This article was first published in the Late Summer 2004 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine. Desert Voyagers offers fun guided river trips in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. The models included: the original Old Town Otter; the Old Town Otter XT; the Old Town Otter Sport; and the Old Town Otter Plus kayak. Beans Maine symposium in 1988. Leave it on the dock, drag it over rocks or store it in a snowbank for the winter: regardless of the abuse, the Otter kayak will come back for more. Sandhill cranes court one another on low bedrock ridges with stick-figure decorum. The Otter is made from rotomolded polyethylene plastic. Forward of the cockpit are two cleats and a bungie for parking a paddle. And kayaks entered mainstream media and mainstreamconsciousness. Simply put, the Old Town Otter kayak looks primitive alongside the creature comforts of the newer Loon. This is a lovely little boat. Day trip in calm conditions. However, the flipside of short length is a lack of speed and glide, and the Otter is no exception. We have an optional paddle-float rescue system of rope and cleats we believe is much more positive and is easier to set up while you are laying on the kayak, out of the water. Deck: 11/2-oz. The original Old Town Otter model did not include foot pegs, a standard feature in all kayaks today (foot pegs are one upgrade included in the Old Town Otter XT). 16055 Pacific Highway South The staff helped us into our kayaks and off we went to explore. [The Intrepid] was very well balanced at the middle of the coaming (GL). I was 12 and Uncle Paul had picked up an old fiberglass kayak that wasnt made by a company. TE may have to leave his size 12s behind if he tries it, though. Both are fiberglass and in excellent condition. Plastic kayaks cut boat prices in half. We were greeted kindly, filled out our paperwork quickly and then were outfitted and briefed efficiently. All were nearly the same, with a stable 9-foot, 6-inch hull, great handling, a large, easy to enter cockpit and simple outfitting. I remember the first symposium and later ones as well, having been a presenter at several. Extruded vinyl hull/deck seam glassed inside. There were a few early builders, including Bart Hathaway who in 1975 licensed a fiberglass touring design to Old Town Canoe. The bulkheads are all curved panels of translucent fiberglass. Bradley Meacham: 206-515-5066 or bmeacham@seattletimes.com, Location: 11011 Tukwila International Blvd., Tukwila, Sales: $1.25 million in 2000; down 20-30 percent since then. KN found the boat easy to get going and maintain moderate speed. GL thought it moderately fast. For TE, it seemed to be capable of a brisk cruising speed and a respectable, though not extraordinary sprint.. The fit encourages a feeling of stability (KN). The weight was reasonable for its size. Now there were 5-6 foot waves breaking about 30 yards from shore. The two tethered plastic hatch lids have rubber gaskets and are held in place with bungies. About. I went out and purchased an Eddyline Orca. Wolverines and Arctic foxes scent through the mosses after small preylemmings, tern eggs, hares. No other leakage was reported. The Intrepid touring sea kayak is designed to be paddled efficiently at fast touring speeds, carry a moderate gear load, handle well without a rudder and be neutral in the wind. This is an ideal trip for wildlife enthusiast and those new to the sport of kayaking. Henry opened Ocean River Sports in Victoria in November 1981. ", In 2001, Pacific Water Sports moved to Tukwila, nestled next to the Duwamish River and among industrial buildings near Boeing Field, after their SeaTac landlord decided to build a parking lot where their store stood. Adding in 2 Werner Carbon paddles and Dragonfly spray skirts. It was called kayak touring or sea canoeing or canoe touring, blue-water paddling, coastal paddling, all those things.. The bow line can also be rigged as a rescue sling. Only this faint stirring in the air remains: the whisper of ancients only a generation past. Address E-mail:[emailprotected] Slade worried theyd get scratched, and Neckar retorted, The first time people use them theyre going to get scratched.. , He also designed the Chinook for Aquaterra, one of the first roto-molded kayaks. I gave it a 10 because it deserves it. 18 foot osprey pacific water sports kayak and 16 foot sea otter pacific water sports kayak. You get a few pointers from the last builder, and so take on the unwritten responsibility to pass your knowledge alongto the next. That being said, the secondary stability has never failed me. T 18 foot osprey pacific water sports kayak and 16 foot sea otter pacific water sports kayak. GL511, 165-pound male. Eddyline only built whitewater boats, and had no interest in sea kayaks until the Derrers moved to Seattle in 1974. They underestimated the cost of the move and were slow to lay off their 12 employees when the recession hit, said Lee