Inflatable Kayak Blog

There were so many paddling opportunities at the “Open Air Demo’ at the 2008 Outdoor Retailer Show that we’re going to back track and review them individually.

The Sea Eagle PaddleSki is a catamaran style inflatable kayak. By ‘catamaran style’, I mean that the tubes on each side do not come together at each end. Unlike a pontoon, the PaddleSki is much narrower and easier to paddle. The first thing I noticed when I jumped on the boat was how much more stable it felt in relation to an inflatable kayak, Probably due to the separation of the tubes. I was on the 395ps PaddleSki. It’s the smaller of the two models offered by Sea Eagle. The other is the 435ps. Both models can be used in various ways. First of all, they can simply be paddled like a kayak. Then it gets interesting. Sea Eagle offers a sailing kit, a rowing kit, a fishing seat and a motor mount. They say it’s “five boats in one”.

The 395ps at the demo was equipped with the rowing kit. I grasped the oars, and after a brief explanation of rowing technique by Cecil Hoge from Sea Eagle, I was rowing, smoothly along the water. I tried rowing while sliding the rowing seat and while sitting still. Either way worked well. The hardest part for me was going backwards, as you do when rowing. I prefer paddling straightforward. I could tell, though, that the exercise benefits of rowing were more beneficial than strictly paddling. The additional leg exercise adds significantly to the overall benefits of paddling.

Over the next few days we’ll continue to post several blogs that will have specific information about more of the individual products we’ve tested and seen here at the 2008 Outdoor Retailer Show.

So, the start of the trip was probably the part that was the hardest. That feeling that I could not do it wouldn’t leave me, no matter what the instructor said to assure us.  I had never been in a kayak before and it just felt like I was getting in way over my head. But in actuality, once the first leg of the trip was through, the trip was more fun than difficult.  The pace wasn’t too fast, but it also wasn’t too slow to be boring. When I needed a rest, it seemed like everyone was on the same page and I never had to actually say I was tired. I’m thinking about getting a sea eagle kayak  for myself later this month.

The 2008 Outdoor Retailer Show began with the ‘Open Air Demo’, two days where manufacturers allow attendees the opportunity to paddle, ride and test out their products. Pineview Reservoir is about an hour away from Salt Lake City, so we decided to take the train. Utah has a really nice transportation system, originally developed to accommodate the Winter Olympics that were held here in 2002. The newest addition is the FrontRunner train. Our badges allowed us to ride free as far as Ogden, then catch a shuttle to the demo. The ride up was fun on the train, however we had a more scenic ride when we took the shuttle bus directly back to the city after the show.

By the time we arrived at the demo, the cloudy skies that began the day had changed to bright sunshine. The rest of the day was probably the hottest since we arrived and sunscreen and shady areas became a major part of the plan. The tents in the parking lot and on the beach made for a carnival like atmosphere and the water was filled with paddlers, motor boaters (farther out into the lake) and something we hadn’t seen before, people standing on surfboards while paddling them, most likely one of the newer products at the show. It was exciting to see everyone enjoying the day and the camaraderie.

Our main interest at the ‘open air demo’ was the Sea Eagle and Pakboat tents. Coincidentally they were located next to each other. We talked with John and Cecil Hoge from Sea Eagle as we had the opportunity to paddle the 340x Explorer Inflatable Kayak and the catamaran style PaddleSki for the first time. Alv Elvestad, the designer of the PakBoats was there helping us to test paddle the new Puffin models with their new color scheme and the new XT touring series, available in one and two person models. We’ll get more specific on both the Sea Eagle and Pakboats in some blogs over the next few days. Way too many things to talk about in one blog!
 
We also test paddled a new folding boat that was making it’s debut at the show, the K-Pak. Looks like we may have found an addition to our product line. I’ll get more specific on that one in another blog as well.

Over the next few days and into next week, we’ll post several blogs that will have specific information about the individual products we’ve tested and seen here at the show. The indoor portion of the show begins on Friday.

In two previous articles, I wrote about handling and transporting and proper inflation of your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube). The final step to keeping your inflatable boat in good shape is proper storage.

There’s more to storing your boat than just rolling it up after you use it. If you roll up the boat as soon as the trip is over and don’t do anything else to it until your next trip, you’re asking for trouble. If that next trip is several months away, the moisture that’s trapped inside can cause mold, mildew, and aggravation. The best way to counter that aggravation is to make sure your boat gets completely dried after each trip. Especially if you store your boat ‘long term’ outdoors in a shed where thawing and freezing can cause cracks to develop where the moisture has gathered. Moisture accumulates on the inside of your inflatable kayak tubes. It can get in through an open valve or through condensation on the inside of the tubes. This “inside tube” moisture is mainly a problem when you’re storing your boat deflated and rolled up for a long period of time. If there’s lots of moisture, use a wet-dry vacuum to suck it out. If there’s only a little moisture, leave your boat partially inflated for a few days in a low humidity area for a few days to dry out. Leave the valve caps off. Then roll it up and store it.

Storing your boat for a couple days to 3 weeks is less of a ‘project’. You can leave the boat about one-half inflated in your basement, garage or shed. Keep it away from direct sunlight and anywhere that water can get inside of it. This is a much easier method of storage and if you have the space to store the boat this way ‘long term’, it’s a sure way to keep it dry till your next use.

In an earlier post, I wrote about handling and transporting your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube) carefully. There are two other very important actions that will help you keep your boat in top-notch condition … proper inflation and proper storage.

Proper inflation is a critical element for inflatable kayak care and performance. Problems are more common with boats made of cheaper material or those that don’t use inner air bladders, but even the highest quality inflatable can ‘pop’ like a balloon. If you over inflate, you can ‘pop’ your inflatable kayak. Another recipe for ’popping’ is to leave your fully inflated boat baking too long in the sun. That happens because hot air expands. Likewise, since cold air contracts, an under inflated boat can become loose or floppy if put into a cold body of water. Using the correct pump to inflate your kayak or boat is crucial. A quality foot pump or hand pump works well. Electric pumps (usually 12-volt) can be a mismatch, so make sure that the pump specs fit the boat requirements. Also, electric pumps normally don’t inflate your boat completely. You’ll need to top it off with your foot or hand pump.

Next time, the “Tipster” will be back with some hints for proper storage of your inflatable.

Like anything else you own, taking good care of your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube) will result in many extra years of service. The process is easy. It begins with being careful when you handle the craft. Very little damage happens when you’re on the water. On land, it’s a different story. Gouging and scraping the surface of your boat can occur when loading or unloading the craft or transporting it from one spot to another. Be careful lifting your boat, making sure it’s not near anything sharp. When moving the boat on land, if at all possible, don’t drag it on the ground. Keep aware of these potential hazards and you’ll save the use of your repair kit while extending the life of your inflatable.

Improper storage and improper inflation are other ways you can damage your inflatable kayak (or other craft). The “Tipster” will return with another post soon to address those issues.