Yak are the kayaking/canoeing side of the Crewsaver company. In the past Yak have catered for the middle to lower end of the market with some fantastic hardwearing kit for centre and club use. Although functional and hardwearing they didn’t have the same appeal as some of the more well known brands. However I think that this is about to change. Having seen quite a lot of the new Yak range over the last couple of weeks I can safely say that I think they have come up with some great looking designs that appear to be very well thought out.
Category: Outerwear (Page 5 of 7)
Spencer Cooke takes us through Immersions Research’s 2015 product line. Continue reading
These shorts are what kicked off the production of the new Unsponsored Ts by Dewerstone. I had stumbled upon a post about Dewerstone’s campaign to raise funds to get the shorts into production via Kickstarter. I had heard/seen a fair bit about Kickstarter but this was the first time that I was motivated to invest.
Although this guide is directed at students in reality it will apply to anyone thinking about taking up the sport. Over the next few weeks many students will be starting Uni and will be looking at joining a club. In most cases the Kayak/Canoe club in a university will be the best club to join.
Another great perspective on the Sweet Intergalactic Dry Suit.
Sweet Protection showcased the new Intergalactic Dry Suit at this year’s (2014) OR show. Last year Unsponsored tried out a final pre-production model.
Sweet have been in the whitewater game for years but the Sweet Intergalactic marks their first and long awaited move into the dry suit arena. The Sweet Intergalactic is built from Gore-Tex Pro material and is backed onto a fabric that is both supple and tough. The Gore-Tex used is the 3 – layer Performance variety that is designed for extreme and extended use. I have a number of bits of kit, including a Sweet Shadrach made out of the same material and although it feels quite soft I know that it will take a beating and come back for more.
It’s always good to see a company take an alternative approach to a problem. Kokatat have down just that with the Idol dry suit. Essenstially the Idol is a two piece suit that is a joined by a waterproof zip that circumnavigates the waist of the suit. This means that the top could be used as a dry top or used in conjunction with the bottoms to form a complete suit. A great idea. Continue reading
Bomber Gear’s new Palguin series is constructed from Neoshell by Polartec.
From Polartec:
Waterproof technology has remained about the same since the very first hard shell. Breathability is achieved through diffusion: moisture and heat create enough pressure that moisture vapor finally passes through the fabric. Soft shells trade waterproofness for greater breathability by making use of convection: a constant exchange of air allows more moisture vapor to escape. Continue reading
Another great run down from the guys at Rapid Media. This time a look at Bomber gear’s new dry suit and in particular their use of the neoshell material from Polartec. I used Bomber gear kit many years ago and loved it so am looking forward to trying this new bit of kit out later in the year.
I have owned the Immersion Research (IR) short sleeve Comp top for years. It only sees the light of day when it warms up here in the UK. The cag is a short sleeved version of the Comp top and shares all of its features with the exception of the obvious (long sleeves and latex cuff seals). After years of loyal service I fancied a changed. Nothing wrong with the Comp, just wanted something new. Now as it turns out the search for a high specification short sleeved dry or semi-dry top is actually quite a hard one. The number of manufacturers offering such a top as part of their current line up is quite small. So after much searching and considering the few alternatives Immersion Research came to my rescue with the Arch Rival.
Sweet are no strangers to the paddling world and over the years I have tried and owned a fair few items from their range. However earlier this year saw the arrival of the newly updated Shambala shorts. Compared to previous models the new 2014 have a more fitted and articulated fit. In addition to the improvements made to the overall fit the fastenings and adjustments on the shorts have also been tweaked.
Around 15 years ago my favourite paddling shorts were my Playboater Neoprene shorts. Absolutely bombproof, curved to fit you well when sat down etc. Unfortunately too many pies forced the sale of those shorts and I have been on the hunt for a long term replacement for years. I have owned kayak specific and non kayak specific shorts (mainly board shorts) and although all have done a great job I have always moved on to try something else.
My criteria for short choice is pretty simple –
A good fit (both standing and whilst sat in a kayak)
Bomber construction and materials
Fast drying
Value for money
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