With new developments on every front, I'm proud so say that I am paired with some of the most innovative kayak manufactures in the world. Today two very interesting little kayaks showed up on my doorstep. Two all white Samba XD's with a insignia on the back that says "Innovation in Action." As a huge supporter of Thermoform technology, I am very excited to be the first one besides the factory to see the new layup. I can't wait to get one out and put it through its paces. The overall look of the kayak has not changed, but the overall stiffness is incredible. These two kayaks are going to have a very rough life. Tony, who is a expert rock garden paddler and long time Eddyline paddle will be one of the test pilots. His mission is see just how much this new layup can take. The other one will be used by myself and our west coast Eddyline rep. We will be sure to keep people up to date with videos and photos as we get them. So check back often and see how the new Samba XD handles the abuse!
Here is the Mission statement put out by Eddyline owner and founder Tom Derrer:
"During our many years of building composite boats we constantly experimented with different laminates and technologies to achieve a level of performance that suited those paddlers with extraordinary needs. Things are no different today. The Samba XD (Extra Duty) is an experimental construction using thermoform technology to help us determine just what some of the real needs of the advanced kayaker are and how to satisfy them. By advanced paddler I mean those kayakers who are pushing the envelope and advancing their skills while developing a deeper knowledge of the forces of the sea.
The Samba XD is more innovation in action at Eddyline Kayaks!"
First off thank Swift for the opportunity to test their new Skookum Paddle. I'm always excited to work with people on new and progressive products like this. First thing I will say about the paddle is its beautiful. I love the color (Lime Green). I'm glad they decided to release that color because a lot of us younger paddlers have been asking for a green paddle for a while. The over all fit and finish is good, but not perfect. I would love for the front and back side of the blade to be green instead of the milk white color. I see that the paddle with the sparkles uses green epoxy, making the front and the back sides the same color. I liked the way that looked better. Other than that I think the finish of the paddle looks beautiful. The joint where the paddle meets the shaft looks thick and strong, the black covering over the joint is very clean, and the carbon on the shaft is flawless. The decal also looks very sharp on the blade.
I really enjoy the feel of the shaft in my hand. Having the texture from the carbon makes the paddle feel less slippery in my hands as oppose to other paddles that I use. The thing I am most excited about on the new Skookum is the the blade shape. Bravo Swift for seeing the need for a high performance, high angle paddle that excels not only in rock garden, and surfing situations, but also on an all day tour. The short squatty blade gives paddles like myself the ability to take short hard stokes to get up to speed when catching a wave, or shooting a slot. Three hard stokes and my boat is up to speed. Being shorter, it also allows me to slice it through the water when linking stokes and bracing. The power and grab is incredible when pulling out of an eddy and getting speed to catch a wave. You can lay hard on a low brace, and with the flick of the wrist you can spin the paddle around and grab a hard draw stoked to pull yourself across current. Once on a wave, the slight curvature of the blade shaft to tip gives you a nice feel in the water. During a stern rudder, you can easily angle the paddle to ether pry the stern away or draw the stern back towards the paddle. It is a very rewarding paddle for those learning boat control and advanced stokes, like draws and rudders. Although the Skookum excels in these dynamic environments, what really surprised me was how it felt on a long all day flat water paddle. The paddle is so light that you barly notice you are holding anything at all. It pulls effortlessly though the water, and does not pick up much water on the exit. Even with my paddle being a 205cm I didn't notice any issue with hitting my boat during my forward stoke. The paddle catch is solid and gives you nice purchase throughout the stoke. The dihedral on the paddle seems to really keep the paddle square in the water without the tendency to wander. I also like the overall size of the blade for touring. Although it is a shorter blade it is not overly large, in fact it has even less surface area then the Sea Swift. This allows me to paddle all day and not feel tired. It is not like some other high angle touring paddles that feel like a light weight version of a white water paddle. Swift did an excellent job combining the most important elements of a high angle paddle. Control, power, and efficiency. I feel like they are setting the bar high for other paddle companies to shoot for.
Even though I love the paddle and am excited about what it means for the future of sea kayaking, there is still a few things I would change. First thing would be to use a colored epoxy to make the whole paddle one color. Secondly, the Skookum that I have has a nice reenforced tip on it, that runs about 3 inches up from the tip of the paddle blade, however I would love to see that reenforcement wrap around the bottom of the paddle a bit more because that is where you will be hitting the most rocks. The third and most important thing is to clean up the back side of the paddle blade. Swift does a great job of reenforcing their blades by using a stiff ridge that runs along the back side of their blades. This makes the paddles stiff and grabby when you plant them in the water, however it also creates drag and unwanted bubbles while surfing and while slicing the paddle though the water. Example would be, if you where surfing though a slot and you needed to slice the paddle forward through the water to a bow draw, having the ridge takes away your feel in the water and slows the paddle down. Most all paddle companies have this problem, and some address it better than others. I would love to see Swift come up with a solution to this, and then they would have, in my opinion, the ultimate high angle paddle!
