kayaker’s
journal IN THE HATCH BY TIM SHUFF Editors’ Picks
SPOT SATELLITE PERSONAL TRACKER Right now, Derek Crook from Nanaimo, B.C., the lucky bastard, is camped in a sandy-looking spot on the south shore of Robbins Island, halfway through a circumnavigation of Tasmania. How do we know this? Because Derek’s SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker sends us a cursed email every day with his exact coordinates and a link to Google Maps. This new waterproof, handheld signalling device has four buttons: On; OK; Help; and 911. The OK (a.k.a. “I’m lovin’ it”) button sends your friends and family (and cranky magazine editors) a cheerful reminder that you’re making great progress on your kayak trip while they’re at home working; “Help” tells your personal contacts that you’re not dying but they’d better do something (what, exactly, is something you’d better work out beforehand); while 911 calls the cavalry via a dispatch centre in Houston. For an additional annual fee, the unit’s tracking feature will send automatic updates to the web every 10 minutes. Count on adding the SPOT to your PFD pocket as soon as your mom finds out it’s available. $170 US plus annual service plan of $100 US.
www.findmespot.com
SEALS MARINER PUMPHOUSE SKIRT The catch-22 of rescues is that once you’re back in your boat, you can’t keep water from coming back in unless you put your skirt on, but you can’t pump the water out unless you leave your skirt off. Seals obliterates this irony with a hatch. Inside is a tight neoprene gasket with an opening just large enough to admit a pump. The rest of the skirt is made of breathable Sympatex with a ballistic nylon edge guard. Gearhead-friendly, there’s also a shock cord, a zippered pocket, reflective trim, a padded rubber handle on the grab loop, reinforced lash tabs and a paddle holder. As the Mariner is rated for only “moderate” conditions, where you’d be unlikely to encounter waves large enough to make the feature truly useful, we’re glad to hear that for 2008 Seals is offering the Pumphouse as an option on its high-end neoprene skirts too. $160 US.
www.sealsskirts.com
INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS IN THERMO-FORMED KAYAKS
Lighter Stronger
Ultimate UV Protection and Abrasion-Resistance
www.deltakayaks.com
Delta Kayaks Ltd. Made in Canada 604-460-6544
AT AND NRS PADDLE BAGS Sidling up to the put-in with one of these babies will turn you into the kayaking equivalent of the ringer who shows up at the bar with his own pool cue. The AT Touring Paddle Travel Bag is the classiest and most intimidating option in fashionable black. Sexily contoured, it easily holds one bent-shaft, foam-core paddle, or two standard paddles in a pinch. The fleece liner has a divider to keep the two blades from scratching each other’s opalescent finish. The NRS Two-piece Kayak Paddle Bag is the burlier choice for expeditions with enough fleece compartments and compression straps to securely hold three paddles and keep all six pieces separated. Both include small accessory pockets and are foam-lined to protect against mistreatment by airport baggage handlers who would rather be kayaking. AT: $73 US. NRS: $70 US.
www.atpaddle.com and
www.nrsweb.com
YAKIMA SKYBOX PRO 12 True or false: A car-top carrier gets you better gas mileage. Answer: True. Why? Because you can fit more stuff into a smaller car. This compact carrier is only 15 inches wide, leaving enough room to mount one or two kayaks on the rack next to it, yet is still big enough to stow plenty-o sandy paddles and a few stinky wet gear bags. And with available 16-, 18- and 21-cubic foot sizes you can ramp up your hatchback to SUV proportions. The lid conveniently opens from either side and options include a vibration-reducing utility mat, cargo net, LED light and wall hanger for your garage. Nothing says “I am a wild and outdoorsy guy” like driving around with a metallic silver torpedo on your Honda Fit. $715 Cdn.
www.yakima.com
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