[Paddlewise] nearly fatal

It seems a bit odd that manufacturer or dealer would sell a kayak lacking
adaquate flotation. The last boat I purchased [made by Wilderness Systems]
came with fore and aft float bags as standard equipment. An acquaintance,
new to the sport, purchased a Northwest Kayaks Sportee. This boat was
equipped with an aft hatch/bulkhead arrangement but there was no floatation
of any kind forward of the cockpit. I didn't discover this until the new
paddler had a few hours in the boat and when I pointed this out to him, he
expressed his surprise that the sales person hadn't mentioned the necessity
of floation in both ends of the boat. Said sales person had taken the time,
though, to convince him that a graphite paddle was essential. Mariner Kayaks
apparently do not supply float bags as standard equipment, either. But I
suppose if you've reached the Mariner level, you probably know all about
that stuff, anyway.
John

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