GEAR

My kayak spends over 25 days on Georgian Bay every summer and as a result suffers many scrapes. To patch the keel has therefore become the end of summer routine for me. I am not talking a cosmetic fix of scratches to the gelcoat, what I mean is damage to the keel that exposes fiberglass. … Read more

I never set out to paddle with a Greenland stick it just sort of happened. It was the spring of
2010 that circumstances conspired to spark my curiosity and the opportunity to try it out. Sure I
had a few rogue friends out there that were using Greenland paddles but back then it was somewhat
of a novelty among my paddling buddies. Those that were beginning to try it out were much more
skilled than I was so I only took a mild interest in the ‘skinny sticks’. Greenland paddles at that time were not readily available in local kayak shops. A Greenland paddle is usually made of wood and is based on the style traditionally used by the Inuit of Greenland. It is characterized by long narrow tapering blades, with a short loom or shaft.

One of my favourite gear items is the  blue FRAKTA bag from IKEA. It’s a lightweight, high-volume, rugged bag that is perfect for carrying stuff from your kayak to camp. If you are wearing a drysuit, it offers  a large enough footprint to stand on to keep the sand off your precious goretex socks. It’s … Read more

by Jennifer Kilbourne First, I purchased my sea kayak and all the equipment needed to spend some time on the water. My next big purchase was a roof rack for my car, complete with cradles to hold my kayak as I zipped down the highway to my next paddling destination. And it worked well, as … Read more

by Keith Rodgers Almost every one of us needs to haul our kayak around from time to time and the usual way we do this is by tying it on the top of a vehicle and hoping it stays on for the ride. Whether you do this a couple of times a year, over a … Read more

by Ralph Gardave The rescue stirrup is a versatile aid to both solo and assisted rescues that I don’t see in many paddlers’ boats. It may just be that people are unaware of this piece of equipment. On the other hand, many paddlers who have solid rescue and/or rolling skills may simply feel that we … Read more

by John Winters Your first sea kayak is unlikely to be your last. Knowledge, skills, and ambitions grow with experience and a boat designed to suit novices rarely suits a paddler in the butterfly stage.

by John Winters What would you do to improve the design of kayaks? More importantly, what can you think of that would have a dramatic (or at least noticeable) effect on kayak performance – an effect you could legitimately call an innovation?

by Sandy Richardson Parafoil kites are great toys and make wonderful sails for kayaks. Wind fills the open cells in the kite, creating a wing that gives remarkable pulling power.