•	Letter from the Editor
•	Gray Matters
•	Gear

< Jan-Feb 2008
	Gear
Winning Touch 2008 Paddler's Picks award recipients

ACCESSORIES
Sawyer Paddles and Oars, Orca V-Lam
Our Take: The Orca V-Lam—built in both straight- and crank-shaft models—is the type of paddle that will draw a lot of interest from serious sea kayakers. Sawyer’s laminated western red cedar blades are shaped to maximize the high-angle stroke. The two-piece carbon shaft keeps the overall weight down to 25.6 ounces. The adjustable ferrule expands the length of the straight-shaft version up to 10 centimeters (5cm for the crank shaft) and allows any degree of feather. Bucks: $250. Specs: Sizes: 205cm, 215cm, 225cm; 18.5"x7" blade; 25.6 ounces (not including drip rings) Sweet!: The blades are reinforced with fiberglass, carbon, and Sawyer’s patented Dynel ToughEdge material to last longer. Sniffle: Purists may scoff at the combination of traditional cedar blades and a decidedly modern carbon shaft. Who: Touring kayakers

Northwest River Supplies, Mission
Our Take: The Mission is made with three-layer eVent fabric. Through the use of millions of microscopic pores, sweat vents directly to the outside of the fabric. The high-wear areas, like the elbows, knees, and seat, are reinforced with tough-skinned Cordura. An adjustable overskirt that mates with your sprayskirt will help keep you drier. The relief zipper is nice. Bucks: $850. Specs: Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL sizes; 50-by-100 denier eVent fabric; Cordura-reinforced wear spots. Sweet!: Built-in latex socks. Not only do they keep your feet warm, but NRS can repair them. Sniffle: You’ll get the bang for your buck, but the price is a bit steep for budget-conscious paddlers. Who: Whitewater kayakers and expedition sea kayakers

Bending Branches, Espresso Plus
Our Take: Bending Branches chose black willow for its durability, and then fortified the Espresso’s blade with seven laminates. The Espresso Plus' ovalized shaft and freestyle palm grip are designed to reduce hand fatigue. It also comes in a bent-shaft design called the Espresso Plus 14. Bucks: $105. Specs: Weight: 18 ounces; Blade Size: 8"x20"; Sizes: 52, 54, 58, 60 (Espresso Plus 14: 48, 50, 52, 54) Sweet!: It's made with enviro-friendly, protein-based glue. Sniffle: Cold weather use discouraged. Who: Wilderness trippers

Peak UK, Combi Shorty
Our Take: Getting hot? Detach the titanium-lined, neoprene sleeves of Peak UK's Combi Shorty and stuff them in the large front mesh pocket. Strap the bicep gaskets. Chilled? Reattach the sleeves. The waterproof and breathable fabric will keep your torso dry, too. Bucks: $195. Specs: Sizes: Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL. Colors: gray/light gray; light blue/light gray; red/gray. XS available in light blue only. Sweet!: Two-seasonal. Sniffle: Remember Seinfeld's lost sock bit? Who: All paddlers

CANOES
REBIRTH OF THE FAMILY TRIP: Mad River Canoe brings back the Reflection. The Dagger Reflection was one of the company’s best-selling canoes before it focused the majority of its production on kayaks. But Confluence Watersports—now the parent company of Dagger and Mad River—has revived the 17-foot, 4-inch Reflection and placed it in the Mad River line of canoes. The Reflection was and, now again, is a good all-purpose rec canoe for taking the family and dog on lake and river trips. Say “straight ahead,” and the Reflection will follow your order, but it maintains maneuverability, too. The boat will be manufactured in Royalex material and available in Mad River’s IQ2 aluminum, IQ, or wood-gunwale systems with prices ranging from $1,180 to $1,580. Colors will be sand or green.

