Kokatat MsFit Tour

I've been using this PFD both for coaching and leisure trips. I am by no means a hardcore paddler and this PFD is more than sufficient for me needs.

The Kokatat MsFit Tour is actually meant for ladies, but it seems to be fairly popular with guys as well. The "Tour" version just seems to come with an additional pocket for a VHF radio. I don't carry one while paddling, so the pocket just holds my very important sun block.

Astral LDB

New piece of equipment, the Astral LDB.
Discontinued model which I think has been replaced by the Astral Nova.


Initial impressions:

• simple to adjust
  
• does not ride up
• comfy
• adequate buoyancy
  
• pockets a bit tight
• kind of bulky in the front
• no idea how durable is the mesh

Havent used it much, but Im happy with it so far. The 3 straps on the side make for simple adjustment and Im able to adjust it to fit snugly without the PFD riding up when Im floating in the water.
The LDB does not require me to tighten it very tightly to prevent it from floating up which makes it comfortable.
However, the pockets dont hold much. A bottle of sun block and some chocolate bars will take up all the space available. Also, to make up for the reduced flotation at the back, the front is a bit more bulky. Although I dont find it obstructive so far.

Chaco Z/1 Unaweep Review

Last April, my Teva sandals broke after 2 years of abuse. Shortly after, they were replaced by a pair of Chaco Z/1 Unaweep sandals. They were my first ever Chaco sandals and having used them for 10 months, I've decided to give them a quick review.



I've used this sandals in muddy and sandal conditions. They have been used while cycling, kayaking and just walking around town. They've even followed me to the Philippines and the Maldives.

Things I liked:

• Good grip
• Arch support is awesome
• Sole is thick, feels like a shoe
• Simple buckle
  

Things I didnt like:

• Abrasion on big and last toe, even without the toe loops. Only slightly better than the toe loop version.
• Straps are harder to adjust compared to my previous Teva
• Straps are not as soft and comfy as my previous Teva
• The portion of the strap that rubs against my big toe are fraying
• Takes longer to dry than my Teva
• Fairly heavy

Bottom line:

I'll probably get another pair if this one is worn out. The simple buckle reduces the point of failures on the sandals and the arch support provided by these Chacos are just wonderful.
However, I cant believe that the strap is fraying! Personally, I find it weird that its the part of the strap which rubs against my toe that is fraying. Is my skin really that abrasive?

What've we got here?

New Chaco sandals that's what!

They will be baptised at Macritchie this coming Friday. Walking round the house, it feels kind of odd not to have the toe loops after having been used to them for 2 years. But Im pretty sure there's going to be less abrasions on my poor big toe.

Death of a Teva

My Teva sandals have died. I first bought them a little more than two years ago and they were used for cycling and casual walking around besides kayaking. As you can see from the pictures, they're quite worn out. Kind of suprised they lasted that long especially since Im so hard on my gear.
Ordered myself a pair of Chaco Z/1 to replace them.
My experience with these Tevas was that sand tends to get caught in the toe loops and rubs my skin raw, so Im experimenting with the Z/1 which does not come with toe loops for now. Will see how they compare.



These sandals were nice and comfy while they lasted. Having survived 26months of abuse, mostly in a marine environment, I'd say it was worth the money.
I previously reviewed these sandals after using them for 8 months and commented on the push button which kept getting stuck. The button got jammed eventually and got stuck permanently. However, it was not the cause of destruction.

So, goodbye Teva and hello... Chaco!

Oakley Radar Field Report

Ask any sports person to name one brand of sunglasses and they're sure to say "Oakley". Go into specific models and they'll most likely say, the Oakley Radar. The latest and most hip model now may be the Jawbone, but the Radar is still a classic.

Spots on the lens

I own an Oakley Radar and have been using it for cycling as well as kayaking. As you can see from the pics, there are spots on the lens. The polarising filter is shrinking from the sides of the lens and tearing apart. It gets worse everytime the sunglasses come into contact with seawater. It was fairly tolerable at first, but now its starting to get annoying with so many spots. I rinse them after every use, so I dont see whats the problem.

The only time I've ever had problems like this was when I bought swimming goggles with polarising filters. Those were cheap $30 googles. But its such a disappointment for a pair of $300 sunglasses.

Polarised lenses are supposed to really aid in cutting the glare from sunlight reflecting off the water while doing sea sports, but after this experience, I will not buy a polarised Oakley for such a purpose.

