wilsoj2

The Kokatat Off-Shore Extreme has a hardy deck and the best grab loop attachment of any skirt I know. It is the skirt that Tom Bergh recommends and uses on his Explorer. My two favorite skirts are the Kokatat Off-Shore Extreme and a Valley/Seals -both are all neo. Both medium decked, they fit on both my Romany and Aquanaut. The coaming on my Romany is quite low set (a typical NDK issue) and the Kokatat skirt is harder to get under the coaming and the Seals skirt is harder to get off the coaming.

Did you get my email with Ken's email and phone?

Every year, we spend a good bit of July on Muscongus Bay. If the weather is not good, camping spots are not too hard to come by. However, the best spots are on private islands managed by MITA. We found that outfitters sometimes occupy nearly all of the sites on public islands.

Here is the information, from the NDK site, on the impetus and origin of NDK boats: "Soon after this Nigel wished to set up his own kayak school, but was put off by the cost of buying a fleet of boats for the centre. Using his practical experience gained whilst on the sea in demanding conditions, both of the limitations of other brands and some new key ideas, and also helped by a friend who was very skilful with the design as well as paddling ability, Nigel built his own fleet of kayaks and the first Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre was started. These very first kayaks were built to withstand the constant use and abuse by groups at the centre and also incorporated two new ideas. An off-set day hatch to enable the unsupported paddler to access provisions whilst afloat, and the keyhole cockpit in a sea kayak, which compared with the original very small ocean cockpit, allowed for a faster, easier entry and exit, to and from the kayak. Not surprisingly, in hindsight, those who came to the kayak courses held at the centre liked the kayaks, particularly the qualities of speed and stability. The demand increased and NDK was officially registered on the 7th May 1993." I find the reference to speed interesting as the Explorer is truly more sluggish than the Valley boat it served to displace (the Nordkapp). The note of stability is sensible as the Explorer has infinitely more primary than a Nordkapp. One would have to be sadistic to put novices in Nordkapps. One would have to have no sense of balance to capsize an Explorer