Sydney Harbour at Dawn
At the recent Lifestart Kayak for Kids I strapped a camera to the kayak to give you a view as seen from my seat! I kinda liked the view, but then I’m biased! Have a look and tell me if you’d like to have paddled it! Cheers – FP
Get a “Fat Paddler Eye View” of Sydney’s major charity paddle event, the Lifestart Kayak for Kids. Starting under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the 17.5lkm paddle meanders along Sydney Harbour’s shoreline, passing Middle Head (facing the ocean swell off the Tasman Sea) and finishing at Clontarf Beach.
Tags: kayak, Kayak for Kids, Team Fat Paddler
My girls (Miss2 and Miss3) trying out a canoe for size
I have a beautiful wife and two gorgeous little girls, and the one problem with my passion for paddling is that I can’t squeeze them all into my sea kayak. For some time I have been thinking about this, and how to safely share my love of the outdoors and paddle sports with my family.
The solution is to find a stable paddle-craft with lots of room for the whole family. Whilst four-person kayaks go well in the Olympics, they’re not really stable enough for toddlers (or the Fat Paddler for that matter!). The obvious solution of course is a canoe, incredibly popular in the USA and Canada, but not a hugely popular craft here in Australia.
There’s not too many distributors of canoes in Sydney, but the good people from Blue-Earth Paddle Sports in Drummoyne stepped in to help me in my research. After discussing the needs of my family, Blue-Earth together with Mad River Canoes helped to get my family into a Mad River Explorer 14TT, a traditional shaped canoe from the USA.
The Mad River Explorer 14TT, perfect for safe family paddling
Getting a boat however is only the first part of the equation. By far the most important concern when paddling with young children is ensuring that their safety is guarranteed, which means preparation way before going near the water.
The most important requirement is a good, fitted PFD. My two girls are aged 2 & 3.5 yrs respectively and are healthy, fit and active. However at that age a fall into the water can kill before you even hear it, so you need to make sure that the PFDs you purchase are correct for their age. For that it is best to seek professional advice.
PFDs for kids (from left): For a 4 year old, and for a 2 year old
I took my girls into Blue-Earth to have their PFDs fitted, and within 15 minutes we had the right ones to do the job. Both have a loop that buckles up between the legs to ensure the PFDs don’t ride up over my girls heads once in the water. The PFD for my 2 year old has a padded section behind the head which will keep her head above water. And for both I added a pea-less whistle so they can get people’s attention if they run into trouble.
Check that the PFDs meet the safety standards of your country or territory.
Of course swimming lessons are also a great idea to give your children an added level of water confidence so they don’t panic too much if they fall overboard. Hats & sunscreen are a must to protect their sensitive skin from the elements. Water, a first aid kit, a compass, some food and an emergency space blanket are all an excellent idea.
Kiddie sized canoe paddles will let your kids join in with the paddling
All that’s left now is to get the canoe into the water for her maiden voyage and to give my girls their first taste of canoe paddling. Stay tuned next week for a review! Cheers – FP
Tags: Blue Earth Paddle Sports, Mad River, Mad River Explorer 14TT, paddling with kids, safety
Clockwise from top left: Timbo, Ned, FP, Sacha, Alan, Grummett
Bravo fellas, a sterling effort! Cheers – FP
Tags: Kayak for Kids, Team Fat Paddler
From top: Mitchell, Elver, Adanac, Adanac, CohoKayak
It is common knowledge that I love, and exclusively use, Greenland paddles. Over the last few months I’ve received a lot of questions from interested paddlers asking me how my different sticks compare, so to answer that I thought I’d write my thoughts on the various paddles here.
(L to R): Mitchell Split Horizon, Elver Tour, Adanac Rock Garden (full and storm), CohoKayak Greenlander
Mitchell Horizon Split Greenland Paddle (USA) – 399 AUD
Mitchell are reknowned for their great paddles and their Horizon GP is a beautiful looking stick. Available as a one piece as well as split, I liked the fact I could use it as a traveller paddle with my folding Folbot Cooper, as well as being able to carry it conveniently on deck as a spare (a key selling point here in Australia). It is finished well, the laminate looks stunning, and it never fails to get a reaction from other paddlers.
It is also extremely light-weight, which is either a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it. I’ve broken one by using power-strokes with it, and have felt its replacement creak a bit if I start to put too much strain through it. Keep in mind I’m a big guy and pump a lot of power through them, which is really not what they are designed for. In the case of more gentler paddling, it is delightful to use and the ability to break it down into two pieces is extremely convenient.
Best for: travel, gentle paddles.
different loom configurations
Elver Tour Greenland Paddle (Australia) – 330 AUD
The Elver paddles are made locally on the NSW Central Coast here in Australia by a great fella with a real passion for the stick. Generally a single piece of Red Cedar (although he’ll use other timbers and laminates on request), each stick is custom made to order, although in general the measurements are roughly the same for each stick.
