Speaking of wetsuits... Quite a while back on Paddlewise (perhaps a year or more) someone mentioned a good source of custom fitted wetsuits in the Monterey Bay, California area. I'll probably be in the Monterey/Santa Cruz area next weekend and might do some shopping. I would appreciate any help in getting the name and address of this place. Tony Niilus Subj: [Paddlewise] Wetsuit Date: 8/26/00 5:41:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: campy_at_olypen.com (Rob & Laura Campbell) Sender: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net To: PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net I am looking for a wetsuit for paddling that has both cold water protection and comfort. I paddle mostly in the cold salt water of the Pacific Northwest, year round. Do you recommend 3mm or 5mm neoprene? Farmer john or farmer bill? Short or long? Any models that people have had success with? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>> Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 11:21:20 -0700 >> From: "Rob & Laura Campbell" <campy_at_olypen.com> >> Subject: [Paddlewise] Wetsuit >> I am looking for a wetsuit for paddling that has both cold water >> protection >> and comfort. I paddle mostly in the cold salt water of the Pacific >> Northwest, >> year round. Do you recommend 3mm or 5mm neoprene? Farmer john or farmer >> bill? Short or long? Any models that people have had success with? Like Dave Kruger in OR, I'm partial to NRS Farmer John. I too use the "Grizzly Cut" because it fits my middle a lot better now that I'm in my 50's and not 20 something. The waters I paddle range from about 45 in the Winter to 65 at the very end of Summer (Southern CA). In the summer, I just use the full length Farmer John and in the winter I usually put a dry top and paddling pants over it. So far I've been comfortable. Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I don't know how many Paddlewisers also read US News and World Report, but there's an interesting article in the current issue about waterbikes. The story is also online at: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/000904/nycu/waterbikes.htm Anyway, this story is about the increased popularity of waterbikes -- kayak like hulls with a pedal drive system. The photo in the article (not on the website) shows what appears to be a pretty big kayak, something like a Chinook with aspirations to be a sit on top, fitted with a crank mechanism. The USN&WR story intimated that these boats were designed for open water, but I think I'd be kind of leery of that. I did see a guy out on one of these on an inland lake this summer -- it was more of an upright thing with a bicycle framework. He got wiped out on about a one-foot wave, and had a heck of a time getting back on board. I was thinking about going out and giving him a hand -- the water was pretty warm -- but he managed to get back on top before I could get the yak in the water. The article also says that they're faster than the typical kayak. Has anybody tried out one of these things? What's your reaction? Fact or fad? I know Matt Broze had a watercycle that went like a house afire -- but IIRC, it had limited stability, being only something like 12" wide. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>From what little I have seen, these are much more than a fad. I have frequently thought about designing one myself, but I doubt I'll get to it this decade anyway. Combining a comfortable pedaling position with an efficient prop shaft angle always leads me to raising the pedalers center of gravity to the point where a kayak form is too unstable in wavy water. I feel the really successful pedal powered boat will have outriggers or be a catamaran type of craft. Is anybody doing that yet? Richard Frost Wes Boyd wrote: > > Has anybody tried out one of these things? What's your reaction? Fact or > fad? I know Matt Broze had a watercycle that went like a house afire -- but > IIRC, it had limited stability, being only something like 12" wide. > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net > Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 5:19 PM -0500 8/29/00, Wes Boyd wrote: >[SNIP] >The USN&WR story intimated that these boats were designed for open water, >but I think I'd be kind of leery of that. I did see a guy out on one of >these on an inland lake this summer -- it was more of an upright thing with >a bicycle framework. He got wiped out on about a one-foot wave, and had a >heck of a time getting back on board. I was thinking about going out and >giving him a hand -- the water was pretty warm -- but he managed to get >back on top before I could get the yak in the water. The article also says >that they're faster than the typical kayak. [SNIP] I was up in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior a couple of weeks ago. The was a light chop out on the water but it was sunny and lovely. I was slacking on the beach and turned on my VHF and over heard the conversation between several Coast Guard boats as they discussed someone on a water bike making the crossing from the mainland to York Island. They were debating if he was going to make it, and if he went over who was going to go and get him. I never heard how it turned out. I did have to wonder if any of my crossings have been the subject of such scrutiny though. -Patrick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: "Richard Frost" <maloneme_at_gwi.net> > >From what little I have seen, these are much more than a fad. I have frequently > thought about designing one myself, but I doubt I'll get to it this decade > anyway. Combining a comfortable pedaling position with an efficient prop shaft > angle always leads me to raising the pedalers center of gravity to the point > where a kayak form is too unstable in wavy water. I feel the really successful > pedal powered boat will have outriggers or be a catamaran type of craft. Is > anybody doing that yet? > > Richard Frost I would have thought the same thing, but never underestimate the power of ingenuity. Have you seen this "Wavebike" thing? http://www.wavebike.com/specs.htm These guys have taken an inherently unstable streamlined monohull and dynamically stabilized it using the principles of hydrodynamics with a centrally mounted handlebar operated canard rudder. It uses deployable outriggers for stationary stability when stopped. Their original prototype was built from a length of sewer pipe! They have very credible movies of it operating in surf, and claim it can sprint to 15 mph/100 yds, with 5.7 mph cruising speed for a 15 mile course. The bad news is it requires almost 2 foot of water for the vertical fin and 18" prop. This seems the most interesting of a very innovative family of watercraft visible from http://www.watercycling.org/ (found in the US News and World Report article). A great invention results when an apparent weakness is embraced and turned into a strength. What a concept... Texas Tommy *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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