Re: [Paddlewise] Another new product

I was skeptical when I first saw it. My problem is that up here I rarely get 
to get my hands on new products to check them out. About once a year I 
travel through Seattle and make quick rounds of the kayak shops to see what 
is new.
The deck pod looked good on paper but I wonder how it would fare in real 
conditions. My main concern is that it relies on the integrity of the closer 
seal to hold in air to provide floation. What happens if there is a leak or 
if you flip while you are digging through the bag? I carry a closed cell 
hard foam paddle float on my back deck, under the bungies and clipped to a 
deck line. Thankfully  I have never had to use it.
My paddle float also serves as a kneeling pad for loading the boat. (If you 
have seen the barnacles on the beaches up here in Alaska you would know why 
I pray standing up rather than kneeling on the beach)
Finally my pad serves as a good beach seat.
I do use a deck bag because I like to keep certain things (gloves, powerbars 
ect.) handy. The alternative is to stuff the pockets of my PFD which could 
prove a safety hazard or place them in a bag and put it between my legs, 
which might interfer with a wet exit. The key is not to stuff the deck bag 
full and to practice rolls with it on the deck.

Today is a day of pounding rain, howling wind and ziltch visibility. I think 
I will pull out the maps and dream of drier, warmer and more peaceful days 
of paddling.

Happy paddling

Bob 
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