Re: [Paddlewise] Gaia Ultralite Paddlefloat

Hi Doug,

Thanks for your inputs.  As always with any piece of equipment or boat,
people's experiences can vary greatly.  Let me address each point from
what I have seen (bear in mind again that I neither sell nor produce
them and am just a very satisfied customer who has several other brand
paddlefloats that now seem quite quaint to me):

Doug Lloyd wrote:
> 
> On Thu, 27 Jan 2000 22:26:57 -0800 Ralph Diaz wrote:
> 
> >>The valve has rubber hosing and the closure some form of plastic.  In
> cold water it would suffer no more no less than any valve.>>
> 
> >From experimentation with both Gaia's small and large model, I'm not as
> prepared to wholeheartedly recommend them as Ralph. While the valves are
> fine, the squeeze clip that secures the float to the blade is less than
> adequate in my estimation. During pool trials, the thin 1/8 inch slippery
> cord simply could not be cinched tight enough to hold the float securely,
> such that the float, floated away. Perhaps a thicker cord or a different
> material is needed. Or, a different kind of clip.

Doug is referring to the cord that is at the open end of the paddlefloat
which you cinch tight and is meant to hold with one of those squeeze
cord locks.  In my experience the cord lock and cord have held
tenaciously.  (I just went down to my living room to test my paddle
float, which is protecting my paddle blades.  I cinched the cord and
cordlock and could not pull it apart even using two hands to try to open
the paddle float end, i.e. the cord lock holds as well if not better
than
any cord lock I have seen.  It is non-stretch cord with texture to it,
so it should operate the same when wet.)  Perhaps the company ran a
batch
of the paddlefloats with a subpar, extra slippery cord or inadequate
cord locks.  In any case, the paddle float also has a webbing strap with
fastex type snap buckle.  It takes just a second to attach this if one
wanted to be extra safe, although I don't feel it is necessary from my
experiments and experience with the cord and cordlock.

> 
> The floatation of the smaller unit, when we tested it with a 160# male, was
> just adequate, but only if you alight the deck the first or second time. If
> you have problems and are getting more and more tired, that's when you
> start to appreciate more buoyancy with your corresponding sloppiness. We
> didn't bother even trying it in a real sea.

I had a 6 ft 3 in, 220 pounder, who is one of the clumsiest people I
know, do it well in 2 foot choppy close frequency wakes.  No problem. 
But as I stressed several times now, the Gaia Ultralite does not have
the flotation of the two chamber bigger paddle floats.  I think it is
best for a lithe individual who isn't a clod but I have seen it work
with bigger, cloddier individuals.

> 
> One of the gentleman in our club, who is an engineer and dedicated
> gear-head, had ordered the two models based on the fact that they were
> supposed to blow up with three or so breaths. Being an older fellow, he
> thought that sounded great. When he finally got the product, he realized
> some of the company's advertizing was just hype.

On the number of puffs required to blow it up.  It takes me 3, perhaps 3
and half, and I am not getting blue in the face with each puff.  If I
try 4 puffs I get blowback from overfilling with air.  This is one of
the great features of the Gaia that I had failed to mention, i.e.
minimal number of breathes and quick inflation time, so I am glad you
brought up.  And I am an _older_ fellow too, 61 as of a week ago.  I
often wondered whether living in a clean environment like the Great
Northwest is all that it is cracked up to be (maybe Woody Allen was
right).  Now I know. We New Yorkers can do it in 3 puffs; maybe polluted
air has some undocumented positive features.  Also I guess I may have an
advantage being a folding kayaker that requires me to inflate sponsons
and the extra flotation bags I always use in any folding kayak.  Hmmm,
another selling point for folding kayaks...they are good for exercising
your lungs.  I gotta remember that.  :-)
 
> It took him 6 months to receive his two floats in the mail. He said quote,
> "they were the worst company I've ever had to deal with", "they wouldn't
> answer e-mails, and I had to incur long distance charges to get any where,
> and even that did not yield satisfactory results in a timely fashion." 

Some manufacturers are simply not equipped to deal directly with retail
orders.  And whether we like it or not, many are focused on meetingfirst
the sales orders of dealers and reps who account for a steady flow of
cash.  Most retailers and suppliers, from my experience, tend to be a
bit slow to answer email; it is a dubious form of trying to communicate
with them.  A phone call works best.  My suggestion is call Randy at the
NY Kayak Company as I have mentioned.  I have not been at his shop in a
few months, but I do know that he tends to stock up well on accessories
such as this item.  He is at 1-800-Kayak-99

> Personally, I've found most products may need a little fine-tuning to
> become adequate for real-world usage. I think the Gaia products are good,
> but I'm not about to get overly effulgent about their stuff. I know my
> friend wishes he lived near their store, he'd be in their face in a second.

Amen, on the need of lots of accessories to get some tweaking.  The only
tweaking, however, with the Gaia that I have done is to write on it in
big block letters, DIAZ, so light finger envious types don't swipe
either of the two that I have (one is left with an assembled folding
kayak; the other at home to take with a knocked down foldable).

> 
> BC'in Ya
> Doug Lloyd (With appologis to Ralph - I'm just calln' em as I see 'em)

Me, too :-)

saludos,

ralph
-- 
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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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