2123 Central Ave, Colonie, NY (518)346-3180 I-87 Adirondack Northway exit 2W, then 4.25 miles west on Rt. 5 Between Albany & Schenectady. 1.5 miles east of Balltown Rd.
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BOATS IN STOCK KAYAKS: # = also available to rent. How we rank stability/speed/tracking/maneuverability/eskimorolling/whitewater(1=low 9=high)/1-9 skill range(1=beginner,3=novice,6=intermediate,9=expert) DAGGER MAMBA 8.5 - FLA - whitewater, lg paddler, 2008 - 6/2/2/8/8/9/3-8 # PYRANHA MASTER TG - ORA/YEL - 8'9", 32lbs, river running, skeg for flatwater - 6/2/5/8/7/7/3-7 DAGGER ZYDECO 9.0 - YEL, ORA, LBL, R/Y - 9'5" 38lbs, 220lb cap, can fit inside SUV/Van/Wagon - 8/4/5/6/2/3/1-4 # PERCEPTION PRODIGY 10.0 - ORA, YEL, BLU, BL/W - 10'L, 29.5"W, 43lbs, cockpit 23.5"x51.5", cap 275lbs - 9/4/5/6/1/1/1-3 # DAGGER APPROACH 10.0 - BLU - 10', hatch, skeg, whitewater(class1-3)/flatwater hybrid - 8/3/7/8/6/7/2-7 WILDERNESS SYSTEMS PUNGO 120 - MAN - 12', hatch, workdeck, new style hatch cover 8/6/6/5/1/1/1-3 WILDERNESS SYSTEMS PUNGO 120 ANGLER - out of stock - 12', hatch, workdeck, new style hatch cover, rod holders, anchor - 8/6/6/5/1/1/1-3 WILDERNESS SYSTEMS PUNGO 120 ULTRALITE - YEL - 12', 40lbs, hatch, new style hatch cover 8/6/6/5/1/1/1-3 SWIFT ADIRONDACK 12 - order now for spring delivery - 12'2", 26lbs, kevlar fusion - 8/6/6/5/1/1/1-4 # SWIFT SARANAC 14 SPORT - ORA - 14', 48lbs, 2 hatches, skeg, thermoformed Trylon - 5/7/8/5/5/2/2-6 Video # SWIFT SARANAC 14 SPORT - order now for spring delivery - 14', 2 hatches, HYBRID FUSION 38lbs; KEVLAR FUSION 34lbs 5/7/8/5/5/2/2-6 Video # P & H CAPELLA 163 - RED - 16'5" British sea kayak, fglass, skeg - 4/7/8/5/8/2/3-9 # WILDERNESS SYSTEMS TEMPEST 165 - order now for spring delivery - 17', 59lbs PE, 3 hatches, skeg - 4/7/8/4/8/2/3-9 # WILDERNESS SYSTEMS TEMPEST 165 PRO - order now for spring delivery - 17', 46lbs, 3 hatches, skeg, fiberglass - 4/7/8/4/8/2/3-9 # VENTURE AYR 165 - RED, BLU - 16'7"L, 23"W, 47lbs., fglass tourer, 3 hatches, skeg - 4/8/8/4/8/1/3-9 # DAGGER EXODUS 16.8 - R/Y/O - 16'8" sea kayak, rudder - 4/8/5/5/8/2/3-8 Review # WILDERNESS SYSTEMS TEMPEST 170 PRO - order now for spring delivery - 17', 3 hatches, skeg, fiberglass - 4/7/8/4/8/2/3-9 # DAGGER LATITUDE - BLUE - 17'4" fast fglass sea kayak - 4/8/7/3/8/1/3-9 Car-top your kayak the easy way: THULE CAR RACK with HULLAVATOR - $850 installed most 4 door sedans; $790 installed most vehicles with raised rails. Appointment required.
