My throughs on paddle boards and kayaks

[Confused_Fred]

Paddle boards....Oh God


Yes the paddle boarders were out yesterday in force..... and they where do in the same things wrong they did last year .....and a year before that and the year before that

Just annoying to see them.

So I'm going to point out all the basic things they're doing wrong. Let's start off with a paddles. They always use the silly little paddle that come with a board. The company selling these paddle boards send out the cheapest paddle going. These paddles are next to useless for most people. The blades are too small, shafts aren't adjustable and they're just a joke.







Now here's is a good example. This is a cheap paddle that sells for under 30 pounds and the UK and not worth the money. You might as well be using a kitchen spoon. When I think about it kitchen spoon would probably be better. You can't adjust the height and the blade too small for sea conditions.

This one's a bit better from Red and sells for £80.





You can adjust the height and the blades a bit wider but still it's only good for a river or canal.


Now lets look at a paddle from a paddle manufacturing company.

This is an Ainsworth sup poly carb paddle.








A three-piece adjustable version this paddle sells for under £200 but the difference in performance is unbelievable.


Blade size and paddle length two most important things whether you want to kayak or paddle board. You have to find the right one for you. If it's too short you will be reaching all the time and you're gonna do your shoulders in. If the blades to narrow you won't push enough water. If it's too big you'll push too much water and your wear yourselves out. You have to look at the conditions, your own abilities and choose the right paddle for you.

My advice would be to anyone with a paddle board is upgrade the paddle the came with the board. There are better options on the market and if you pop down to any kayak shop you can look at the different kinds of paddle. Most shops carry a wide selection of them you can see which one works for you.

Look for paddle that's made by a paddle manufacturer not by company making paddle boards !!!

You'll find them cheaper and better value

 

[Confused_Fred]

I keep falling off my paddle board I have no idea why...........Well I'm going to tell you !!!

Fins !!!





When I send out a new paddle board in a box they send it out with the cheapest fins they can get.


Fins act like keel on a sailing boat they stopped the paddle board moving sideways and cap sizing.






So when you're buying a paddle board always make sure you can swap the fins out. The bigger the fin the more stable the paddle board. If you're new to paddle boarding you want the biggest fin that will fit the paddle board.






They all have a standard fitting but it's always worth checking before you order one. Again these don't cost much money and we'll improve your experience on the water.

 

[Confused_Fred]

When go out on my paddle board, I always take my phone in a little plastic case. I like to take pictures and talk to my friends.


Good God


I don't even know where to start with this..... lets start off with those silly little plastic cases. They don't work and don't float !!!!






These are a waste of money. You know my local council spends time and money at the end of each summer looking for these phones off the beaches. Turns out the batteries in them or really bad for the environment and they can't leave them down there. I think a find over 100 but there must be loads more down beneath the shingle and sand.

Most people have a phone costing hundreds of pounds and to make things worse there on a contract. They've got insurance but it's not much good when you drop it in the sea or in your local river and lose it.

When you need it most it's hard trying to use it in a little plastic case with cold hands with waves hitting your face. Not much help when you close to drowning.

So what should you be using? A vhf radio !!!








This is the cheap one I use kayaking inshore. It comes with radio, floats and cost less than £100. You still need a radio license for it but they're free. There plenty of information on sites like YouTube showing you how to use it. There is a course you can go on as well.






If you are going to buy one, make sure it comes with distress alert button. Pushing this button on the back tells the lifeboat station where you are and you need help. You don't even need to talk to them. They're just send out the lifeboat to your location and pick you up.

If you ever get into trouble out on the water a radio will save your life, a phone might end it. Never take risks on any kind of water, it just wants you dead. Always keep a communications device on you !!!


And if you are gonna paddle board out at sea take an electronic flair with you as a backup.

 

[Confused_Fred]

My paddle board keeps bending in the middle


Well the simple answer too this question is: your too fat for it.


Again we're back on manufacturers stated loading weights and reality.

Lets look at a cheap one.





This one sells on amazon for about £125.

Dimensions: about 300 x 75 x 15cm
Volume: 225 Liters
Board Weight: 21 lbs
Paddle Adjustable: 65" to 86"
Rider Weight: Up to 350 Pounds.
Inflation <5min, Deflation <3min, Max PSI:15.


You'd think a board that can take 160 kg would be okay for a regular person. Well your wrong !!







It's all about pressure. A woman in stiletto heels will do more damage to a wooden floor then an elephant. (I was taught this at school )

When manufacturers say the maximum loading weight is 160 kg that means I cross the whole paddle board not on one spot. But when you're stood up paddling, you'll loading your whole weight onto a very small area and this causes the paddle board the bend in the middle.

You can pump as much air as you want into the paddle board it won't change a thing.

I would estimate this board could probably take 80 kg safely before it starts the bend not the 160 kg the manufacturers claim.

Now lets look at an over price one from red.

Max Rider Weight​

100kg

Rider Style​

All Round

Min Experience​

Beginner

Price is £650 and that's for the paddle board !!!

You can see they're more realistic about the loading weight 100 kg. I don't think it would take that. I would say probably 80 kg at the most. This is fine if you're a vegan woman that's a size 8 but if you're a big chubby builder who lives on bacon rolls it won't be much good to you.

What's the answer? Well basically you need a bigger paddle board and they do make them.





Aqua Spirit Barracuda 15’ 2 Person Tamden Inflatable Stand up Paddle Board,

240KG Limit, 2x Seats
2x Paddle & Kayak Blade,
Pump,
Go Pro Mount,
Bag,
Change Mat

This one sells for £450.

I think this one may actually take 100 kg man standing on it. I don't want to be that man to find out.

If you're thinking about buying a paddle board this summer and you're not a size 8 don't bother standard model which is just under 11 feet long. For a bigger person don't trust the manufacturers claimed loading weights because they are a joke,

Find one that's about 15 feet or longer. You'll find you can do more with it and it won't bend in the middle when you stand up !!!

 

[Confused_Fred]

I don't like wearing a life jacket or a buoyancy, instead I have a pfd built into a belt cos I'm coooool





I've been down the beach now for a few hours. I've watched you fall off your paddle board numerous times and I'm sick of seeing it. So to put you out of your misery, I've come along with my paddle and knock you over the head with it..... and now you're in the water and this time its not your fault

Lets see how these things work

Basically when you're in the water you have to find the chord, pull it and hope it inflates..... then put it on

In my experience few people actually check these gas canisters before use. Its the same with self-inflating life jackets. People set them up at the start of summer and never look at them again.

It's pretty hard to put on any life jacket of any description in rough water. I can just imagine how hard it must be to try and get that over your head with waves coming at you. I think you're more likely to lose it in the current or with the tide.

This is one of those products I'd like to see banned in the UK. If you hit the water wrong, bang your head or something hits you.... you stand no chance.

Just buy a buoyancy aid, There cheaper, less to go wrong and your more likely to live if you end up in the water.


Unless I'm there and I will come along and finish you off

 

[Confused_Fred]

I was asked a question..........what's better? sea kayak or a surf ski


This the Romany surf sea kayak my friend lets me use from time to time.





And this is the epic v10 I use when I'm feeling brave down the local kayak club.





The epic on flat water is fast, really fast !! It will beat any sea kayak in a race.

What I hate about these boats is there like cycling, only really stable when they're moving. If you stop and damn things will roll and there hell on earth to get back on. You can eskimo roll a surf ski but it takes a lot of practice. I always just fall out. most of the time. There's no reason why you can't use a surf ski and have fun with it. I do.

The sea kayak's are a little more stable and easer to roll. Still a pain in the bum to get in and out. You can take a pause or break on a sea kayak. It's nice sometimes just better use your water bottle without it rolling too much and I think that's the main difference.

You have to remember that the paddles are different for surf ski's and a lot of the equipment that you may have now for a sea kayak is no good for a surf ski's.

Sea kayaks need a little bit of loading when you're out in rough water, you don't do that with a surf ski. It's one of the reasons why if it's too rough out there you don't bother it, It's just gonna bounce all over the place. There's enough flat water days in the UK to justifying one.

To be honest I'm not a fan of either boat. I think there better kayak's you can buy for far less that will do far more on a sunny day down on the coast. Until you've been to the trouble trying to move a 4-5 meter kayak top of your car along busy roads during the summer you have no idea how much aggravation they are. Due to their size you can't really do a beach launch using either one of these boats too. You need try and find a pier, bank or jetty.

I think overall the most value for money is to see kayak. You can get more in it you can take it off for a weekend camping and it's a little bit more forgiving. But how many people want to do that?

 

[Chip_TheViking]

I was asked a question

someone's selling this

Islander wave ski kayak​

is it good?, should I buy it ? is it cheap at 50£?
I live in Birmingham so I'd have to drive to get it but it seems legitimate?

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[Confused_Fred]

It looks ok from the picture, but I cant see the bottom and you need to request more pictures. I've not seen this one before,

It's a plastic boat weighing about 18kg and about 10 years old. It's going to be easy to fix and ideal for the canals around Birmingham. It's a good design too. it's got a fishtail on it which means it will pick up the waves on the beach and go like a rocket.

This boat comes with no storage and you will have to buy a deck bag. These aren't cheap. Given the weight you will a trolly and these start at £40. You mite be able to get away with a paddle board carrying strap but it will kill your shoulder.

Its hard to see the size, but I would say if its likely take 100kg loading. There's a few things missing from it there's no thigh straps, fins or back brace. All these will have to be bought.




This is now they go on the boat.





They cost about £40 to buy,


These straps lock you into the boat and means you can control it more. I wouldn't get on one of these without them as a beginner.

I cant see any fins too, there should be 3 on this boat.



These are about £15 each.

I cant see a back braces



These are £50


And you still need to buy a paddle and pfd (life jacket). Add on another £100 !!!

Its going to cost about £200 just to get the boat back on the water. The seller knows this and the reason for the price.

Is it worth buying?

For a beginner hmmm..... well wave ski's start at about £1000 new. A good second hand one is about £250-500 but they only weight about 10kg. Again I feel you will use this on the flat water cannels around Brum in the summer, it's going to be fun.

If you brought a good second hand sit on kayak for £100. You'd still need a trolly, pfd, paddle and a few dry bags..

It's worth asking the seller about the fins and the straps, see if he still has them. Ask for more pictures too. This boat wont go in a car, its over 2 meters. You will need a roof rack to move it south. And they wont let you take it on the train !!

If your willing to spend the money fitting it out... maybe. Its a good hard wearing boat that will take abuse but no good for distance paddling.

The question you need to answer is: is it good value for money?

With sports direct selling new boats for £300 is it worth the trouble?

https://www.sportsdirect.com/gul-kynance-kayak-960479#colcode=96047918

 

[Confused_Fred]

Right I've just taken another look at the parts prices.

£30 for the thigh straps.

THIGH STRAP OR CARRY HANDLE TAHE FOR A RIGID KAYAK TAHE OUTDOORS | Decathlon - Free Chat Rooms

Forget the back brace there no where to attach one looking at that picture.

A paddle will cost £34.99. The size is 230cm

2-part kayak paddle adjustable symmetrical 100 ITIWIT | Decathlon - Free Chat Rooms

A trolly will cost £54.99

Ultra-compact transport trolley for SUP and kayaks ITIWIT | Decathlon - Free Chat Rooms

A deck bag would cost £29.99

Lomo Kayak and SUP Deck Dry Bag - Roll Closure LOMO | Decathlon - Free Chat Rooms