I'm finally thinking of the East Coast.
Maybe Maine.
What about you crew for 2008?

I'm hoping to arrange a demo in a couple of NC Kayaks sometime this year. Other than that, I don't have any ambitions to go anywhere other than my usual spots on the Columbia and a few other places in the Northwest. I'm at a stage where I'm more concerned about quality paddling (what boat I'm in and where I am) than I am in new discoveries. I've learned that too often the grass looks greener somewhere else and it seldom really is.

to paddle in Florida and possably maine. Also wanting to get a new boat, just can't decide on which one.

Simple - kayak at least once every month. That may not sound like much but in central South Dakota it can be. So far - so good. It was 50 degrees on Saturday so a friend and I went out on the Missouri River for an hour and a half. Not sure what February will bring. We made it out once in December also.

I’m hopefully going to circumnavigate Isle Royal in Lake Superior next August with a group of friends from the Inland sea Kayakers club.

Great Ideas!
I like that balance between a new place and still really enjoying my own backyard.
Never been to Florida. That sounds good too.

Any others with goals this summer?

Complete the Avon Descent again, paddle the lower Murray run and survive, and complete my sea skills assessment with the sea kayak club.

"Paddle and survive".
That's a good goal! Me too sometimes.

Stormy, the Avon descent is a race in Western Australia.It's promoted as the greatest white water event in the world.Goggle it and have a look.It has powerboats and paddle craft starting up in the wheatbelt at Northam and finishing in Perth.It's 135 kms long over 2 days ,about 60 kms of flat/flowing river, 30 kms of dense tea tree thickets,and about 50 kms of rapids. It's held in winter when the Avon river (becomes the Swan river) is in flood,and drops the whole way down the Darling scarp to the coastal plain.So no one boat is ideal for it ,thats why I paddle a sea kayak ,it has a bit of speed,abit of comfort and not too bad in the tea trees as the upswept bow is good for jumping logs and breaking through the trees when you go up the wrong channel and some of the rapids can be heavy but again O.K. in a sea kayak.To train , we paddle on the Murray river near Mandurah ,as in a lot of ways the rivers are similar ,but the lower Murray run has some heavy rapids that I haven't paddled ,grade 4 ,we paddle the middle murray grade 3 in the sea kayaks but I thnk I'll stick to the play boat for the lower run .That is why I said I'd like to paddle the lower run and survive.A mate of mine who is a level 5 white water instructor has paddled the lower run and said its a world class bit of water.

My goals are to refine my rolling skills. I can roll but its not bomb proof. Practice rescues in ruff water and wind. Hey Wavehog I was in Pearth many years ago, had a great time.

Yeah.woodhead,it's not a bad part of the world. Imagine if you were a member of the Bagdad or Gasa strip sea kayaking clubs

Since I'm a newbie, I plan on finally getting some coastal experience in. I want to learn how to roll. plus I would like to start saving up for an eddyline. I like my Hurricane but would like to get something that tracks a little better.

Well ,I don't think I'm going to achieve all my goals.We completed the Avon descent at the highest water levels for at least 12 years .It was running 3.5 mtrs on the Saturday dropping to 2.5 for sunday.Utter carnage people are still pulling boats and paddles out of the river .Got absolutely flogged at Bells rapid but managed to change over with my team mate to finish.Still doing the sea skills training but don't think I'm going to be good enough for the lower Murray run ,still there is always next year ,right?

Success. With temperatures around 40 degrees on Sunday a frined and I made it out for about an hour and a half on the Missouri River and up the Bad River until there was too much ice and we had to back out. With that I am now up to 21 straight months of going out at least once. Not a bad accomplishment in central South Dakota (aka The Great White North).