Moyer. I thought, We started building the wrong kind of boats. The industry was still in its infancy, but companies saw that touring had a potential mass appeal that whitewater didnt. Your email address will not be published. Sea Otter Kayak Advice system May 10, 2007, 11:12pm #1 Was in a Tire Shop down by Camp Lejuene today and the owner had a fiberglass/composite kayak hanging from the ceiling. TE may have to leave his size 12s behind if he tries it, though. Kids between 5 - 14 years old are welcome to join a tour in a tandem kayak, and folks 14 and up can use a single. Hung seat. Invest in a newer kayak such as the Old Town Loon if you desire cushy seating, adjustable thigh braces and other comfort features. The aft hatch is large enough for easy stowage of bulky items. He would paddle the Sea Otter and I would paddle the old blue kayak. The overall feel was one of solidity and good craftsmanship (KN). Coast Guard approved.Previously owned, in excellent condition.Good for wave runners, water skiing, etcSee pics for size.If youre reading this ad, then yes, its still available. Pacific Water Sports, a store that's been a fixture in local kayak and canoe circles for 32 years, saw revenue drop off following a move to bigger quarters in Tukwila in 2001, said. Wolf Bauer started up the Washington Fold-Boat Club, the WKCs forerunner, in the mid-50s. The bulkheads are all curved panels of translucent fiberglass. The first time I was in a kayak was at Lake Sutherland, just a bit outside of town on Highway 101. (like atomic, scuba pro) Pacific Water Sports SEA OTTER fiberglass KAYAK with rudder - $1000 (Spokane SCC), Pacific Water sports sea kayaks - $700 (Capitol Hill), Fiberglass Pacific Water Sports Kayaks Sea Otter and Osprey - $1200 (Everett), 1994 Pacific Water Sports Seal Sea Kayak - $700 (Tiffin), tandem sea kayak, Pacific Water Sports - $1,200 (Bellevue), Pacific Water Sports 20' Tandem Sea Kayak - $200 (olympia), Ocean Pacific Water Sports Flotation Vest PFD - $20 (Santa Barbara), 2011 Sea Ray 205 Sport Sea Ray 205 Sport - $34,995 (Laken Water Sports - New & Used Boats Phoenix), Water sports: Wetsuits, Fins, snorkel Frameless Scuba Diving Mask, +++ - $15 (pb pacific beach san diego 92109 pb). Its not much different than todayexcept you have to go build your own boat. In what fading memories recall was spring of 1975, Neckar delivered the newly minted boats to Striders himself, showing up with eight of them tied onto the roof of his Plymouth with ropes strapped through the windows. In spite of the good thigh and foot bracing, GL thought his loose fit in the seat caused him to slip out of position and miss a roll. I still measure kayaks against that kayak. Includes spray skirts and paddles for both. Fast sea kayak that can be used for racing. Price: $1,200.00 18 foot osprey pacific water sports kayak and 16 foot sea otter pacific water sports kayak. The upswept native-style ends are still low enough to shed the wind, while the shallow rocker and long waterline give tracking and speed. Map. From manufacturer. The Intrepid reviewed was not equipped with a rudder. Compared to the first kayak, this was a rocket. Hung seat. Kayak Canyon Lake Reservoir. Eventually Tieken provided boats for Scott Cunningham of the Nova Scotia outfitting company Coastal Adventures, which became a key educator and promoter for sea kayaking, and Tiekens designs, on the East Coast. The Old Town Otter kayak offers no surprises on the water, owing to its stable, flat bottom and symmetrical hull design. Fink became a self-described evangelist for his new low-impact sport. Much of my family lives in Port Angeles, Washington. I got tired of slouching back against the wooden coaming (I know, I should sit up away from the back, but I get tired). This 16 long kayak designed by Lee Moyer was our first introduction to a sea kayak. Start by adding foam to the seat, hip area and thigh braces to custom fit your body to the boata key modification if youre looking to paddle in moving water where good boat control is necessary. The boats strong turning ability when on edge helped keep the bow pointed down the face of the wave (TE). Most backyard boat builders were using pirated designs, Moyer said, so he and a buddy set out to buy the rights to a legal mould. As a pioneering recreational kayak the Old Town Otter was among the first to include features that are standard in todays entry-level kayaks, including the high back seat. An Old Town Otter Twin two-person recreational kayak was also produced for a period of time. You put in an order when you saw him.. In the history of sea kayaking there were no exclusive shops for the sport until John Dowd opened Ecomarine in 1980 on Vancouvers artsy Granville Island. Can someone please tell me who the manufacturer is? Lee Moyer was the designer (and owner of PWS) Tupperware boats propelled the industry into the 1990s decade of double-digit annual growth. It was a wonderful experience. Whitewater