We have an optional paddle-float rescue system of rope and cleats we believe is much more positive and is easier to set up while you are laying on the kayak, out of the water. Passing a car with a kayak on top, hed always look at the boat first to find out who was driving. Rudder. Let's keep this area special! Uncle Paul started taking me paddling in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. So thats why I bought NC Kayaks. Leave it on the dock, drag it over rocks or store it in a snowbank for the winter: regardless of the abuse, the Otter kayak will come back for more. Bean and Canoe magazine. Kayaking with my Uncle in a kayak I built brings symmetry to my paddling journey. Alan Kesselheim is a freelance writer in Bozeman, Montana. Sea kayak and standup paddleboard rentals, guided tours, classes and sales at two amazing wildlife locations, Monterey and Elkhorn Slough @ Moss Landing! This kayak was a whole different beast. Eventually Tieken provided boats for Scott Cunningham of the Nova Scotia outfitting company Coastal Adventures, which became a key educator and promoter for sea kayaking, and Tiekens designs, on the East Coast. The History of Sea Kayaking: Popularizing the Sport, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival, Adventure Kayak Magazine - Late Summer 2004, Stick It To Em: In Defense of the Greenland Paddle. In Canada there were a few early fiberglass builders, including a B.C. Kayak Canyon Lake Reservoir. Humanity is a whisper here. The most similar model in Old Towns current kayak lineup is the Old Town Loon 106. . Deck: 11/2-oz. TE and GL both noted that the middle of the hull oilcanned when pressed hard, though not while afloat. KN57, 125-pound female. (They get heavier as you get older!) Two water tight storage hatches. Well balanced for wind. This is a lovely little boat. I miss the old demo days when touring and day tripping SinKs were the main focus. Reentry into the large cockpit opening was easy. I cut a little pad out of a yoga mat and tied to the frame-problem solved! KN found the Intrepid easy to roll, as did TE, though the height of the aft deck kept him from getting close to the aft deck for a lay back roll. 2 Amazing paddling destinations. Comes with skirt, cover, and other paddling gear. I thought, We started building the wrong kind of boats. The industry was still in its infancy, but companies saw that touring had a potential mass appeal that whitewater didnt. [ Plan your next adventure with the Paddling Trip Guide ]. Kayak Rentals and Guided tours of Elkhorn, Slough in Moss Landing. Has normal scratches on the bottom. The lake sits at an elevation of 1,660' and has a mean depth of 130', and an area of 1.484 mi. Includes spray skirts and paddles for both. In fact, Otter owners indicate that its maximum capacity of 225 pounds can easily be pushed to 250 pounds without compromising performance or seaworthiness. GL thought the secondary stability was fair, and noted that the lack of hip bracing and having the seat slip 1/4 inch laterally in its brackets made the boat feel less secure when set on edge. The seating arrangement on the Old Town Otter feels basic compared to some of the ultra-adjustable and padded seats in contemporary kayaks, but its still very supportive and easy to modify with glued-in padding. Licht remains a key promoter of kayaking in the American Southwest. He tried many different kayaks from many different manufacturers. My girlfriend had a Sea Otter. How did sea kayaking become the sport we know today? Sea Otter Launch & Trailer - $2500 (Merritt Island) View larger image Ad id: 208201614480325 Views: 489 Price: $2,500.00 !972 Classic Sea Otter Launch & Trailer w/Bimini, Dodger, All Matching Sunbrella Cushions & Back Rests. I could get it on my rack without difficulty (KN). The seat back is below the level of the coaming so it doesnt get in the way of reentry. Whitewater kayaking was big in the early 70s, first appearing in the Olympics in 1972 at Munich, and many boat builders came to sea kayaking after being drawn to the glitz of whitewater firstskipping the venerable folding kayak tradition entirely. I could recommend it to novices as well as experienced paddlers. KN found the boat easy to get going and maintain moderate speed. GL thought it moderately fast. For TE, it seemed to be capable of a brisk cruising speed and a respectable, though not extraordinary sprint.. Since sea kayaking offers many challenges, the kayak should not be one of them. Others had homebuilt boats whose hulls resembled European downriver racing kayaks or traditional fold-boats, so that by 1974 when commercial production was just getting going, most Seattle-area kayakers were already paddling fiberglass. Rudder is controlled by sliding adjustable footpegs. Deck: 11/2-oz. Copyright 2023 VerticalScope Inc. All rights reserved. Includes spray skirts and paddles for both. Nonetheless, he went on to design better-known early Necky models such as the Phoenix, the Gannet and the President by the early 80s, and later built some of the worlds finest sea kayaks. Over on Vancouver Island, Brian Henry was a sheet metal mechanic working long overtime during mill shutdowns so he could have maximum time off for skiing and whitewater paddling. This was just Mike Neckar, care of somewhere in Garibaldi Park. Deployed easily by right side lines. Optional features:Rudder. Address Location. This recreational kayak is easy to handle in flatwater conditions and up to Class II moving water, if equipped with a spray skirt. David Hunt. Similar Old Town Loon kayaks are available at paddlesports retailers across North America. Deep bow entry, tracks well, fairly stable andboring. There is an extra pair of straps on the aft hatch that could serve to secure a deck load or a spare take-apart paddle. In the history of sea kayaking there were no exclusive shops for the sport