Sponsored by North Water
 
SK Newsletter - June 6, 2007
 
 
     Features
        
       Sea Kayaker’s Kayak Reviews
                                                                               by Christopher Cunningham
 
With the summer paddling season getting well under way, it seems that a lot of people are shopping around for kayaks and the interest in our kayak reviews is on the rise. We thought it might be useful to share a summary of that dialogue about the reviews with you here.
 
Collected reviews
 
While the kayak reviews have always been available through back issues and photocopies, many people shopping for kayaks use our reviews as a guide and have asked us for compilations of them or for access to them on-line.  One reader, noting that “the only thorough, reliable boat reviews come from your magazine” thought that we could make a “valuable contribution to the rapidly growing number of kayakers” by posting the reviews online for free or for a nominal fee.
 
 
 
 
    Q&A
 
       Paddle Design - Part 2
       
We thought it would be enlightening to have the designers and manufacturers in the kayak industry provide us some insight into the products they make. In the reviews we publish in the magazine we usually look at the finished products, whether they’re kayaks, paddles, PFDs or some other element of our kayaking kit. Here we’ll look at the ideas and philosophies that begin the process of creating a product. We’ll start by taking a look at some of the thinking that goes into paddles.

We composed a list of questions on paddle design and sent that list to all of the paddle manufacturers we could find. We heard back from seven of them in time to be included with this first installment. In subsequent newsletters we’ll be presenting more of the answers we received. We’ll also be alternating between this discussion about paddles with similar types of questions and answers about kayaks, PFDs and other gear. 

Why and how do you design a paddle blade to be asymmetrical?

Click here to read the answers.             

       

 
 
 
 
                                      
    Sea Kayaker Store and More
          
     NEW HAT
     Sea Kayaker Magazine Baseball Caps
 
                                               
100% cotton Stair Twill Cap.
Low profile, unstructured, 6-panel Fashion Cap with 6 sewn eyelets.
Fabric strap closure with adjustable sizing.
 
      
                                Colors: Black. Stone. Putty.



Click here to order.

 

    
 
     NEW BOOK
     ‘Rolling a Kayak’ by Ken Whiting

           
An instructional tool designed for beginners and intermediate paddlers looking for more advanced rolling techniques. Includes full-color photos, clear explanations and solid advice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interested in DVDs about rolling?
We sell
"Greenland Rolling with Dubside"

and "Kayak Roll" by Performance Video

Click here to order.

                             
      WINNERS!
       
Sea Kayaker magazine donated tickets for the August 4th & August 5th events at the Mississippi River Challenge.
 
Congratulations to the following winners!
 
Canoe rental and free registration for the Mississippi River Challenge:
Debra Staehler, Brian Ivers
 
VIP Passes to Mississippi River Challenge Kickoff Party:
Jane Pamperin, Trevor Kontak, Annie Loch
 
Night at the Fort Celebration:
Fran Howley, John Chapman, Greg Reuter,
Wendy Anderson, Julie Gliniecki
  
 
        Events Calendar
For a complete calendar of events-

Click here.
 
       
        Online Sweepstakes!
 
Visit the Sea Kayaker magazine web site and enter to win a
Feathercraft K-1 Expedition!
 
  
        Sea Kayaker Magazine
Published bimonthly, be informed- read product reviews, techniques, safety articles, destinations, and more!
 
 
 
                                                                       
   From the Advertising Manager

       Our Paddle Manufacturers….
                                                                               by Paul Riek
 
A few years ago while attending the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, a highly regarded trade show for the latest products in the outdoor recreation industry, I had the privilege of having dinner with a small group of individuals that are a veritable Who’s Who of the sea kayaking industry. The conversation meandered from kayak design and rescue techniques to kayaking places as different as the Bering Sea and the city center of Austin, Texas. Someone at the table posed the question "If you were traveling and could carry one piece of gear along with you, what would that be?"

Click here for more information.
Sea Kayaker Magazine, Independently owned and operated since 1984
PO Box 17029, Seattle, WA 98127-0729
206 . 789 . 9536      sknewsletter@seakayakermag.com
 

Copyright 2007 Sea Kayaker Magazine - All Rights Reserved