The third company in the Seattle early '70s trio was Easy Rider, started by Peter Kaupat as a whitewater boat builder in 1970. You put in an order when you saw him.. The Intrepid is a very attractive kayak with a solid-feeling deck, smooth lines and attractive recessed hatches. Sea Birds & Sea Otter Pupping Season by Kayak: Elkhorn Slough. In fact, Otter owners indicate that its maximum capacity of 225 pounds can easily be pushed to 250 pounds without compromising performance or seaworthiness. . Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you! That was when we realized that we could be an industry rather than a bunch of guys in their backyards, said Henry. All Original Bronze Hardware, Including Bronze Auxiliary Motor Mount. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Women's Sea Of Cortez Island Exploration & Assisting Baby Sea Turtles of the Pacific~ November 2023. . Hull: 3/4-oz. Old Town followed up the success of the Otter by modifying it with models like the Old Town Otter XT and renaming it (and changing some dimensions) as the Old TownLoon. Only this faint stirring in the air remains: the whisper of ancients only a generation past. Canyon Lake is located in a National Recreation Area. nly this faint stirring in the air remains: the whisper of ancients only a generation past. This kayak opened my eyes to what is possible in a kayak. Many of the original manufacturersNecky, Current Designs, Tiekensold to larger American companies. This may be a good place to introduce yourself and your site or include some credits. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you! Old Town Loon kayaks include padded seats (the current models ACS2 seat is one of the best on the market) and dry hatches for storing gear for a day trip. Reviewers: Hung seat. It is fairly narrow (20") and has a V-hull that doesn't have much initial stability. The only problem I have had is that tiny coaming (16x22"). [The Intrepid] was very well balanced at the middle of the coaming (GL). cloth with reinforcements. The Sea Otter Series 500 sets the standard for touring kayak expedition capacity and high performance. The cockpit opening is large enough to get into butt first, then feet, for a quick cowboy rescue. In fact, prior to the first symposia at Port Townsend, all the big players mentioned on the Pacific side attended as presenters and boat reps. Thank you Kayak Connection! GET UPDATES It does a fine job of doing what it is designed for (KN). But others, like Steve Schleicher and Tom Derrer, are still at the helm of the businesses they started three decades ago. And kayaks entered mainstream media and mainstreamconsciousness. It seems quite capable of handing the work of cruising while it is also a quick and responsive day paddler. The overall feel was one of solidity and good craftsmanship (KN). The models included: the original Old Town Otter; the Old Town Otter XT; the Old Town Otter Sport; and the Old Town Otter Plus kayak. This boat is a Greenland, is fairly short, and has no skeg. 123 Main Street Standard Features:Bucket seat, foot braces, deck lines, bow line, three curved fiberglass bulkheads. The secondary stability is excellent. Hung seat. [ Paddling Buyers Guide: See all sea kayaks ]. The Old Town Otter kayak is best described as short and squat; its overall dimensions contribute to modest speed, excellent maneuverability and rock-solid stability. 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. 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). Jun 11, 2021. I didnt get involved until the mid 80s but have stayed involved ever since. The bulkheads are all curved panels of translucent fiberglass. The two tethered plastic hatch lids have rubber gaskets and are held in place with bungies. The Old Town Otter kayak is a great boat for the cottage, beach or campground, offering worry-free durability. They underestimated the cost of the move and were slow to lay off their 12 employees when the recession hit, said Lee Moyer. Get race and event updates delivered straight to you. GL and KN would find that the Low Profile Intrepid fits better, is more secure and is easier to lean and lay back on the roll. GL511, 165-pound male. Besides a user-friendly hull design, another big attribute of the Old Town Otter kayak is its bombproof construction. Bean in the East and REI in the West. The Intrepid is also available without the third bulkhead and hatch for several pounds and $150 less. I worried that when the previous owner retired, these kayaks would disappear. Kayaking with my Uncle in a kayak I built brings symmetry to my paddling journey. The original Old Town Otter model did not include foot pegs, a standard feature in all kayaks today (foot pegs are one upgrade included in the Old Town Otter XT). So thats why I bought NC Kayaks. The model is sea otter. . "I dream of being an hourly employee," he said. Start by adding foam to the seat, hip area and thigh braces to custom fit your body to the boata key modification if youre looking to paddle in moving water where good boat control is necessary. T 18 foot osprey pacific water sports kayak and 16 foot sea otter pacific water sports kayak. Closing hours changes seasonally. Kids between 5 - 14 years old are welcome to join a tour in a tandem kayak, and folks 14 and up can use a single. There isn't that personal involvement any more.". But more likely theyll just give you two halves, a deck and a hull, and leave you to do the dirty worka lot of hours with your head in the cockpit getting high off resin fumes (it is the 70s) and mucking around with fiberglass seam tape. 