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Unlike with sit-ins, the hybrid’s hull is a<br />
sealed unit, almost like an elliptical ball.<br />
There is no gaping cockpit hole in the top<br />
deck which has to be sealed off at all costs<br />
with a sprayskirt and bulkheads, or a cockpit<br />
pod, to avoid flooding. Bulkheads are<br />
unnecessary in hybrids in respect to waterproofing<br />
or safety. The seat and leg indents<br />
in the deck prevent dry-bags from shifting<br />
out of reach. The paddler is also seated on<br />
the deck of the craft, so to speak, and does<br />
not step on the unsupported bottom hull of<br />
the craft. This means that the hull can be<br />
reinforced with foam and not only with layers<br />
of reinforcing cloth which add weight<br />
to sit-in craft.<br />
Seaworthiness of hybrids undisputed. The<br />
hybrid has all the well-proven sea worthy<br />
characteristics of sit-on classics like surfskis<br />
and waveskis, but also provide for the comfort<br />
and weather-protection of the paddler<br />
by the addition of a sit-in type sprayskirt<br />
coaming.<br />
The hybrid revolution is silently emerging<br />
in a variety of guises. The first K1 Olympic<br />
Class sprinting kayaks with seat indents<br />
rather than sit-in cockpits have appeared<br />
recently. These K1s are but two steps<br />
away from adding coamings and self-draining<br />
scuppers and becoming fully-fledged<br />
hybrids! Ocean Kayak in the USA has recently<br />
introduced a new range of sit-in kay-<br />
aks which have seat indents and coamings,<br />
rather than sit-in cockpits. Previously they<br />
produced a craft with a removable<br />
coaming. Now it’s a fully-fledged hybrid,<br />
bar one more step—a self-draining cockpit.<br />
PaddleYak’s hybrid Swifts and Fusions<br />
may well be paving the way forward. The<br />
credo of its owner and manager, Johan<br />
Loots, is that even the Inuits would have<br />
preferred such craft had they had the technology<br />
to build them! ❏<br />
© Ron Irwin is a freelance writer<br />
living in South Africa.<br />
Speaking of innovations, here’s a<br />
great new kayak that lets paddlers<br />
really connect with the environment.<br />
Clear Blue Hawaii makes this<br />
transparent hull from high-tech,<br />
impact resistant polymer. Weighing<br />
just 40 pounds, it gives you a<br />
window to the sea life beneath you.<br />
Web: www.clearbluehawaii.com.<br />
Ph: 808-832-2438 or 1-877-777-6708.<br />
Editor’s note: Despite the appeal of this photo,<br />
we do NOT recommend paddling without a life<br />
jacket, even in tropical waters. However, it has<br />
been pointed out to us that in big surf landings,<br />
if you were to capsize and need to dive to avoid<br />
being struck by a breaker—or possibly your own<br />
kayak—a lifejacket could be an impediment.<br />
Careful judgement based on experience with<br />
specific conditions is obviously crucial, but<br />
lifejackets are the first line of defence, and<br />
capsize/rescue situations must be practiced.<br />
December/January 2003 www.<strong>WaveLength</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.com<br />
2003<br />
Canadian Recreational Canoe<br />
Association (CRCA) Courses<br />
Finally, a nationally recognized<br />
certification program for<br />
amateur kayakers!<br />
• Recreational Courses & Exams<br />
• Intermediate Sea Kayaking Training<br />
– Level II (Tidal)<br />
• Advanced Sea Kayaking Training<br />
– Level IV<br />
• Instructor Training & Exams<br />
Basic, Level I, Level II<br />
• SKGABC Assistant Guide Training<br />
Courses<br />
WANT TO BE A GUIDE?<br />
Here is the first step. A 10 day<br />
course offered in partnership with<br />
Geophilia Adventures.<br />
For dates and prices, call us at 250-381-4233<br />
or check out our courses on the web at:<br />
www.oceanriver.com<br />
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