Wenonah Canoe, Wilderness
Our Take: This solo canoe—offered in five different materials—strikes a fine balance between maneuverability and haulability (that’s not really a word, but you get the point) and is sure to draw the interest of soloists looking to upgrade in ’08. Overall stability is good, and the moderate rocker gives you ample turning ability. The Wilderness also allows paddlers to take a lot of gear on extended trips without the added concern of having that very equipment get swamped. The reason: Wenonah added extra freeboard and bow height. Does this mean having a big wave crash over your bow will never happen again? Probably not, but your chances of staying dry are improved. Bucks: $1,099-$2,079 Specs: Length: 15'4"; Width: 30.5"; Depth: 14"; Material: Royalex, Tuf-Weave, Kevlar Flex-Core, Kevlar Ultra-Light, and Graphite Ultra-Light; Weight: 47, 44, 43, 34, 31 lbs. Sweet!: Ever see a mom carry her 3-year-old in one arm? That’s about all the Wilderness weighs. It’s nice to ponder such an inspiring statistic when approaching your next 200-rod portage. Sniffle: Hard to find a gripe here. Even the color palette—eight choices for composite boats—is stellar. Who: Solo trippers

Nova Craft, Cronje
Our Take: The Cronje is a postmodern replica of a model designed by the Chestnut Canoe Company in the early 1900s. It is named after Boer War Commandant General P.A. Cronjé. What does this mean for you? Not much, unless you’re a history buff, but suffice it to say that Nova Craft’s newest canoe is an ideal vessel for canoeists looking to make good time on multi-day trips. With a lower profile, the Cronje doesn’t get caught up in wind and stays on track, and the light weight (47 pounds in Nova Craft’s Blue Steel material) of the boat allows you to salvage your shoulders while portaging. Bucks: $1,449-$2,999. Specs: Length: 17'; Width: 35"; Depth: 13"; Material: Kevlar, Kevlar/Spectra, Blue Steel, or R-Lite; Weights: 54, 50, 47, 59 lbs. Sweet!: The 1,000-pound capacity gives you the option to bring along your mother-in law (or not). Sniffle: The slight rocker will make turning a bit more of a challenge. Who: Open-water wilderness trippers

INFLATABLES
Hobie Kayaks, i12S
Our Take: Those who have attempted to paddle while fishing from a kayak eventually entertained the notion of the horrible evolutionary injustice it is that we humans have only two arms. Then when Hobie Kayaks debuted its pedal-powered MirageDrive system a few years ago, it was easy for anglers to see that they could keep a line in the water and actually travel faster while pedaling. This year, Hobie brings its hands-free system to the inflatable world in the form of the i12S. You can paddle, pedal, or sail the i12S, and the three inflation chambers are easily filled with the accompanying hand pump.

Bucks: $1,799 Specs: Length: 12"; Width: 36"; Weight: 59.6 lbs (w/Mirage Drive); Burden: 500 lbs Sweet!: You no longer have to clear out the garage to add another boat to you quiver—the i12S’s 40x26x16-inch travel bag can be stored in a closet. Sniffle: Some folks may still have a problem letting go of the belief that you have to propel a kayak with a paddle. Who: Anglers, photographers

AIRE, Leopard
Our Take: AIRE’s already well-established name receives further commendation with the redesign of the Leopard, one of the market’s best all-around cats. This new version features a frame chafe to allow the boat to last longer, and it possesses AIRE’s legendary ability to contain air. At 18 feet long, it’s a beast, but is also about as stable in big water as any craft of its size and can haul a remarkable 2,200 pounds of freight. Bucks: $2,399 Specs: Length: 18'; Width: 7'6"; 4 chambers; Burden: 2,200 lbs; Material: poly-vinyl-chloride-urethane Sweet!: The increased bow-stern line makes the Leopard more maneuverable. Sniffle: However, it is still an 18-foot cat, which may be too much boat for quick, techy moves. Who: Weeklong (or longer) river expeditioners, anglers

