Gear Bag Bomber Gear Full Ear
The common wilderness first aid saying is that if your hands or feet are cold you should put on a hat. Eighty percent of body heat is lost through the head, and if you lose too much heat, your body keeps the heat in your core and stops warming the extremities. A skullcap is the most space-efficient insulation you can carry. We carry them all year. Bomber Gear offers a full line (three) of their Jimmy Caps although the Full Ear is the best bang for your buck, both warmer and a dollar cheaper than the Mesh Ear. The Full Ear’s five-panel construction forms to be head-shaped and the flat-sewn seams are free of pressure points. The Titanium 0.5mm neoprene construction is thin enough to fit under helmets and comes in three sizes to fit your noodle. Sizing is important: Too small and a skullcap will give you a headache and constantly be creeping up your head. Too large and it won’t fit tightly enough to prevent a fresh flow of water from entering your cranial heat zone after every roll. $21 US.
www.bombergear.com.
Nimbus Current Mate
With high U.S. exchange rates there are some good deals to be had from homegrown Canadian companies like B.C.-based Nimbus Paddles. Nimbus introduced its first composite whitewater paddle design last year—the figreglass Ashnola and graphite Black Bear—with a large, conservative blade shape intended for all-river use. Then B.C. freestyle paddler Dru Lyall approached Nimbus about adding a rodeo blade to their lineup with a smaller surface area that was easier on the wrists and shoulders in torquey waves and holes. At 47.5 cm long and 19 cm wide, the resulting Current Mate is long and narrow with a smaller overall surface area that’s more asymmetrical than the previous design, with greater catch toward the tip of the blade and below the shaft. The result is a paddle that’s relatively light (an ounce or two lighter than competitors at 32 oz. in graphite) and quick. This is a good wave paddle with plenty of blade at the tips noticeable when ruddering in a surf, blunting, pushing off the tip for aerials or otherwise digging deep into the green. Paddles come in any length and feather angle with blades of either fibreglass (978g or 34.5 oz.) or graphite (907g or 32 oz.), both with a flexy Kevlar-reinforced fibreglass shaft that’s easy on the joints. Fibreglass: $272 Cdn; $220 US. Graphite: $409 Cdn; $321 US.
www.nimbuspaddles.com.
The Flex Capacitor Back Ratchet by Immersion Research
The Flex Capacitor (FC) is the next-generation backband from Immersion Research. The FC combines IR’s ratchet technology with a futuristic style to enable you and your boat to accelerate through the space-time continuum from front surfing to more advanced manoeuvres. The FC locks you in place making the boat a connected extension of your body. Subtle lower-torso movements and weight shifts are transferred immediately resulting in increased overall boat control.
The backband is constructed with a high-density EVA foam base formed with a 1/8-inch-thick polyethylene insert. The three ergonomic, modular mesh pads wrap your lumbar to provide a comfy cushion of support. The ratchet arms are a crossover from snowboard binding technology and allow you to sit in your boat and easily ratchet away to your heart’s content until you have the perfect fit. The arms of previous models have been known to break after extended use or excessive torque. Thankfully the FC comes with an extra arm for emergency replacement when on the river (providing you carry it with you). Installing the FC is a good little project; just follow the instructions. Customizing a boat’s outfitting to your specific body dimensions is the only way to maximize comfort and responsiveness. Getting the right fit is worth the effort at the end of the day when you can stroll to your vehicle relatively pain-free. Colour: Sublime. $50 US.
www.immmersionresearch.com.
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www.rapidmag.com
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