Paddle Dippings

It’s hard for me to believe this, but, this is our 21st year in the paddlesports industry! Just seems like yesterday that a close friend and I talked about starting a “little part-time canoe and kayak” business. Tom realized the insanity of that decision early on and, for the past 18 years, has led a normal life. I, on the other hand, obviously have not come to my senses yet and have continued the “little full-time kayak and canoe” business. (Please note how the priority of the business has changed from canoes to kayaks.)

At benchmark years, such as the beginning of a twentieth year for instance, one tends to ask, to use an old Dionne Warwick song, “What’s It All About, Alfie?” (I told you it’s an old song!) Well, that amount of time is difficult to compress into a few sentences, but I’ll try to hit the high spots and sum it all up in two sentences. First, the folks that have come through our door are the best! I am convinced that only nice people use a kayak or canoe paddle. Secondly, whatever we have learned in the first twenty years about paddling, the techniques, skill and enjoyment, is probably half of what we could learn and experience in the next twenty years. Every time we push off from shore, it becomes a new, rewarding, and re-energizing experience, even the “not-so-good” paddles.

I would like to thank all of our customers over the past years that have made this a worthwhile “trip” for us. You have served us well, and I sincerely hope we have done the same for you. To those of you who may “come through the woods” to find us, we will do our best to serve you as well.

And so…on to 2007

Every year it becomes more difficult trying to figure out which new model kayaks to carry in our already expansive line-up. It is tough at times to decide what model to promote and which of the models to let go or pass by. As best we can, the issue is approached from two perspectives; as paddlers ourselves and as a customer coming to our shop looking for accurate information, experience and honest recommendations. We represent approximately twenty kayak and canoe manufacturers and many more accessory lines. We have many models in our normal inventory at any given time. Even more important, we are a shop that believes that a customer should try before he or she purchases a boat. Each model will feel a little different to each of us. Whether it’s the fit, comfort, stability, handling characteristics, or the boat’s designed purpose…it is critical that someone just coming into the sport tries out several models so as to be able to make the best decision at that time. For over twenty years we have believed that the ability to try out boats at our shop on Billington Sea is our obligation so that each person can make the wisest choice. We have tryouts every Saturday and Sunday and have a demo fleet of approximately fifty different models. We also offer kayak instruction as well as kayak and canoe rentals for use on Billington Sea. And so on to 2007, here we go….again.

The staff of Billington Sea Kayak: Doug, Pat, Ross, Bob, Ben, Steve, George, Ellin, and Joel

So, what do you think? It’s 9 am on a warm Saturday morning in early May. Hey, the lawn doesn’t need mowing yet and my spouse won’t be back with the pots of flowers and bushes until at least mid-afternoon. Think I’ll try and find all my gear, dig out the kayak from wherever I left it last fall, throw it on the car, and go out paddling for the first time this season.

Sounds great? Actually, it sounds like the beginning of a comedy of errors or, worse yet, possible a day that could end in tragedy. This paddling venture should have started on that raw, rainy Saturday a month earlier, the ideal day to go LOCO (Locate, Organize and Check Out your equipment).

We should check out our gear every time before going paddling, but especially the first time. The best way for most of us may be to start with your least used items first and then work your way slowly and thoroughly over each and every item while leaving the kayak for last. Why, you ask, would I leave the main item for last? Well, for one thing, if you check out the boat first, you may be more tempted to skip the rest of the check out routine and just throw everything in the car and go off for that first paddle, only to find out (at the worst possible time, of course) that the paddle had developed a crack or the paddle float didn’t hold air. Surprises like that can just ruin your whole day!

Make sure the supplies in the first-aid kit aren’t all stuck together by leaking tubes of antiseptic cream and sunscreen. Are there new batteries in the small flashlight? Does your whistle work, or is it still full of sand from the last time you got trashed in the surf? Any holes in your neoprene suit, paddling jacket or PFD? How ‘bout the pump? Hopefully some unknown rodent didn’t take the suction part out to use for its nest. Small things, you say? Yep! Until you need them.

If you do practice this LOCO idea, by the time you finally get to checking out the boat, you‘ll probably have developed quite an awareness for details, and the boat is where the details are as critical, if not more so, than the rest of the equipment. Are the hatches and bulkheads watertight? Is the seam between the hull and the deck on a fiberglass kayak showing any signs of separation? How about the footbraces, are they working properly? Does the rudder or skeg work smoothly and are the cables in good shape? Are the deck lines, static lines, and carry toggles in good condition?

