adventure magazine adventure magazine Starter Kit 4: Gear
BOATS ARE THE OBVIOUS PART OF THE FAMILY FORMULA. BUT DON’T FORGET PADDLES, PFDS AND OTHER KID-FRIENDLY GEAR.
BY TIM SHUFF BOATS B A C
A) If yours is the type of precocious kid whose first question is “how do you roll this thing” or you’re a pitbull-in-sunscreen kayak-mom who reads them Paul Caffyn stories at bedtime, then you’ll probably want to put them in a “real” kayak as soon as possible. Look at the new Wilderness Systems Tsunami SP, for paddlers ranging from 60–120 pounds ($825 Cdn/ US;
wildernesssystems.com), or the fibreglass Current Designs Raven shown here (12’ x 20” and only 26 pounds). These boats let kids edge, brace, roll, and paddle circles around their parents.
CURRENT DESIGNS RAVEN, $1,199 US;
CDKAYAK.COM
You don’t always need specialized boats to get your kids on the water. You can take them out on your lap in any kayak. But for family trips buy or rent a tandem with a centre hatch that can be modified with a child’s seat. For splashing around at the beach and the cottage, sit-on-tops are the most beginner- and kid-friendly. And then there are kid-sized touring kayaks, scaled-down versions of the real deal that let pint-sized prodigies develop serious skills.
B) A triple-cockpit kayak like the Seaward Passat G3 is the ultimate mothership: two regular cockpits plus a centre hatch with a removable booster seat. As kids grow, one parent walks the plank, tyke moves to the bow and the centre hatch becomes 180 litres of waterproof storage. Not just a nerdy family van, the G3 has performance for expeditions and adventure races.
SEAWARD KAYAKS PASSAT G3, $5,085 Cdn; $4,575 US;
SEAWARDKAYAKS.COM
C) Kids and parents on our test crew voted sit-on-tops best for messing about at the waterfront. High stability and an open cockpit make them less intimidating for first-timers. Only 9’7” long, the Hobie MirageSport is easy to handle. You can even put a small child on the back and make it a tandem. Hobie’s pedal system is more intuitive and gives young kids more power and control than paddling.
HOBIE MIRAGESPORT; $1,549 US;
HOBIECAT.COM
« PFD
Choose from infant, child and youth sizes (8–30, 30–50 and 50–90 lbs). Infant and child PFDs have grab loops on the collar. Older kids enjoy features like pockets.
STOHLQUIST DRIFTER YOUTH, $90 US;
STOHLQUIST.COM
« PADDLE
Kids’ paddles are 180 cm and up with smaller blades. The lighter the better. Lendal, Bending Branches, and Aqua-Bound all have new kids’ paddles.
Shown: WERNER SPRITE, $90 US;
WERNERPADDLES.COM
« BASE LAYERS
Choose a fabric that’s quick-drying and offers sun protection so you don’t have to do the full-body slip- slop-and-slide ritual.
NOZONE BABY SUIT, $39 Cdn/US;
NOZONE.CA
« SPLASH GEAR
A full-body waterproof suit is a critical paddling layer for wee ones that really helps small bodies thermoregulate in cooler climes.
MEC NEWT RAIN SUIT, $51 Cdn;
MEC.CA
34 ADVENTURE KAYAK | SPRING 2009
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