I NEED a Paddle Float and I want the best one available, I need some recomendations !
Thanks
NRS
Paddle primarily on large lakes in the Adirondacks and on the St. Lawrence River in the Canadian Thousand Islands.
I use the NRS Foam Paddle Float April, May, October and November - think of how fun it would be to try to blow up a balloon twice in 40 degree Fahrenheit water.
Rest of the time I use the NRS Sea Kayak Paddle Float.
During periodic rescue prcatices, both types of paddle float have worked well.
http://nrsweb.resultspage.com/display.php?p=Q&ts=custom&w=paddle+float
For the record: over the years the staff at NRS has been very informative and a delight to do business with.
Gaia Big Swell
Our 100 plus temperatures have made all outdoor activities problematic, so we have paddled this weekend intending to get wet! Two days dedicated to dump and re-entry.
I used my well designed Gaia Big Swell. It attaches quickly and simply to the paddle. It inflates in three puffs each side. It does not hold water between the two chambers. It has self-closing valves. It detaches from the paddle easily. Expensive, but the best I have used.
Our Harmonys are about ten years old
and although faded from the sun are still perfect.
- go through the drill at least one day every season.
Hopefully Harmony is still around.
cheers,
JackL
If I lived and paddled in cold water
I would most definately have a solid paddle float.
Just for the essence of a few seconds saved.
Cheers,
JackL
Northwater Sea-Tec
Hi Marshall,
Yellow or Red. Paddle entry and attachment from either side. Reflective trim. Heavy denier nylon. Rather handy breaktime seat pad, beats sitting on wet rocks.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
Pros and cons
If you paddle in conditions where you don’t mind swimming around and holding onto the boat with a leg while you blow up an inflatable float, those have the advantage of being more compact and can stow behind your seat. Their advantage is that, once inflated, they have a boadacious amount of floatation.
If you just want to clip the tow on, do the paddle-float re-entry ASAP, or paddle into cold weather where lingering in the water to inflate things is a bad idea, go with the foam float (I prefer the Northwater). Those have the disadvantage of having to tie up space on the deck.
Doesn’t tie up space
Put the solid foam paddle float over your front hatch. Easy enough to get to when you’re in the water. Chances are you’re not using the hatch when paddling. If you are I want pictures of the gymnastics.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
Coulda had a V8!
Good idea. The time I was using the foam float (I went to an inflatable after I had rolled up a couple of times in an unplanned capsize), it never occurred to me to put it that far forward.
Doh!
the problem is storage
where does that sucker go?
Under a bungee on the back deck
Cheers,
JackL
Which foam paddle float
will work on a gp?
Northwater Sea Tec
… sleeve is snug enough to hold a gp blade.
Seen it done, played with it myself. Looks like an oversized popsicle. Works though.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
Why Not both
Over time at least, one tends to accumulate a bunch of gear anyway, and having an inflatable behind the seat with a foam on deck wouldn’t be so bad. They are not expensive, and when it comes to rescue, backups are not a bad thing.
That’s my two cents,
Lou
Get a float but work to learn rescues…
…and recoveries that do not require a paddlefloat. In calmer conditions, a cowboy rescue will get you back in the boat much faster without any extra equipment–these are difficult with your standard ‘US designed’ high rear deck boat. (Get a low rear deck boat if need be–hi-volume boats made for camping and hauling gear are often not the safest choices when it comes to some of these recoveries and rescues.) In more difficult conditions a reenter and roll rescue is a good option. Learn to roll–the best recovery. Learn skills. Learn, learn, learn.