The care and craftsmanship is immediately apparent, with the stick lovingly smoothed and finished to perfection. The shape is beautiful, with an oval cross-section on the loom, a gentle shoulder and perfectly tapering blades. It is one of the most comfortable paddles I have ever used, sits beautifully in your hand, rolls well and is an all round fantastic paddle.
Best for: everyday and distance paddling
Supplier: Elver Paddles (Australia)
Different shaped looms across the GP range
Adanac Rock Garden Series Greenland & Storm Paddles (Canada) – 750 CDN per set
Made by master wood carver Jill Ellis in Ontario, Canada, the Rock Garden Series paddles were inspired by my regular breaking of paddles, and have been designed and built to with-stand the stresses a power-paddler like myself places on my sticks. The main body is made with quarter-sawn red Cedar with a very fine grain, and then tipped with Purple Heart, an incredibly tough South American hardwood which seems indestructable. The loom is a thick octagonal cross section that offers maximum strength and control over the paddle during sprints, whilst ensuring the paddle weight remains between your hands.
The paddle length on the full GP is the longest of my paddles and was determined according to my height, arm length etc. The storm paddle is the shortest of my paddles and fits perfectly on deck as a spare. The Purple Heart tips make the paddles a little heavier than my other GPs, but this is a small price to pay for the incredible resilience and strength. During some rock gardening sessions I’ve smashed these babies against rocks, concrete and oyster beds, with barely a mark to be seen on them!
Both the full length and storm length paddles perform beautifully. The storm requries a sliding stroke but is so easy to use that my paddling colleagues believe it is faster than the full length paddle! The shorter storm is also great for rock gardening as it is easy to use in tight places.
The paddles are beautifully oiled and have a rich warm smell to them, and come in custom made “paddle booties” to protect them in transit. Mine were also “pimped” with the Fat Paddler logo etched into the tips.
Best for: sprinting, rock gardening, rough treatment
Supplier: Adanac Paddles (Canada)
Comparisons: GPs, a Euro, kiddie canoe paddles
CohoKayak Greenlander Paddle (Australia) – 450 AUD
This is the first GP I ever used, and what lead to my passion for the stick. It is less traditional than the others reviewed here and more of a hybrid design, with a shorter length, wider blade and more pronounced shoulder. Made from laminated cedar and kiri, it is a solid stick with a fair bit of power, although the tips are not as well attached as I would like for rock gardening.
The loom has a nice oval cross section, which when combined with the pronounced shoulder leads to an easy grip with perfect blade alignment, which helps to reduce feathering for those new to GPs. The stick also feels solid and bouyant, and orients itself perfectly when rolling. The shorter length also means it can be stored on-deck as a spare and is easier to store and transport in general.
Best for: GP novices, cruising
Supplier: Sydney Harbour Kayaks (Australia)
The Final Say
I love all of the GPs for different reasons, but if I had to rank them I would put the Adanac paddles from Canada on top of the list, with the locally-made Elver a very close second. The Adanacs admittedly were custom made for me, are tough as nails, and complement my paddling needs perfectly. That being said, I did the 111km Hawkesbury Classic with the Elver because it is such a magnificent light-weight performance paddle, and being locally-made makes it far easier to order and ship. Both the Adanac and Elver paddles are superbly made, beautiful to the eye, and a delight to paddle. Cheers – FP
Tags: Adanac paddle, CohoKayak paddle, elver paddle, greenland paddle, Mitchell Paddle, paddle reviews
The magic of the tropics
As Team Fat Paddler were training hard for the upcoming Kayak for Kids paddling event, TFP paddler Grummett decided he’d take of with his family for three weeks of tropical bliss amongst the islands of Thailand. Despite our protests that he was slack and destined to be the fattest fat paddler on his return, he took off anyway promising to “get a few training paddles in”.
What a terrible place to paddle...
Grummett contemplates "a few training paddles". Yeah right.
Of course from what I hear, his holiday mainly involved eating, drinking beer and generally having way too much fun to call any of it training. But he did book in a days paddle amongst the islands of the National Marine Park west of Koh Samui with his wife and a group of other tourists.
Paddling amongst the islands
Paddling through caves
Look at that *cough cough* rough water. NOT!
Now just quietly, I can’t exactly see evidence of any strenuous training going on here! That being said, it’s hard not to be jealous of such a magnificently beautiful place.
Grummett trying to pose like Leonardo Dicaprio. You wish mate!
A familiar logo looking very much at home in the tropics.
Not much more to say, other than lucky bastard. Of course he wont feel so lucky when he finds out I crashed his car whilst he was away – haha! Cheers, FP
Thailand, a beautiful and spiritual place
Ahhhh, serenity....
Amber sunsets... awesome.
