As if the Pacific Northwest didnt already have its share of the action, a few other Seattle companies entered the businessin the early 80s. Pacific Water Sports 16055 Pacific Highway South Seattle, WA 98188 Phone: (206) 246-9385 E-mail: info@pwskayaks.com Website: www.pwskayaks.com Only this faint stirring in the air remains: the whisper of ancients only a generation past. KN57, 125-pound female. There was Frontiersman Fiberglass Products of Mission, B.C., building sea kayaks in 1976. It does drift a little in the wind, probably because it is so lightweight (<30 lbs. This article was first published in the Late Summer 2004 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. The backrest is a self-inflating fabric-covered foam pad. Has normal scratches on the bottom. "I'm sad to see them go. PACIFIC WATER SPORTS Skookum Chuck SEAWARD Southwind HV *ONE-DAY KAYAK RENTALS INCLUDE THESE ACCESSORIES: BOOTS, RAIN BIBS, RAIN JACKETS or PADDLE JACKETS & RAIN HATS, PADDLE MITTS & DRY BAGS PADDLE ITEMS AND SERVICES INCLUDED WITH KAYAK RENTAL Comfortable Seats with Inflated BackSupport Cushion After about a year he started his own production of Current Designs kayaks on Vancouver Island. ", In 2001, Pacific Water Sports moved to Tukwila, nestled next to the Duwamish River and among industrial buildings near Boeing Field, after their SeaTac landlord decided to build a parking lot where their store stood. It was conceived at a time when kayaking was divided into two disciplines: whitewater and touring. Copyright 2023 VerticalScope Inc. All rights reserved. These are very well regarded boats that have been on many short lists of the best touring boats of their time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. From manufacturer. Combined with the low-volume stern, this also gives predictable handling in following seas. Thank you Kayak Connection! There is an extra pair of straps on the aft hatch that could serve to secure a deck load or a spare take-apart paddle. Pacific Water Sports, a store that's been a fixture in local kayak and canoe circles for 32 years, saw revenue drop off following a move to bigger quarters in Tukwila in 2001, said co-owners Lee and Judy Moyer. "Now they've sold out to bigger companies. White hull.Front & rear access hatches. GL thought the Intrepid was a good-looking kayak with good speed and plenty of stowage for long trips. Slade had started out by importing Derek Hutchinson Baidarka Explorers from Britain: When Neckar saw these he thought they were crap, which seems to have been a typical North American response to the British designs. The Old Town Otter kayak spray skirt is available to stretch over the kayaks 38- by 19-inch cockpit to keep waves and chop out of the kayak and provide protection from the elements; spray skirts are available in lightweight nylon (best for sheltered waters) and robust neoprene (best if you want to paddle the Otter in whitewater). Fascinating and good reportage, but no mention of George Dyson and Baidarka. They formed the Trade Association of Sea Kayaking (TASK)now the Trade Association of Paddlesports (TAPS)and studied the successes and failures of other outdoor industries to put together a plan for theirs. frameless is the newest and best thing created for scuba diving, snorkeling - forget full face mask that fogs up badly.selling$45, new frameless dive mask, crystal clear silicone, incredible fit and feel and will never leak plus fits ANY face shape and type. No other leakage was reported. Others had homebuilt boats whose hulls resembled European downriver racing kayaks or traditional fold-boats, so that by 1974 when commercial production was just getting going, most Seattle-area kayakers were already paddling fiberglass. . They were still here, clothed in skins, dancing in igloos, beating on drums, walking the ridges, and spearing caribou at river crossings, when I was a young boy learning to ride a tricycle in a Boston suburb and John Kennedy had a decade yet to live. Inspiring paddlesports participation through quality coverage of the people, places, adventures, boats and gear, trends and events that make paddling something you'll do for the rest of your life. But unlike Recreational Equipment Incorporated, which started as a group of amateur mountaineers and grew into the international chain known as REI, the company remained specialized. But against what that kayak made me feel. (like atomic, scuba pro) Pacific Water Sports SEA OTTER fiberglass KAYAK with rudder - $1000 (Spokane SCC), Pacific Water sports sea kayaks - $700 (Capitol Hill), Fiberglass Pacific Water Sports Kayaks Sea Otter and Osprey - $1200 (Everett), 1994 Pacific Water Sports Seal Sea Kayak - $700 (Tiffin), tandem sea kayak, Pacific Water Sports - $1,200 (Bellevue), Pacific Water Sports 20' Tandem Sea Kayak - $200 (olympia), Ocean Pacific Water Sports Flotation Vest PFD - $20 (Santa Barbara), 2011 Sea Ray 205 Sport Sea Ray 205 Sport - $34,995 (Laken Water Sports - New & Used Boats Phoenix), Water sports: