tyson

I'm interested in the Sea O2 PFD that has been discussed on this board. However, the shops that happen to have been through since have not had it in stock. Does anyone know of a shop that has them in stock? ...or does anyone have one that might fit me that I might be able to try out? Thanks! Ty

Emilie and I expect to be there. Cheers! Ty

Will anyone on this board admit to having one?

I would think that "different" would lean more toward: - Tandem - wave ski/surf kayak - surf ski - skin-on-frame People that are new to kayaks aren't going to see much difference between many of the broad purpose Brit boats and those that are otherwise similar. I would suggest that different should lean more toward different purposes than different models that compete with each other. ...different sizes could be useful, esp. for those at either end of the curve. Cheers! Ty

While it seems appropriate to understand the state of the men when this fatal incident occurred and check for BAC would be part of that, when they may or may not have purchased/acquired the alcohol seems irrelevant. They may have purchased earlier in preparation for camp site festivities in the evening, or they may have purchased 3 months ago and drank just before/during their paddle. What is the point of publishing that they purchased that day? Is there a better explanation than to suggest that purchasing alcohol before paddling it inappropriate?

I used to be quite active in autocross, a form of car racing. I started out in a Dodge Neon, and with some practice was typically beating folks in Corvettes, Porsches and the like. Driven well, a Neon can be very fast on an autocross course. That didn't stop me from moving to a open-wheeled Formula Ford. The Formlua Ford did all the same things, but was somehow WAY more fun. I can reliably roll my Pisgah. Its not even close to as much fun as the AA. To me, advanced suggests high performance, perhaps while trading some of the docile characteristics that might be suitable for people who are less skilled. ...or it may just trade docile characteristics for (in someone's opinion) more fun. ...see above. specifically, stability takes some of the control away from the driver, pilot or paddler, it puts it in the hands of the road, winds or waves. The tuning of my Neon's suspension was "advanced". It gave me tremendous control while trading away a considerable amount of stability. High performance means (IMHO) excellence in things that can be measured (such as speed) or some form of large or extreme operating envelope that allows "it" to operate in ways or conditions that lower performance "machines" can not. It is sometimes possible for something to be both high performance and docile. I don't find the AA at all unstable, yet it is a hell of a lot of fun. Cheers! Ty

Please do!

Hi! Nice to close the connection! Though we were working to get packed, we are always happy to chat and meet new people while doing so. You said so little that when I considered the meeting on the drive home, I was suddenly not certain that you weren't referring to the camera I had on the stern rather than the boat. Hopefully we'll cross paths again this summer. Cheers! Ty

Last fall, Doug was foolish enough to reveal the location of one of his private stashes of bump. Saturday Emilie and I picked up a used NF Silhouette that is for sale to test paddle it. Since Doug's secret stash was on the route home, it seemed like a great opportunity to try the place out. This was also my first chance to try out my new GoPro Hero helmet cam while kayaking: Cheers! Ty

You should see what a 23' tandem looks like on the top of a little Honda Fit!

Here is a picture of 4 kayaks that are between 14' and 17' on a Honda Fit. It has a short roof line and the bars end up being close together. Other than the dents left in the roof because of the heavy load of the kayaks and in the kayaks (didn't have enough space for 4 plus gear in the car), it worked fine.

If you mount the kayak so that it almost balances on the rear bar, and properly use bow and stern ropes (as you should anyway), you should be fine. That said, my 'ru has the older adjustable bars and I space them as far apart as I can when hauling kayaks and I'm not a fan of the newer design. IMHO, the new ones are designed/optimized for not using them.

The link works fine, but the album is private so at least some of us can't see it. Cheers! Ty

Hmm... I'm feeling and odd need to go on a kayak camping trip.

The original post was made Jan 11.

I recently purchased a GoPro Hero helmet camera plus the suction cup mount useful for cars and boats. Thus far I've only used it skiing.

Including Middle East peace?

So, what are the limits on that line of reasoning? Most of what I carry has something to do with survival. ...but I'm not strapping all of it to my PFD. Cheers! Ty

I hate having too many things strapped to me. I also hate having too many things strapped to my deck. ...though some are better at hating these things than I and wonder about the number of things I have on my PFD and deck... I have developed a habit of permanently installing a hydration hose with a bite valve on one end and a quick release on the other through my deck. This permits me to keep a hydration bladder below deck (typically behind my seat), have quick and easy access to drinking water and not have my PFD or deck cluttered with the bladder. Emilie cringed when I took the drill to our brand new Kevlar tandem to install the hoses. Cheers! Ty

I know that you have seen first hand that a GP can be used for rolling and bracing in bumpy conditions. Once you learn to cant and scull a GP so that it acts as a wing instead of just a skinny stick, you'll find a lot of support in it. They are wonderful for rolling because it is a "wing" and if your "off" hand is wrapped around the blade, you know its orientation and angle is correct. There is no backwards or incorrectly rotated to it. Cheers! Ty

Without a doubt.

Dude!

Also, look in the classifieds for individuals forum on this site. Doug and Gene have a couple of kayaks for sale that might interest you.

For sea kayaking and island hopping, you will want something at least 14' long. Most (including myself) would recommend something more like 16'-17'. You will also want to consider that there is a difference between what feels good at first and what feels good after you have more experience. When the seas get bumpy, a "stable" kayak will work against you. Many (most?) people prefer skegs to rudders after they have some experience and also learn to use them correctly. Rudders catch on things a lot more than skegs. Some people like a "dry ride". Some prefer to be one with the water and prefer the way that a low volume boat rides waves and bump. Are you interested in learning to roll? There is hardly a kayak that can't be rolled, but some are much easier to learn in than others. I don't know what was covered in the EMS rescue course, but this group offers (FREE!) practice sessions were some really fabulous people will be happy to help you improve your skills. Do not underestimate the value of being equipped with proper skills when on the water. Cheers! Ty