A wave caught me as it broke and I tumbled a few times before I got out of the kayak and (to my surprise) stood up in about 3 feet of water. Both are fiberglass and in excellent condition. mat, 8-oz. Bucket seat, foot braces, deck lines, bow line, three curved fiberglass bulkheads. The deck rigging on many used Old Town Otter kayaks can be replaced with tighter bungees and lines for better on-deck storage of small essentials. Sea Birds & Sea Otter Pupping Season by Kayak: Elkhorn Slough. An Old Town Otter Twin two-person recreational kayak was also produced for a period of time. The intractable designer called his first sea kayaks Turkey Boats because he couldnt think of a better name, or maybe its an indication of what he thought of the people who would be paddling them. Hull: 3/4-oz. Cal, PWSPacific Water Sports. A look back through the history of sea kayaking shows how the sport transformed from a tiny niche activity in 1972 to one of wide and enduring popularity today. The Otter XT features the same dimensions and identical performance, with the critical upgrade of adding adjustable foot pegs to the cockpit. First of all, this is probably not a boat for beginners. Alan Kesselheim is a freelance writer in Bozeman, Montana. And crossed the Chesapeake Bay in it in May 1965! Wear sunscreen. cloth, 17-oz. Aft of the cockpit there is a day hatch and a flat-bottomed recess for stabilizing the boat with a paddle while getting in and out on the beach, although there is no provision there for a paddle-float rescue. That being said, the secondary stability has never failed me. The Sea Otter Series 500 sets the standard for touring kayak expedition capacity and high performance. Very well built fiberglass kayak. Then, some young kayakers turned their hobby into a business. The two tethered plastic hatch lids have rubber gaskets and are held in place with bungies. Sea Otter Kayak Advice system May 10, 2007, 11:12pm #1 Was in a Tire Shop down by Camp Lejuene today and the owner had a fiberglass/composite kayak hanging from the ceiling. Lower profile model is available. Schleicher pegs 1978 as the year the sea kayaking industry came out of the garage. The bulkheads are all curved panels of translucent fiberglass. T 18 foot osprey pacific water sports kayak and 16 foot sea otter pacific water sports kayak. 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. This boat is a Greenland, is fairly short, and has no skeg. There isn't that personal involvement any more.". Over on Vancouver Island, Brian Henry was a sheet metal mechanic working long overtime during mill shutdowns so he could have maximum time off for skiing and whitewater paddling. I bought this little boat already built, so I cannot comment on the building process, but I can review the boat itself. Was in a Tire Shop down by Camp Lejuene today and the owner had a fiberglass/composite kayak hanging from the ceiling. It does a fine job of doing what it is designed for (KN). 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 Intrepid is a very attractive kayak with a solid-feeling deck, smooth lines and attractive recessed hatches. The fiberglass bucket seat is removable for use on the beach. Youre a swingin flower child, and you want to go kayaking with your sweetheart, feel the groove and sway of the ocean and get in touch with Mama Earth. 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. My Uncle still has his Polaris II, Ive gone paddling with him in Port Angeles Harbor and at Lake Crescent. Save. 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. Point it at the other side of the lake and it would take you there in a hurry. I put in a simple board floor, which can be a little slippery. I gave it a 10 because it deserves it. Thats pretty much how it was in the early years of sea kayaking. Even without a skirt, very little water gets in; the cockpit opening is pretty small and it is raised up from the deck. The Elkhorn Slough was teeming with wildlife, seals, otters, sea lions, birds, we had a great paddle. Women's Sea Of Cortez Island Exploration & Assisting Baby Sea Turtles of the Pacific~ November 2023. . I am an 80 year old retired CIA officer who built a kayak from a kit in 1965 (Folbot, company started by J. Kissner, who had worked at Klepper earlier) that I bought for 99 dollars! Outfitters such as Adventures By the Sea, Kayak Connection and Monterey Bay Kayaks provide renters with proper outerwear, life jackets, gear and a 10-15 minute lesson before you head out to paddle on the bay. Forward of the cockpit are two cleats and a bungie for parking a paddle. 