Archive for Kayaks
Kayak & SUP Demo Day at Empire Kayak Sunday May 6 2012
Posted by: | CommentsMike and Gabrielle, the folks in Island Park at Empire Kayaks www.empirekayaks.com have a demo day coming up on Sunday, May 6th dedicated for Stand Up Paddleboards, Hobie and Eddyline Kayaks with the reps from each of those companies there to answer any questions. In addition Werner Paddle’s Danny Mongno will be offering clinics on Stand Up Paddling.
In addition they report “Every kayak we sell, we have in our rental fleet so every day can be a demo day.” We work it as a rental, if you purchase a kayak you get your last rental fee back.
Southern Conneticut Small Craft Symposium 2012
Posted by: | CommentsNorth Atlantic Canoe and Kayak Founding Director and ACA Instructor Trainer Elizabeth O’Connor will be conducting the First Annual Southern Connecticut Small Craft Symposium at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven CT on Saturday March 31, 2012. NACK members will be there demonstrating basic boat handling skills and capsize recoveries in the pool. The symposium runs from 10 AM to 5 PM
Presentations and On Water Demonstrations
Information Booths and Displays
For information on kayak tours and training visit Elizabeth at Changing Tides Paddle Craft
Visit NACK at the Jersey Paddler Kayak Show
Posted by: | CommentsNorth Atlantic Canoe and Kayak will have a booth this weekend at Paddlesport 2012 the largest kayak show on the east coast, in Somerset NJ. The show features over 100 exhibitors including manufacturers of kayaks, canoes, accessories, sportswear, paddling clubs, professional instruction and expeditions, as well as lectures and video and slide shows of paddling trips, expeditions and paddling techniques.
It’s held at the 70,000 square foot Garden State Exhibit Center located just off of I-287 Exit 10, a 45-minute drive from Manhattan.
Friday March 23 Noon-9 pm
Saturday March 24 9 am-6 pm
Sunday March 25 10 am-4:30 pm
Stop by with us, definitely take in some of the seminars, and enjoy the show.
NACK Kayak Pool Session Qajaq Testing
Posted by: | CommentsAnd as if all the pool rolling successes weren’t enough, a couple of members got the opportunity to test their latest Skin-on-Frame kayak creations in the pool. These SOFs consist of a western red cedar frame that’s lashed together in the “qajaq” building fashion of the people of the Arctic.
Frame Lashed and Pegged
Traditionally they would be covered in sealskin but today they are covered with nylon or polyester fabric and painted with polyurethane. As an intermediate step, before the final skinning, these kayaks are often tested with a “skin” of saran wrap and duct tape to be sure the design actually floats and handles as intended. What could be better than a day in the pool?
Kayak designs represented included one based on the short (nine foot six), highly maneuverable, North Alaska Recovery Kayak.
North Alaska Recovery Kayak
A second design was a long, narrow West Greenland style with an upswept bow.
West Greenland bow detail as seen thru temporary "skin"
Skin-on-Frame construction yields very light kayaks as the West Greenland design, while 18 feet long and just 19 inches wide, should weigh under 30 pounds when completed. Both designs performed well and should be ready for the paddling season. From members reactions there will be more kayak building and the possibility of a NACK skin-on-frame kayak building class in the future. More kayak building details to follow.
Kayak Demo Days
Posted by: | CommentsA couple of local shops have announced on-the-water demo days in the near future. Demo days always generate lots of interest. If you’re new to the sport demo days are a great opportunity to actually try a kayak on the water.
The Dinghy Shop in Amityville will be doing demos on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, 2011.
Empire Kayaks in Island Park will be doing demos on Sunday, May 22, 2011.
Unless you have the experience, and a really good idea of what kayak you like, it’s important you try it before you buy it. And, if you’re an experienced kayaker there’s always the need to try the latest high performance boat. Here’s your chance to check them out.
It’s also a good idea to contact the shop beforehand to make a reservation to make sure the kayaks you would like to try are available.
Hudson River Greenland Festival 2011
Posted by: | CommentsRegistration is now open for the Hudson River Greenland Kayak Festival. The event will be held at Croton Point Park right on the Hudson River and runs from June 24 thru June 26. Several NACK paddlers attended the event last year so here’s a posting from that event.
New to the HRGF this year is a Greenland Paddle making class taught by Chris Raab of Tuktu Paddles. Chris is a talented craftsman and a great instructor. Having previously taught a paddle making class for NACK on Long Island, we can attest to his teaching skills. With a few simple tools anyone can make a greenland paddle. Class space is limited so act quickly.
Kayak Roll DVD 1st Roll by Jay Babina
Posted by: | CommentsLearn to roll your kayak. There are several good DVDs out there that can help a kayaker learn how to roll their boat. But 1st Roll by Jay Babina is probably the only one that deals exclusively with rolling a sea kayak. No whitewater boats. From the DVD… “Learning the Eskimo Roll is every kayakers dream from the moment they venture out on their first paddling experience. The idea of bringing yourself upright from a capsize is not only unique to the design of the kayak but remains one of the utmost safety skills that the sea kayaker can learn. “1st ROLL” addresses the concerns of the novice kayaker and demonstrates a simplified approach to learning the extended paddle roll, which is the easiest style roll to learn for beginners.” With this DVD, and some professional instruction, you can easily learn to roll your kayak.
This DVD has been out there for a while but is not well known since it’s not marketed by the big guys or Amazon.com It is available directly from Jay. Jay is probably best known as a designer and builder who created the Greenland style Outer Island strip built kayak that was later used as the basis for the Impex Outer Island.
Kayak Show and Kayak Demo Days at the Dinghy Shop
Posted by: | CommentsSaturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25, 2010 the Dinghy Shop in Amityville, New York, will have all their kayaks available for on water paddling. This is your chance to get down there and try the boats. Demos will run from 10AM until 5 PM each day. The shop is located at 334 South Bayview Ave in Amityville and the shop number is 631.264.0005.