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KBBS Archive 00,000
Re: First Time Kayak Kit
Posted By: Bruce Nadelson In Response To: Re: First Time Kayak Kit (Dave Grimmer, Pygmy Boats Inc)
Date: October 14, 1997 at 21:05:08
So far, like a few days into an effort like Neal's,
I have some nicely set up catalog materials, about 4 boats that would be great, very little fear of construction, brief flashes of pleasant images
of me and my boat on favorite waters, but not nearly enough to start with. I admire the builders who seem to be on their fourth or fourteenth boats, and envy their time spent messing about in the basement. I appreciate the friendliness of the young helpers at the shops when I've called to get an opinion on just which boat according to the weight of paddler/use/skills/etc. specs, although courtesy to the customer seemed to surpass applied reasoning and accuracy. It is, as should have been obvious in the first place, absolutely necessary to USE a good example of each of the proposed projects before committing a good chunk of cash and the equivalent of two work weeks to a pig in a poke. CLC tells me only that their tryout season is closed. I've asked Pygmy for a local contact in reply to the note from Dave that I'm replying to here, and we'll see if there really are some of his kayaks anywhere around my neck of the Jersey woods to try out.It is the likelihood of not being able to paddle the kit kayaks that has me considering that nice Sea Lion S that I checked out a few months ago.
: Neal,: I agree with Nick in that building your own kayak is a large commitment. It is, however, a practical way to get into the sport of kayaking. There are many options available to you in the kit market, so if you decide to build your own, make sure that the boat you choose fits your needs. Talk to the company, and tell them your size, experience and planned use of a boat to get feedback directly from the company about which boat they feel best matches your desires. For a first time builder, I recommend starting from kit. In our experience, acquisition of materials in many parts of the country can be a head ache. Most folks starting from plans do save a bit of money starting from plans, but the building time is greatly increased. If you are still looking at designs, you might also look into Guillemot, San Javier or our company Pygmy Boats. If possible, try to find boats in your area to paddle. I would be happy to find some of our boats near you. This is the best way to determine the model that best suits you.
: A word of encouragement; thousands of people have built their own kayaks and love them!
: Sincerely,
: Dave Grimmer
: Pygmy Boats Inc.
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KBBS Archive 00,000 is maintained by Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks with WebBBS 5.12.
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