Planning

We are updating our fall 2012 calendar and planning for 2013.  Got any ideas for us?

As we go through the planning process, the first thing that we look at is what was fun - for us and our students.

Our Second Sunday Mendocino Coastal Paddles continue to be a highlight of our month.  It is fun for our students who took our Rock Garden 101 Class on Saturday to come out and apply their skills on Sunday in a coastal tour.  It is also great to see our regular students improving each month including becoming leaders on the water.

Of course, we will be keeping our rock gardening classes.  We see lots of students gain confidence and skills in our Sea Kayak Rock Garden 101 and Whitewater of the Sea classes.

We hope that we will have more students ready for our Sea Kayak Rock Garden 201 in 2013.  In this class, we move beyond the basics of 101 to include more advanced water reading, decision making, rescue scenarios and play.

Kayak Surfing - put a smile on everyone's face this year.  Expect more surf classes and even some surf tours in 2013.

Speaking of smiles - whitewater.  We are sticking close to home this winter and planning to teach on our local whitewater runs - The Eel River and Rancheria Creek.  We already have some of our classes on the calendar - those that have some whitewater under their skirts but want to sharpen their skills should definitely check out our Precision Whitewater Paddling Weekend in January.

For sea kayakers looking to sharpen their skills, our Full Immersion Sea Kayak Weekend over President's Day Weekend in February is a must.  We have a vacation rental for the weekend and will eat, sleep, breath the skills and theory of sea kayaking including stroke instruction and video analysis, navigation and planning, and group paddling skills.

So this is what we have so far - classes in Sea, River, and Surf.

If you have a class/tour/event that we should consider, please contact us.

Veni, Vidi, Vici

We came, we saw, we conquered (at least for a few moments).

For California Coastal Cleanup Day, Liquid Fusion Kayaking and the Lost Coast Chapter of the Traditional Small Craft Association teamed up again for an on-water cleanup of the Noyo Harbor.

Once again we overfilled a dumpster with trash from the river.

The rowers towed garbage scowls

Jeff paddled and towed a garbage canoe.

And Jerry towed a big chunk.

We had a great gathering of like minded folks who not only sought to pick up trash on the river but to educate others about it and inspire others to join in the effort.

The stand-up paddle board (SUP) craze is yet to hit the Noyo River so I of course got a few looks and comments as I paddled mine and picked up trash.

The SUP was perfect as it gave me a good perspective to see trash that others didn't, it was easy to hop on and off of, the handle acted like a hook for grabbing trash, and most of all it was FUN.

Mark your calendars for Saturday September 21, 2013 California Coastal Cleanup Day.  Join us, join another team, or organize your own.  Each of us makes a difference.

PS  We overfilled our dumpster soooooo much that they had to bring another one for us.  Thanks Jeff and Jerry for dumpster diving to sort out our trash issues.

Mendo Madness

Once again, the Mendocino Coast is invaded by the Bay Area Sea Kayakers for their annual Mendo Madness weekend.  Since this our backyard, we thought that we would share a few tips.

Russian Gulch State Park is open for both camping and paddling.

It has been a windy and sunny summer which has made the kelp thick so sharpen up your kelp roll

so that you don't become a California roll.


The kelp isn't all hazardous.  Sometimes it cushions rocks and makes fun features like "The Carwash."


Need fresh ingredients for the BASK potluck?  Check out the Farmer’s Market in Mendocino on Friday from Noon - 2pm.

Golden chanterelles are popping up in the forest and would be a BASK worthy treat if BASK has any Fun-Gals or Fun-Guys who know where and what to look for.





For those that like mountain biking, Jackson State Forest offers miles and miles of epic singletrack mountain biking.


Lil'green glowing things - no, aliens have not taken over our waters. At night, Big River is sparkling with 
bioluminescence.

The Outdoor Store in Fort Bragg has sporks (and has been having some really great sales).  It is a great excuse to wander up to Fort Bragg and check out the new round-about on Highway One.

Speaking of reasons to go to Fort Bragg,   Liquid Fusion Kayaking is offering several events and classes  this weekend.  Space is limited and reservations are limited for all classes.  Please call us for availability and reservations (707) 962-1623.  Here are links for more information.

Used kayak and gear sale.

Thursday Noon-4pm, Sterling Sea Kayak Demos with LFK and a couple of The Hurricane Riders.