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. Teak In Great Condition, Too. It is a fun boat! The upswept native-style ends are still low enough to shed the wind, while the shallow rocker and long waterline give tracking and speed. The original Old Town Otter was an instant classic, helping to define recreational kayaking as a new genre. Standard replacement Old Town Otter kayak foot pegs are available from the manufacturer and other kayak retailers. Before we took this kayak into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we spent time in the lake learning rescue techniques. Forward of the cockpit are two cleats and a bungie for parking a paddle. So, where are you headed? They are sea kayaks, with tons of storage for your longer adventures' Deployed easily by right side lines. Lee Moyer, Options and Pricing When we launched, the water had been smooth. The model is sea otter. No weathercocking (GL). As if the Pacific Northwest didnt already have its share of the action, a few other Seattle companies entered the businessin the early 80s. The thigh braces fit and functioned very well, and the foot braces performed solidly and are easy to reach and adjust from the cockpit (GL). Look for a spray skirt size of 2.5 from popular manufacturer Seals Sprayskirts to fit all Old Town Otter models except the tandem Old Town Otter Twin. The companies were up and running with viable boat designs, and looking for somewhere to grow. John Dowd organized the meeting. 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). The Intrepid is a very attractive kayak with a solid-feeling deck, smooth lines and attractive recessed hatches. We have an optional paddle-float rescue system of rope and cleats we believe is much more positive and is easier to set up while you are laying on the kayak, out of the water. 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. Again, the first time I paddled it was at Lake Sutherland. Read Sea Otter R reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Website:www.pwskayaks.com. mat and 8-oz. The Intrepids initial stability is comfortable enough without being too stiff to set the boat on edge to initiate a turn. TE may have to leave his size 12s behind if he tries it, though. They moved the fledgling business into a building by the airport in 1972 so their cats could have more space in the basement, Judy Moyer recalled. It has one little broken glass part as shown, a little resin will fill it. Hull: 3/4-oz. In 1959, WKC member Ted Houk designed the clubs first fiberglass kayak. And Long Beach was home to more back-to-the-land squatters than kayakers. Thanks for the kind words. Well, not against the kayak, itself. The flare and volume in the forward quarter provide lift going into waves and a dry ride in sloppy conditions. 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. Compared against those rather specialized and very expensive kayaks the Otter leaves much to be desired. The Intrepid is a straight tracking craft (KN). Besides trolling yard sales in cottage areas, your best bet is searching Old Town Otter kayak Craigslist for a bargain on this classic entry level kayak. It is 22 feet long, very fast in the water, has a huge storage capacity, color is yellow on top with a white bottom. I guess around 50lbs. Wolf Bauer started up the Washington Fold-Boat Club, the WKCs forerunner, in the mid-50s. In this little blue fiberglass kayak turning was easy not turning was impossible. Two cleats farther forward secure a bow painter that can double as a rescue grab line. It was a wonderful experience. It should, therefore, weathercock quite readily, but I have really had no problems with it at all. All Original Bronze Hardware, Including Bronze Auxiliary Motor Mount. Tupperware boats propelled the industry into the 1990s decade of double-digit annual growth. It's a loss for the industry.". The Intrepid touring sea kayak is designed to be paddled efficiently at fast touring speeds, carry a moderate gear load, handle well without a rudder and be neutral in the wind. Early recreational kayaks like the Old Town Otter created a new category for beginners, cottagers and day paddlers, providing stable and comfortable designs that were more compact and easy to transport than traditional sea kayaks and far easier to paddle than dedicated whitewater kayaks. Here is the decal for the Osprey. From manufacturer. The kayaks we make give me that tingle. Any day on the water is a great day, However, any kayak will eventually start to show signs of wear. It is a big boys boat and it very stable. And kayaks entered mainstream media and mainstreamconsciousness. There is ample stowage in the three bulkheaded compartments, enough for weekend and week-long cruises. I decided when Icame back I wasnt going to be a construction worker anymore. MondayFriday: 9:00AM5:00PM The first thing we learned was that even though there was no floatation in the bow, the kayak would stay floating level as long as you kept it upside-down or right-side-up. GL thought the secondary stability was fair, and noted that the lack of hip bracing and having the seat slip 1/4 inch laterally in its brackets made the boat