I visited the annual Northwest Paddling Festival yesterday and saw some great new gear. If you haven’t been, the festival is held this time each year at Lake Sammamish State Park and is an amazing opportunity to test a wide variety of stand up paddleboards, kayaks and canoes. This year you could try out boards from Bic, Red, Bote, Aquaglide, Amundson and many, many more manufactures. Here are a few items that caught my eye.
New NRS inflatable paddleboard line
NRS has completely updated their line of inflatable paddleboards for 2017 and have 15 different designs to choose from. They are stronger and more durable than many inflatable boards and less “spongy” than their previous models. I took the 12’6” model out and was impressed with the stability and how maneuverable it was for a board of that length. The whole line looks great and would be great on rivers, flatwater and I was told surfers have had good luck riding waves as well. |
Kokatat Orbit Tour PFD
This PFD caught my eye because of its extremely low profile (i.e. stays out of your way while you are paddling). A closer look revealed two different pockets, each with an attachment loop inside. I carry a lot of gear around in my PFD so I love the two pockets but the attachments are priceless. If you are out on the water and reach in the pocket for your energy bar or GoPro, you don’t want your car key and/or safety gear all falling out while you are grabbing for those other items. A well thought out PFD. |
Aquaglide Evolution paddleboards
Aquaglide is traditionally known for their inflatable products that range from paddleboards and kayaks to large commercial aquapark installations. So I was surprised to see a really sharp looking epoxy hard board sitting next to their display tent. I took the 11’6” version of their Evolution line out for a spin and was impressed with the stability. It’s not the fastest or most maneuverable but with prices under $1000 this would make a great first board for a beginner. Did I mention how cool looking they are? It's a great design and great color scheme. |