CANOE AND KAYAK WORLD DEMO DAYS
YOU CAN PADDLE…..who me?…..YES YOU!…..
Still undecided on whether paddling is for you!
Then it's time to join us on one of our demo days. These are great fun whilst meeting
and mingling with other like minded people. No experience is required, so whether
you're 7 or 70, an expert or novice, male or female, single, a couple, a family
or group of friends, whether you'd like to take a slow paddle on a lake or river,
a weekend touring expedition, a paddle out to sea or on a river for the catch of
the day, or an exhilarating trip challenging rapids, we have the perfect paddle
craft to enjoy the great outdoors with.
We hold demo days twice a month as they have proved to be a most successful way
of introducing people to the sport.
We start the demo with a basic chat on how to paddle, how to get in and out of the
boat and once you're in and going, how to control it. Then at your leisure, try
out the different boats and see what suits you best.
Because of the diversity of kayaking and the requirements and sizes of paddlers
there are many makes and models of kayaks. Like cars, there are many to choose from,
some are small, some large, some short, some long, some are sporty, some utilitarian.
Also like cars, you may be worried about investing your money with out knowing for
sure what you will get.
So, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY ! Would you buy a car without a test drive? Why should a
kayak be any different?
Identify your needs. The first thing to do is figure out what you would like to
do with your kayak. Read our Buyers Guide
to narrow down your options.
Once on the water, be ready to pay attention to how the kayak performs. The majority
of recreation and touring kayaks, sit-in and sit-on have good stability though initially
the first kayak you try may feel a bit tippy, however the more you paddle the more
accustomed you’ll become to the feel of the kayak on the water. To get a feel for
the different types of boats available try as many as possible, try a long kayak
and compare it to a short kayak, try a sit-on-top and compare it to a sit-inside,
paddle a single as well as trying a tandem. Paddle in a straight line, practise
some turns, get used to the feel of the boat, compare the responsiveness of the
different craft.
The features can play a big roll too. Does it have enough storage space to hold
your stuff? Are there handles to make car topping easy? Can it be decked out for
fishing? Is the kayak comfortable - seating in kayaks is most important as well
as the ease of adjusting foot-pegs etc? You should also try to test load the potential
kayak onto your car as this can be a challenge, however, there are techniques that
will help greatly.
In addition to the canoe or kayak, the correct accessories; paddle, sprayskirt (if
applicable) and PFD are important.
It is important to have a paddle that is the right length, weight, feather, shaft
circumference, and material for the paddlers size and type of kayak. The paddles
are available to demo with the kayak at the demo day.
The PFD must be the correct sizing to ensure a correct, comfortable and snug fit
for paddling a kayak. Put on the PFD you want to buy, zip it up, buckle the belt,
and pull the adjustment straps until they are snug (ideally, the PFD should have
a range of adjustability so that you can get a snug, but comfortable fit over a
range of clothing, from a T-shirt to a jacket). Try some paddling motions to make
sure the PFD doesn't chafe or impair your range of motion. Make sure the pfd does
not ride to high up if someone pulls on the shoulder straps. It is important the
PFD fits, it is not something to grow into! The PFD’s are normally tried out at
Canoe & Kayak World.
We have knowledgeable staff and a large selection of carefully selected quality
canoes and kayaks covering all the different paddling disciplines and accommodating
all shapes and sizes of paddlers. Our staff offer professional advice and speak
from experience and are able to offer unbiased recommendations and advice.
Contact Us
and let us know what type of boat/s you're wanting to demo so we can make sure we
have it with us and to confirm the date and venue. We look forward to having you
join us!
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