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Name: sara-bay

Most Recent Reviews

The Dicapac WPS10 Waterproof DSLR Camera Case is a phenomenal buy at only about $60. Pro waterproof cases can cost much more (even in the thousands) and this case provides room for your telephoto lens and has a hard, polycarbonate, UV-coated lens to ensure your pictures are sharp. It comes with a neck strap, too. It is a little awkward to use at first, but you get used to it. It can also be used underwater up to about 33'. This is the perfect low-cost solution to protecting your DSLR while kayaking or canoeing.

I live in Florida where it's HOT when you're out kayaking, and I sunburn easily. The Columbia PFG long-sleeve shirt with UPF 50 sun protection is light-weight enough to keep me cool yet keeps me from getting sunburned. This is a button-down shirt with 4 pockets in front plus 2 loops to attach gear. It has a mesh lining in the back, keeping you extra cool. It also repels water and dries very quickly. I love it!

I just purchased the Ocean Kayak Venus 11. My maiden voyage on it was a 4.5-hour kayaking course which put both me and my Venus 11 through our paces. I found the Venus 11 to be very responsive, quick through the water, and comfortable to paddle. Other kayaks I've tried put me too low in the kayak (or the sides were too high), causing me to bang my knuckles against the sides while paddling. This never happened on the Venus 11. Also, the higher sitting position makes it easier to see. The seat is comfortable,and the built-in foot braces worked well for me, at 5'3".

One thing that surprised me is that it was relatively easy to roll the Venus 11. Our kayaking class included instruction on recovering after rolling, and it didn't take much of a lean over the side to put me in the water. The good news is that even for a small woman of retirement age, the Venus 11 was easy to flip back over and get back on.

I am extremely happy with my Venus 11 and am sure it will give me many years of happy kayaking.

I'm new to kayaking and had only rented kayaks (and paddles) until I recently got my own gear. The paddle I selected was the AquaBound Stingray and I was absolutely amazed at what a difference a good paddle makes! The Stingray is light, strong, easy to use, well-made, and the standard size shaft fit my smaller hand just fine.

I am so glad I took the advice of folks on Paddling.Net to buy the best paddle I could afford. Rental paddles I had used hurt my hands, caused blisters, and aggravated my minor arthritis. I paddled for a much longer time with my AquaBound Stingray and the light weight shaft and blades left my hands feeling great.
Love it!

I'm new to kayaking and just got my kayak (an Ocean Kayak Venus 11) and the Malone Clipper cart. This cart is extremely easy to use, well-made, and light weight. As a small woman (5'3"), a maneuverable cart is key to allowing me to get my kayak safely and easily to and from launch spots. The Malone Clipper did the job very well.

My only problems with it are that it is easy to pinch your fingers between the kickstand and the cart braces, and for a newbie, it isn't initially clear which is the "front" and "back" of the cart. However, it only took a couple of uses to figure all that out, and it is now the perfect cart for me.

I'm new to kayaking and recently took a 4.5-hour kayaking course that included rolling my kayak, but I managed to roll it before we got to that part of the lesson! I had my smart phone and wallet (among other things) in the new Seattle Sports Glacier Clear Dry Bag I just purchased, but did not have it lashed to my kayak, so when the kayak rolled, my bag ended up in the bay for several minutes. Once I got the kayak righted and myself and all my gear back on board, I fearfully checked to see if my smart phone and wallet were okay. I was relieved to find that they were absolutely dry! I was sold, and I plan to purchase more bags from Seattle Sports for my future kayak adventures (as well as some leashes or clips to secure them on board my kayak).