Category: Uncategorized

Newsflash: Early Model Kayak Found in Vatican

Maybe it’s just me but it seems like suddenly I’m aware of a number of kayak shops and small manufacturers that are closing their doors — or have done so within the last few months. Country Canoeist (NH), Great River Outfitters (sold and moved to RI), Raven Works Kayaks (PA), Norcan Kayaks (Quebec), Noyo Pacific Outfitters (CA), Mariner Kayaks (WA), and Baidarka Boats (AK) all have owners who are moving on — with GRO the only one that looks to be remaining open under new ownership.

What other shops are closing? Any new shops opening? Is there a trend? And, if so, what might be the reasons for it?” I posted the above on Paddling.net and received 13 responses. Big box stores, the economy, mismanagement, and the de-evolution of the sport toward mass-produced cheap plastic “blub” boats were cited as reasons for the slow disappearance of small independent kayak shops.

Some mentioned that in at least some cases shop owners had decided to make lifestyle changes and move on — something they are certainly entitled to do. But if a business is economically viable, it gets bought by someone else who keeps the doors open. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be what is happening.

An opportunity to test yourself against other paddlers without taking home a tacky t-shirt is offered by Mountain Wayfarer’s virtual kayak race. The virtual race invites you to post your (GPS or other measured time) over a 5 or 10 mile course online and see how it compares with others who have done the same thing. About 40 paddlers posted times in the 2004 race. The “winning” time from last year was posted by Mark Webber of Sag Harbor, NY who completed a 5 mile course in 43:39 in a wooden Struer K1.

For some tips for going fast, check out the forward stroke article at USAWildwater.com

Kayak Lake Mead is another small outfitter whose website is a bigtime resource for paddlers, and not just for those heading to the Lake Mead Area for paddling. Included are articles on the forward stroke, kayaking in high winds, and a unique take on re-entry after wet exit. Check it out!

Many of the most information-rich web sites are those of smaller outfitters. Likely because an extensive web site is a significant financial investment for the larger outfitters, while smaller outfitters take the do-it-yourself approach and invest their own time rather than money.

Kayak Diving. (Don’t try this at home.)

GoMOOS Buoy F – W. Penobscot Bay

Last update: 03/12 8:00 PM EST Wind: NNE at 12.8 knots Wind gust: 15.5 knots Wave height: 5.5 ft Period: 8.0 sec Air temp: 31° F (-0.3° C) Visibility: 1.6 nm (1.8 miles, 3.0 km) Atmospheric pressure: NA

More snow for Maine and the Northeast. Five snowdays and counting for local schools. More than 24 inches on the ground. At least 16 inches have fallen this week alone. It’s all good — I smile to think how the local rivers will be running in a few weeks (or months). St. George River Race is slated for Saturday, two weeks from today. Meanwhile out on the bay, water temperatures are at 33 degrees, which is exactly what they were in March of last year. (Checked the archives.)

Still another kayaking death in the news, this one resulting from a paddler being thrown from a tandem kayak in rough surf and sustaining a blow to his head. Are there more kayaking deaths this year? Are they being reported more widely? Or am I simply more aware of them? Perhaps I’ll take a closer look at the OutdoorEd. article on risk management I unearthed recently.

A nightmare scenario unfolded for a teacher and a group of young people who were paddling in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of Suwannee River on Saturday (see “Georgia teens” article right). As a teacher and outdoor trip leader who regularly takes groups of young people on trips, I found this story struck particularly close to home. Hindsight shows the group was ill-equipped (some of them were paddling open deck canoes rather than kayaks, no VHF radio, no wetsuits despite 58 degree water temperatures, inadequate lights for night paddling), and ill-informed (they ventured out into the Gulf despite the small craft advisory and 2-4 foot seas. The trip leader was apparently an experienced guide who perhaps had gained false confidence because he had led groups of young people on the same trip several times before.

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