PADDLES: Werner Paddles , Aquabound , Harmony, Carlisle, Bending Branches. SPRAYSKIRTS & COCKPIT COVERS: Seals - made locally in Johnstown. ROOF RACKS: THULE - Installation available. STOHLQUIST - PFDs, Splash & Dry Wear CHOTA - Neoprene footwear, sandals, gloves. Also: KOKATAT - NRS - MTI - HARMONY - PRINCETON TEC - PADDLEBOY - YAKGRIPS - SEATTLE SPORTS - BENDING BRANCHES - FOXWORKS - MITCHELL & lots more.................. CANOE/KAYAK HYBRID looks like a canoe, paddle like a kayak: # BELL DRAGONFLY - out of stock - 12', 29"W (24" GW), 21 lbs, kevlar; essentially the Bucktail packcanoe but with shouldered flare, high back kayak style seat, footbrace - $1,917. Royalex: (37lbs $950).  CANOES: # BELL DRAGONFLY - out of stock - 12', 29"W, 21 lbs, kevlar; essentially the Bucktail packcanoe but with shouldered flare (24" gunwale width), high back kayak style seat, footbrace - $1917; also available in BlackGold (24lbs) & Royalex (37lbs $950). BELL MORNINGSTAR - CLR - 15.5', 37lbs, kevlar - BELL NORTHWIND - 17.5', Blackgold carbon/kevlar, wood gunwales - $3,299 MAD RIVER EXPLORER 16TT - GRN - 16' tandem, 82lbs, web seats, cupholders, PE, 2009 - Updated 3-9-10
CANOE OR KAYAK? THAT IS THE QUESTION. One can find a plethora of paddling destinations in the Adirondacks, some less adventurous, some more adventurous. Some folks might portage from pond to pond in the St. Regis Canoe Area, some might want to take on the whitewater of the Hudson River Gorge. Others may load up the gear and paddle out to a backcountry campsite on Little Tupper Lake or just bring along a fishing rod and poke around Thirteenth Lake. A few may want to do it all! There are many models of canoes and kayaks to choose from, none of which is perfect for all types of paddling. I am lucky that I own several canoes and kayaks and can use the one best suited to the task. When buying your first kayak or canoe you should pick a model best suited to the type of paddling you plan to do the most of. Your choice may change as you gain experience and skill so don't get hung up thinking that your first canoe/kayak will be your last. You might want to start with a general purpose canoe/kayak then with time other needs and preferences might dictate a different choice. There are many trade-offs in the paddling world. Weight vs price - lighter boats cost more. Speed vs stability - more stability, less glide. Tracking vs maneuverability - if it is easy to keep it going straight, it is hard to make it turn. Luckily there are compromises that can make most paddlers happy. Seaworthiness is a quality I regard highly in a kayak/canoe yet I don't often hear others giving much thought as to how a certain kayak/canoe handles in waves. If you paddle much at all on larger lakes (Little Tupper, Stillwater, George, Cranberry) then inevitably at some point you will have to deal with wind and waves. Most boats handle fine in placid water, some handle well in rough conditions. It is wise to acquire some paddling skills - take lessons, watch how-to videos and read books. Many years of trial and error make for an experienced paddler but less likely a skilled paddler. A good paddler in a lousy boat is better off than a lousy paddler in a good boat. Another major choice is whether to go tandem or solo. A misconception I often hear is that canoes are tandems and kayaks are solos - there are solo and tandem canoes and there are solo and tandem kayaks. Tandems are usually bigger and heavier than solos so if you go tandem make sure you have a regular partner with whom you have a good rapport. Two paddlers will generally go faster than one and an organized team can make for easier portages, one can carry the canoe and a small pack the other can tote a big pack and the paddles. Soloing offers more independence. Design and construction are beyond the scope of this article. Try to find a good dealer who is willing to spend the time explaining this stuff to you. Here, I will try to discuss the relative merits of canoes and kayaks for primarily flat water recreational paddling. KAYAKS Kayaking has become increasingly popular in the last decade and, at least in our neck of the woods, many more kayaks are being purchased than canoes. There are many reasons for this, one being that kayaks are often viewed as being sexier than canoes. Basic entry-level kayaks made of polyethylene are relatively inexpensive, one can be out kayaking for under $500. The use of a double-bladed paddle makes it easier (than single-bladed canoeing) for folks to achieve a basic level of competence. Most paddlers can go faster when using a kayak paddle and many people enjoy the feeling of being closer to the water. A kayak's low seat lowers the center of gravity allowing for more initial stability in a narrower boat - longer and narrower boats are faster than shorter and wider ones. A lower profile exposes less boat to the wind and one is less likely to be blown sideways. Kayaks equipped with skegs or rudders allow the paddler to use them to help stay on course in windy situations. Foot and thigh braces add more points of contact between boat and paddler which lead to more efficient paddling and better boat control. Although not all kayakers use them, sprayskirts