Josh & J.J.

Paddle To Seattle is an expedition DVD, a fly on the wall documentary if you will of a trip from Alaska to Seattle via the Inside Passage by Sea Kayak. It features two seasoned adventurors; Josh Thomas & J.J. Kelley who originally met walking the Appalachian Trail and went on to cycle across Alaska from Ocean to Ocean. This is their latest adventure.

Unlike many recent Sea Kayaking DVD’s, Paddle To Seattle focuses completely on this one journey. You are taken from the planning stages to the finish of the expedition, sharing the experiences along the way. This was a refreshing experience allowing you to be drawn into the journey and experience the scenery, wildlife, and local communities that Josh and J.J. encounter.

Stunning Location

Despite all the hardships of the 1,200 mile paddle they always seem to be laughing or making light of the situation. This was certainly infectious for me and kept me smiling to the end of the credits. They seem to interact with the camera rather than simply have it follow them around.

However this isn’t simply a comedy take on an expedition. The DVD touches, albeit lightly, on some serious environmental/political issues affecting the area they are paddling. This is achieved without ever developing into an environmental themed film. J.J. Kelley is quoted as saying

“We were interpreting them in real time… …We just want to let folks interpret the facts as we saw them.”

What A Backdrop

For some initial sections of the route they are joined by a third paddler to capture on the water footage, then they part ways and the remainder of the footage is shot by Josh and J.J. The quality of the production is superb and for those interested in how they did it their blog has an interesting video short (actually designed as a nod to one of their sponsors) showing the incredible amount of editing kit they carried with them.

The Team

In an email from J.J. recently he mentioned:

We wanted to make a refreshing documentary about a long distance adventure. An authentic film that would be true to the joy of outdoor endeavors. For us it was great fun producing the project, and we hope folks enjoy it.

Well, they have certainly met their aims. Paddle to Seattle is a genuine, fun film that shines through with their enthusiasm and is highly recommended viewing.

Ordering:
Paddle To Seattle can be ordered directly from Josh & J.J. on their website and costs $19.99.

Runtime: 1hr 26mins.

Eastern Horizons is the latest Sea Kayaking DVD from Bryan Smith and Reelwater Productions. It has had a fantastic reception in the sea kayaking press and blogosphere with many reviewers touting Eastern Horizons as setting the new standard for production quality and content. So, does Eastern Horizons live up to this hype???

The short answer is yes, the long answer absolutely, categorically, without exception yes. Does this mean the DVD is without it’s flaws and potential niggles? No. What it does mean (and this is coming from someone who admits they have an addiction to sea kayaking films) is that for me, Eastern Horizons stands out amongst the crowd of other Sea Kayaking DVD’s. The questions therefore is why?

Outside Cover

Eastern Horizons takes us on a journey along the East Coast of the US, from Newfoundland down to Georgia. Bryan, Lise-Anne and their companions visit 8 locations and take time to meet the locals, explore the local environment and of course paddle.

For me, what makes this such a superb DVD is that they have successfully balanced the on-water action with the off-water aspects on the film. You have a real sense of them connecting with the people and places they visit. This is no better demonstrated than by their return to Newfoundland (the first location they visit) at the end of the film and the warmth of reception they receive from the locals.

I found their visit to New York fascinating, seeing the urban landscape from a paddlers persepctive and marvelling at the storm that rages around the skyscraper. I equally enjoyed their visit to Georgia having spent time living their as a child. Each location offers something different and keeps the viewer engaged.

Inside Cover

The other aspect of this DVD that makes it stand out, is the quality of the production. If you have yet to watch a Sea Kayaking DVD of this type and are expecting shaky, hand held amateur footage then think again.

This is pure HD widescreen class. From the titles and credits with their subtle, professional fonts to the amazing quality of the video shot through to the design of the DVD case.

Every aspect of this DVD has been carefully thought about and designed setting an impressive standard for future releases.

A DVD can never replace getting out there and doing it but what Bryan and Lise-Ann have created is something seriously worth watching when you are off the water and something that inspires you to get back out there.

Summary
The best praise I can give this DVD is that having watched it through fully three times on the day it arrived, the next morning was out at 4am to paddle with the sunrise.

If this has wet your appetite, then check out the trailer below. In the UK, Eastern Horizons can be purchase via Cackle TV.

Eastern Horizons Trailer from Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Other reviews worth reading:

simonwillis.net
Kayak Quixotica
Werner Paddles Blog

Eastern Horizons, the follow up to the excellent Pacific Horizons DVD is on the way.

With a scheduled release of 14th March 2009, Bryan Smith & Reelwater Productions have just posted a trailer on their website and it looks great.

I will keep you updated on a precise date and bring you a full review as soon as the DVD is available.

Until then, keep up to date with the Eastern Horizons blog.

This Is The Sea 4 is the latest release from Justine Curgenven. A 2 DVD set, This Is The Sea 4 contains almost 2.5 hours of Sea Kayaking footage from around the globe showcasing superb paddling destinations and a mixture of well known and less well known paddlers.

