The Ely Echo, dispatch was able to contact the wife of the owner of the iPhone from which the text had originated, who was later able to confirm that the owner of the iPhone was alive and well and not experiencing an emergency. Additionally, it was confirmed that the alert was not only accidentally sent but sent without the owner’s knowledge.

Apple’s emergency SOS new satellite technology enables users to send text messages using passing satellites even when out of range of cell service. The satellite messaging technology is available on iPhone 14 or newer.

These alerts can be triggered by repeatedly and quickly pressing the side button on the iPhone five times, pressing and holding both the side button and volume buttons of the iPhone simultaneously and/or through the iPhone crash detection feature.

Not only is this not the first instance of a false alarm text claiming a person is on fire in the wilderness, but this is not even the first instance in the BWCAW in summer 2025: https://bit.ly/3IjvSPo

📷: Northern News Now | YouTube

09/09/2025

Just another sad story that would have had a different outcome by wearing a PFD

Cody Johnson was identified as the victim after dispatchers received “a frantic 911 call”

09/09/2025

When A Kayak Disaster Strikes, Who Is To Blame? | On May 6, 2016, Bryan Orrio and Kelley McCallum bought two Old Town Trip 10 recreational kayaks from Dick’s Sporting Goods in Salem, Oregon. They headed for the Mehama run on the nearby North Santiam River, a stretch I know well.

Orrio and McCallum claim the salesperson removed flotation foam from the bows, believing it was packing material. The two rec boats were on a class II whitewater run. The paddlers were inexperienced enough to refer to their paddles as “oars.”

Claiming injury from capsizing and wrestling the boats to shore, the pair sued Dick’s Sporting Goods for $455,000. Regardless of the outcome, the aquatic and legal kerfuffle is a warning about a possible future of kayaking. As paddling becomes increasing popular and mainstream, there will be more novices. Kayaks will be more readily available. But the water won’t get any more beginner or rec-boat friendly than it is now.

The risks are apparent, and they raise old questions anew. What are the responsibilities of outfitters, paddlers and groups? What’s the right balance of safety and independence? When should we own it and admit we’re doofuses who got in over our heads?

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/3RvItQy

✍️: Neil Schulman
📷: Jamie Sharp: Skills and rescue training is the best way to prevent an on-water accident. At a TRAK Kayak Surf Camp weekend in Ucluelet, British Columbia, paddlers learn to read the swell and recognize safe zones, which allows them to “enjoy and play in this area of the coast,” says photographer Jaime Sharp.

09/09/2025

This is an older post but still has important safety info

When A Kayak Disaster Strikes, Who Is To Blame? | On May 6, 2016, Bryan Orrio and Kelley McCallum bought two Old Town Trip 10 recreational kayaks from Dick’s Sporting Goods in Salem, Oregon. They headed for the Mehama run on the nearby North Santiam River, a stretch I know well.

Orrio and McCallum claim the salesperson removed flotation foam from the bows, believing it was packing material. The two rec boats were on a class II whitewater run. The paddlers were inexperienced enough to refer to their paddles as “oars.”

Claiming injury from capsizing and wrestling the boats to shore, the pair sued Dick’s Sporting Goods for $455,000. Regardless of the outcome, the aquatic and legal kerfuffle is a warning about a possible future of kayaking. As paddling becomes increasing popular and mainstream, there will be more novices. Kayaks will be more readily available. But the water won’t get any more beginner or rec-boat friendly than it is now.

The risks are apparent, and they raise old questions anew. What are the responsibilities of outfitters, paddlers and groups? What’s the right balance of safety and independence? When should we own it and admit we’re doofuses who got in over our heads?

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/3RvItQy

✍️: Neil Schulman
📷: Jamie Sharp: Skills and rescue training is the best way to prevent an on-water accident. At a TRAK Kayak Surf Camp weekend in Ucluelet, British Columbia, paddlers learn to read the swell and recognize safe zones, which allows them to “enjoy and play in this area of the coast,” says photographer Jaime Sharp.