Bring Your Own Kayak

Found yet another source for easily transportable boats in Singapore.
http://www.byok.com.sg/index.php

Its a whitewater design, built with fiberglass and isnt recommended for whitewater. From the looks of it, it'll be great for people who just wanna float around in reservoirs or do some flatwater playboating, but I seriously doubt you will want to do some long distance paddling in it.

Looks like Peter Chai is testing it in their videos.

Lots of coaching

All my paddling for the past 2 months have been limited to coaching. I have not trained or done any leisure paddling on my own.
Hopefully it does not rain tomorrow so I can do a short paddle from Pasir Ris to Coney Island and do some rolling after that. The skills are getting a little rusty.
There's lots of cool stuff in Water-Venture Pasir Ris, including a store room full of different types of paddle. Planning to try using the wooden paddle I saw inside.

Not forgetting the Greenland paddle that I plan to make. Will have to find a 2.2m long piece of wood. Now where am I gonna find one?

Smelly Smelly Tevas

My sandals stink!
Once they get wet, they stink like hell. Unfortunately, I wear them for kayaking and other outdoor stuff when Im too lazy to wear shoes.
Putting them in the sun doesnt help much. I tried soaking those buggers in Dettol and scrubbing the sole, the smell went away for a while, until I used them for kayaking again.
They just freaking stink!

Looks like I have to resort to soaking them in Dettol every 2 weeks or so.
All that Microban anti-microbial stuff is bullshit man... Doesnt work. Or maybe it worked in the beginning and doesnt last.

At last... My paddle has arrived

My Onno Paddle has finally arrived. Its so light, I find it hard to believe it is a carbon/fiberglass composite.
What I find really cool though is the locking mechanism. Its just a little lever. And when my father can get mesmerized and amazed by that little contraption, its definately good (:
The shaft comes with a wet sanded feel which is better than the smooth shaft on the usual Bracsa wing paddles. Everything else is basically the same though, the blades are the size of the Bracsa I and might be too big for expeditions. However, changing my paddling style and improving my fitness will allow me to adapt to the blade.

Here are the pictures:

Yes, more new stuff

"Men were born with a hole in their hearts, a hole so deep that nothing will satisfy his hunger for territory, power and greed." - Fairy tale from Hellboy 2

Check out the latest piece of gear issued to me. A racing lifevest sponsored by SIM!
The best thing about it? Its RED!

Teva Guide L/C review

After using my Teva Guide L/C for 8 months. I thought I'd share my feelings on this pair of sandals.
Refer to this article I wrote when I first recieved this pair of sandals.

I've used this sandal in mud and sandy conditions. This sandal has also been worn for casual wear.

Things I liked
1. Sandal is like of Chaco design and straps are tubular. Quite comfy.
2. Sole is bouncy and comfortable.
3. Dries really quickly
4. Good grip on rocky surfaces

Things I didn't like
1. Some abrasion on big and last toe when sand gets caught under the straps.
2. Push button jams when used in sandy conditions
3. Sole has extra bulk at the heel, not very comfy for paddling in smaller kayaks
4. Sandal does not grip on slippery surfaces like tiles!
5. Sand always get stuck in slots where the straps are threaded through.

Overall, Im quite disappointed with the sandal mainly because the push button which seemed like a novel idea is now just a point of failure.
Sand is also always left in the sandal. When I turn my sandals upside down, lots of sand falls out. This abrasive sand might be damaging the sandal from the inside out.

BUT.

It is comfy (:

Spanker

Being the cheap bastard that I am, I definitly wouldn't pay 20 Euros for a norsaq, especially when its just a block of wood! So I decided to make my own out of scrap materials.
Before I go on, here's some background on the norsaq.
A norsaq is a greenland throwing stick. No, you dont exactly throw it, but it is similar to an atlatl. Greenland hunters would attach a harpoon to it which gives them greater leverage.
It was also used for rolling in case you lost your paddle and can't do a hand roll.

This is what a nice one would look like.

Credits: http://qajariaq.blogspot.com/2008/07/driftwood-norsaq.html

This is what mine looks like.

Looks alot like a cricket bat doesn't it? Maybe I should have been more descriptive when I told my father what a norsaq should look like.
I shall call it "Spanker" until I get around to sawing and shaping it into a more conventional shape. Will probably use the soldering iron I have lying around the house to burn a design on it when Im done.

First Aid Kit

Here's a pic of my very basic First Aid Kit. This is the kit I carry with me when not coaching at Water-Venture and during my kayak trips.
The box is a sandwich sized Lock & Lock which is waterproof and floats. But I keep it in my dry bag for double protection.

