G'day - Believe it or not, there are manufacturers in countries other than the US or Canada which have the ability to produce very respectable kayaks and in some cases innovative design improvements (I am not a manufacturer - although I can do a very tidy looking fibreglass repair job due to lots of practising bouncing of rocks and nose standing boats on the coast over the years!!) One of the overseas manufacturers hurdles to exporting to North America is that general product awareness of International Boats is not good (and fair enough, there are some great North American designs). The current currency exchange differences between the US and Australian dollar make for a very good buy if you are purchasing Aussie boats. They are generally less expensive to start with than the North American counterpart, and then with an exchange rate at the moment of one US dollar buying you $1.67 Australian, there is some good value here. As Alex Ferguson correctly points out, there are a variety of boats here in the Australia/New Zealand region and cover the whole spectrum of suitability to be called 'sea kayaks'. Some are great - some are dogs. Everyone has their favourites. Sea kayaks manufactured in Australia include the following brands (and these are NOT in any particular order). My apologies to any I miss. Let me know if so. Some of the manufacturer/builder have a number of different models. Some are commercial producers and others produce custom builds only: Mirage Pittarak Tasman Greenlander Puffin Southern Raider Inuit Classic If anyone wishes any further info or to correct me on any of the details, please drop me an email and I will put you in touch with the relevant manufacturers. Wayne Langmaid Central Coast Kayak Tours - only a step way from Sydney, Australia http://www.kayaktours.com rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > KiAyker_at_aol.com wrote: > > > > OK so I've learned something. There are apparently some well made sea > > kayaks produced in Germany. I don't understand why we have so many boats > > imported from England, yet I have just now been exposed to the German variety. > > Why aren't there more of these around? Which brings me to the next question > > for those of you more well traveled types; are there other countries producing > > kayaks that we ( I?) have never seen? If so, how good are they, and why > > haven't any of them been imported here? > > > > Just wondering, > > > > Scott > > So.Cal. > > Sea kayaks are being made in many countries. I know there are several > manufacturers of fiberglass boats in Australia and New Zealand. I > remember hearing that some were to be imported into the States; did that > happen? Japan makes hardshell kayaks,they also make folding kayaks. > Even Argentina makes fiberglass kayaks...there is an Argentine Nordkapp > that is either a bootlegged design or under license. > > The British boats get a boost from the fact that they made a splash > early on when fiberglass hardshells started to be made. Several of the > better known sea kayaking authors are Brits and help to design boats. > This certainly helps account for the desirablity of British imports. If > Argentines started being seen as fearless paddlers and sought after > lecturers and authors, we might see a horde of kayaks from the Pampas, > models such as the Evita, Tango (isn't there a Tango out of the > Northwest?) and Gaucho. :-) > > ralph diaz > > -- > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter > PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 > Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com > "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Sep 30 1998 - 15:56:46 PDT
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