[Paddlewise] ?? for old salts

As for technological advances:

One of the defining developments in the sport of kayaking was the
introduction of polyethylene hulls. About 1984, the Aquaterra division of
Perception introduced the Chinook, a 16' touring kayak designed by Lee
Moyer, and patterned after his PWS Sea Otter. For better or for worse, this
model offered an affordable price point that opened up the world of kayak
touring to a much larger audience, and was the largest selling model in the
world for probably a decade. Polyethylene technology has come a long ways
since, but the Chinook was sort of the ubiquitous Model-T of the industry.

As for names:

One of the best ways to meet paddlers and learn things about the sport is
to attend one of the many paddle expos or symposiums that take place around
the country. One of the best speakers on that circuit and one of the true
pioneers of the sea kayak world is Ken Fink, who is well worth going to see
if you get the chance. His "Wind, Water, and Waves" presentation is a
classic.

As for pedal-driven boats:

As a bicyclist, I for many years dreamed about what the potential would be
for a bicycle drive-train, propeller-driven kayak or boat. When I had the
chance to try one out- a catamaran style- several years ago, I found that
it was more work for less speed than I had imagined. You would have to be
quite aerobically fit to cover much of a distance at a speed much faster
than a fast kayak. I covered about half a mile or so at maybe about 8 mph
putting out the equivalent effort of bicycling at about 20 mph. It takes a
lot of energy to get a hull up to planing speed and keep it there. In a
related demo, I saw a marathon bicycle racer get a craft hydroplaning on a
small underwater wing with the pontoon floatation completely out of the
water for several hundred yards- interesting, but not a toy for the masses.
Plus, I doubt the practicality of such a craft on heavy seas or surf. But,
I'm sure there are more experimental craft out there; maybe we'll hear
more.

-Andy Knapp
Minneapolis

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