Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view
World-class athlete Steve Fisher has taken on some of the most ambitious projects imaginable, including an expedition through the Congo River’s Inga rapids, the world’s biggest rapids. He faced an entirely different challenge recently: accepting an invite to speak at the TEDx Athens event in Greece.
http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/adventure/stories/1331628307193/kayaker-steve-fisher-ted-talk
The Universal Mat from Palm Equipment landed at Unsponsored HQ a few months back and has been used week in and week out ever since.
The Project X from Wavesport has been around for quite a few years having been originally released way back in 2011. The release of the new Möbius has removed the Project X from being Wavesport’s premium playboat. However quite a few retailers have stock at killer prices.
The Project X is a short freestyle kayak that is available in three different sizes – 48, 56 and 64 gallons. The first generation had Wavesport’s Core Outfitting. The outfitting in early models was good but some issues with delamination had been reported by quite a few paddlers. Wavesport quickly rectified this issue with an update in the materials and production techniques used.
We are all in between swims. Dave Fusilli takes a swim on the Upper Cherry Creek. Some great throw line work can be seen in this edit.
From the very first moment you sit in a boat you start to get “a feel for it”, how it fits and possibly even how it may perform. As beginners we start off in boats that may be used by many different size paddlers, which results in cockpits being kept clutter free. Loose, comfortable boats feel good on flat water, but they can make leaning and bracing difficult. Once the boat is padded to provide a close, body-hugging fit that still allows for quick and easy water exits, performance can dramatically improve. This same rule applies to all levels of kayakers, whether they’re paddling easy whitewater, big water runs or creeks. Customised outfitting helps transfer every trace in the river’s current through the kayak’s hull to your body, helping you sense your surroundings, make critical maneuvers and maintain your balance, thus staying upright!
Since paddlers press against their boat’s inner hull with the small of their backs, butts, hips, thighs, knees and feet, it is these key areas that should be customised to match the shape and size of the paddler. To make this as easy as possible I am going to break the cockpit into a handful of sections and tailor each one to help you get the best control possible from your boat. Many boat manufacturers have really stepped up their game and are providing some excellent outfitting as standard in their kayaks. However these systems still need adapting in some way to ensure that they fit YOU correctly.
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