: Normally my winter project is to keep paddling, the same as I do in
: the summer. I prefer paddling in summer when it is around 25C to
: 30C or 75F to 90F, but I can cope with those winter days when it
: gets down to 10C to 15C or 50F to 60F. :-)

Cough, splutter ...

We're just getting into the hard water season here ...

I did experiment with an axe on a stick a few years ago and also thought about a studded paddle. However, once the ice is too thick to push through that's pretty much that.

Riding the boat up on the ice and using weight to break through may work for an ice breaker but a kayak doesn't seem to be able to hack it. Once the bow was parked up on the ice, I began to realise how easy it was to compromise the boat's stability; for a while there it was starting to look like a maturing experience ...