photo of paddleboarders: Ivan Dimic
First Impressions
It was clear from first stepping out into the morning sunshine that organizers made the right decision by postponing the event until Sunday. Conditions on the water Saturday would have been quite challenging, with an offshore wind and curling whitecaps. Instead, the day was perfect for a novice like me, with little to no breeze to contend with, nice warm water if I was to fall, and scarcely a ripple on the surface of the water.
Safety First
At Nickel Beach, participants lined up at the registration desk to check in and get a giant number applied to their calf in black marker. Each paddler had a distinct number from 1 to 33. The Fort Erie Underwater Rescue Unit that had six boats out for on-water support got a copy of the registration info with these numbers, so that they could do a periodic check that all paddlers were accounted for. At one point, they asked lead organizer Katherine about one of the paddlers on their numbered list who they didn't have showing, and Katherine was able to confirm that he had stayed behind at the lunch spot to load some boards onto trailers before setting out again. A few minutes later he paddled up to us. It was reassuring to have our safety so carefully looked after. Members of the Unit regularly offered water to the paddlers. I accepted on a couple occasions, not because I was thirsty but because it gave a chance to rest and retain my on-board water supply for when I might get really thirsty.
photo of paddleboarders getting ready on the beach: Ivan Dimic
Ready, set, paddle!
Before we set out, Katherine took a few moments to go over the plan for the day: we would stop on the water after an hour or so to rest, rehydrate, stretch, and swim if we wanted to. She covered signals for distress and options for heading to land before the end point. I made a few remarks about Carolinian Canada, the EcoTrail, and this stretch of shoreline. We all stood for a group photo and then in what seemed like moments, paddlers were out on the water and heading west. I was nearly the last one to embark.
Setting out at around 9:15 am, we had to wade through a thick blanket of algae at the water's edge. It was more than I've ever seen before. Farther out from shore, the water was clear and free of algae. It was the same at Pleasant Beach and again at Crystal Beach, but it did not deter hordes of beachgoers from visiting. I paddled on an Ausmosis board on loan from Jonah Logan of North Shore Paddlesurf. Jonah taught me the ropes of SUP at a couple of demo nights earlier this summer. Pretty much any day of the week you'll find him on a board in southern Ontario. Ausmosis was one of several sponsors for the event, and a couple of people shared with me how much they like their boards. I learned that they are designed in Ontario and manufactured in Florida. I got the chance to paddle on three different boards over the course of the day, and it was fun to see how each one handled.
Meanwhile, back on dry land . . .
Albert Garofalo of the Bert Miller Nature Club showed off some of the rare dune species at Nickel Beach to volunteers and beach visitors, and later joined us at the lunch spot at Pleasant Beach. He told me that he had enjoyed a walk at Marcy's Woods that morning as well as going to have a look at the damage to natural areas from the July 19 wind storm. He said that in the area where he was assessing damage, near Ridgeway, the fallen trees would actually help biodiversity in the next stages of succession.
Freshwater perspectives
The shoreline from Nickel Beach to Crystal Beach was a long stretch of private residences, with only three exceptions that I saw: the Carolinian woodlands and dunes at Marcy's Woods, the lighthouse at Point Abino, and Sherkston / Pleasant Beach. Albert described Marcy's Woods as the best example of vegetated dunes in Niagara. He would know, having studied the ecology of the coast of the whole region.
It was fun to approach the remains of a rusted, graffiti-clad shipwreck just offshore from Pleasant Beach, and I snapped some photos of Sarah, Jen and Chris, and another couple who were taking part in the event. At the lunch spot, volunteers applauded and cheered as each paddler landed, and moments later we were each handed a little self-contained box with our lunch: a veggie wrap, apple, Rice Krispies square and container of coconut water. Most paddlers had found their way to a narrow strip of shade at the west end of the beach to relax and have their lunch. When it was time to set out again, we were encouraged to refill our water and pick up at least one extra article of garbage from the beach to leave it cleaner than we found it.
The afternoon paddle seemed to go quickly. Before long we were snapping photos and plunging into the water next to the lighthouse at Point Abino. From there, the finish was in sight, even if it was a long way yet to go. Katherine described it as the most beautiful lighthouse she knows, and she has a good point. The recent restoration there has left an impressive landmark. The trickiest stretch of paddling for me came in the final kilometre. There were a lot of harmonic waves coming from all directions. Even though they weren't big, they were unpredictable and I nearly fell twice. Ivan, one of the certified instructors, was paddling alongside me at the time. He recommended shorter strokes and keeping my paddle in or close to the water at all times to use it for stability. It was good advice, and only once did I choose to kneel for a few moments to let some larger boat waves sweep over my board.
Landing with a cheer; sharing stories on the beach
It was a nice feeling to get to shore, and have all the paddlers who had just landed cheer for me. They all did the same for each paddler coming ashore. Lots of high fives and good-job, and one guy (George) laying on his board on the sand with his hat over his face catching some shut-eye
. I think that beach visitors were quite interested in what was going on. Some milled about, checking out the demo boards and snapping photos.
It was nice to unwind at Sneeker's Beach Tavern with the group and enjoy some home-cooked food prepared by the volunteers. I didn't see any really bad sunburns so I guess people covered up pretty well. One volunteer, Claire Holeten, showed the sunscreen that she carries in her purse. SPF 110 - I had no idea you could go that high!
I had a few paddlers ask me about the EcoTrail and the work of Carolinian Canada. While they may not have known much about our work, they were interested in what we are doing on the coast. I am following up to encourage them to submit an online pledge for Grow Wild!
All in all, a great day.
Sandy Clipsham - Carolinian Canada Network Manager
photo of paddleboarders: Ivan Dimic