In my excitement to get on the water I forgot to pack two important items: drinking water, and my hat! I only planned to spend a couple of hours in the kayak so I knew that the lack of drinking water would only be an inconvenience but not having a hat meant the possibility of a sunburn that I didn’t want. I decided to improvise. I had a second shirt available so I twirled the cloth around the outstretched arms then placed the roll on my forehead, tied the sleeves behind my neck, then pulled the remaining cloth over my head and tucked it under the sleeves. It made a nice dew-rag with plenty of cloth to cover my neck, protecting me from the sun.

Not being on the river meant that I had to paddle everywhere. It was a beautiful Autumn day so I wasn’t in a rush to get anywhere but took time to explore the shoreline in a number of inlets. I didn’t take fishing gear as I hadn’t purchased a fishing license but there were fish jumping in the water and I knew that this might be a future destination. I spotted a deer in the woods and we eyed each other for quite a while. I saw birds of prey soaring, crows cawing, heard woodpeckers chipping, and a great blue heron took flight low to the water as if staying under the radar.

I enjoyed the time alone in solitude to drink in the beauty, but truth be told, I prefer sharing the company of a friend. Of course that also provides better safety. Hopefully while the weather is still decent, I would like to do an overnight trip so I will be shopping for a dry bag for my camping gear. I think that any leisure time on the water is a great reward for your effort and if you haven’t tried a kayak yet I recommend it.

We are blessed in North Carolina to have small groves of bamboo that I refer to as an “abo hardware store”. Some of the stalks can get rather large. I had collected some stock for various projects and an idea hit me that by splitting a couple of segments at one end I could create a long curved “scoop”. Fortunately I was carrying my multi-tool that has a saw blade so I made a cut just below the second node half way through the shaft, then used a knife blade to split the shaft lengthwise from each side of the cut , out to the end.

I have to admit that bamboo may not be a common resource throughout the U.S. but for the regions that do have it, it works quite well. The bamboo paddle shown in the photo was made to illustrate this article. My original paddle was about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and was a little lighter and slightly easier to handle, but because the new one used fresh material, it should last a longer time.

If you are curious about this method and have no access to bamboo, you could make a replica using PVC or ABS pipe. It won’t split but would have to be cut lengthwise. A pressure test end-cap could be modified to glue in place to create a sealed node at the top of the paddle blade.

But let’s suppose that you are not swimming under water nor are you inclined to stick your face in the water either. Is there a way to look under water with the same clarity without a divers mask or goggles? And for that matter, why would you want to look below the surface of the water anyway?

Perhaps you want to see where the fish are hanging out under the dock for strategic fishing, or, perhaps you dropped something important overboard like your keys or fishing gear. Seeing where it is will help you retrieve it. Hopefully you have packed a Pringles potato chip can or similar clear-top cannister in your picnic basket or perhaps you can obtain one close by. You can modify this simple container into a spyglass for under water viewing.

First, remove the clear plastic lid and the foil seal beneath it and empty (eat!) the contents. Then, use adhesive tape to seal the lid back onto the canister rim, making sure that it’s water-tight. Next, open the bottom with a P38 can opener or just cut it off below the metal rim. Now, invert the can so that the lid is placed into the water just below the surface while the can’s bottom is topside. You can peer down the cannister tube and see into the water with clarity like a diver’s mask.

When the water is clear and without turbidity it’s amazing to see the depth and detail of the subteranean world. These commom materials will enable you to make this simple device for use in an impromptu or emergency situation.