[Paddlewise] Me, too :-)

I woke up this morning, turned on my computer in my office and found
various Paddlewise postings by Dave Kruger, Rich Mitchell and Jack
Martin and find myself agreeing with them on everything they said.  They
must be smart. :-)

Re: what to wear, wet suit, dry suit------

Dave Kruger's outfit (Goretex jacket; neoprene farmer john) is right on
as a great insurance policy at minimum financial outlay and with maximum
flexibility.  I too have the same Kokatat Goretex top.  It is one of the
least expensive Goretex jackets available for any format and has those
latex wrists that keep water out very effectively.  Like Dave, I prefer
the neoprene (Kokatat actually has switched to Darlexx Thermalastic I
believe because the material absorbs less water than neoprene while
being as, if not more, snug) neck to the latex gasket neck for the same
reason...venting.  For a total investment of around US$280, you have an
outfit that can be used in any condition of air and water temperature. 
Shed the jacket in 75 degree air temperature.  Wear layers under it in
colder conditions.  I use mine over a Polartec Watersports suit made by
Henderson.  I prefer it to neoprene farmer johns (which I also used
early on) because of less restriction, greater breatability and having
protection over my arms that a farmer John doesn't give.  But that
brings up your costs about another US$100.

I also have a coated nylon dry suit (Stohlquist).  And I get funny
here.  While I accept Goretex for a jacket, I still don't trust it for a
dry suit.  With a jacket that is going to let water in a bit anyway via
the non-latex neck and via the waist (snug but not watertight), I can
accept that the Goretex may not work well at some point.  In a dry suit
where your whole existence depends on it not letting anything in,
goretex failure would be cathastrophic.  I think a fully coated suit is
warmer than a Goretex one since it does not breath.  The action in
Goretex that lets body moisture through per force lets out body
heat...that is the way the process works.  If I am wearing my dry suit,
conditions are really cold and I want to keep in body heat.  Of course,
it may also be that I have a perfectly good suit and want to justify not
spending $500 for a Goretex replacement.  :-)

Jack Martin is right about testing the outfit out under controlled
conditions.  He is also right about the cheap neoprene gloves.  I think
that the cheap ones found in outdoor shop's fishing departments for
US$20 (I can't believe he found them for under $10!!) are better than
the higher tech ones sold in paddle shops for US$40-60.  The cheapos are
more flexible and, paradoxically, better suited for paddling I think.

Re extra sponsons---

Rich describes the ones that Long Haul Products makes pretty well.  They
are quite different from the sponsons seen built into folding kayaks. 
They are in a flat sheet rather than round and comprise of two narrow
round tubes.  The air volume looks like about half that of an ordinary
Klepper sponson from the Aerius I.  The Klepper Quattro's second set of
sponsons are much more voluminous than the Long Haul ones.  In the
Quattro, the second set of sponsons, when inflated, drastically change
the shape of the hull, rounding out or shallowing out the hard chines. 
It makes the boat much more stable but with what feels like more drag. 
It helps the Klepper for sailing but hinders it for paddling.  The Long
Haul ones probably will not round out the hull as much because they are
shallower.

I am not certain what the gain would be in having them in a Feathercraft
K-1.  It would be interesting to see.  It would give the boat a greater
sense of stability but it would change other handling traits.  Rounding
out a hull and its chines changes stability.  That is how the Khatsalano
operates in its convertible version...the one that has small sponsons
that you can inflate or not inflate.

ralph diaz


-- 
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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."
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