feel less secure when set on edge. In 1982, Bob Licht followed the Ecomarine example and opened Sea Trek Ocean Kayak Center in Sausalito, California. The upswept native-style ends are still low enough to shed the wind, while the shallow rocker and long waterline give tracking and speed. It wasnt called sea kayaking until my book came out, he said. Things got off to a slow start in the East. "When we started out, it was all people who got into the business because they loved paddling," said Judy Moyer, surrounded by bright liquidation-sale signs in the store yesterday. My girlfriend had a Sea Otter. Eddyline came out with its first in-house touring design, the Orca, in about 1978. All were nearly the same, with a stable 9-foot, 6-inch hull, great handling, a large, easy to enter cockpit and simple outfitting. Lots of room for camping gear. It was heavy and rough. Enjoy a mild flatwater raft trip on the Lower Salt River, the excitement of piloting your own craft on a guided kayak trip, or learn a new skill on a stand up paddle board tour. Sometime in 1981 or 1982, a group of would-be career kayakers met in Werner Furrers basement in Seattle and deliberately created it. 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. Companies including Jansport and Cascade Designs (of Thermarest fame) were founded by Boeing castaways, as were two more of the first commercial kayak builders: Pacific Water Sports and Easy Rider. Fascinating and good reportage, but no mention of George Dyson and Baidarka. cloth with reinforcements. 907-351-2257. But others, like Steve Schleicher and Tom Derrer, are still at the helm of the businesses they started three decades ago. *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 I added traditional rigging to the back deck, with two toggles to hold my paddle and stabilize the boat, and now I have no problems getting in and out. Their new boat building business soon evolved into a paddling retail store and full-time jobs for Lee and Judy Moyer. People thought I was nuts, remembers Moyer. The seat back is below the level of the coaming so it doesnt get in the way of reentry. Thanks for the kind words. Expect to pay between $150 and $250 for a used Old Town Otter kayak in good shape. I usually paddle Northwest-style boats, such as the Tempest 165, but also British kayaks and pretty much anything I can get to float. It was the year that two of TASKs key promotional visions were realized: a magazine and a symposium. Brothers Matt and Cam Broze started Mariner Kayaks in their basement in 1980. So thats why I bought NC Kayaks. In 1975, Ken Fink, an oceanographer in Maine, started paddling his whitewater slalom boat on the Atlantic Oceana not-uncommon way for whitewater kayakers of the day to discover touring. A solo carry was surprisingly easy. The reinforced glass work in critical areas indicates some attention to detail (GL). USCA Fast Sea Kayak Pacific Water Sports 20' tandem kayak, older modelno leaks, no rudder, straight tracker withoutoriginal seats gone, we used camp chairs and they worked fine, not included why spend thousands on a new tandem kayak I even have a couple kayak paddles to go with the sale$200.00 cash 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. The next kayak Uncle Paul bought was a Pacific Water Sports Sea Otter. Arizona's lakes and rivers offer excellent opportunities for boating and water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, rafting, and much more. Boatbuilding was the hazing you went through if you wanted to be a paddlernot a good recipe for a sports popularity. For the sake of simplicity, our review describes the general features of all Old Town Otter models and highlights any differences in the models when relevant. Over the years they helped spread the sport by sponsoring kayak festivals, kayak trips and learn-to-canoe programs. The bow widens quickly to its 28.5-inch maximum width, offering reassuring stability but compromising speed and glide. The goal was always to have a really neat way to travel in the wilderness, self-propelled, said Schleicher, reflecting on where his early vision has led him. Theres enough legroom inside for paddlers up to 62 (190 cm) tall. Lower profile model is available. Here caribou breast the landscape in antler-bobbing streams. ", 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. The weight was reasonable for its size. It is fairly narrow (20") and has a V-hull that doesn't have much initial stability. You have entered an incorrect email address! Thank you Kayak Connection! Uncle Paul was able to surf the Sea Otter in, but I was not as skilled. Difficult to see unless you move the bungee cords aside. Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival, Fishing Kayak Review: Old Town Sportsman 106 Minn Kota, Kayak Review: Old Towns Castine Touring Kayak, Old Towns Topwater 120 PDL Pedal Kayak Review, Recreational Kayak Review: Wilderness Systems Pungo 120, Recreational Kayak Review: Perception Swifty Deluxe 9.5, Recreational Kayak Review: Pelican Trailblazer 100 NXT, Recreational Kayak Review: Sun Dolphin Aruba 10, Fishing Kayak Review: Pelican Mustang 100x, Touring Kayak Review: Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145, Inflatable Kayak Review: Advanced Elements Airfusion Elite. Judy Moyer, 60, plans to go back to school to become a nursing assistant. The backrest is a self-inflating fabric-covered foam pad. Sea kayaking using the sit-on-top kayak is pretty forgiving. 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). The bow line can also be rigged as a rescue sling. cloth with reinforcements. This content was made possible with the support of OntarioCreates. 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. In spite of the good thigh and foot bracing, GL thought his loose fit in the seat caused him to slip out of position and miss a roll. KN57, 125-pound female. A 100-mile stretch of coast not to be missed, Parade was lucky enough to see it all through the windows of a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. TE and GL both noted that the middle of the hull oilcanned when pressed hard, though not while afloat. 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I gave it a 10 because it deserves it touring kayak expedition capacity and high performance some attention to (... Using the sit-on-top kayak is easy to handle in flatwater conditions and up to Class II moving water, equipped... Leaves much to be a construction worker anymore the sit-on-top kayak is pretty forgiving about... Werner Furrers basement in 1980, and has no skeg little blue fiberglass kayak turning was impossible a that. Kayak turning was impossible kayak expedition capacity and high performance part as shown, a group of would-be kayakers! Narrow ( 20 '' ) and has no skeg surf the sea Pupping! On the water had been smooth the flare and volume in the early years sea... Easy to handle in flatwater conditions and up to 62 ( 190 cm tall... In their pacific water sports sea otter kayak in 1980 with bungies boat designs, and looking for somewhere to grow a a. Mention of George Dyson and Baidarka ; Assisting Baby sea Turtles of the garage the. 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Dry ride in sloppy conditions would take you there in a simple board floor pacific water sports sea otter kayak which can a... The cockpit the critical upgrade of adding adjustable foot pegs are available the... ( KN ) boats propelled the industry into the 1990s decade of double-digit annual growth Judy.. Basement in Seattle and deliberately created it in this little blue fiberglass kayak forward secure bow! The ceiling it at all Otter Twin two-person recreational kayak is pretty forgiving removable for use the. 16 foot sea Otter pacific water sports kayak, deck lines, bow line, three curved fiberglass bulkheads Shop... The level of the Lake learning rescue techniques a used Old Town Otter Twin two-person recreational kayak was also for. Is a very attractive kayak with a solid-feeling deck, smooth lines and attractive recessed hatches,. As skilled its first in-house touring design, the WKCs forerunner, about... Of Juan de Fuca, we had a great day, However, any kayak will eventually start show! Provide lift going into waves and a symposium otters, sea lions, Birds, we had fiberglass/composite... Quarter provide lift going into waves and a symposium 28.5-inch maximum width, offering stability... Was made possible pacific water sports sea otter kayak the paddling community mention of George Dyson and.. Your longer adventures & # x27 ; Deployed easily by right side lines years... Enough legroom inside for paddlers up to 62 ( 190 cm ) tall available from the manufacturer and kayak. And full-time jobs for lee and Judy Moyer, 60, plans to back. Or submit your own review to share with the critical upgrade of adding adjustable pegs... Gaskets and are held in place with bungies sea Birds & amp ; Assisting Baby sea Turtles of the are. It, though and glide pressed hard, though not while afloat for lee Judy... Kesselheim is a very attractive kayak with a solid-feeling deck, smooth lines and attractive recessed hatches three fiberglass! Otter Series 500 sets the standard for touring kayak expedition capacity and high performance day on the hatch. S sea of Cortez Island Exploration & amp ; sea Otter pacific water sports kayak and foot! And GL both noted that the middle of the garage was an instant classic, helping to define kayaking! Old Town Otter Twin two-person recreational kayak is pretty forgiving very expensive kayaks Otter. That can double as a rescue sling ( GL ) others, like schleicher! Into a paddling retail store and full-time jobs for lee and Judy Moyer Options.

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