By spending some time checking out your gear, you will find that your first trip, and every trip, will be more enjoyable and your gear will be there to help you when conditions aren’t quite as enjoyable!

Over the years, we have come in contact with lots of kayaks. While thinking more about that, it occurred to me that several of those kayaks were special in one way or another in our shop’s history. I thought it might be fun to write a little about them. As you read through the listed boats, please keep several points in mind. First and foremost, this is an extremely subjective thought process that I’m following here. Almost everyone may disagree with me. Secondly, although the shop has experience with many, many kayaks, we are certainly not familiar with all of the kayaks out there. Some of the kayaks listed below are still produced and some are not. Also, being a memorable kayak in my mind does not necessarily mean that it has been popular with others. Quite frankly, my opinions may be nothing more than impressions flavored by the memories of wonderful people and trips. Finally, there is no attempt at either logical listing or prioritization in this list. There are several newer models that are destined to become memorable kayaks and maybe I’ll get to do this again in a few years. So read on, knowing that this was a lot of fun and part therapy to look back.

Sea Venture by Hydra. One of the first kayaks we carried. Designed by Tom Derrer of Eddyline Kayaks, this was and still is one of the classiest 16 foot poly’s out there. This kayak was able to satisfy many paddling levels through its ability to handle any situation comfortably.

Vesper and Seeker by Dagger. The Vesper was the initial reason we were persistent in chasing the Dagger representative to carry the line. The first two Vespers we sold were boats that I had to buy in Maine at full retail, pay sales tax and pick them up there as well. The Vesper was a delightful river touring boat that would also do some coastal touring with good paddling strokes. The Seeker was a relatively fast coastal boat. Both were noted for their stability, sporty feel and ability in rough conditions. A particular crossing in Maine of the Damariscotta River from South Bristol to East Boothbay proved to me the ability of the Seeker!

Naturalist by Walden Paddler. Although not the first of the recreational kayaks on the market, the Naturalist’s hull design did bring attention to the fact that it was possible to design decent tracking short recreational kayaks. The other innovation was the fact that recycled plastic was being used in the kayak’s production.

Rascal and Pungo by Wilderness Systems. These two kayaks with multi-chined hulls added substantially to the progress in hull design for the short recreational kayak. Kayaks now were being tried and purchased by otherwise considered “normal” people.

Calypso by North Shore. As evidenced by the number of BSK and Coastal Kayak Educators staff that has and are still paddling the 17′ Calypsos, one quickly realizes that this qualifies as a memorable kayak. Excellent stability, responsiveness, speed and ability in rough water conditions are the credits of this kayak.

Quoddy Lite by Lincoln. The lightness in weight (12′ 6″ @ 31lbs) and the longer boat “feel” of this kayak opened the shore (pardon the pun) to those looking to paddle but not wishing to deal with long, heavy kayaks. Stability and versatility for protected coastal paddling are the merits of the Quoddy Lite.

Narwhal by Boreal Design. We sat in a 16′ Narwhal in our shop on a cold winter night several years ago. Immediately George, Ross and I knew that this was a “gotta’ have” for our lineup. Stability, performance, comfort and attention to detail are the traits of this kayak.

Micmac by Cal-Tek. I remember many day trips where there were three or four Micmac kayaks in the group. The North River, Taunton River, Saco River, and an awesome weekend over ten years ago paddling the Battenkill River, at one point sharing the river with some cows. Each boat was outfitted to the owner’s taste.from homemade seats and footbraces to gear-holding and fishing rod attachments to an English Springer Spanial sitting with his paws up on the foredeck. This is a 13′ 4″ open cockpit “do-all” boat for fishing, hunting, birding, relaxing or occasionally playing in Class 1-2 water. No wonder, this a Bart Hauthaway design built by Dan Sheehan.

Surge by Surge Kayak. My personal introduction to this kayak was along the Maine coast in some of the worst wind and chop that I had been in by choice. This performance-oriented 17′ 8″, 38-lbs. kayak has one of the most incredible hull designs we’ve paddled. It is fast, stabile, straight tracking, yet will spin on a quarter, surfs well, and will bring you through those unexpected conditions that you remember long afterwards thinking “How’d I do that?” If I’m in a bad place at a bad time, that’s the kayak I want to be in.