Watching Nigel Foster at the East Coast Kayak Festival was the highlight of the weekend. His ability to effortlessly
control a kayak and communicate how he does it is simply amazing. Rather than head off on a long paddle, I stayed close
to the dock and worked on putting in practice what I learned from Nigel.
My main focus was the bow rudder. I've always been one of those guys that has to just keep sweeping until the kayak is
pointed in the right direction. After a couple of hours of paddling between pier pilings, I now think I've got the hang
of the bow rudder. I still loose too much speed, but I can work on that.
This was also the first time I seriously edged my boat. I've done it before, but never under such controlled
circumstances. It turns out that I'm sliding around too much in the seat. I guess I'll need to add hip pads to go with
my new foam backrest.
April 27, 2008
I hate the iPhone. I really do. The UI is NOT the future. Apple seems to have a problem with me developing
software for myself without jumping through more hoops than lions at a circus. However, it may be exactly what I've been waiting
for.
Considering the rumors that the 3G iPhones will
have a built in GPS and Apple's patent
filings for the
workout
manager and TomTom-like navigation device, it seems like Apple really wants me to buy an iPhone. Ideally it would
have the following features:
- "Splash proof" - I don't expect a battery powered GPS to ever be really waterproof, but a little rain or splash
shouldn't ruin a $500 gadget. Apple, if you won't let me replace the battery, then you have no excuses.
- Audible reporting - I don't care how nice the screen is, when there's water and salt all over your sunglasses,
the sun is bearing down, and the screen isn't at just the right angle, the screen is unreadable. I want my GPS to
speak to me and let me know my average speed over the last 30/60/90/120 seconds. I want it to tell me when my
ground track drifts off the desired track by more than 5 degrees. I want it to tell me when how far I've paddled
every 1/4 mile.
- Integration with Google Maps/Earth - Native KML support. Realtime integration would be nice as well, but I'd want to
turn this off.
- SiRFstar III - For the GPS to be accurate for kayaking, it
needs to be very accurate.
April 23, 2008
I'm in Madison, WI on business and stopped by
Rutabaga. I ordered my spray skirt
and one of my paddles from them online, but this was my first trip to the store. Everyone there was very nice helpful.
If you are in the area, I highly recommend stopping by. The only disappointment was not seeing
Derrick.
April 23, 2008
We went down to Charleston again this year for the
East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival. What was the best part? Nigel
Foster? Dubside? Paddling boats I'd never have an opportunity to otherwise paddle? The opportunity to meet and talk
with people who share my obsession? It was a great weekend. Here's some random thoughts on various bits of gear I
tried over the weekend.
NDK Explorer
I already own an
NDK Explorer, but I had never
tried one with a foam block back rest. I liked it enough to buy one from the
Virginia Sea Kayak Center. I know I could have made my own, and I
just might use this one as a template. I also have to admit that I made a mistake by getting the Explorer HV. The
standard Explorer fits perfectly.
NDK Romany
The
Romany feels very similar to my Explorer. I
also have to admit that considering the paddling that I do, the Romany may be a better choice than the Explorer.
Impex Force4 and Force5
I paddled the
Impex Force5 last year and I didn't like it. This time
around, I was impressed. The boat is quite maneuverable for it's length and the finish is in a class above what I'm
used to with my Explorer. The Force5 is a bit too roomy, but the force4 is the best fitting kayak I've ever paddled.
Valley Aquanaut
The
Valley Aquanaut is Valley's Explorer. It's boring and
predictable and not for me. The keyhole is a little too wide making it uncomfortable.
Valley Q-Boat
The
Valley Q-Boat seems like a fun boat. Doesn't track well at
all with the skeg up, but then this boat isn't about getting places. I'm sure this boat would just kick my ass if I was
to take it out in some rough water.
Valley Nordkaap LV
It's hard to avoid the buzz surrounding the
Valley Nordkaap
LV. I have to say that it is completely justified. The acceleration is amazing. It is very responsive and feels
much shorter than it is. If I were to add another boat to the fleet, it would be this one.
P&H Cetus
The
P&H Cetus seemed to be last year's over-hyped
boat. Other than the forward day hatch and the built in kayak lock attachment, I just don't see the appeal. The odd
orange glitter finish didn't help. I just don't understand the glitter movement.
Wilderness Systems Tempest 170
The
Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 was one of the boats I had
considered when I was looking to replace my Tsunami. After finally paddling it, I can say that I'm glad I didn't buy
this boat. The outfitting is excellent, and the construction is solid, but it's just not exciting.
Wilderness Systems Zephyr 15.x5
This show was the coming out party for the
Wilderness Systems
Zephyr 15.x5. Stability was high and it was quite maneuverable. It feels like a non-chined Tsunami.
Werner Paddles
I went to the festival in the market for a new paddle. The first thing I did was jump in an Explorer and paddle over to
the Werner booth. I tried the
Camino,
Shuna,
Cypress, and the
Ikelos. I tried lengths from 220mm down to 205mm, small
diameter shaft and the standard diameter, straight and bent shaft.
I ruled out the low angle paddles immediately. While the straight shaft paddles seemed to offer the most control, the
bent shaft felt better for a forward stroke. As of today, the 205mm bent shaft Cypress is the paddle that works right
for me. But, who knows how long that would last. It wasn't that long ago that I was using a 240.
I highly recommend
this post by Simon Willis on Werner paddles.
Lendal Kinetik Touring S
While Lendal was not officially at the festival, many vendors had Lendal paddles available. I tried a crank shaft
Kinetik Touring S. From what I've read about
it, I really thought I'd like this paddle, but I didn't. The crank shaft just feels odd compared to Werner's bent
shaft.
Reed
It seems that
Reed gear has finally arrived in the US. After seeing it, I
now understand why it is so popular. The spray skirts are much lighter weight than normal neoprene skirts. I wonder
how well they breath.
Pacific Horizons
I picked up a copy of
Pacific Horizons. I haven't watched it
all the way through yet, but so far, it's boring.
Justine takes me to places I've
never seen before. Watching Dubside drag his kayak on a public bus is entertaining at first, but not something I'd ever
want to watch over and over again.
The best part was watching Nigel Foster. Nigel is simply amazing. Disappointments include no
Seaward's
and therefore no
Nigel Foster Legend, no
Rumor -- except for Nigel's, not bringing my gear,
and not signing up early enough to get in on the master classes.
April 21, 2008
