Hi folks.
What are the best tow rope systems, for the price, for Sea Kayaking. I am thinking of the types that work that strap on like like a small hip belt pack, with a quick release.
And, or, how to make one at home?
Thanks !!
Tom Friedrichs
Sheboygan Falls, WI
waist tows
Northwater makes a good one.
Making one yourself is not that hard. Remember both ends (the bag and the biner) should float on their own. It’s amazing how many comercial offerings don’t do this. About 40’ to 50’ of 1/4" floating line is what you need. It is also beneficial to be able to chagne the length of the line depending on conditions. You can do this with a daisy chain and another small biner.
Good luck!!
Of the rigs I’ve seen and tried…
– Last Updated: Aug-02-04 9:20 PM EST –
...I like the Northwater Quick Release Rescue Tow the best, especially in its most recent incarnation. It's reasonably compact for the length of rope it holds, it deploys easily and it can be re-stowed rapidly. This last point is a REAL asset when you're using a tow rig in rough conditions. It's also easy to reconfigure it with a short contact tow in addition to the long rope.
Before you buy any rig, try deploying and stowing it in the store. If you can't do both with one hand, you're likely to have problems with it on the water.
If you want to make your own, this is as good a design as any to copy. I made a few additional modifications to my own rig and you can see them in one of my Webshots albums at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom
Feel free to copy them or not as you see fit. If you have any questions, post them here or drop me a line.