Inflatable Kayak Blog

I enjoy being out in the kayak but the best time is when I find something interesting to take photos of. I don’t have a real expensive camera, but the thought of having it fall in the water and get damaged is not something I like to think about. I have been looking at the AquaPac waterproof case for the camera as a way to protect it and still get great pictures. There are different size bags that fit most cameras. If I should drop the camera in the water, the bag will float so it would be easy to retrieve. They are relatively inexpensive and will be one of my next purchases for our kayaking adventures.

No, this isn’t a blog about Brian Wilson and the boys’ recreational activities. According to Wikipedia, in Hawaii in the early 1960s, the “Beach Boys” of Waikiki would stand on their long boards and paddle out with outrigger paddles to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf. This is where the term “Beach Boy Surfing” originated. Nowadays, the sport is called Stand Up Paddle Surfing (aka: SUP) and it’s becoming quite popular. In regular surfing, you catch a wave and attempt to hop up on the board while on the wave. With SUP the goal is simply to stand on the board and propel yourself forward using your paddle. This makes the sport perfect for flat water, something that’s much easier to find and easy enough that most people are up and paddling within a half hour. The recent popularity of the sport is also attributed to surfers using SUP to train in the off-season. Stand up paddle surfing requires a heightened sense of balance and a strong core, which helps stabilize the board and maneuver it. What excites me is that inflatable SUP boards are now available for easy transport and storage.

I was looking out my window today and thinking how nice it would be if I could get out and pump up the inflatable kayak and do some paddling. It’s a nice sunny day but the temperatures are in the 30’s. Don’t think I’m going kayaking!

I decided instead to go online to check out some info about how to dress if I ever did ‘lose my mind’ and brave the colder weather. I came across this video posted by Louise Aidie, a kayak guide who was on a kayak expedition in the Artic (Brrrrrr). I though you might enjoy it. Now that’s what I call “Cold Weather Paddling!”

Here’s another paddling stroke that can be used in a hard shell, inflatable or folding kayak. It’s great to use to make your kayak turn rapidly on its place. Essentially, it’s the forward sweep stroke done backwards, starting from the back and ending close to your toes. You might also call it a “double reverse”, since it is done in a reverse manner and has the reverse affect on the boat. The kayak paddle blade is fully buried in the water; using the back of the blade, make a wide arc sweep from the stern to the bow to turn the boat in the same direction. Again, the power is coming from the rotation of your torso. To protect your shoulder joint when making the reverse strokes, keep the elbow in front of the line of the shoulders (never reach behind you, and remember to turn your body).

I first saw the Aquapac waterproof camera cases at the Outdoor Retail Show this past summer in Salt Lake City. I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I first started looking at them, but what really caught my eye was the slide show that was playing using pictures taken from the bag. They were sharp and clear and you could hardly tell they were taken inside a bag. Up until then I thought my only option for taking underwater photos was with those cheap disposable cameras you find in the camera section of your local discount store. But for a reasonable price, the Aquapac transforms my camera into an underwater camera that I am familiar with. The one that fits my camera has a hard lens that is built into the case. The case can be used in water up to 15ft deep and also keeps dust and sand out of the camera. This would certainly have come in handy when we were in Hawaii in some really windy conditions that caused the salty ocean spray to get on my lens. This is one of my “Wish List” items that I better see on Christmas morning.

I realize that most inflatable and folding kayak users don’t go on deep treks into the wild, but in case you do, you might want a SPOT Satellite Messenger. The small hand held unit gives you a vital line to friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when and where you need it. The SPOT tracks your progress via a GPS satellite network, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message. And because it uses 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world – even where cell phones don’t.

The cost for your “peace of mind” is very reasonable at $149.99 (even less with the $50 rebate being offered through 12/31/08). To go beyond the basics, there is a yearly $100 fee for the GPS features, which are well worth the cost. The unit is a great accessory for climbers, hikers and extreme kayakers.

Just like the rudder of a ship controls the direction of the ship, the stern rudder stroke allows you to guide your kayak through obstacles as an aid to controlling the kayak downwind with the ruddering incorporated into the forward paddle cycle. To rudder, turn back with the paddle parallel to the boat. The blade is buried and vertical at the rear of the kayak. Your bottom arm is extended but not straight. Push the blade away from the stern to turn towards the paddle side or pull it towards the stern to turn the other way. While kayaking with my sister in our Sea Eagle 330, I found this stroke to be quite effective in keeping the boat on course while the two of us were paddling without interrupting her paddle stroke.

These two strokes are mirror images of each other and move the kayak side ways for approaching jetties or other landings. They can also be used for course corrections. These strokes are more popular as canoe paddling strokes, but are useful as well for hard shell, folding or inflatable kayaks.

To perform the Draw Stroke you hold the paddle in forward paddling position and turn your torso to the side. Put the power face of the blade two to three feet from the boat and pull the blade towards your hips keeping the top hand relatively fixed.  Keep the boat level and do not lean toward the blade. A variation is the “hanging” draw stroke, shown in the picture, where the paddle is more vertical.

To perform the Pry Stroke hold the paddle in the forward paddling position and turn your torso to the side. Plant the poser face of the blade next to the boat and pry it away from the boat by pulling with the upper hand and pushing gently with the lower hand. This will push the boat in the opposite direction.

A useful paddle stroke when you’re out in your kayak is the “forward sweep stroke”. This stroke will move the kayak in the opposite direction of the stroke. It’s executed by making a broad sweeping stroke on one side of the kayak. The power face of the blade is buried in the water and the stroke starts at bow and is swept in a wide arc with the power coming from your body twist. The stroke finishes when rotation finishes. The sweep will push you in the opposite direction. This is especially helpful in fast moving water to keep the kayak on course. Whether you’re paddling a hard shell, inflatable or folding kayak, knowing the techniques for a variety of paddle strokes will add to your enjoyment on the water.

NOTE: An example of the stroke is shown in this YouTubeVideo.

With Christmas just weeks away and the economy in turmoil, I thought I would share an idea that I was reading about that may offer a solution to some major purchases; like finally getting the folding or inflatable kayak that you have been looking at and not knowing how you can afford it. One option that is available is layaway. Once this was an affordable way to finance purchases but with the easy availability of credit cards, this payment option was near extinction. However today’s economy has brought on an increase in layaway’s popularity.

For online shoppers a company called eLayaway.com is making this service available and stores like PortableKayaks.com are now offering this form of payment. Though the layaway plan isn’t free, it does offer a low 1.9% fee on the total cost of the item, which really isn’t too high a price to finance a larger ticket item. So if you are considering a larger priced item and need a way to finance it, using a layaway plan might be an option to help get what you want at an affordable price.