PWCs. It was pure impulse, as Dwayne explained. He thought those funny-looking tourists were having fun so one day, flush with a bonus cheque, he dropped into the local kayak store and bought a boat, persuading his
friend Wayne to do likewise. Naturally, it wouldn’t have done to set off on a wilderness kayak trip without some prop- er training. So they had taken themselves (and I do mean themselves—they had no instructor) to a local delta to practice rough-water pad- dling. I’ve seen the river mouth they referred to and as it runs into the sea it produces icy stand- ing waves I would never brave.
These were clearly men cut from a different cloth. Speaking of cloth, none of these fancy- pants fleeces, neoprenes, or waterproof-breath- ables for Dwayne and Wayne. Their jeans, cot- ton T-shirts, and wool mackinaws were good enough for logging—and so they were good enough for any real man when paddling, rain or shine, including the wet exits they’d done in the river. With many outer coast kayaking trips under my sprayskirt (a lot of them solo), I had imag- ined myself to be a relatively rugged outdoorsy type. But compared to these two burly sons of the sawdust, I was clearly nothing but a fop- pish, Gore-tex-girded dilettante. Still, they evi- dently didn’t hold that against me, so it was with many mutual expressions of goodwill that we staggered off to our respective tents in the wee hours of the morning.
I awoke to silence. While I had slept in late, like the decadent city-type I was, the two hew- ers of wood had folded their tent (and tarps) and stolen away. They were lumberjacks, and they were OK.
Though clearly not as tough as he once considered himself, Philip still enjoys solo kayaking odysseys. And he still wears Gore-tex.
New
Maximum Comfort, Control and Beauty.
Dirigo 140 - 14’
Ever see a duck tip over? Complain about cramped knees? Or back-aches? Neither have we. And from here on in, we expect to see a lot less of it from kayakers, too.
Introducing Dirigo, the breakthrough new recreational kayak that offers such high levels of stability, comfort and control, it makes paddling seem as natural to you as it does to them. Its exclusive features let you focus on why you’re out on the water, not how. Ready to spread your wings?
Also available in 12’ and 10’6” models. • Stabil-form™ hull for easy maneuverability, tracking and stability.
• Open cockpit control panels to free your knees to help stabilize the boat.
• Integrated cockpit console with accessible dry storage. • Extrasport®
Outfitting System with 3-way adjustable seat.
$99 Value
www.oldtowncanoe.com Hurry! Limited Time Offer.
$85 Value
Buy a Dirigo & get an Old Town Rolling Cooler or Camelbak Cloudwalker™ Hydration Pack & Old Town Cap Combo. See Your Dealer for Details.
ADVENTUREkayakmag.com 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52