I have ordered a Folbot Kodiak Exp as my first kayak. Up until now, I have been borrowing a friend's nauteraid. I have started the countdown now to production week and hopefully mid week shipment which puts me at 9 days away. I am praying that our rare 60 and 50 degree weather in Ohio continues. Any advice on my maiden voyage in hopefully 9 days. I am so excited that it may be by moonlight!(SMILE) this is something I have always wanted to do( be a kayaker) so the excitement is just mounting with every minute. Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Congratulations and a wish for many safe and enjoyable outings in your new boat. I just paddled a Kodiak for the first time a few weeks ago when the owner wanted to try out an Aleut and we swapped boats for the day. I really liked it - still stable, but faster and more sporty feeling than mine. Keep us informed on your experiences with it - both here and on the Folbot website User's Forum. My only advice on the maiden voyage is not to get too eager in case the good weather doesn't hold. That's what I did when I got the Aleut nine years ago. I planned to go on a club trip but that was canceled due to a storm. Well, I went anyway and experienced my first and only unintentional capsize when I got caught by the high surf kicked up by the storm. Mary Sano wrote: > > I have ordered a Folbot Kodiak Exp as my first kayak. ... > Any advice > on my maiden voyage in hopefully 9 days. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Congratulations on your new boat. A couple of suggestions: 1. Read the assembly instructions carefully over and over again before tackling your first assembly of the boat. It will save you time in the long run. 2. Assemble just the frame first, i.e. do the full frame outside the hull. It will let you know how it all works somewhat better than when you are actually assembling it inside the hull. 3. If you can, leave the assembled boat together for a length of time of a few days or even weeks if possible. This will start giving a bow to some of the long pieces and stretch the skin fully. Thereafter assembly will be easier. As for paddling, do make certain to wear cold water gear unless you plan to head southward to warmer climes. The boat is not particularly tippy now (it was in its first months of production until they changed the seat on my suggestion) but you don't want to go in unless you have had some practice time in re-entry. Do get large flotation bags to shove into the bow and stern, BIGGER than those sold by Folbot, which are basically pasties in my opinion. Get standard sea kayak flotation bags as sold by Perception and other companies. Don't bother with the rudder if you have purchased one. All Folbots have basically negative rocker (the bow and stern sag) and will go straight as if on rails under all conditions. The rudder just adds to assembly, weight. good luck, 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." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Sano" <marybeth_00_at_yahoo.com> To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 9:50 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Brand New Kayak > I have ordered a Folbot Kodiak Exp as my first kayak. > Up until now, I have been borrowing a friend's > nauteraid. I have started the countdown now to > production week and hopefully mid week shipment which > puts me at 9 days away. I am praying that our rare 60 > and 50 degree weather in Ohio continues. Any advice > on my maiden voyage in hopefully 9 days. I am so > excited that it may be by moonlight!(SMILE) this is > something I have always wanted to do( be a kayaker) so > the excitement is just mounting with every minute. > > Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. > http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed > here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire > responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. > Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net > Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Take a camera along with you and snap some pics of it before you slide it on the sand and rocks. It will be the only time you'll see it all shiny and scratchless. Scratches can't be helped and I enjoy looking back at them but It's also nice to see a photo of the day you got it in all it's newness. I have one tacked on the wall at work among other work papers and every time my eye catches it I stop and remember when I bought it. enjoy! JFF I have ordered a Folbot Kodiak Exp as my first kayak. Up until now, I have been borrowing a friend's nauteraid. I have started the countdown now to production week and hopefully mid week shipment which puts me at 9 days away. I am praying that our rare 60 and 50 degree weather in Ohio continues. Any advice on my maiden voyage in hopefully 9 days. I am so excited that it may be by moonlight!(SMILE) this is something I have always wanted to do( be a kayaker) so the excitement is just mounting with every minute. Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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