RE: [Paddlewise] Being Seen At Night--LEDs etc.

One thing to look at is paddling clothing made from "Illuminight" sp??
fabric. I use it for cycling at night and it is very effective in reflecting
any light shone on the stuff.

It can be incorporated in different types of fabric including nylon shell
material as well as Polartec. Check out www.performancebike.com for
examples.

I have a vest made of this material.

cu



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net
[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net]On Behalf Of ralph diaz
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 10:46 AM
To: PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net
Subject: [Paddlewise] Being Seen At Night--LEDs etc.


Rec.boats.paddle.touring has been having a discussion on LEDs but it seems
mainly confined to using LED white lights around a campsite for reading,
cooking, searchiing through gear bags.  We have touched on the general
subject before. But since the LED scene is an evolving one, I am wonderiing
what handle anyone might have on their effectiveness in being seen on a
kayak paddliing after dark.

I am particularly interested in LED visibility performance in situations in
which there is a lot of background "noise" in the sense of city lights etc.
that may hid the beam of light emitting from a kayak.

We are now in the beginning stages of a pilot program in which we will be
testing various lighting schemes on kayaks in New York Harbor.  This is
being done in cooperation with the US Coast Guard and local commercial
interests (some reps from the Sandy Hook Pilots Association; possibly other
local operators).  On the kayaking side it will several local kayakers
(including me) and the Manhattan Kayak Company (a local touring and
instruction company that does run evening tours on the Hudson River off of
Manhattan--Eric Stiller is a principal of the company).  Sometimes such
initiatives never get anywhere but, if it does happen, what it will involve
is several kayakers with radios and various lighting devices.  In the test
stage, operators on various size vessels will try to spot the kayakers'
lighting schemes under different situations of total darkness and background
light "noise."  The Coast Guard will also be trying to spot them and will
secure the safety of the testing area through radio announcements and
patrols.

Again, this is preliminary.  What we hope will come out of this are some
realistic tests on a formal basis in various conditions.  The results should
be a rating of different lighting systems and recommendations.  I think that
existing type lights and possibly LEDs will do the job.  It would be good to
know which.  But if nothing is on the market today that fulfills the need,
we would then approach manufacturers with a wish list of light devices they
might produce as prototypes or modifications of existing items.

If you have any ideas on this, let me know.

Oh, another thing.  We are trying to establish lighting recommendations for
the following categories:

1.  Just-in-case lights for a paddler to always have with him/her just in
case they get caught in low light situations at the end of the day because
of delays caused by winds or illness.

2.  Lights for an individual to have when he or she sets out deliberately
for a night paddle trip.

3.  Lighting schemes that a group may want to employ as it paddles as a
bloc.

ralph diaz
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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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