I just sent a note to Consumers Union encouraging them to add testing of Kayak equipment to their upcoming test schedule. If you wish to write to them also, the place to write is: Send letters encouraging Consumer Reports to test kayaks and kayak equipment to Consumers Union Customer Service 101 Truman Ave. Yonkers, NY 10703 E-mail is a bit more cumbersome: Go to _www.ConsumerReports.org_ (mip://0089a640/www.ConsumerReports.org) click on Customer Service (at the top in small font), Click on "contact us", then click on "send an e-mail" Mike Kory In a message dated 9/15/04 3:03:02 PM Pacific Daylight Time, pac_at_premier1.net writes: There is a relatively simple way to do objective testing on paddles, in real conditions in a real kayak. You need an accurate knot meter on the hull, a heart meter or (even better) a air uptake meter, and a relatively windless day. Then you use either the heart rate monitor, or air uptake meter (this is a breath mask that measures the total air consumed) at a constant speed. The paddler must maintain exactly the same speed with the different paddles, and then he simply records his heart rate, or air consumption. The less work it is to maintain the same speed in the same hull, the lower the heart rate (or air intake). This would give relative efficiency of course, but would still yield a valid comparison. There would be no easy way to make a tank test yeild these kind of "real world" conditions. *************************************************************************** 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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