100 Boats In 100 Days: Search results for holo holo

Monday, July 6, 2009

**Day 81 - Necky 'Chatham 16' RM

If you're wondering what the asterisks (*) are about on the blog headings they represent how many other boats I paddled on the day I reviewed the boat in question. So two asterisks means I actually paddled three boats in three separate outings in the same day. I didn't start doing this until day 50 when I started to realize how many times I paddled more than once per day.

Today started early with a morning surf session up at Tourmaline with me in the Valley Storm and our new help around the store (Paul) in my Mega Airforce. After burning a lot of time searching for waves we stayed out as long as we dare returning back to Aqua Adventures just in time to pick up my student to start a two hour sea kayak surf zone lesson during which I paddled today's boat the Chatham 16 plastic. Later in the day I caught up with the San Diego triathlon club and paddled the Holo Holo SUP board as a support (sighting aid) for their workout swim in La Jolla.

The Chatham 16 has never overwhelmed me with its speed but it's maneuverability allows folks to handle rough water with ease. It's a favorite of mine to take along for surf zone training because it fits folks well giving them the body connection and confidence they need in the soup. Today my student opted for the Manitou 14 so I grabbed the Chatham 16 for myself knowing that it would allow me to make my demonstrations look easy. Many folks (me included I must admit) complain about how slow the Chatham 16 is. But as a friend (who happens to be a staunch supporter of Chathams) pointed out, if you were to compare the speed of a Chatham 16 to a Romany or Avocet (two other well known playful boats) you may find that it compares fairly well for speed.

Chatham 16 Review

Manufacturer = Johnson Outdoors
Brand = Necky
Model = Chatham 16
Material = Plastic
Type = Sea Kayak
Length = 16'-5"
Width = 22
Weight = 59 lbs.

Location = Mission Bay to South Mission (surf zone lesson)
Time = 9:00 AM
Distance = Approx 3 miles
Duration = N/A
Speed = N/A
Conditions = Breezy and partly cloudy

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

Monday, July 6, 2009

**Day 81 - Necky 'Chatham 16' RM

What's this all about

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