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Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board
Brian goes for a paddle … no not with SWIFTWOOD …
Posted By: Brian T. Cunnningham
Date: Sunday, 11 April 1999, at 5:43 p.m.
Yup, I went to the Annual Dallas Paddlesports Day and had a great time.
It’s more or less one of those feel free to try out our boats ( so hopefully you’ll buy one ) affairs.
I really wanted to check out the folding skin boats. Some Feathercraft dealers were there, unfortunately they were not covered under the shows insurance so I only go to sit in them. ( rats!! ) sort of like sitting in a briar patch ( all those ribs )
Next off to the Walden Pond kayak dealer. http://www.waldenkayak.com/ I went out in one of their lake boats really _wide_ I wished I had not left my camera in the car. A rather pleasant though it felt kinda weird. ( I was later told by the dealer that I simply was not adjusting the footbraces correctly, that I was holding the paddle upside down!! ) After getting resettled in the boat I found it a nice lazy day kind craft. I next tried out a scout, a little narrower and with one hatch in the back. Nice boat. Both steered easily. I’d definitely recommend a lake boat for anyone on inland waters that doesn’t mind going slow. But if you out bird watching that’s probably the point. One thing I did find was soaked legs, despite the drip rings I couldn’t help but get my legs wet, with the open deck.
Next I noticed a couple of woodies ( you realize that’s where I went next ) The dealer was explaining how it took 400 hours for the canoe and 600 hours of the kayak, both strippers, and the hours showed. These weren’t trailer queens though ( so hotrodding reference ) the owner was quite eager to show the scar the canoe had gotten from a full speed impact on a rock! The kayak had just gotten all cleaned up, so it was on the stands for the rest of the day. But he said I could take the canoe out, of course I jumped at the chance. I’ll say one thing first, FAST BOAT!!! This boat could _move_ .Though not being used to a canoe, and the fact that it was a little windy out. I had a real hard time getting it to turn, yes I was in the middle. I was trying to get it to go to starboard but when I realized that it really wanted to go to port I just gave in and did a 290 degree port turn instead of a 90 starboard turn. I also gave up on sitting on my legs, I had to squat do to my knees, seemed to work just fine. Also I asked the owner what canoe paddle I should take, he said I could go ahead and use the kayak paddle the organizes had lent me, still handing me a canoe paddle. I found better power with the canoe paddle, but easier control with the kayak paddle.
Next off to the Dagger dealer. ( I’d love to give you the names, but the dealer must be getting rid of models that are no longer manufactured since they aren’t listed on their WebSite ) I wanted to try a _fast_ boat so I got into the longest on I found, it was definitely fast, but I could get it to stay in a straight line!! Very surprising. I switched to a model that had a working rudder ( the first one’s rudder lines were messed up ) and found a much better paddle. I also tried one of there sitontops very stable craft, felt like I was paddling a raft!
Oh yes, after paddling the lake boats I forgot how unstable the touring kayaks were when exiting. The Dagger dealer was nice enough to remind me how to ge tout by placing the paddle 90 degrees on the back of the deck. I wish I had remembered that before I took my obligatory dive in front of a much amused crowd!
P.S. Photos will follow, after I finish the roll.
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