Rob Mousley

We did an article a couple of months ago on cool paddling gear - here's the second of the series.  We'll continue to put together these reviews of Cool Kit...

Manufacturers! Send us cool stuff, we'll review it and post our findings on the site!

I just reorganized my collection of paddling gear - here's a list of what I use...  Some of it's really cool stuff - some of it's just practical.  What do you use?

 Garmin have released a new version of the Forerunner series of wrist mounted GPS units that have become popular with paddlers. Like their predecessors (the 101 and 201) they come in two models: the Forerunner 205 and the Forerunner 305. The 305 combines a heart-rate monitor with the GPS functionality of the 205.

The safety rules for the Cape Point Challenge state that "all competitors shall carry flares or a cell phone in a waterproof pouch..."  SAMSA also mandates that all small craft should carry them.

But where can you buy them and do they really work?

The Aquapac range of waterproof pouches are ideal for carrying keys, cell phones and whatever else you want to keep safe while you paddle.  They're available from Paddlers.co.za, Coastal Kayaks, Brian's Kayaks and other boating shops in Cape Town.

For more information see: http://www.aquapac.net/  

The Forerunner™ 201 offers athletes an easy-to-read display, ergonomic wristband, and integrated GPS sensor that provides precise speed, distance, and pace data. It's a compact, lightweight, accurate training assistant with performance tracking, auto-lap, auto-pause and more. The Forerunner 201 is easy to use right out of the box and delivers the benefits of GPS technology at an affordable price.

Get results in a heartbeat with the Forerunner® 301. This training partner continuously monitors your heart rate, speed, distance, pace and calories burned so you can train smarter, more effectively. 

“I simply could not believe it,” said an aghast Jarad Kohler.  “One minute the guys were keen to paddle; the next I had a mutiny on my hands so I said ‘Stuff it, we’ll take the train instead’.”

Surfski.info runs on an open-source software platform called Joomla. Some while ago, Joomla moved from version 1.0 to 1.5. It’s time for us to follow suit and we’re going to be working on the upgrade over the next couple of days…

{mosimage} 

[Editor: Here's a story just in from Sydney, Australia, that illustrates just how important it can be to carry a communications device when paddling offshore.  Well done to Dale Jackson and Steve Randall for having a mobile phone that they could summon help with when they got into trouble.]