Re: [Paddlewise] Cockpit Size and Cameras for Kayaking

Josh wrote:
>>>>>>Matt, do you know what specific model of Snapdragon neoprene spraydeck
he
was using?  Sure seems like it did the job well!

I'd really like to know because I'm getting a Romany and I
love to surf, but I've had the worst luck with the skirts available
here.  If you don't know, please pass on his e-mail.  Also, what is an
implosion bar?<<<<<<<<

Try tightening the shock cord that goes around the cockpit rim. Be sure and
loosen it again if the spraydeck may be used by novices later.
Call Rich at Snapdragon (425)957-3575. I'm sure he could tell you (and make
you one just like it). He was one of Chris's sponsors. Chris told me he did
the whole trip with the one spraydeck so it held up well. An implosion bar
is a bar that is inside a closed pocket across the front of the deck. Its
ends rest on either side of the cockpit rim about 1/2 way from your belly to
the front of the cockpit. It helps prevent the deck from being forced into
the cockpit enough by a breaker to pull the shock cord off the coaming rim.
I have thought of (but never tried) putting a plastic or aluminum plate that
fits around the front of the cockpit rim and supports the spraydeck against
implosion. It would become a hard plate filling in the front of the cockpit
area. It would essentially convert a large cockpit into a small cockpit. At
least until you release the font of the spraydeck and then pushed it forward
or lift it off the rim to remove it. Maybe a knee tube could be built into
this "Ocean Cockpit Conversion" device too. Just think Doug, all the
benefits of a small cockpit for those who think they need it, but few of the
disadvantages.

I just got a Sony DSC-P1 but haven't yet ordered the waterproof housing.
Haven't had much time to play with it yet though. Any ideas on who has the
housings available (and at the best price)? I have had a Pentax WR90 for a
few years now (and like it a little better than the WR105's I've seen). I
usually also carry a SLR with a 28 to 200 Zoom and a 19mm wide angle lens as
well as a standard 50mm f1.4 lens for dim light conditions. The interesting
thing is that when culling the slides I'm willing to show from the ones I
don't want anyone to see I have been getting significantly less rejects with
the WR90 than the SLR. This is true even on trips that have nothing to do
with kayaking. Maybe the SLR is just too complicated for me and the simpler
to use WR90 does a better job automatically than I can do with the SLR. A
better photographer might reverse these results. Maybe the greater choices
offered by the SLR give me more chances to screw things up.
One thing I have a lot more of now is pictures of paddling in rough water. I
keep the WR90 tucked into my left PFD pocket (that conveniently has a solid
nylon section in front of the lens which seems to protect the lens from
water droplets). in conditions I wouldn't think of popping my spraydeck much
less digging out the SLR from the protection of the Drybag/Paddlefloat I
store it in (usually kept between my knees). With the pentax WR90 I grab the
camera with my right hand, hold it up to my eye and try to hold it level
while I take a picture. I got some good shots of other kayakers in the waves
by shooting from the hip to get a lower angle shot. The waves in the photos
rarely look as big as they were but before I only got photos of relatively
calm seas. I even took some photos while surfing some small spilling surf.
Remember the photo in the Dec. 1999 issue of Sea Kayaker with the Guy
surfing straight at you. It should have been me. I was just behind the wave
waiting my turn to try to run down the photographer. Some guys get all the
luck.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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