Inflatable Kayak

[IVECOKID]

That kayak of mine has a wheel built into the mould and a handle at the front so one man can wheel it ,great idea .

 

Ste

[scraggs]

Not sure how well an inflatable would fare if you were to scrape the bottom on shallow bits, only one way to find out I suppose

We have a couple of sit in kayaks for me and my g/f, and a couple of sit on tops, which are ideal for taking newcomers out on.

Please please please whatever you buy make sure everyone in it especially kids wear a buoyancy aid, I know it's nothing to do with me but mishaps can happen very quickly.

I am always amazed at how stupid people can be on the water, last Saturday we went up the river and we had a couple come past in an inflatable kayak and sitting in the back was a woman holding a baby in her arms, none of them were wearing a buoyancy aid

 

I am sure you will get a lot of fun out of whatever you get.

[Mark Bolam]

I quite fancy one mark,I recon we could get to the black bull in wark in under an hour if the burn and Tyne are in full spate.... Or possibly drown.

 

There's only one way to find out....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[rovers90]

Lidl had them on offer yesterday Mark!!

[TGB]

If you've not got much storage or only have a small vehicle to get to the water, they're the ticket to a lot of fun. Get yourself a collapsible trolley, something like this [ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000NTZ2TM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1435607512&sr=8-3π=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=collapsible+trolley&dpPl=1&dpID=31H%2BDkK-t%2BL&ref=plSrch]Rolson 42513 45kg Mini Folding Hand Truck:Amazon.co.uk:DIY & Tools@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71AsdegLjIL.@@AMEPARAM@@71AsdegLjIL[/ame] , for transporting to 'n' fro the water, as they're not light.

 

Try not to drag them over gravel or sharp rocks. Though you can get repair patches for them.

[GardenKit]

We use a Colorado on the river Otter, and have used it in Fowey too.

 

It's remarkably tough and has had some serious scrapes on the shallow fast sections of the Otter without even a mark yet alone a puncture.

Directional stability is poor, and it catches the wind, so fine if you don't need to get anywhere fast, but be careful at sea. Wind and tide could beat you.

Good for downstream fun and still water though. Very roomy and stable

[Darrin Turnbull]

If you've not got much storage or only have a small vehicle to get to the water, they're the ticket to a lot of fun. Get yourself a collapsible trolley, something like this Rolson 42513 45kg Mini Folding Hand Truck:Amazon.co.uk:DIY & Tools , for transporting to 'n' fro the water, as they're not light.

 

Try not to drag them over gravel or sharp rocks. Though you can get repair patches for them.

 

 

Maybe something with bigger wheels ?

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/KOALA-PRODUCTS-Frame-Fishing-Trolley/dp/B0035GWC5W]KOALA PRODUCTS Seat Box XL Box Frame Fishing Trolley: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/611RRxOm6FL.@@AMEPARAM@@611RRxOm6FL[/ame]

[TGB]

Have a gander through

Endless River: http://www.endlessriver.co.uk

or

Brookbank Canies

 

Either will have what you'll need. Though Brookbank have the actual kayaks, canoes, SOTs (sit on tops), inflatables.

 

Get yourself:

• BA/PFD, (buoyancy aid / personal floatation device) each

• a double paddle (kayak style) or single paddle/s (canoe style)

• short length of floating rope, say 5m. This should sort you for mooring at the pub or bank side for grub time. Plus it comes in handy for towing along the bang or in shallow water.

• a roll-top bag, big enough for your sarnies, a change of dry clothes, small/travel towel, small 1st aid kit, a few winds of duct tape

• small roll-top bag or waterproof, (not water resistant) container for car keys, wallet/card and mobile. Always carry your keys, wallet & mobile on your person. As you may get separated from your boat.

 

Notes:

With the roll-top sacs, you need to be able to roll then over 4-5 turns to be waterproof. After you've loaded the bag/sac. Clip it into a gear loop/point on the craft. Some choose to clip the sac to the craft via a short length of shock cord. So if/when a capsize occurs, you're not trying to right you boat and you gear. But your gear isn't going to float away.

 

When choosing a BA/PFD, it's preferable to get one with pockets. So you can securely store your bagged keys, etc. And they won't get in the way when your paddling.

 

Also, choose one that fits well. So not restrictive to movement but not so loose that it could lift up off the wearer when they're in the water. This is especially important for a young child or non-swimmer.

 

Things to bear in mind about BA/PFDs, are that they're designed to bring a swimmer to the surface and keep them there. But they are not designed to float a swimmer face-up. So if the swimmer is unconscious and face-down, they'll either need help or will drown.

 

A life-jacket will float a swimmer face-up but can be awkward to swim in and or re-enter the boat/craft once inflated. Though if a young child is not going to paddle, a life-jacket would be the thing to get.

 

Life-jackets that are auto inflating, do so when a tablet dissolves in water on submersion, opening the gas canister's release valve. Once they're inflated, that's it. If you then deflate them, they'll not re-inflate until you fit another tab+canister. Self inflating life-jackets are not suitable for paddling.

 

You can get 'rescue' BA/PFDs, which have the most buoyancy. But if you're not performing rescues on a regular basis, you'll not need one. A they're expensive and B the extra buoyancy will get in the way of casual recreational paddling.

 

It's up to personal choice for footwear. But you're bound to get your feet wet at launching/landing. So sandles or Crocs or similar would be a good addition. Wooden paddles feel and look the part but plastic paddles are great for pushing off the bottom/banks/jetty and will take a hammering. Both wooden and plastic will last years, if you look after them.

 

If you paddle moving water and that doesn't have to be whitewater. and you capsize. Keep hold of your paddle/s. If you can keep he of you boat too, that's a plus. But if it's one or the other, choose the paddle/s. A kayak/canoe/SOT/inflatable, (each are commonly referred to as a boat) will usually wash-up downstream in an eddy. Usually on the opposite bank but that over comeable. But paddles disappear, never to be seen again.

 

Paddles even basic paddles, are often harder to choose than the the boat. Whereas a boat is one size fits all and this is not strictly true. A paddle us personal. Too long and it's unwieldy. Too short and you'll be scraping your thumb on the hull with every stroke. Just right and you'll be utilising the least amount of energy for the most efficient paddling.

 

If you want more info, just ask. Or you could take a look at two excellent paddling sites:

 

SOTP

http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/mobiquo/mobiquo.php?welcome=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.songofthepaddle.co.uk%2Fforum%2Fforum.php&board_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.songofthepaddle.co.uk%2Fforum&code=20110bd4110dc93d367e16b4c8d0cc07&name=Song%20of%20the%20Paddle%20Forum%20%3A%20%3A%20The%20call%20of%20the%20Open%20Canadian%20Canoe&deeplink=www.songofthepaddle.co.uk%2Fforum%3Flocation%3Dindex

 

CWAV

http://www.canoewithaview.co.uk/forum/