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BethS

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    Ideas on getting another boat

    in Classifieds for Individuals

    Posted · Edited by BethS

    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

    Bold Coast / Fundy / Cobscook 8.2 - 8.5.19

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    On 12/25/2019 at 10:37 AM, kate said:

    At risk of really making everyone wince, here is why you do NOT want to use a knife with a sharp point to cut yourself (or someone else) out of a sprayskirt. This incident was a major safety discussion topic in the whitewater world at the time. A tragedy where the rescue became the cause of death. Seriously, check that spray skirt loop every time. https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Accident/detail/accidentid/465

    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.

    Bold Coast / Fundy / Cobscook 8.2 - 8.5.19

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    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!

    Bold Coast / Fundy / Cobscook 8.2 - 8.5.19

    in Trip Reports

    Posted

    On 8/20/2019 at 7:22 PM, Daniel Carr said:

    All.  

    I may have mentioned a video shot on the Ottawa River in Canada of kayakers in whirlpools.   I paddled that river in the summer in the mid 1980s and experienced the big wave and whirlpool action, friends and their boats disappearing the reappearing 30 to 40 feet downstream with/without helmets and paddles.  Amazing and scary power of a real big river flow. The key is to keep some momentum up and keep padding through them.   Watch to the end of the film clip for a very long submersion.  Hold your nose to avoid testosterone poisoning if you have to :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uZ903SrdBA

     

     

    Whoa.. I like the part at the end where they crash into a small iceberg which is careening down the river... Glad you survived!

    Surfski safety

    in General Message Board

    Posted · Edited by BethS

    I'd love to learn more about surfskis; I've tried them a couple of times, with mixed results. But definitely still interested, and yes it's obviously not just a "guy thing" (That Sharon Armstrong is amazing... thanks for the link!)

    Pru you'd be fine in a surfski, if I can do it so can you!!

    Kayak recommendations needed.

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Seconding the above advice, get used, shop around first, and no to outriggers unless you are planning to fish for large fish (in which case get a fishing kayak) Also, as a former owner of a Nordkapp HM, it is a great boat, very fast, and very stiff tracking, but perhaps not the best choice for you or your wife as a first good boat (and it's too big for her anyway!), since it is a bit specialized, and can be hard to turn into the wind on a very windy day. Also, your wife should get a boat that is not too big for her, that is the one mistake that smaller people often make. Personally, I prefer skegs over rudders for the NE coastal environment. Go to a rental place also, and try out a few boats. Often there are end of season sales on used boats as well.

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