Better late than never right? It has been almost a month since the Symposium and I'm just not getting a chance to sit and write about this incredible event. Shows what kind of month I have been having. The store has been rockin and for that I am most thankful. Even though it has been a month since the symposium the images and feelings from the event will not soon be forgotten. This event seems to get better every year, and this year was no exception. The weather was moody, the water was finicky, but the people were incredible!
On the Thursday night before the Symposium started I met Sterling (owner of Sterlings Kayaks) and Rowan Gloag (Hurricane Rider and Facebook pal) here at the shop do deliver kayaks. They had just drove 18 hours straight through from Bellingham WA. They had to chain up along the way at each pass they came to. Dispite the long adventure they showed up fresh and enthusiatic about the weekend to come. Rowan and I loaded up my trailer of demo boats and we headed over to the Marin Headlands Youth hostel, our home base for the weekend. Though we were all exhausted from travel we stayed up for a few hours drinking beers and swapping stories with some of the biggest and best names in Sea Kayaking. After a short hard sleep we awoke to rain. Everyone slogged their way to Horse Shoe Cove to start the festivities. It was so encourgaing to see all the people geared up ready to go with big smiles on their faces.
Day 1 I was asigned to help teach the intro to Riding the Tides Class with Mark Tozer and Duane Stosaker. We crossed over to Angel Island and practiced edge turns in the eddyline created by the Ebb tide. Everyone had a great time. The highlight of my day was teaching some students with Greenland paddles, how to rip in and out of eddies with a stick. After our time at Angel we made our way back to Yellow Bluff where we played in the tidal race. Everyone got to practice surfing and bracing.
After a long day in cold conditions we blew off some steam by eating pizza and listening to live music at the Symposium Headquarters, Horse Shoe Cove.
Day 2 the weather was even colder and more rainy. This day I was assigned as a safety boater to Riding the Tides intermediate with Ben Lawry and Chris Mitchell. After a long warm up on the dock we hit the water. We practiced ferrying against the flood tide under the Golden Gate bridge. The conditions were pretty big this day. After that session we made our way with the flood tide back into Richardson Bay where we had lunch. After a debrief session on the beach we got back into our boats to catch the Ebb tide back to Yellow Bluff for day 2 of playing in the tide rips.
Thankfully this day I was paired up with my buddy Rowan, and we got to enjoy hours of surfing and playing in the rip. It was so cool to surf with so many people in the rip. Everyone was excited to be there, dressed for the swim and ready to push themselves. Thankfully no one in our class swam, and Rowan and I had an easy day on the water. The class seemed wore out fast so we let them go back to the harbor while we stayed and played.
That night there was slide show presentations at the Hostel. There were 3 all together but the one that got me excited was Eric Sores, one of the original Tsunami Rangers was giving a talk about the past 25 years of boating. (http://tsunamirangers.com/) To hear his level of enthuiasm for the sport and to hear is mind set about rough water ocean paddling got me stoked! I could not wait to get out the next day and go rip in some rock gardens. The line that I took from his talk was, "Paddle where it looks bad and feels good, not where it looks good and feels bad." So the next day when Matt P told us that he didn't need us to safety boat and we were free to go play, thats exactly what we did!
Rowan and I paddled our way out the Golden gate and rock hopped our way all the way to Point Bonita. The water was rough but manageable, and so we hit every slot and overfall we could on the way out.
Rowan was adamant about leaving his mark in the bay area and that he did. All the green gel coat you see from Horse Shoe Cove to the Point Bonita Light House was from the bottom of Rowan's Reflection. haha. That is not completely true, however he did loose his fair share on this little trick move.
Once we got to the point we were greeted by the full on Pacific swell. We took our time to scout out the Rock Garden and decided that if we got in close enough to this rock that the wave would break and we could catch a nice surf ride out of it. Well that was the idea but sometimes things are easier said than done. We both got worked by a huge whirlpool before we ever got any cool rides.
In the Video you will see more footage of me getting worked by the water. All and all it was a great time. It looked bad but felt sooo good. After a good hour session we decided to head back to Horse Shoe Cove, have lunch and get back onto the water to catch the Tide Race again and Yellow Bluff. On our way back we passed a few classes in process. We saw Eric and some of the Tsunami Rangers teaching with up and comers like Paul Kuthe and Matt Nelson. Their classes where charged up and going for it. Watching these guys shooting slots and riding overfall brought a smile to my face. I can't help but feel like there is a bright future ahead in our sport. Over the corse of the whole weekend I believe there was over 100 people who ventured out to the rocky coast outside the Golden Gate, and that is what makes GGSKS such a magical experience. Its the only place I have been where that many incredible coaches are paired up with that many gun ho students, and everyone is there to push themselves and learn. The energy around this event is electric, and for those who are on the fence about going, do yourself a favor and sign up. Even if its just for one day, SIGN UP! You will not regret it. I look forward to many trips out the bay this year, and I have my calendar marked for GGSKS 2012.