Contents List
1. Sterile Gauze
2. Plasters
3. 3M Transpore tape
4. Roller bandage
5. Antiseptic Cream
6. Forceps
7. Tweezers
8. Alcohol swabs



Maybe I should add in a small bottle of axe oil in case people get sea sickness.

Winging it

Used a wing paddle to do my usualy 8km route and it took me 56.22 min, 1 second shy of my fastest recorded time. However, I was trying to adapt to the new technique required to paddle with a wing.

I've heard that wings are one-trick ponies and can't do much other than paddle forward and low brace. But I managed to perform the following strokes:

1. Rolling
2. J-Draw
3. Classical Draw
4. Sculling Draw
5. Sweep stroke
6. Low Brace
7. High Brace
8. Bow Rudder
9. Hanging Draw

Doing a sweep roll was especially easy due to the lift of the wing. The paddle felt like it was stuck in concrete. On the other hand sculling for support was impossible to do with the blade constantly diving down.

I switched to a regular paddle after paddling 8km with the wing and something funny happened. The blade would "pop" out of the water during the exit phase as if there was no resistance. Can understand why people say using a standard paddle after getting used to a wing is like paddling with a wet noodle.

Borrowed Sam's paddle at 0 degree feather angle and it feels odd. Low angle paddling is fine but when I switched to high angle paddling, I just couldnt get it.

Best I can afford

I really really can't justify spending $800 for the Epic paddle. Even if its the best paddle in the world, spending so much money just doesn't feel right for me.

My final choice is ONNO Paddles. It is a one man show and the guy selling the paddle to you is the guy who actually makes it. Sorta like a cottage industry. He makes the paddles individually by hand.

The design is basically a Epic rip off, but I think the ferrule system is unique. The shaft length and feather angle are adjustable.

Will be getting a carbon/glass composite blade with 205cm-215cm adjustment and will be requesting that the blade tips be reinforced.
Here's what the blade looks like.

Reviews say this blade has a strong dihedral, which would explain why they never flutter. But other high end blades tend to lose the dihedral in favour of smoother strokes.

Oh well, I'll take a gamble for this one. Besides, its US$250, much cheaper than the Epic or Werner.

Jack of All Trades

Just today, I completed a 1 Star Course for canoe polo players and competitive canoeists from Ngee Ann Poly. These 2 days really proved me right regarding my theory that coaches should be trained in multiple disciplines.
Instead of simply teaching the participants the skills, knowledge in the various paddling disiciplines enables a coach to relate to them helping them understand the techniques and why they are being taught that way.
For example, the J-Draw and Classical Draw. You would not recommend a classical draw to a polo player, it is simply not aggressive enough.
Also, multi-disicipline knowledge will allow the coach to give examples of situations where the paddlers can apply their skills. Like in the case of the low brace, where canoe polo players can brace themselves after being tackled.

That being said, Im glad I joined the SIM canoeing team to broaden my knowledge.

On another note, Aaron told me that there are T1s and some wing paddles left behind in the boat shed at Water-Venture Kallang. Woohoo! will probably be taking one out to try on Wednesday.

Also tried Sam's all carbon Epic paddle today. There was a distinct blade flutter when I tried to pump the paddle, this is definately not a forgiving blade design due to the mild dihedral. Not a paddle for sudden bursts of speed.
Cant afford, or rather cant justify paying $900 for a full carbon Epic paddle, maybe I'll get a Werner Ikelos for $700 with a moderate dihedral. Not sure if I should settle for the $700 fiberglass carbon composite Epic.
Another gripe is the foam core makes the blade very buoyant and feels like it wants to pop out of the water at the end of the stroke. Very weird feeling.

New personal record

The last time I went on an kayak expedition was in 2007. Im not including the trips I've made to the Merlion because, thats not really considered a sea journey.
I decided to join the SAFYC Changi to East Coast kayaking trip organised by Asian Detours to give myself a rough idea of how I would fair in next week's round Ubin paddle. A return trip is approximately 20km, which is the farthest I have ever paddled in a day.
It took me about 1.5hrs to paddle 10km so I think the round Ubin trip will last at least 4 hours including time for lunch and rest.






Rest of the pics are here

Towline pix

Here's a pic of my tow system.


Wish I had seen this earlier though. 2 parts to this tow system. A pig/cow tail for short contact tows and when fully deployed, you get a long towline. Very smart.

Latest piece of gear

My newest piece of equipment. A Gill Bouyancy Vest in fire engine red!