Re: Slick finish dangerou

Posted by Kyle T on Jul 5, 2006

I have a resistance to installing every additional ounce. I race these boats in adventure races where there is a lot of portaging and have worked hard to keep the weight to an absolute minimum. I haven�t even put hatches in some of them but I do run a single line from the front of the kayak to the coaming to be an easy grab. It double as a tow line.

Most all of that paddling is on lazy knee-deep rivers and across lakes. Even in the winter it is not particularly dangerous. While I have never tipped a boat over by accident in six years of racing we do have to demonstrate our ability to reenter our boats in deep water so I practice once in a while. Most races are done in tandems and those are very easy to get back into with help from your paddling partner.

The paddling conditions and warm water here are so different from the conditions you folks get that it is almost a different sport. We don't have rocks to worry about so if there is an issue you simply swim the boat to the beach or bank and dump out the water. I have been paddling for years but I would have to totally re-think my skill level before trying to paddle in a different environment. Where you paddle you probably have to learn to roll as a safety precaution instead of for a means to cool off. Like I said, a whole different mindset.

When someone falls out of a boat here everyone laughs including the guy that fell until he is reminded about that big gator seen there yesterday.

--KT--

In Response to: Re: Slick finish dangerou by LeeG on Jul 5, 2006

Replies: