Trak Kayaks - you think you've seen a folder...?

A couple of years ago at a big outdoors show in the US I came upon the stand for a fledgling kayak design, which for all money looked to me like a hard chined composite boat. I walked over & gave the hull a poke, because it looked kind of strange, & to my amusement it flexed. The boat was a skin on frame, but one with some pretty spectacular points of difference.I went out & test paddled the boat the next day, trying out some of the innovative features like adjustable rocker. You want a play boat & tourer? Just pull back on the hydraulics while you're underway and your hard tracking, low rocker 16ft sea kayak: turns into a classic shaped sea kayaking play boat design: Best of all, it paddles like a hard shell, performance sea kayak (check out this video for an idea of what they can do) , rather than a practical but relatively uninteresting floating log, which is pretty much what I have found the great majority of folders to feel like on the water. It takes a flat 10 minutes to put it together (to see the boat put together click HERE), and when you're done it packs into something no airline check-in desk worth their salt is going to think is anything other than a set of golf clubs:
The issue at the time for me was the price. These boats were going out for about $USD5500, which at the time was about $AUD7000 - pretty close to the going price for a good quality folder, but still a hefty whack. Time & success in combination lead good businesses to savings as the market for such a brilliant product increases, and that big price tag has come down in the last year or so. We at Expedition Kayaks are proud to announce that we are the first & only distributors of the Trak T-1600 in the Australian market, & will have stock on hand from June 29. These versatile, high performance, downright sexy folding skin-on-frame boats will be available for less than $AUD5000, in gold or green, with a next day national delivery. If you're space challenged or are sick to the eyeballs of turning up at an overseas paddling heaven only to find your only option is a sit on top, contact us for a test paddle of the Trak - we will have a demo boat and stock on the shelf here from June 29. Keep an eye on our website over the coming days for full details.

Reed Transpire Fleece - Toasty.....

Our first batch of Reed's new generation Transpire Fleece tops have arrived, a product we ordered on the recommendation our favourite Tasweigan cold water gear freak, Geoff Murray. I was guilty of being complacent with the cooler weather a few weeks back, & paddled back from a night trip feeling very weary & cold. It was a reminder to me, living in a place generally devoid of weather extremes, that even a mild winter's day combined with a bit of wind & few rolls can produce a dangerous mix of cold for a paddler. We thought that a fleece undergarment designed for the cold weather in the UK might be a bit too toasty for the moderate winter temps on the Eastern seaboard, but have been gladly proved wrong. These are beautifully thought out garments, with a thin microfleece lining on the inside, and a silky, knitted outer. They're thermal in the truest sense, in that like wool they keep you warm even when they're wet, and the wind resistant outer means you can wear them as a single skin on a more mild winter's day. Layer them up with an Aquatherm top, or better still one of the Reed cags, and you are in warm paddlers heaven. Best of all, they breathe - that much sought after property in all outdoor garments that separates the wheat from the chaff. At $75 they are literally the bargain from the other side of the world, a sure thing to stop your next winter headwind slog from turning into a polar misery.

The Funky GT

Rockpool builder Mike Webb has sent us some pics of the two boats that we have remaining for sale in the shipment of Rockpool GT's arriving in the last week of July. In typical Rockpool style, they are loud & make a statement that won't be missed.

Complete with starfish & glitter, in a boat design that has all of the knowledgeable chins in the UK wagging in overtime, these GT's promise to be something completely unlike what is currently in the market here in Australia, in this genre. We have a demo to play with & we're very excited......

Welcome to the world, Marley Che.

Not a paddling post, much more important...

On Friday, May 29, my very clever partner Nicole gave birth to our first son, Marley Che. His two big sisters welcomed him with open hearts & germ-laden kisses.

Here's a pic of a proud Dad & his little boy....