kayaking was big in the early 70s, first appearing in the Olympics in 1972 at Munich, and many boat builders came to sea kayaking after being drawn to the glitz of whitewater firstskipping the venerable folding kayak tradition entirely. Desert Voyagers, together with our sister company AOA, provides the very best in fun . cloth with reinforcements. Early recreational kayaks like the Old Town Otter created a new category for beginners, cottagers and day paddlers, providing stable and comfortable designs that were more compact and easy to transport than traditional sea kayaks and far easier to paddle than dedicated whitewater kayaks. Incredible guys, great boats and awesome events and experiences. Lots of room for camping gear. #9. What Flatpick saidI will say, it was the first kayak I ever paddled and that was about 1981. Humanity is elsewhere, gone away, sloughed off to the coast like the draining rivers taking their load of sand. After about a year he started his own production of Current Designs kayaks on Vancouver Island. People were joking, Will the last person to leave Seattle please turn out the lights. And this was a time when the environmental movement and the outdoor sports craze were taking off. $999 Share it or review it used OCEAN KAYAK, made from Fiber Glass, PACIFIC WATER SPORTS is the maker and i think this is called the Sea Otter? In spite of the good thigh and foot bracing, GL thought his loose fit in the seat caused him to slip out of position and miss a roll. The seating arrangement on the Old Town Otter feels basic compared to some of the ultra-adjustable and padded seats in contemporary kayaks, but its still very supportive and easy to modify with glued-in padding. The two tethered plastic hatch lids have rubber gaskets and are held in place with bungies. USCA Fast Sea Kayak Pacific Water Sports SkookumchuckTandem touring kayak FiberglassCirca 1998Bought used in 2001Sea kayak, touring kayak, double kayak, two person kayakLength: 20 10Plenty of storage.This is a high quality 2-person kayak with rudder. Veracruz and Huasteca Inspiration in a Mexican Whitewater Destination. Lower profile model is available. It is very comfortable with good lumbar support. We have an optional paddle-float rescue system of rope and cleats we believe is much more positive and is easier to set up while you are laying on the kayak, out of the water. Foot pegs were added to the Old Town Otter XT kayak model, offering good support that adjusts easily with a push buttonjust be sure to avoid tracking too much sand and grit into the cockpit, since this can jam sliding foot pegs. Here caribou breast the landscape in antler-bobbing streams. Rudder is controlled by sliding adjustable footpegs. The only problem I have had is that tiny coaming (16x22"). Subscribe to Paddling Magazines print and digital editions, or browse thearchives. Uncle Paul was able to surf the Sea Otter in, but I was not as skilled. I enjoyed almost everything about it. Attending were Tom Derrer of Eddyline Kayaks, John Abbenhouse of Northwest Kayaks, Lee Moyer of Pacific Water Sports, Brian Henry of Ocean River Sports and others. And Long Beach was home to more back-to-the-land squatters than kayakers. Straight keel line reduces yaw for more efficient paddling. I am an 80 year old retired CIA officer who built a kayak from a kit in 1965 (Folbot, company started by J. Kissner, who had worked at Klepper earlier) that I bought for 99 dollars! The tracking was so non-existent that Paul added a fin to the back to give it some directional stability. The couple started building fiberglass kayaks in the basement of their Burien home and launched the business with little more than a letterhead just ahead of the 1972 Olympics, the first to include river kayaking. Stay 100 feet away from marine mammals. He was to me. KN found the Intrepid easy to roll, as did TE, though the height of the aft deck kept him from getting close to the aft deck for a lay back roll. PACIFIC WATER SPORTS Skookum Chuck SEAWARD Southwind HV *ONE-DAY KAYAK RENTALS INCLUDE THESE ACCESSORIES: BOOTS, RAIN BIBS, RAIN JACKETS or PADDLE JACKETS & RAIN HATS, PADDLE MITTS & DRY BAGS PADDLE ITEMS AND SERVICES INCLUDED WITH KAYAK RENTAL Comfortable Seats with Inflated BackSupport Cushion Kayakers would tell him what he wanted and he would produce them under the cover of all the trees and secrecy, is how Allen Slade described the mythic origins of Necky Kayaks. As the shock cord at the hatches ages and loosens, it can be easily re-knotted to tighten the seal of the hatches if leaks develop. Standard replacement Old Town Otter kayak foot pegs are available from the manufacturer and other kayak retailers. These are wonderful boats! Thank you Kayak Connection! The Intrepids initial stability is comfortable enough without being too stiff to set the boat on edge to initiate a turn. Extruded vinyl hull/deck seam glassed inside. 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