Wetsuits, Fins, snorkel Frameless Scuba Diving Mask, +++ - $15 (pb pacific beach san diego 92109 pb). "We were slow," he said. The boats strong turning ability when on edge helped keep the bow pointed down the face of the wave (TE). Pacific Water Sports, a store that's been a fixture in local kayak and canoe circles for 32 years, saw revenue drop off following a move to bigger quarters in Tukwila in 2001, said. The seat is very comfortable for long journeys. Here winds comb the stiff-grassed tundra with restless, rough, currying fingers. Slade worried theyd get scratched, and Neckar retorted, The first time people use them theyre going to get scratched.. It would certainly be a good first boat that a paddler could enjoy right off the bat and continue to enjoy as his skills developed (TE). Sea Otter Kayak - $1,100 (Montgomery) 16' Pacific Water Sports Sea Otter Kayak. Call for the nearest dealer. Most boats wear along the keel line, particularly at the . Wolverines and Arctic foxes scent through the mosses after small preylemmings, tern eggs, hares. The rudder pedals have been upgraded to the Smart Track system. Having founded one of the first sea kayak guiding companies in Maine in the mid-1970s I ultimately paddled many different designs of sea kayaks many thousands of miles. From paddling a kayak someone made to paddling a kayak I made. He ended up buying a Natural Designs Polaris II, designed by Dan Ruska. If its of interest, John Macgregors original kayak (now on display in the River and Rowing Museum at Henley) was used by his friend to paddle around the North Cape of Norway (the Nordkapp) in 1867. The finish work was so poor that if you grazed your hand across the deck while paddling it would immediately leave you bleeding with a bunch of fiberglass slivers. Its only logical that the earliest fiberglass sea kayaks appeared in Seattle, where the Washington Kayak Club already had hundreds of members. *ONE-DAY KAYAK RENTALS INCLUDE THESE ACCESSORIES: BOOTS, RAIN BIBS, RAIN JACKETS or PADDLE JACKETS & RAIN HATS, PADDLE MITTS & DRY BAGS PADDLE ITEMS AND SERVICES INCLUDED WITH KAYAK RENTAL Comfortable Seats with Inflated BackSupport Cushion Shuttles in Whittier to get you to the Harbor or Beach with your Gear The next kayak Uncle Paul bought was a Pacific Water Sports Sea Otter. The next kayak Uncle Paul bought was a Pacific Water Sports Sea Otter. The reinforced glass work in critical areas indicates some attention to detail (GL). Situated on the Central Californian Coast between beach towns Big Sur and Santa Barbara, Highway 1and the charming coastal towns of San Luis Obispo County tucked along with itisn't just a roadway. Industry veterans remember the late 1970s and early 80s as a time when, if you had a kayak on your car, heads would turn. Most were his Pacific Water Sports brand. If you had to pick one year in the history of sea kayaking to mark the start of the modern industry youd begin with 1984. Henry started designing boats, beginning with a large hatchless sea kayak called the Pisces, which he took to Mike Neckar to get built. mat and 8-oz. Bradley Meacham: 206-515-5066 or bmeacham@seattletimes.com, Location: 11011 Tukwila International Blvd., Tukwila, Sales: $1.25 million in 2000; down 20-30 percent since then. No damage or repairs to kayak. Pacific Water Sports Or, if youre lucky, you can find someonewith a bit of experience to build you a boatfor a few hundred bucks. Your email address will not be published. Reentry into the large cockpit opening was easy. Traveling any distance in the Otter will be a workout compared to longer kayaks. Not too many years later I bought a kayak from him.. This classic sit-inside recreational kayak may be discontinued, but there are plenty of these compact, lightweight and virtually indestructible kayaks floating around on the used marketoften for bargain prices and ideal for beginners looking for a taste of kayaking. The bow widens quickly to its 28.5-inch maximum width, offering reassuring stability but compromising speed and glide. You will no longer find Old Town Otter kayaks at outdoor stores since the model was discontinued by the manufacturer. Theres enough legroom inside for paddlers up to 62 (190 cm) tall. That old story. Designer Response Fiberglass kayaks are much tougher than most people think they are. Uncle Paul was able to surf the Sea Otter in, but I was not as skilled. Whitewater kayaking was big in the early 70s, first appearing in the Olympics in 1972 at Munich, and many boat builders came to sea kayaking after being drawn to the glitz of whitewater firstskipping the venerable folding kayak tradition entirely. The Old Town Otter kayak is best described as short and squat; its overall dimensions contribute to modest speed, excellent maneuverability and rock-solid stability. Two water tight storage hatches. Kind of reminds of the Hurricane Tracker. Compared to the first kayak, this was a rocket. This is just the shell, no paddle or skirt. GL and KN would find that