C-Forum

I've been thinking about making my own PFD from scratch - heavy webbing "frame" (waist belt, chest belt, shoulder straps) with the flotation foam in small panels tailored for a close fit, with gaps allowing full flexibility, sewn into a heavy-duty ripstop nylon shell. I have some home experience wit...

This one is great!

Background story (do not read if there is any chance of taking this seriously): A friend of mine (female, hence the interest) used to race both slalom and wildwater kayaks. She quit this humiliating double-bladed thing early on the high school. And as we study at the same university, I tried to get ...

Looking at the Grateful Heads Bomber... And I thought that a whitewater adapation of German steel helmet used in the second world war is only my dream! The shape requirements are the same, though - the rock or shrapnel can come from any direction, more dangerous being ones from sides and behind, mor...

Which Atlantis? He made more versions, it's the successor of Jape. Atlantis III is pictured here in the CBoat museum. Resembles Jape a bit.

What kind of a grip? For bare hands? For gloves? How much of a grip? I wouldn't cover my paddle with sand as I like to slide my lower hand along the shaft according to what I need to do, sometimes mid-stroke. I understand that this is exactly what you don't want, do you?

You jest, but something like an open canoe could be made from postformed plywood, which if done correctly would be increadibly tough for its weight... Getting so many tight radii in one product would be something of a challenge, but it's possible, with a little ingenuity. It has been done. I don't ...

Or wood and birchbark or canvas

Long and precise scarf joints, lots of sanding, then good coat of varnish. Forget the black paint, it might get very hot in summer sun and deform easily. And every scratch will be visible. And since when do students waste money on unnecesary paint?

Tech question: Did I really see some kind of skeg on K. Maley's boat? Or what did I see? On the raw streaming footage, you can hear the on-site announcer commenting on the use of "fins similar to surf board technology," and they are noticeable just behind the paddler's hips when he's edging hard en...

but I'm also a big fan of Martikan and his unusually bullish paddling style, who if he performs like he usually does (rather than like his first run) will probably win and deserve it... also some other people are racing :p Yes, and Tony Estanguet's runs are really pleasing to the eye even if he doe...

That was an awesome show. Martikan's brute-force sprint for victory, Estanguet's smooth and clean runs and that unfortunate moment in the hole, Florence's fight for the top 12... K1s are boring compared to this.

Tech question: Did I really see some kind of skeg on K. Maley's boat? Or what did I see?