For those sponson fans, these simple devices that cause so much Internet based ranting are available for sale world wide. And a company, Voyageur, that makes paddle floats and other gear for canoers and kayakers, also is making sponsons. And guess what, the original posting from Kait O'Hara of Potomac Management Group that started this all. She is actually working with the United States Coast Guard. This is the organization that has saved numerous kayakers' lives in the United States as well as many other boaters in distress. I believe these devices may also serve another emergency function, although I have not tested this yet. If sponson-opposed sea kayaker starts ranting upon noticing your sponsons, the following may work. 1. Insert an uninflated sponson into the mouth of the ranting sponson-opposed sea kayaker. 2. Inflate sponson until the ranting stops. Please leave room for breathing through the nose. This may stop the ranting so you can have a quiet paddle. Please note the insertion of the uninflated sponson first. For some unusual reasons, the sea kayaker may not rant upon noticing a paddle float or sea seat. Please keep sponsons out of view of sea kayakers with which you do not know:) "Voyageur - Sea SponsonsInflatable nylon sponsons that stabilize your kayak. 1. In Great Britain/United Kingdom from WHITE WATER CONSULTANCY INT. LTD at http://www.wwc.co.uk/ 2. In Canada from TrailHead http://www.trailhead.ca/paddaccess.htm 3. In the United States of America www.canoegear.com based in Mt. Iron, Minnesota and Paddlers.com based in Madison, Wisconson at http://www.paddlers.com/product.asp?pid=1001938 and other places in other countries around the world. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> From: "Bemis, Scott E." <SEBemis_at_bemis.com> > 1. Insert an uninflated sponson into the mouth of the ranting > sponson-opposed sea kayaker. It might be worth your while to read _all_ the messages in this thread *before* you reply. Jackie *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
At 11/5/2002 -0600 12:05 PM, Bemis, Scott E. wrote: I believe these devices may also serve another ............ function Ah, how I wish I hadn't forgotten my paddle float when my right spo*ns*n blew a seam while fishing a mile off shore. I had a great time getting back into the boat with my dry bottoms legs full of water. That is another story. For Sale: One Half set of sp*ns*ns. Use may cause a slight list to one side. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Isn't this sales and promotion ? Aren't this kind of messages restricted in the list ? Your suggestion, Jackie is more than appropriate but Mr. Bemis says ... "And guess what, the original posting from Kait O'Hara of Potomac Management Group that started this all ... " which makes me think he is well aware of all the thread and the general opinion of paddlewise about this "involutive" devices. If this is true, his suggestions about how to use them in sponson-oposed kayakers is his direct reply to everyone who has expressed his opinion to the list. My response to Mr. Bemis is that based on their shape, a sponson resembles a suppository, so he should better be aware while carrying them as someone might be tempted to use them on him, following a similar procedure as the one he describes, and also inflating until the ranting stops. What surprises me at this point is that Mrs. O'Hara never replied any post. I know some paddlewise members have connections with the U.S. Coastguard, wouldn't be positive to find the proper authority and give them a print copy of Mrs. O'Hara message and the replies she received, so they can have a feedback of how professionally behave the people they contracted for the case ? Best regards from Maui .... Fernando Lopez Arbarello ( The best use of a sponson is ... is ... it is not ) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Denmark's Struer, the grande dame of sprint kayak manufacturers, has folded up shop. In a world of composite plastic boats, Struer continued to produce beautiful wooden boats, and their designs continued to win at the highest levels of competition. I have restored a few of them, and paddled more miles in them than I can count. Paddling and portaging through Killarney in a single cockpit needle boat at over 80 km per day. Ducking under the willows on the Thames with my sweatheart after months of restorative work on the Tokyo Olympics double. Hammering down Ramsey in Sudbury's K4, wind whistling and bodies panting, seeing just how fast it is possible to run a boat. Struer's boats were a wonderful blend of form and function. I'm sorry to see them close their doors. Richard Culpeper *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
One of my very favorite experiences in a kayak was pulling a waterskier behind a Struer K-4 at the Cypress Gardens Water Ski showplace in 1970. The beautiful, wooden, sleek, glowingly brown boat was the fastest kayak I ever paddled and pulling a skier was a hoot. I learned my sprint racing skills in a Struer Rapido. I even got to visit the factory as part of the team tour when we were in Denmark for the world championships. It was amazing to see that the hulls were not sanded but scraped with a small steel blade so there would be no dust in the pores of the wood. Almost all the guys working there at the time were old men who carried the history of their craft in every move they made. What a sad thing to learn that the company is gone. Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Sat, 2002-11-09 at 06:08, James wrote: > One of my very favorite experiences in a kayak was pulling a waterskier > behind a Struer K-4 at the Cypress Gardens Water Ski showplace in 1970. > The beautiful, wooden, sleek, glowingly brown boat was the fastest kayak > I ever paddled and pulling a skier was a hoot. I learned my sprint > racing skills in a Struer Rapido. I even got to visit the factory as I paddled a Hunter and Ranger, there was also a spanish manufacturer of wooden sprint racers but only one of these had made it to oz by the late 70,s regards Peter *************************************************************************** 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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