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). Two water tight storage hatches. Fast sea kayak that can be used for racing. Chris Cunningham took over Sea Kayaker magazine from John and I wrote a few article for them. 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. The Intrepid reviewed was not equipped with a rudder. The Southwest had its own kayak builder too: Josef Sedivec atEDA Products had been making whitewater racing kayaks and canoes since 1969 and came out with his first sea kayak, the Vagabond, in 1975. It is 22 feet long, very fast in the water, has a huge storage capacity, color is yellow on top with a white bottom. TE and GL both noted that the middle of the hull oilcanned when pressed hard, though not while afloat. 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. It is a big boys boat and it very stable. Excellent article, thanks for the great read! Slade worried theyd get scratched, and Neckar retorted, The first time people use them theyre going to get scratched.. It was heavy and rough. The boat sat on display for a whole summer at the Mountain Equipment Coop, back when the fledgling MEC was just a single shop in Vancouver, but found no buyers. Even though Uncle Paul was successful in surfing the Sea Otter to shore, the kayak was not unscathed. Straight keel line reduces yaw for more efficient paddling. Rudder is controlled by sliding adjustable footpegs. As the shock cord at the hatches ages and loosens, it can be easily re-knotted to tighten the seal of the hatches if leaks develop. Optional Layups:Kevlar. of gear. Lots of room for camping gear. Larger manufacturers make kayaks with less-durable materials, Lee Moyer said, and can sell them for a fraction of the price at G.I. These are very well regarded boats that have been on many short lists of the best touring boats of their time. Licht remains a key promoter of kayaking in the American Southwest. Pretty easy to manage in the wind I encountered. [ Paddling Buyers Guide: See all rotomolded plastic kayaks ]. 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. Uncle Paul again went searching for a better kayak. 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. 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. I went out and purchased an Eddyline Orca. I could get it on my rack without difficulty (KN). 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. 9:30am-1:30pm $75 children 8-17 years old can join us for $50 Book a private tour or review our Local Tour Dates Joe's and other large-scale retailers. Lots of room for camping gear. Simply put, the Old Town Otter kayak looks primitive alongside the creature comforts of the newer Loon. It has also been an enthralling world market since 1865 when John Magregors book 1,000 mile in the Rob Roy Canoe inspired the founding of not only the Royal Canoe Club in the UK, but the New York Canoe Club and many others in US and Canada. Someone in your paddling community has a fiberglass kayak mouldprobably at the local paddling club. 1. Pacific Water Sports had annual sales of about $1.25 million by 2000, said Lee Moyer, who has designed several models of kayaks and canoes. Designer Response Highway 1 Discovery Route is a destination in its own right! Sometime in 1981 or 1982, a group of would-be career kayakers met in Werner Furrers basement in Seattle and deliberately created it. Things got off to a slow start in the East. Slade operated Striders sport store at Fourth and Burrard in Vancouver and became Neckars first dealer, long before the formal existence of Necky. There is ample stowage in the three bulkheaded compartments, enough for weekend and week-long cruises. A good combination for maneuvering the boat (TE). This content was made possible with the support of OntarioCreates. Like any kayak, there are plenty of ways you can improve a basic Old Town Otter kayak. Dowd brought in folding kayaks from Europe and sold many of the new North American designs including Eddylines Orca, Pacific Water Sports Sea Otter, and Nimbus kayaks. If I dont have that slight tingle in my spine, the anticipation of whats to come, then its not the kayak for me. Prized for their light weight, dry storage carrying capacity, stability and speed. mat and 8-oz. Empty and with 100 pounds of gear. Location. As we returned to Clallam Bay, breakers appeared between us and the beach. However, any kayak will eventually start to show signs of wear. The first real glass sea kayak I recall being advertised in the UK was a glass version of an Angmagssalik about 1962, but the first I actually saw was Wessexs Sea Rapier about 1965. 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