Friday 9am to noon Kayak Surfing Class - learn the techniques for surfing.


Friday 1-4pm  Sea Kayaks in the Surf - learn to land and launch your sea kayak with precision and control.


Saturday 9-Noon  Sea Kayak Rock Gardening Clinic 
Saturday 1-4pm  Sea Kayak Rock Gardening Play Session


Sunday 9-Noon Whitewater Kayak Rock Gardening Clinic
Sunday 1-4pm Whitewater Kayak Rock Gardening Play Session

We will be on the water and not at our shop most of the weekend.  If we don't see you on the water, we look forward to sharing some tasty treats at the potluck Saturday Evening.

Cheers,
Jeff and Cate

Fall Kayaking on the Mendocino Coast

Greetings Friends of Liquid Fusion Kayaking,
We hope that you had a great summer.  Our summer sharing kayaking experiences on the Mendocino Coast was amazing.  We enjoyed sharing many firsts with a variety of folks.  For some it was that magical first time kayaking, others it was a special wildlife sighting on one of our tours, or getting their family out on the water.

Paddlers who came to us for classes and lessons had many firsts too -first time surfing a wave, first time doing an eskimo roll, first time combat roll, first time riding a pour-over, first time playing in a whitewater kayak . . .

We had a couple of firsts too.  This was the inagural year for our Mendocino Waves n Caves Kayaking Weekend.  We had a blast providing camping and meals.  It was especially great to have the same students for several days in a row and seeing their skills and confidence improve over the course of the weekend.  Here's our new Whitewater of the Sea YouTube Video that we shot during the Labor Day Waves and Caves Weekend.

So what does fall have in store for those that want to kayak on the Mendocino Coast?  LOTS of FUN!!!
We are doing a lot of teaching and guiding in the ocean - sea kayaking, kayak surfing, whitewater of the sea, and rock gardening so it isn't likely that you will drive up and find us at our shop on the Noyo River.  Check out our calendar for an idea of our classes and special events.

We are offering tours and private lessons daily so if you don't see something on the calendar - call us up and let's get out there (please don't wait until the morning of as you may have missed us).
Also - are you looking for a used kayak or gear?  If so, check out our kayak gear sale.  We are selling some of our used kayaks and gear to make way for new boats and gear in 2013.

We try to update our website and blogs but Facebook seems to be the best way to keep up with our latest photos and news.  Also if you want advance notice of our specials, use the contact us button and request to get our monthly newsletter.
We hope to see you on the water this fall.  Please call (707) 962-1623 or email us so we can share the magic with you!
Best of days on the water,
Jeff Laxier and Cate Hawthorne

Play Time!!!

Play was definitely the theme of our Labor Day Waves n Caves Weekend.

The idea for Waves n Caves Weekend originated from trips that Gregg Knight and Jeff used to do for Aqua Adventures to Los Arbolitos Mexico.  Jeff and Greg styled their students with 3 days of camping, food, and rock gardening in whitewater kayaks.  Our San Diego friends who have paddled Arbo and then Mendocino tell us that Mendo is Arbo on steroids.  Jeff and I figured that we have the perfect venue in our backyard, let's host an Arbo Style Weekend here.

Memorial Day 2012 was our first trip and it was FUN!!!  It was so much fun that several of the students returned for the Labor Day Trip and brought friends with them.  We changed things up a little bit on our Labor Day Trip.  We camped in a different location and kayaked, explored, and played along several different stretches of the Mendocino Coastline.

Everyone got spectacular rides.

After a thrilling day of paddling, we returned to our camp on the Noyo River.  It was a great spot to unwind

We enjoyed warm sunny weather 2 of the 3 days,

Delicious fresh, local food for dinner,

and warm, toasty campfires

Luck was with us and we captured some great photos and videos.  We posted a new Whitewater of the Sea video on YouTube with footage from the weekend.

For Jeff and I the Waves n Caves Weekend was great way to wrap up a very busy summer season and to set the tone for the fall.  Fall is when we switch LFK's focus to instruction and tours for enthusiast paddlers.  It is a nice change of pace to spend our on-water time on the ocean teaching, guiding, playing or in the home office preparing lessons and even with some time for our own personal paddling fun.

Missed us on this one?   If you sea kayak, you may want to join us the first weekend in October for our Tour de Mendo.  Otherwise - mark your calendar for Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends 2013.  We have students signing up already.