KAYAKS
Jackson Kayaks, Fun
Our Take: Jackson Kayak has now improved the Fun’s comfort—it was already pretty comfy for a playboat—and stability. The design team also reshaped the bow and stern so us never-will-bes can still do our cartwheels. Bucks: $995 Specs: 2 Fun: Length: 6'2; Width: 24"; Volume: 47 gallons; Paddler’s Weight: 100-165 lbs; Fun: Length: 6'6; Width: 25"; Material: XLPE; Volume: 54 gallons; Paddler’s Weight: 125-190 lbs; 4 Fun: Length: 6'9; Width: 26"; Volume: 61 gallons; Paddler’s Weight: 160-200 lbs; Super Fun: Length: 6'9; Width: 27"; Volume: 70; Paddler’s Weight: 190-315 lbs. Sweet!: This is for us 175-pounders, who are usually a bit small for the big playboats and a bit big for the medium-sized ones. The Fun series has four sizes, including one for us mid-sized kayakers. Perfect. Sniffle: Can’t it just do the phonix monkey for me? Who: Intermediate whitewater kayakers

Liquidlogic Kayaks, Jefe Grande
Our Take: Well-built boats for big guys used to be as scarce as vegetarians on the offensive line. But the Jefe Grande has some company. Pyranha has the Everest and Wave Sport has the Habitat 80. The Grande isn’t the longest creekboat you’ll find in the Buyer’s Guide, just 8-foot-6, but its 14 inches of bow rocker and 12 inches of stern rocker helps keep the boat on top of holes and nasty hydraulics. It also has some soft chines that provide some secondary stability. Bucks: $1,049. Specs: Length: 8'6; Width: 27"; Volume: 90 gallons; Material: SLP; Paddler’s Weight: 170-290 lbs Sweet!: The outfitting is simple, comfortable, and easy to customize. Sniffle: It’s not a race boat. Who: Expedition whitewater kayakers, big creekboaters

Necky Kayaks, Eliza (Ultra Light)
Our Take: Designing a female-specific kayak means more than using pink or baby-blue plastic and stamping it with a logo of a tulip. It seems Necky understood this when it redesigned its Eliza with fiberglass, lightening its load to 40 pounds. Its designers also widened the cockpit to accommodate a woman’s curves and shortened it, to help with that darn spray skirt.

That’s the comfort part of the boat. The Eliza’s hull also maximizes speed, reduces drag, and can easily maintain average speeds of three to four knots.

Bucks: $2,599 Specs: Length: 15'3; Width: 21"; Weight: 43 lbs; Material: Fiberglass Sweet!: This boat is more understanding of a woman’s ways than most men. Sniffle: It’s not the most expensive composite boat on the market. Not even close. But it’s not the cheapest, either. Who: Female sea kayakers

Emotion Kayaks, Glide
Our Take: Think of it like a mini-van. Comfy, safe, inexpensive, and practical for a family guy. Open-water crossings and flatwater cartwheels might be a bit too ambitious for this craft. But look, this is a boat that will make your family as happy after a day at the lake as you are after a day of Class IV or at sea. The Glide has a V-shaped hull for secondary stability, it’s light (37 pounds), and it has an oversized cockpit. This is the boat to use when you want to introduce your kids to paddling, if you want to go fishing, or just relax on the water. You might not use it religiously, consistently or specifically, but the Glide is a boat that you’ll be happy to see hanging in the garage, even if it does have a glaze of dust covering it. Bucks: $429 Specs: Length: 9'7; Width: 28"; Weight: 37 pounds; Capacity 275 pounds. Sweet!: The price! Sniffle: It's built for practicality, not high performance.

Who: Rec paddlers or those with families, pets or coolers

Delta Kayaks, 17
Our Take: We know, we know. You’re going to take that two-month expedition around Vancouver Island. Someday. We believe you. Really. But in case you never take the time off work or never feel right about leaving the kids for that long, check out the Delta 17 Expedition. This boat offers 62 gallons of dry storage—more than plenty for that lengthy expedition. But even if you don’t—we know you will— the Delta 17 is light enough—54 pounds—for day trips.

Bucks: $2,733 Specs: Length: 17'; Width: 22.5"; Weight: 54 lbs; Material: Thermoplastic Sweet!: This boat has nine chines. Nine. Most boats have two. The extra seven increases performance and edge control. Sniffle: It’s a bit tippy, which is why Delta is marketing this boat as an intermediate/expert kayak. Who: Intermediate/expert kayakers