Following Justine’s previous DVD’s (This Is The Sea 1-3) and Bryan Smith’s Pacific Horizons, the standard for Sea Kayaking DVD’s has been set very high. Can This Is The Sea 4 deliver?

Well, in my humble opinion, yes it can. TITS 4 is one of the best value Sea Kayaking DVD’s on offer with 2.5 hours of material spread across 2 DVD’s.

The first DVD is similar in format to the previous DVD’s with a variety of material on destinations, trips and personalities. The second DVD contains 2 expedition films – the circumnavigation of Haida Gwai and the circumnavigation of New Zealands South Island.

Disc 1 begins with some excellent Rock Hopping footage in Baja, Mexico where a fleet of plastic Sea Kayaks (thank goodness given the seal launches!) are put through their paces among the rock gardens and sea caves of the coastline. A fantastic start to the DVD, this segment really wets your appetite and sets up the action to follow.

‘Dubside’ (those of you who have seen ‘Pacific Horizons will be familiar with this name) is the subject of the second segment. ‘Dubside’ is an american paddler who specialises in ‘commando kayaking’ and the art of greenland rolling. Armed with a greenland paddle, packable sea kayak (which can be set up in 12 minutes) a length of rope and enough change for the bus, ‘Dubside’ practises a different approach to sea kayaking and his rolling skills have to be seen. (Learn More about Dubside here)

Kayak fishing using sit on top kayaks is growing in popularity and I have seen a few craft out and about along the Solent Coast so in some respects it is no suprise to see it appear in a Sea Paddling DVD. However, this is one segment I am happy to skip past – you may feel differently.

Disc 1 continues with some superb footage of paddling in the Dead Sea, Lake Superior and the Ottawa River. The camera work and characters involved continue to delight and provide inspirational viewing on a cold winters night. In particular the stunning scenery of Norways Fjordland had me searching google for maps and ferry details.

However, despite it’s range of material, Disc 1 would not be my main reason for purchasing this DVD. Disc 2 would be. It contains 2 expedition films which I feel are up there with the best. Circumnavigating Haida Gwai (Queen Charlotte Islands) and Circumnavigating New Zealand’s South Island. As recently muted by Simon Willis, the South Island film is surely award winning material and provides a true insight into the highs and lows of a trip like this. Justine and Barry Shaw manage to keep the camera rolling at times where most of us would forget to press play and this provides a fantastic ‘fly on the wall’ look at the physical and mental demands of undertaking a major expedition.

To be honest, I would have been pretty happy parting with my hard earned cash just for Disc 2 however, as a package, This Is The Sea 4 delights, inspires and more than surpases the bar set by its forerunners. This DVD should be on all Sea Paddlers Christmas lists.

UPDATE: As predicted, Justine has won an award for the New Zealand Expedition film! Congratulations

Available from Cackle TV – Justine Curgenven’s website, Pacific Horizons is a Sea Kayaking DVD with a format based loosely on the “This is the Sea” series.

It has individual chapters about places, people or tidal races but the DVD is based entirely in the Pacific North West region of America & Canada.

Prior to watching this DVD, I had seen Ocean Paddlers review which recommends viewing with the directors commentary to get the best experience due to the lack of narrative within the DVD. However, I found this lack of commentary refreshing and the DVD as a whole is immensely enjoyable.

It has a good mix of ‘tiderace’ play, expeditions and big sea paddling as well as some more unusual sections such as a look at ‘Dubside’ the ‘commando’ greenland-style kayaker who accompanied by his collapsible sea kayak will only use public transport to reach his paddling destinations.

Some stunning locations, good paddling and a smattering of mouth watering equipment make this an inspirational watch. The soundtrack is enjoyable and adds to the atmosphere – possibly better than some of the ‘This Is The Sea’ series.

Here’s the official blurb…

Showcasing some of the world’s most sought after sea kayaking destinations, Pacific Horizons captures the essence of the Ocean and inspires everyone to get out on the water and go kayaking! Blending wildlife, people, places and action-packed kayaking,

Bryan Smith takes us on an unforgettable journey documenting impressive tidal race surfing, the Orca whales of the San Juan Islands, the Bunsby islands off the remote coast of Vancouver island, “commando kayaking” with Greenland rolling and ropes gymnastics champion Dubside, the wind and waves of the Oregon coast, and to top it all off, a special appearance of Justine Curgenven’s work depicting her journey around the Queen Charlotte Islands with Shawna Franklin and Leon Somme. Pacific Horizons is an entertaining, breath-taking and inspirational adventure film.

Priced at £19.99, the DVD is on the expensive side, although comparable to other Sea Kayak (and Ski-ing/extreme sport) DVD’s. I enjoy this type of movie, having grown up on the Warren Miller Ski-ing DVD’s and more recently some of the “This Is The Sea’ series so Pacific Horizon’s was worth every penny and will keep me motivated in my ‘off the water’ periods!