Rob Mousley

How about a ski made out of recyclable "green" material?  How about a 12.5kg ski that costs about 30% less than the equivalent in carbon, but with comparable stiffness?  No, it's not April 1!

Many paddlers use the Garmin Forerunner GPS/Heart Rate Monitors - but they do have a reputation for being somewhat delicate.  Perhaps the latest model, with its 50m waterproofing will be the answer.

When I lost my beloved carbon Fenn Mako6 at the end of a disastrous downwind, I took the opportunity to order a new carbon Mako Elite from Keith Fenn.  Hearing of my dire ski-less condition he delivered a new one very rapidly and I've been paddling it for the last couple of months.

Fredrik Lindström of Nordic Kayaks shared with us some of the thinking behind their new Fusion surf ski.  Following sea trials of the hull, the design has been finalized and the plug is being machined even as I write this.

Most of us know the sadness and despair of breaking a ski, and usually the pieces are consigned to a dumpster.   But when Dale "T-bone King" Lippstreu smashed his new Fenn Mako Elite Double recently at the end of a downwind paddle, he met the challenge full on.

It has been my good fortune to have an Epic V10 Ultra to paddle for the last month - and it's been a treat. 

"A superfast ski... stable for accomplished paddlers."  That's how Think CEO Daryl Remmler describes the new kid on the Think Kayaks block - the Think Uno.

"We're taking the team up to Mauritius to test the new boat," said Epic Kayaks CEO Charles Brand. "Would you like to come?" 

And so three days ago I found myself on an Air Mauritius flight from Cape Town, heading towards the tropical paradise of the "Ile Maurice".

During September I was lucky enough to have a brand new Custom Kayaks Synergy surfski to play with while its owner Billy Harker was overseas.  Thanks Billy!  This is what I found.

The latest in the highly popular Garmin Forerunner series is the 405. How does it stack up against its predecessors – from a paddling perspective?