until John Dowd opened Ecomarine in 1980 on Vancouvers artsy Granville Island. The "Lee Moyer Design" decal could be found on any of the may kayaks and canoes he designed. The flare and volume in the forward quarter provide lift going into waves and a dry ride in sloppy conditions. I gave it a 10 because it deserves it. Again, the first time I paddled it was at Lake Sutherland. The Otter XT features the same dimensions and identical performance, with the critical upgrade of adding adjustable foot pegs to the cockpit. The Sea Otter Series 500 sets the standard for touring kayak expedition capacity and high performance. Lake Powell is a wonder of water sport recreation, glorious views, spectacular hiking, rich. In 1975, Ken Fink, an oceanographer in Maine, started paddling his whitewater slalom boat on the Atlantic Oceana not-uncommon way for whitewater kayakers of the day to discover touring. Stern bulkhead and hatch for safety and convenience. So, where are you headed? On its side in the water, it would flood quickly. It has little yaw at the bow when paddling forward on an even keel (TE). None of Canadas big players were on the scene yet when Nimbus kayaks was born. The thigh braces fit and functioned very well, and the foot braces performed solidly and are easy to reach and adjust from the cockpit (GL). If nothing else, use it as a guest 'yak. [The Intrepid] was very well balanced at the middle of the coaming (GL). A wave caught me as it broke and I tumbled a few times before I got out of the kayak and (to my surprise) stood up in about 3 feet of water. The Old Town Otter offers excellent value in a basic, entry-level recreational kayak that fits a wide range of paddlers and performs well in flatwater conditions. The most challenging paddle destinations for kayaking in the Pacific Northwest (in the south) include the Klickitat River, Wind River, Little White Salmon River and more. Sea Birds & Sea Otter Pupping Season by Kayak: Elkhorn Slough. The Sea Otter lacks a lot of todays safety features. Thanks for the kind words. In 1974, they designed and built their first sea kayak, the Sea Otter. It also doesnt have any perimeter lines and the back deck comes to a point behind the cockpit so it is very difficult to roll. USCA Fast Sea Kayak Pacific Water Sports SkookumchuckTandem touring kayak FiberglassCirca 1998Bought used in 2001Sea kayak, touring kayak, double kayak, two person kayakLength: 20 10Plenty of storage.This is a high quality 2-person kayak with rudder. We have an optional paddle-float rescue system of rope and cleats we believe is much more positive and is easier to set up while you are laying on the kayak, out of the water. But others, like Steve Schleicher and Tom Derrer, are still at the helm of the businesses they started three decades ago. They started the companies whose names appear on most of the boats were paddling today, and between 1974 and 1984, our sport took off. Was in a Tire Shop down by Camp Lejuene today and the owner had a fiberglass/composite kayak hanging from the ceiling. New York, NY 10001, Hours And what can I build for you? My teenage son can tuck the paddle under the toggles and cowboy back in, but I'm not as nimble as he is. The Intrepids initial stability is comfortable enough without being too stiff to set the boat on edge to initiate a turn. Both offer marine life viewing of sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions. mat, 8-oz. Thanks so much for such an informative article. He would paddle the Sea Otter and I would paddle the old blue kayak. And Walters Ski Shack in North Vancouver, a shop run by Walter Buchmueller, which built and sold a German-imported design called the Eskie and one of his own designs called the Osprey. After rolling, TE noted 1/2 cup of water in the forward compartment, GL found a cup in the forward compartment, and a drop or two in the day hatch. E-mail:[emailprotected] The cockpit opening is large enough to get into butt first, then feet, for a quick cowboy rescue. We were greeted kindly, filled out our paperwork quickly and then were outfitted and briefed efficiently. A solidly built glass boat is perfectly capable of landings on rocky shores and will hold up for years with some simple maintenance. Bucket seat, foot braces, deck lines, bow line, three curved fiberglass bulkheads. Thanks for the great overview of the industry. This is an ideal trip for wildlife enthusiast and those new to the sport of kayaking. roving with end reinforcements. I have two classic Seattle made Touring sea kayaks made by pacific water sports. Heres how it went down. I love skin-on-frames. Uncle Paul had seen some old photos of Pacific Rim Native Kayakers and made kayak paddles based on those images. Henry opened Ocean River Sports in Victoria in November 1981. Shorter kayaks are always more maneuverable than long ones, and the compact, 9.5-foot Old Town Otter is easy to turn and handle. They are sea kayaks, with tons of storage for your longer adventures'Pacific water sports is no longer in bu 18' Pacific Water Sports Kayak in good condition. Read reviews for the Sea Otter R by Yostwerks as submitted by your fellow paddlers. The first Easy Rider sea kayak, circa 1975, was the Dolphin, designed by Dan Ruuskaanother ex-Boeing engineer who went from moulding ultra-sleek engine intakes to hydrodynamic hulls. Cargo hatches fore and aft, day access hatch. Twenty years ago, we created the Loon series and changed the way paddlesports viewed recreational kayaks. "I'm sad to see them go. In 1975, before turning his full attention to the paddle business, Furrer designed the WT-500 (Werner Touring, 500 centimetres long). And that seems to be what most of our boats are actually geared to doing.. No weathercocking (GL). From manufacturer. Difficult to see unless you move the bungee cords aside. 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