Preparation and Training
Mental Training ....It's important to have a positive mental outlook on the crossing. For months before launching, I would picture myself ending the trip to reinforce my confidence. Be sure you feel comfortable paddling in conditions that are rougher than those in which you plan to cross. A positive attitude and confidence will keep you from becoming mentally exhausted. Physical Training .... I consider myself ready for a crossing when I can stay in my kayak for nine continuous hours. In training, I paddle as I would on a crossing: continuous hour-long paddle sessions broken up by five-minute breaks. I also become proficient with rolling on both sides of my kayak. One week before a crossing, I'm careful not to stress my body so that I reduce the risk of injury. To prevent leg cramps, I bicycle. When training, I do not use any energy liquids or gel. This allows my body to go farther when I do use them.

Sleep ....I try to get four to six hours of sleep before launching so that I am mentally and physically recharged.
Body Functions ....Immediately before launching, I have a bowel movement. Some long-distance paddlers prefer to use diarrhea medications to control this function. Urination is a necessity on a crossing, so in rough conditions I place a paddle float on each blade of my paddle, and/or affix air sponsons to the kayak hull. I unzip the relief zipper located above the crotch of my dry suit and void into a one liter container. I'll deploy a sea anchor if the waves are high enough.

Kayak Preparation ....I load my kayak so that I have equipment to handle any situation I may encounter. I use the knee tubes under the deck in my cockpit to hold paddle floats, air sponsons, bilge pumps and fiberglass repair kits. For greater handling control, I place contoured closed-cell foam along the entire length of my thighs, which also helps in performing a hip snap when rolling. Lastly, I put a pad of closed-cell foam with neoprene under my heels to stop convection heat loss when paddling over very cold water. The foam helps reduce the pain that may result from my heels being in constant contact with the kayak hull.

Equipment ....I bring these items with me so that I have many options in case my plans change: VHF radios, 25-mm. flare gun with white and red flares, Driftstopper sea anchor, Sea Wing air sponsons, GPS and back-up, deck compass, paddle floats, bilge pumps (manual & electric), PFD, sprayskirt, Kokatat Gore-Tex dry suit, fiberglass repair kit, gloves, fruit juice, energy gel, flashlight, emergency strobe and other miscellaneous equipment. On some crossings, I brought small personal space heaters with me to fendoff the cold conditions that I might encounter at night.

Weather .... I wait for an appropriate weather window in which I can expect winds of fifteen miles or less with a wave prediction of one to three feet. If I launch in these conditions, I know I can handle the conditions if they worsen. Cloudless conditions are best for night traveling so you can stay on course by heading toward stars on the horizon.