Boats, Kayaks and stuff

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Richard
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Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Richard » Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:55 pm

I think a kayak is a sea-worthy type of canoe, but how easy is it for a novice to hire a Kayak to paddle about in the sea?
Can you just hire - I assume you must know about handling it safely first and where would you learn?
In this hot weather it would seem heavenly to be able to paddle about, as long as the sea is calm.
Perhaps I should ask at the Life-savers hut near Pelham Place - or do the places which hire them have all the information?
How to recover from overturning springs to mind as a primary hazard!

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Richard
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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Richard » Tue Aug 01, 2017 7:00 pm

I found the answer to my question, can anyone take a kayak out and have fun, or do you need training, etcetera.
I noticed a bunch of kayaks for hire, half-way along 'Bottle alley' immediately below down on the beach today.
You don't need any training as the kayaks are simple shallow trays which don't close around the body, they are pretty stable and very buoyant and you won't get trapped if they capsize, which is highly unlikely given the structure of the chassis.
There are trainers who keep an eye on things and I am told it is easy to go out past the pier and even return back through the pier struts and it all looks fine!

I believe they are for rent at £6 / hour.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/calypsokayak/

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Geoff
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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Geoff » Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:12 pm

£6 per hour isn't bad, if I was a health conscious type I might even be tempted myself.

I've known a few mates get into Kayaking, buy the kit and use it for one summer. Then the interest wanes and it just takes up space in their garden - they eventually sell it for much less than they paid for it.

Seems to be a fad lots of people go through in Hastings, not me yet though :pirate:

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Richard
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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Richard » Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:04 pm

Hello Geoff,
I would have thought it much more of a leisure thing than a health-fad.
The other thing that intrigues me is having a bike that can recharge batteries and then assist pedalling uphill.
A sort of 'dynamo' that charges up when going along easy stretches or downhill.
I have seen a few about and am tempted, apart from the cost and I haven't seen any for hire.

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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Geoff » Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:20 pm

I guess we all have different ideas as to what classes as leisure. Sounds like hard work to me (but that's just me).

Electric bikes on the other hand is an interesting development in recent years. This place in Bodium is quite big in the scene... https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk

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Richard
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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Richard » Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:54 pm

Thanks v. much for that, Geoff!
A lot to take in - I will get back to you shortly.
As for the kayaking venture, it still strikes me as slightly scary, paddling about on the sea, even if it is perfectly safe I would feel nervous about taking the plunge and might well need some support / reassurance.
I would feel much safer in a group I could trust.
With a bike at least you are on 'terra firma' and there are no hidden currents or water depths to feel nervous about!
I am not talking about motion-sea-sickness thing with boating/kayaking but perhaps more like the vertigo you can easily feel when walking about on a roof, near the edge, with nowhere to go but down.
Okay, so bikes can serve a particular purpose, whereas kayaks are more for the sheer fun of it on a hot day in the summer! (perhaps) all things being equal.

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Richard
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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Richard » Thu Aug 03, 2017 12:40 pm

Moving on to Bikes:

I think for me, battery life would be important (obviously), range and the ability to charge batteries if pedalling or going down hill. Also it would be nice if the fact it was electric was reasonably subtle. Ie it looked pretty much like an ordinary bike to the casual glance. To be honest, having made a decision I think I’d prefer a second-hand one rather than a shiny new one, although I guess the tech is improving all the time. Actually, that’s a point, would you be able to swap the batteries for better ones as and when they are developed...?
:)

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Geoff
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Re: Boats, Kayaks and stuff

Postby Geoff » Thu Aug 03, 2017 4:01 pm

Battery technology will no doubt come on in leaps and bounds in coming years with all the car manufacturers having to move to electric and putting much of their R&D budget into the tech.

I would be wary about secondhand unless you know the history of the battery(s) that come with it, or at least have costed in the price of a replacement. Anything rechargeable won't last forever. Saying that, modern phone batteries seem pretty good and withstand a daily top up for many years.


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