Sea safe kayaks = ? The Swedish MultiSport association had news about a kayak building project. http://www.multisport.se/nyheter/nyhet.php?id=371 If this is the style the multi sports people use, it seems a bit unsafe. I do not know if the tragedy happened with this kind of gear or not, but this might reflect on some ideal. Well, we will maybe have more accurate info. In the years I have paddled I think the most important safety "gear" known is a kayak that does not sink, and to me it means waterproof bulkheads. It is not so long ago we still used open-bulkhead kayaks, and small problems were bigger then than now. The second is good color: I am easily seen on the water (and it usually looks good in photos as well). Third and fourth are PFD and warm enough clothing. Ok, maybe the color is after PFD and warm or rain/sun proof clothing and thinking. Thanks for all the hypothermia links! Anna Leena Lind alli_at_iki.fi *************************************************************************** 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 29/3/07 05:57, Anna L Lind at alind_at_cc.helsinki.fi wrote: > Sea safe kayaks = ? > The Swedish MultiSport association had news about a kayak building > project. > http://www.multisport.se/nyheter/nyhet.php?id=371 > > If this is the style the multi sports people use, it seems a bit unsafe. Hi Ari and Anna, Thanks for the report Ari. Unfortunately I think we will see more accidents of this type, with multisport athletes coming to grief while training on open water while using race boats. Anna's link to the Swedish Multisport site is interesting, as even though I can't read Swedish I was immediately struck by the familiar look of the kayaks, and I could figure out from the test the words Evolution, UFO, and imported from New Zealand. Sisson's Evolution and JKK's UFOs are two of the fastest, most unstable multisport kayaks made in this country. Designed and built for the Coast to Coast multisport race, which features a 67 km grade 2-3 river section, they take a lot of skill to paddle, being long and narrow. The link to the Swedish-built Rocket kayak suggests a length of 6.1 metres, and a width of 46cm, with a weight of 13kg. That is a race boat, not one designed for handling open-water rescues. Having given up trying to rescue flooded multisport boats, even if fitted with airbags, as required for the Coast to Coast, the drill is to get the swimming paddler to drift to the side of the Waimakariri River (where the race is held), and sort the mess out there. After a near disaster involving a multisport kayak flooding on open water, our local club has refused to allow them on trips. I have previously posted on Paddlewise a report for the coroner on a fatality that involved a multisport kayak on open water. Assuming that the paddlers have the skill to stay upright in the kayaks, (not always a given, when they head out onto open water for training) the problems only arise if they capsize and wet exit. The problems of no bulkheads, no deck lines and trying to do stern-deck carries on very tippy boats is one we will see more of. Interesting when we consider that sea kayaks "evolved" from that state in the past. I have fitted my multisport kayak, an Opus, with bulkheads, hatches, and deck lines, which add little weight but improve safety considerably. Cheers JKA -- John Kirk-Anderson Banks Peninsula NEW ZEALAND *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Hello, we still do not know anything about the kayks. Presumably there were no bulkheads, hatches or any deck lines. I did finally find some images about recent races (2003). These doubles seem to be OK and they look familiar, though I would like to know more about the paddlers skills. Of course, Nordic night is full of light and usually the wind calms down... http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/ And specially: http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/61-l.jpg http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/04_03-l.jpg http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/088T0086-l.jpg http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/62-l.jpg http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/Bild_047-l.jpg Pretty crazy looking stuff. Ari *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Ari is right, my kayak link was a speculation of the ideal. I have been involved in Finnish Canoe Federation safety committee, and partly due to it's work and partly the kayak factories the bulk heads have became a standard in (sea) kayaks here. Still, it is possible to buy kayaks without bulheads (maybe bad for business in the long run for factories?). It seems that also here the multisport or as it seems to be called, extreme sport, is growing. Due to some recent legislation here, the safety issues have become quite important in Finland. But here quite often the kayaks are provided by the organisers of sports events, are usually plastic (polyethen) doubles or open canoes even. But like you predict, John, also the competition type kayaks have become more usual here as well. So I agree: the paddle enthuasiasist are not at risk, but the people not so well trained with beeing on the water. And willing to compromise in order to have lighter and faster boats. I will report these discussions to our Paddling Safety Committee, and, see if I know some one in the extreme sports area who could act from within that context. I think it might be wise to add to the extreme competition rules, the point of having bulk heads and decklines. Thank you both, and see you on the water Ari :) Anna Leena Lind alli_at_iki.fi Sturenkatu 32-34 C 38, 00550 Helsinki, www.iki.fi/alli On Thu, 29 Mar 2007, Ari Saarto wrote: > Hello, > > we still do not know anything about the kayks. Presumably there were no > bulkheads, hatches or any deck lines. I did finally find some images about > recent races (2003). These doubles seem to be OK and they look familiar, > though I would like to know more about the paddlers skills. Of course, Nordic > night is full of light and usually the wind calms down... > > http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/ > > And specially: > http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/61-l.jpg > http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/04_03-l.jpg > http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/088T0086-l.jpg > http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/62-l.jpg > http://www.highcoast600.com/live/photos/Bild_047-l.jpg > > Pretty crazy looking stuff. > > Ari *************************************************************************** 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 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:49:28 +1200, "John Kirk-Anderson" <jka_at_netaccess.co.nz> said: > on 29/3/07 05:57, Anna L Lind at alind_at_cc.helsinki.fi wrote: > > > Sea safe kayaks = ? > > The Swedish MultiSport association had news about a kayak building > > project. > > http://www.multisport.se/nyheter/nyhet.php?id=371 > > > > If this is the style the multi sports people use, it seems a bit unsafe. > > Thanks for the report Ari. Unfortunately I think we will see more > accidents > of this type, with multisport athletes coming to grief while training on > open water while using race boats. This is why the local racers, in New England, have switched to using surf skis for open water paddling. I've got a good roll, but I don't need it with the surf ski. I simply climb back on. The boat is sealed so I don't have any issues with hull flooding, unless I break the boat. I use a body to boat tether when paddling solo or if there is a wind. The venturi drains in the footwells work nicely to empty out the cockpit. The rear deck on most surf ski's are flat so keeping a swimmer on the back deck isn't difficult. http://www.surfski.info is good website for info - it's not affiliated with a particular manufacturer. Kirk -- Kirk Olsen *************************************************************************** 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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