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Why The Wave Sport Recon Is Worth The Weight

15/2/2015

Many people are immediately put off from buying a Recon as a result of their not insubstantial weight (22kg). Admittedly my disability does limit me from being able to carry my own boat, but weight has still been an important consideration, given that people are now significantly less inclined to carry it for me.

Having paddled the Recon 70 for a full year, I have developed three clear reasons to explain why it’s worth the weight:

Outfitting

The Core Whiteout outfitting can be fully customised and has a ratchet leg lifter to offer incredible connectivity and comfort. This allows you to really crank the Recon up on its edge for aggressive carving and impressive control in big volume water. I’m also told that the leg lifter ‘cradles your genitals nicely’, which is always a bonus.

Quality outfitting is the only plausible explanation for this not ending in significant facial pain

It's A Whitewater Boss

Once you find your confidence with the Recon’s speed and find your aggression with edging into turns, you’ll reap the rewards. It is very much at home in the steep creeking and big volume whitewater environments with a rocker that will have you effortlessly boofing waterfalls and gliding over hungry holes.

Tanks Are Heavy For A Reason

You’d be somewhat disappointed if you drove a tank into a rock and then immediately had to get your welding kit out. It’s for this reasons that tanks are made thick, heavy and strong. My Recon has been dragged across tarmac for a year and pitoned more times than I can remember and yet the plastic is still going strong - no splits, no gouges, no dents, no aggravation.

These factors combined mean that any sweating and back ache on the way to the river will be more than made up for once you’re on the water. If you have the confidence to boss the Recon about a bit, you will be rewarded with a comfortable, fast and controlled boat which leaves you feeling confident to push your limits and have a great time doing it.

Reconing In Chile

Reconing In Italy

Reconing in Norway

Thank you so much to Wave Sport Kayaks, Adventure Technology Paddles, Canoe and Kayak Store and Paddlers First for supporting me in such an incredible year of Reconing.

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Yak Maveric Dry Cag Review

15/2/2015

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When many paddlers think of Yak, they think of numpty club kit, rather than high-end whitewater kit. It is therefore the quality, rather than the astonishingly reasonable price of the Yak Maveric cag which makes it a particularly pleasing purchase.

The cheapest price that I can find is £94.95 from Canoe and Kayak Store. Here is what you can expect for your money:

So it seems that you don’t always get what you pay for. For £94.95 the Yak Maveric offers a similar specification to other cags which are more than double the price.

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Sandiline Freeride Extreme Dry Trousers...

7/2/2015

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...because there's nothing sexier than suspenders

I had never before seen the point in dry trousers until my famously leaky brand of dry suit decided to become very very leaky. I bought the Sandiline Freeride Extreme Dry Trousers as a temporary solution before I plucked up the courage to invest in a new drysuit. I am now contemplating sticking with this cag, trouser combo for good! Here are ten reasons why:

1.	The four-layered fabric keeps your legs dry but remains breathable so that you don’t get a sweaty bum.

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The knees and bum are reinforced with cordura so that you can sit and kneel on spiky things.

They have enough room around the knees and bum for ease of movement, without being too baggy.

4.	The waist band feels super secure, with its strong elastic and sticky Velcro. This does a great job of keeping the water out and I’d imagine it would also help to prevent hernias, although I haven’t done sufficient research in this area to make a guarantee.

5.	Suspenders are sexy as hell.

6.	If you have a willy, I hear that pee zips are helpful. If not, they are quite useful for letting the air out of your legs. Yes, that’s right, these trousers seal so well that you have to let the air out before paddling!

7.	The zip seems to be more flexible than metal zips and most other plastic zips so feels really comfortable and shouldn’t interfere with your privates.

8.	Built-in socks mean that you avoid latex seals and therefore maintain circulation in your feet.

9.	The cag and trouser combo is a versatile solution if done properly. For the same price as buying a relatively poor quality dry suit, you can have a high quality cag and trousers to suit all seasons.

10.	If you want your legs to look as sexy as this, then the Sandiline Freeride Extreme Dry Trousers are clearly to way to go! ;-)

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Why The Wave Sport Recon Is Worth The Weight

Outfitting

It's A Whitewater Boss

Tanks Are Heavy For A Reason

Reconing In Chile

Reconing In Italy

Reconing in Norway

Yak Maveric Dry Cag Review

Sandiline Freeride Extreme Dry Trousers...

...because there's nothing sexier than suspenders

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