brambor

At this point I am fine with either weekend.

I wish I had more time. Thank You John and it was great to see so many nspn'ers together.

I'm bringing pastries.

Cool. Added it to my calendar. Hope to make it again.

I haven't 'warmed up' yet to the on line guides. I think it still looks a little bit cumbersome but it is improving. I really like the printed guide to flip through in bed before the lights go out. At those times I don't really want a computer with me in bed. A book in hand is really nice. I would love to have it in Kindle format though.

Hi Suz, If you have more than 1 boat then it doesn't limit you that much. However I was more thinking about it for the winter paddling season.

Does anyone here utilize any kind of storage service at water's edge? I was just thinking that it would be nice to be able to rent space at a local marina where I could launch my kayak without having to carry it on my roof racks. But then, I looked at one marina's fees (geared towards yachties) and I realized it is cost prohibitive for the options I know of currently.

The Tsunami comes with bulkheads so emptying a boat during a rescue should be no problem. Looks like it can take a sprayskirt too. The question is where do you want to go with the boat? It might not be ideal to paddle 10 miles with it to a remote island but for normal day hopping near shore it should be fine. If you plan to join NSPN trips with this boat you might have a hard time keeping up sometimes. At 14 feet it will be a slower boat than most of the other paddlers. It retails for over $1200. You could buy better fiberglass boats on the used market for this kind of money.

Actually it is perfectly logical to have two or three boats. Boats that take in a lot of cargo are great for overnight camping trips while not ideal when paddled empty for day trips. And a boat that fits you well in the summer might feel too tight in winter while you wear 2 layers and a drysuit.

:-) looking forward to be there. It's NEXT week!

Apparently we'll have a 'cold one' on Sunday. Don't lick any metal objects folks.

If I go to a pool session I would bring a boat for you. You can pm me your sizes. If I have something that fits you You can use it in a pool.

If you are considering buying a new boat then consider taking a beginner's lesson from outfitters who also sell boats. Have them put you into the boat you are considering buying. If you are considering buying a used boat then members here who have a boat for sale could offer to bring it to a Level 1 trip where you can spend more than an hour in the boat. Not matter what - always paddle the boat you want to buy for extensive time. It is a major investment in money and peace of mind - no haste necessary.

Bob, Buying a boat is a matter of fit. It needs to fit your weight, height, body width... basically you need to get a few models in your size and then test paddle long enough so that you can feel assured you could paddle for hours without cramps and discomfort.

If I see anything like this I'm thinking 'shark attack' and getting as close to the shore as possible.

I plan to attend. Thanks - Rene

Is part of the 'technique' to layback on the back deck to reduce the impact of hitting the water? Just wondering in case I got drugged, kidnapped, put in a kayak going over Niagara falls and woke up a few seconds before the drop...

No problem. I need to show up at that session anyway. Let me know if anyone cancels. I'll be a standby. Rene

Doug I would like to be in the January 16 Pool Session Rene

Nice; and the price is right too. Just think of it as a good piece of equipment to have in the boat when you are really going somewhere. For day trips without any advanced water you could just leave the pump at home. But for weekend camping trips, solo trips on open water, rock gardening trips, tide race trips... it might be nice to have. It looks like it could fit behind the seat and the hose looks thin enough to poke through the sprayskirt bungee without making the skirt pop off.

That's why you have a backup hand pump on deck. From other reports I see, a foot operated pump is awkward in rough conditions. I do like the idea of portable electric pump stashed behind the seat and pulling out a hose in between your sprayskirt...

Barry, If needed, you can borrow my boat in the meantime. Rene

Barry, I have this two-part marine paste that hardens to 'sandable' blob. If you plugged the hole with it and then sanded it and then added a stripe of fiberglass tape over it and then West System epoxy then you'd be doing good. Sand it and paint over it with white gelcoat (thinned with paint thinner) and sanded again. Something like that. rb

Yes. Let's talk.

The skirt type is also a factor. My trusty, patched up Seals Surf skirt goes on easy while another with the more 'modern' bungee reinforced rim would be next to impossible to attach under water. In the winter, however, the amount of time one can dipsydoodle under water, is reduced. In my mind, this is another reason to think about an electric pump. The new issue of Sea Kayaker just arrived in my mailbox yesterday and it has an article on testing and installing an electric pump. While I was put off by the cost of the pump tested and the location of the bail hole, it was a good article to put me back on track in wanting to give electric pumps a try. I think the best setup I have seen so far was on this web site