100 Boats In 100 Days: Day 6 - SKUK (NDK) 'Explorer LV'

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Day 6 - SKUK (NDK) 'Explorer LV'

Most of the usual suspects assembled on the Aqua Adventures dock this morning for our weekly "Wednesday Morning Paddle". The unusually nice weather we've had the last two days didn't hold into today and we launched under an overcast sky with a bit of wind. When I drew a boat name from the hat this morning I first came up with a stand up board but put it back and drew again knowing I'd need a touring boat to keep up with this crowd. The very next pick put me in the Explorer LV from SKUK (formerly NDK). The Explorer's reputation as an expedition worthy kayak is world renowned. It's a kayak that I love and would certainly be on the top of my list if I had to choose just one boat to paddle. The low volume (LV) version of the Explorer is (not surprisingly) a bit tighter fit than I care for, mainly because the low front deck puts my legs in a straighter posture than I'm used to. Anybody probably 5'-8" and under 150 lbs or less should certainly give this boat a try, especially if they're considering multi day trips. I like the Explorer for it's handling and mainly because it just "feels" right. Folks say a kayak should fit like your favorite pair of blue jeans. For me that's exactly how the Explorer feels, like a worn-in pair of relaxed fit Levis. However, the Explorer LV, bit too small for me, feels like I'm wearing another person's favorite pair of blue jeans.

After watching my GPS this morning I discovered that it's not as fast as I had thought but I still cruised at 4.5 mph with ease. I may have to re-visit this kayak when I'm not chatting with all the people around me. Today's paddle on small wind chop hardly does this boat justice knowing from past experience that rough water makes this boat come alive.

Manufacturer = SKUK
Model" = Explorer LV
Material = fiberglass
Length =17' 8"
Width = 21.5"

Location = Mission Bay out the jetty and north to roller coaster
Time = 7:00 AM
Distance = 4.69 miles
Duration = 1:15
Avg. Speed = 3.7 mph (lots of talking on the tour this morning)
Conditions = Small wind chop and breeze

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What's this all about

I was inspired by a Southern California paddler, Mark Sanders, who last year managed to paddle one hundred days in one calendar year. Paddling an average of almost two days a week is quite a feet for the average person that has to maneuver around work and family schedules to find the time to paddle, and I was impressed. Late last year as Mark’s paddle reports number 94, 95, 96… came in on the CKF club e-mail list I got to thinking that because I live so close to the water and as a instructor/guide at Aqua Adventures I have access to an entire fleet of kayaks, canoes, and other paddle craft, there is no excuse for me to not paddle almost every day. So, on January first of this year I set out to paddle something every day. Not necessarily always a kayak, because of the nature of our fleet we have open canoes, surf skis, and paddle boards available too. I figured it’d be good to mix it up on a different craft now and then to broaden my skill level in those areas, and just to get a little variety. To keep myself honest I set a minimum time limit of one hour to be sure that I couldn’t just dip a blade and call it a day. By mid March I had only missed five days in the year and was on track to finish my first hundred days within a month.

As I paddled up to our dock one morning before our Southwest Kayak Symposium I eyed the huge fleet of boats and boards that we have pondering what an enormous chore it is to keep all of those boats floating, much less in top operating condition. Then a thought struck me that I could paddle a different boat every day for almost a hundred days just from what we have on the dock. A quick count from water level gave me an estimate of about 85 boats in our fleet of rental/demo equipment. Add a half dozen more demo boats in the store we already have about 90 boats that a person could paddle. After thinking about it for a bit my plan was hatched to try to do just that. – Paddle 100 boats in 100 days -- To add to the challenge I want to rule out any duplicate models of boats we have, meaning that I will be paddling 100 completely different boats (brand, model, material, etc.) during the 100 day challenge.

With so many boats in our fleet it’s a constant challenge to familiarize myself with the specs and performance of each boat. With experience one can predict what a boat will be like by looking at it but nothing compares to putting your butt in the seat and giving it a go. Throughout this endeavor I will be taking note of my experiences in each boat and sharing that info on this blog, kind of a mini review. Before anyone pays too much attention to my reviews they should remember that this is FAR from a scientific study. I won’t be paddling the same course in the same conditions to allow for a truly head to head comparison of each boat. More importantly, because not every boat is designed to fit me (height, weight, strength, experience, etc.) not every boat will perform as it might for a person that is the appropriate size and skill level. The truth remains that nothing, absolutely nothing, can take the place of paddling a boat for yourself. So, take my reviews for what they are (my personal experience and opinion) and use that to gain just a little more info about these boats, then get out on the water and give them a try for yourself. If you have tried out a boat I mention in this endeavor please feel free to share your experience with me via this blog.

100 Boats In 100 Days

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Day 6 - SKUK (NDK) 'Explorer LV'

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What's this all about

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