#rob casey

Shoreless seas

“Shoreless seas,” he said again. “‘Behind him lay the gray Azores, / Behind the Gates of Hercules; / Before him not the ghost of shores, / Before him only shoreless seas.’ That’s what was going through my head last night. But do you think I could remember what kind of seas? I could not. Lonely seas? Empty seas? I was on the right track but I couldn’t get it. But there now when you came into the room and I wasn’t thinking about it at all, the word popped into my head. That’s always the way, isn’t it? It’s not all that surprising. I ask my mind a question. The answer’s there, but I can’t see all the connections my mind’s making to get it.”

-- from “The Moons of Jupiter,” in Selected Stories by Alice Munro

This year our very own Rob Casey, author of Stand Up Paddling and Kayaking Puget Sound recently was the race director of the 7th annual Deception Pass Dash.

The Deception Pass Dash is the, "Northwest's premier winter paddlesports race. On a six-mile course, racers encounter the best our inland Salish Sea can throw at them, from high winds to ocean swell to powerful eddies and whirlpools to boat-swallowing standing waves." —Deception Pass Dash Blog

Sharon Ilstrup (image left) hands Rob Casey’s Kayaking Puget Sound to it’s new owner in the Deception Pass Dash raffle last Sunday.  Raffle proceeds were donated to the Washington Water  Trails Association. The event was a huge success and the Dash saw it's highest turnout yet!

Be sure to keep your eye out for it in 2013, and be sure to join us for a winter paddle in the Salish Sea!

Stand up paddling, or SUP, is the fastest growing paddle sport in North America. Balancing on those boards might look intimidating, but SUP is actually an easy access sport for people who are just starting out. With the right gear, even beginners can cruise the flatwater like sea-savvy pros.

To check out the five gear must-haves author Rob Casey of Stand Up Paddling: Flatwater to Surf and Rivers  says you'll need before you can get SUPing, head to our website now.

“Within the first 30 minutes during a basic skills class, people realize the boards aren’t as tippy as they thought. Balance comes easier for some people, but these boards are quite stable,” Rob Casey recently revealed to the The Spokesman-Review. 

Rob not only covers basics such as standing up and staying up in his new book, Stand Up Paddling, he also covers everything from big wave surfing, paddle strokes, what gear you'll need as a beginner, or even mastering white water rafting! 

"Why in the world would I want to stand up on a board when I could lay down and paddle like a surf board, or sit down as I would in a kayak?" you might be asking yourself.

Well, because it's FUN of course! 

Stand up paddling combines portions of a few water sports and brings them together for a sport that can be as leisurely or as fast paced as the paddler wishes. One can tackle river rapids, surf waves along with the surfers, or simply paddle from one end of a calm lake to another. 

As the writer at the Lake Chelan Mirror will attest, all it takes is watching someone stand up paddle for a while before you find yourself thinking, "Hmmm I'd like to try that." 

Writes author Rob Casey in Stand Up Paddling: Flatwater to Surf and Rivers. 

"Stand up paddling is also a versatile sport. Author and photographer Rob Casey, who lives in Seattle and has been stand up paddling for three years, uses his paddleboard for not only river paddling but also surfing on the coast. In fact, his one board has multiple uses, including fishing and overnight camping trips (by attaching gear to the nose of the board). 

'It's really easy [to learn]. You don't need a lesson just play around in a lake,' he says."