can keep splashes out of the boat as well as help keep the paddler drier in rain. Most higher performance kayaks are rollable making for swift recovery after a capsize if the paddler has taken the time to learn this skill. Comfort may vary - manufacturer's are putting more effort into providing fancier seats with more adjustments but just because a kayak has a high seatback and thick padding does not necessarily mean it will provide the most comfort after a few hours of paddling. Note that most kayaks designed for performance and for going longer distances will have low seatbacks. Before buying it might be a good idea to rent your dream kayak and spend the day in it - many dealers will put the rental fee towards the purchase price if you decide to buy. Back problems are a common complaint as well as legs falling asleep. The former may be helped by readjusting the seat and the latter by adding under thigh support. People with existing conditions like bad backs, hips or knees should try renting to see how kayaking might effect those parts. Bad knees and hips can make it harder to enter or exit the kayak. With a little help and determination most folks should be able to get by. There are always better and worse ways of doing things - get a skilled kayaker to show you the better ways. CANOES One thing I love about the canoe is its simplicity. There are less parts to break or malfunction. Most people will find getting in and out of a canoe easier than a kayak When going over beaver dams or negotiating obstructions I can easily step into another part of the canoe, in a kayak I am limited to the cockpit area. A canoe will be lighter than a comparably sized kayak making for easier cartopping and portaging. Loading your stuff is also easier in a canoe and you also have greater access to your gear while on the water. Bulkier items fit better too. From the canoeist's higher postion one gets a better view downstream and over stream banks. For most people, it takes longer to reach a level of competence when learning to use a single-bladed paddle. A j-stroke just does not come naturally - how often do we see a paddler switching sides every 2 or 3 strokes. One will learn faster in a solo canoe but most of the canoes we see are tandems. Some paddlers use double-bladed paddles to power their canoes and often find themselves going faster. A double-bladed paddle is almost twice the weight of a single-bladed one and the arms may tire sooner from holding it up for a length of time. The single-bladed canoe paddle is often quieter. One has the option of sitting or kneeling in a canoe and can switch back and forth for a change of position. Kneeling puts the canoeist in a better position to control the canoe especially in less-than-perfect conditions due to having more points of contact between paddler and canoe. The kneeling position allows for better posture and is good for one's back although the knees or ankles might suffer - knee pads and some support under the ankles can help. For some reason, Americans seem to be predisposed to sitting. Sitting is not so good for the back and makes for less points of contact with the boat resulting in discomfort and lack of control. Some folks add seatbacks, most would be better off installing foot braces. HYBRIDS The most common hybrids in our neck of the woods are pack canoes. I think of the pack canoe as being more of an undecked kayak, an OK-1 (open kayak for 1 paddler). These have the look and shape of a canoe, will most likely have a low kayak-style seat and are paddled solo with a double-bladed kayak-style paddle. This combines some of the advantages of both canoes and kayaks: simplicity, light weight, ease of paddling (less technical skill is required). Foot braces aid in comfort, stroke efficiency and boat control although you will not find the added control found in kayaks with thigh braces. The most common pack canoes are in the 10' to 12' range but we are beginning to see some longer ones on the market with greater speed, seaworthiness and load-carrying capacity. Newer models are being offered with fancier seats due to complaints of discomfort that came with the rudimentary seats often associated with the pack canoe. Without a deck they are wetter in the rain and in a downpour the paddler could be sitting in a puddle of water. Drips from the paddle tend to end up in your lap. Ease of entry and exit falls somewhere between a canoe and a kayak. Most importantly, whatever gets you out on the water is good. What's right for me may not be right for you but if you are like me you will need a small fleet to explore the variety of waterways we have available to us in upstate New York and especially in the Adirondacks. If you see me on Lake Champlain (the Adirondack coast) I'll be in a kayak. If you see me on the Oswegatchie River above High Falls I'll be in a canoe. If you see me lounging in my comfy chair at a campsite on Lows Lake I've brought my canoe. If you see me paddling on the Cedar Lakes I may be in a pack canoe. If you see me cruising around Little Tupper Lake I could be in any of the above. See you on the water. ©2010 Rich Macha, Adirondack Paddle'n'Pole
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