BethS

See y'all sunday, rain or shine! Lost my towbelt a while back, so I need advice on buying a new one..

Yeah, it probably is a boat best suited to those who are rather broad in the beam (low center of gravity!) such as myself.. Don't sell yourself short though, get a boat that you can grow into rather than out of.

looking forward to seeing it!

Thanks Dan, I hope i can be "here" for all of the next one. Beth

Great idea, I’ll be there (uh here..) Beth

Fleet reduction sale! Priced to sell, NDK Romany 1200 firm. In very good shape, never been damaged or repaired other than a few very minor gel coat chips and scratches. The foot braces were professionally moved forward to fit a wider range of paddler heights (still fits shorter paddlers just fine). New VCP day hatch cover. Deck mount compass. Rope skeg. White w/ black trim. Original fiberglass seat which is totally solid, no cracks or issues of any kind. Snapdragon backband. Always stored inside. NOW on HOLD! Email me at [email protected] if interested. Beth

They don't make 'em anymore, but if you can find a used Nordkapp LV, it does tick all the boxes you have mentioned (although some say it is too tippy!) I have one and totally love it. It is really a jack of all trades boat, pretty fast, pretty good at surfing, pretty good at rocks, GREAT running downwind and surfing wind waves, and just a lot of fun to paddle. But it is definitely not great for photography, and a bit hard to pack for camping (although it does fine for carrying a load). And it is not the best boat at any one thing. Definitely not a rock and surf specialist like the Aries. And some say it is too tippy... But, I use it more than any other boat. If i could have only one it would be my choice. It's kind of a nice sportscar kind of boat, just really fun for varied conditions and day paddles. If you want to try mine out sometime feel free to drop me a line. Beth

I like the idea of doing this, maybe as it gets warmer we could even do a workshop outside?

Hi Ryan, I don't want to lose out on this boat! I know when I contacted you Wed morning we had said I would check it out on next Tues, but I can come this weekend if need be. Definitely interested if it fits me! Beth

I'd like to join you as well. Beth

Hi Rob, if you still need any help with this workshop, I'm happy to volunteer, let me know.

Eww... thanks for sharing that Kate! Yes, obviously the answer is to have the grab loop easily grab-able, nothing else is a substitute for that. And don't use a spray skirt that is too tight!!! Also most kayak knives do have blunt tips, just to help prevent this kind of injury. It's especially sad that when the injury happened the guy was already stable; being rafted by another paddler and being supported head above water, so cutting the spray skirt was not even needed anyway, they could have just waited to get him out when they reached shore. I would never try to use a knife on another person/boat in that kind of chaotic situation, and I certainly hope I never have to use one to get myself out of a jamb either. Hopefully there would always be a better way! After reading all this I do think it is worth practicing (in a safe place) different ways of getting a spray skirt loose without using the grab loop, just in case... I've had MANY wet exits, and I've never had my grab loop be unavailable, and yes I always always check it, but there is always a first time for everything, including every mistake... and definitely better safe than sorry.

OK one more spray skirt hijack, since I have a w/water friend who recently told about how he almost drowned (as in passed out, was rescued, and had to be revived) during a strainer and too-tight spray skirt entrapment.. It's not a bad idea to have a small but sharp knife with a point on the end very handy; I haven't tried it but I imagine in a pinch you could poke a hole in your sprayskirt and either grab and pull, or cut your way out. Hope I never have to try!

Definitely interested, but not sure about holidays schedule yet. I’ll be watching the thread, thanks for posting. Beth

Wish i could join you, have a blast!