Re: [Paddlewise] Symposium--what to bring?

At 11:29 AM 9/7/99 -0400, Maggi_A wrote:
>Just wondering what people are bringing to the West Coast symposium in terms
>of clothing, equipment, etc.  I'll be flying out from the east coast area
>and I want to pack light.  I was thinking of bringing my watershoes and some
>form of cold water wear.  Any suggestions, ideas, whatever?

This is based on my experience going to the LL Bean Symposim in Maine
for the past two years.  I assume that it is similarly run.

If you intend on demoing boat definately bring cold water gear and watershoes.
If you have a spray skirt that is adjustable bring that.  I found that some
of the
vendors didn't always have an available spray skirt.   While my spray skirt
*is*
adjustable there were some boats that it just wouldn't fit.  Wait for a
boat from
the same vendor to come back in that has a spray skirt rather than go out
without
one.  I made that mistake when I went out in  a Boreal Designs Ellesmere.  I
really liked the way the boat handled but because I went without a spray skirt
I couldn't really lean it aggressively and really put it through it's paces.

While the vendors all have PFD's available there are times where you might have
to wait for a boat to come back with a paddler that has a PFD that will fit
you.  Bring
your own PFD and you'll save a lot of time.  I've got a clip on my PFD so
that when I'm wearing my spray skirt and want to walk around I just attach
the clip to the grab loop 
of my skirt.  

Even though you might want to demo some new paddles I would recommend
bringing your own.   Put a piece of tape on the shaft with "Personal Paddle
- not a demo" so that if you're trying a new paddle someone doesn't pick up
yours thinking it's a demo paddle.

Take some time before and/or after to talk with the vendor representatives
to let them
know what kind of boat you'd like to paddle and what you may have thought
about 
something that you just paddled.  Often they might suggest trying a boat
that you
hadn't considered.   In many cases vendors offer basically the same boat in
different
sizes (ie the Necky Looksha IV, Looksha IV S).   Try them both if you can
fit.  For
example, I really liked the way the Looksha IV paddled but the Looksha IV S fit
me better.

Take advantage of the opportunity to try boats from vendors which are not local
to your area, and especially any kit boats (ie Pygmy).  Opportunites to demo
these boats just don't come up that often.


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