Bigger and better than ever! The emphasis is on learning opportunities for kayakers, whether it's skills training or navigation, history or photography. It may look different in some places from what you're used to seeing, but there are still a lot of things you'll recognize.

Among the new items are the grants programs and scholarships; give those a look. Also, what used to be tours are now Destination Courses. Don't be scared off by the name; there won't be a test at the end. The idea is that we should be learning something every time we get in a kayak, whether it's a specific kayaking skill or something that's related to the area in which we're traveling. Some of the courses can be taken for college credit, so if you are a teacher and are looking to add some continuing education points, give us a call.

Be sure to click on the information about the Waterwalker's Ball, scheduled for May 19th. Tickets are very cheap, but they are also very limited, so call and reserve yours today.

As with all web sites, there are bound to be errors. Please bear with us as we sift through the info and set the wrong things right. And, if you see anything that needs to be addressed, please let us know.

It may be the perfect holiday… all the food, family and football of Christmas, but with none of the gift anxiety and commercial greed that goes along with the December show. If nothing else, it provides each of us with the opportunity to reflect on the life we have and the things that make our lives matter. The staff of Azimuth Expeditions would like to take this time to thank each and every one of you who took a class or went on a tour with us this past year for your spirit of adventure and your willingness to share that adventure with us. We look forward to doing it again soon. Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving!

One of the things that Azimuth is trying to devote  time and effort toward is to make the organization more accessible to more paddlers. This is what our skills programs are about, and why we are choosing more topics to focus on during our other courses. A big step in this direction will be when individual paddlers out there send us info about their paddling trips… a little write-up, some photos, that kind of thing. There are directions and hints on the Field Reports page of the web site to get you started. Think about the places you went the last time you were out there and write us about it. Please send all submissions to

Last month's teaser was a doozy! There were over 50 correct answers (and a few dozen others), but the first correct response came from Karen McNallen who identified the German as the owner of the fish. Her prize is in the mail.
This month's puzzle is less involved, maybe. The winner will be the first correct response we receive that has the words "November Puzzle" in the subject line and will receive a new pair of neoprene pogies, ideal for the cold weather paddling that's just around the corner.

Eschrichtius robustus

The Gray whale has the longest regular migration route of any mammal. From its summer home in arctic waters to its calving grounds in Baja lagoons is a distance of over 6000 miles. It travels at a rate of 3-6 miles per hour and can take up to 3 months to complete each leg of its migratory journey. Adult males can reach sizes of up to 50 feet in length and weigh as much as 45 tons. Prime viewing here in the Pacific Northwest is in the spring, when the mothers and calves travel very close to the shore on their way northward, but there are some resident whales that are present in coastal waters near the Straits of Juan de Fuca that can be seen year round. Once hunted to the edge of extinction, their population now hovers around 23,000, in line with historical population estimates.

It's that time of year again when the mercury drops and kayakers have to start thinking about basic issues of warmth and survival. As many of us have found, however, winter doesn't mean no paddling; it just means that we have to think about methods of dealing with the cold air temperatures. Layered clothing is a must, and protecting against heat loss from hands and head is a primary concern. Beyond these items, carry a change of clothes, warm clothes, in a dry bag every time you paddle. Spare clothes are only good if they are dry and accessible so choose and store wisely. Beyond this, it's a good idea to carry a thermos with a hot drink along with you too. Even if you don't have hypothermia issues, a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a winter beach is hard to beat.

The web site calendar is up, and the schedule is complete (more or less) for 2007. A few of the early birds have already claimed their spots on selected classes and trips, but there is space still open on everything (as of this writing.) Take some time and look it over and give us a call when you've made your decisions.