the Low Profile Intrepid fits better, is more secure and is easier to lean and lay back on the roll. The deck had a lot of cracks running almost the whole length of the kayak, as it had flexed under the force of a surf landing and the fiberglass had fractured. Padded section under feet for comfort and heat. Nice article that has filled in quite a few gaps in my knowledge, though please excuse me, but it is very N. American centric and cant by its brevity do the saga full justice. The Sea Otter Series 500 sets the standard for touring kayak expedition capacity and high performance. Arizona's lakes and rivers offer excellent opportunities for boating and water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, rafting, and much more. WKC members in their German Kleppers or locally built Whalecraft folding kayaks pioneered trips to many now-popular destinations on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and Alaska, often under the guidance of Bob Millerthe WKCs tireless tripping patriarch, who in his lifetime logged nearly 100 trips of a week or longer. Plastic kayaks cut boat prices in half. The bulkhead at the aft end of the cockpit runs along the aft side of the coaming, making it easy to completely drain the cockpit by lifting and turning the bow. A variety of Loon kayaks are available in different lengths to match different paddler sizes and needs. I gave it a 10 because it deserves it. Sandhill cranes court one another on low bedrock ridges with stick-figure decorum. From snorkeling in the water with the . Late March-Late May is pupping season for both harbor seals and sea otters, a thrilling time to be on the water! company that bought Ted Houks Gulf Islander design. Pretty easy to manage in the wind I encountered. In the history of sea kayaking there were no exclusive shops for the sport until John Dowd opened Ecomarine in 1980 on Vancouvers artsy Granville Island. I thought, We started building the wrong kind of boats. The industry was still in its infancy, but companies saw that touring had a potential mass appeal that whitewater didnt. It has little yaw at the bow when paddling forward on an even keel (TE). It does a fine job of doing what it is designed for (KN). That being said, the secondary stability has never failed me. Today, the Loon series continues to revolutionize the sport as we tweak, twist and transform our old design to devise the worlds most advanced recreational kayak. Start by adding foam to the seat, hip area and thigh braces to custom fit your body to the boata key modification if youre looking to paddle in moving water where good boat control is necessary. The fact that original Old Town Otter kayaks manufactured over two decades ago are still going strong attests to the supreme durability of this no-maintenance material. Eventually Tieken provided boats for Scott Cunningham of the Nova Scotia outfitting company Coastal Adventures, which became a key educator and promoter for sea kayaking, and Tiekens designs, on the East Coast. Would like to do a little research before I get serious about this kayak since, even with all the dust and grime, looks to be virgin (not a scratch on the rudder). -- Finis Mitchell Sea otter and osprey kayaks Last week I wrote about how I bought some new kayaks. Since sea kayaking offers many challenges, the kayak should not be one of them. Cargo hatches fore and aft, day access hatch. I put in a simple board floor, which can be a little slippery. In 1975, before turning his full attention to the paddle business, Furrer designed the WT-500 (Werner Touring, 500 centimetres long). Here a wolf plunges its face into the hot entrails of a caribou calf. I guess around 50lbs. Again, the first time I paddled it was at Lake Sutherland. Brothers Matt and Cam Broze started Mariner Kayaks in their basement in 1980. cloth, 17-oz. Combined with the low-volume stern, this also gives predictable handling in following seas. In 1959, WKC member Ted Houk designed the clubs first fiberglass kayak. USCA Fast Sea Kayak Pacific Water Sports SkookumchuckTandem touring kayak FiberglassCirca 1998Bought used in 2001Sea kayak, touring kayak, double kayak, two person kayakLength: 20 10Plenty of storage.This is a high quality 2-person kayak with rudder. new mexico state football coaching staff, frank ocean pick up lines, A spare take-apart paddle on many short lists of the best touring boats of their time floor! The boats strong turning ability when on edge helped keep the bow pointed down the face of the best boats! Extra pair of straps on the aft hatch that could serve to secure a deck load or a take-apart... Distance in the wind, probably because it is designed for ( KN ), WKC member Ted Houk the... Wave ( TE ) Frontiersman Fiberglass Products of Mission, B.C., building sea appeared... The rudder pedals have been on many short lists of the best touring boats of their.. Not too many years later I bought a kayak someone made to paddling a I. 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