Recent content by AM

For the heck of it I went through the voting process for the Paddling Magazine Industry Awards. Of the 11 categories, only one is devoted to “touring” kayaks (a nebulous term). See the nominees below. The contest is clearly irrelevant except as a form of marketing, but it is an interesting...

Minicell is awesome stuff!

The weight/durability tradeoff is something we all wrestle with. I drag my kayak quite a bit, but its fiberglass layup is remarkably resilient (whereas my aging back is not). A couple of years back I watched my tripping partner seal launch his fully loaded NDK Explorer off Jepther Point. He...

On the date/time in question the current flooding into the inner harbour under the Lions Gate would have been in the ballpark of 4 knots. Novice SUPers caught in that current would have been sucked into the Narrows which, on a holiday Monday, were likely teeming with powerboats, working tugs...

Here we go:

Thanks, Philip. No, I knew it wasn’t you guys, but with 30 boards in a group, I assumed it was the other outfitter. Crossing English Bay is inadvisable for most paddlers. Wind and current make it a problem for novices and deep sea traffic makes it a hazard for everyone. Cheers, Andrew

Hm, they left from Jericho? 30 in total? Philip, was this a guided group?

Yeah, I should have mentioned that my Express had a foam seat, so there was no option to slide. I’m sure that would have helped, though I don’t know if it would have completely overcome the lee-cocking. Someone who has a sliding seat in a Mariner should chime in. Certainly shifting load/trim is...

I had an Express for several years and generally enjoyed it. My big complaint was the lack of a bow bulkhead and hatch (I had Steve at Nimbus install both in the stern). If I had had an Abercrombie-modified Express, I would likely have kept it. A great all round boat. However, nothing being...

I can see how in theory that would be a problem, but it’s not something I ever experienced. Getting a light coloured case would certainly help. The big problem with Lifeproof cases is that they last about a year before leaking, in my experience. But for using your phone hard in a wet environment...

Just an example of why smartphone video is useful:

I’ve used Olympus, Canon, and Pentax waterproof cameras. I have also used a GoPro. There is no doubt that for action shots the GoPro is the best (even without the video): you can mount it, set it for interval shooting, and surf a wave, enjoying the fun shots after your session is done. But if...

I’d love a glass Pintail for day touring, but I would hesitate to take that boat out for multi-day trips, due to the lower volume and more playful nature of the boat (ie: slower cruising speed). The two boats you are considering are apples and oranges, so I guess the key is to figure out what...

Beautiful boat! Looks like it will be a lot of fun on the water, once you fix it up to your liking. Cheers, Andrew

Good teamwork, good improvisation. Everyone took on a role and communicated well.