While our single-seater kayaks come in an angling version, our double-seater Mazowe does not. In our Mazowe design, we went the route of performance, speed, comfort and packing space. That said, we do realise that there are people who would like to go fishing with a friend on the Mazowe. Be inspired by this make-over. This Mazowe owner did an incredible job at turning his Mazowe into an awesome angling kayak. By using the tankwells as shown in these photographs, you too can certainly pimp your two-seater ride for angling. Let’s see how this was done. For the rear tankwell, perspex sheets were cut to size to fit across the tankwell. The ends were shaped to nest into the multifit groove.Holes were drilled holes into the perspex for the rod holders and a DIY rod holder made from a PVC pipe. Because of the length of the rod holders, they were positioned to go into the recess of the scupper holes.The multifits were removed and then screwed on again on top of the perspex to hold everything in place. To do this you need longer bolts than what we use for the multifits. Middle tankwell: The perspex is placed lengthways, not across the tankwell, which keeps some tankwell space free for other stuff.

Your Vagabond kayak does not need much in the way of maintenance, but a little bit of care goes a long way to ensuring that your kayak stays in tip-top shape so that you can enjoy years and years of paddling adventures.

South Africa punches above its weight on the world stage in many different environments: sport, technology, medical and more. Paddling is no exception. Over the past seven decades, many South African paddlers have made their mark outside SA’s borders. Early pioneers like Dr Ian Player and Prof Willem van Riet may not have competed at the highest level internationally, but their river expeditions and multiple wins of long endurance river races put them right up there with the best of the best from other parts of the world. Even more importantly, both Player and Van Riet made their mark internationally as conservationists. The next generation of paddlers had more opportunity to travel and compete abroad, enabling kayakers like Tim Biggs and Jerome Truran to take the adventurous spirit of the early pioneers to a different level. They competed at the highest level and also undertook major expeditions, including some serious first descents abroad. In the 80s and 90s, paddling sports diversified and paddlers began to specialise. While this happened worldwide, South Africa took a slightly different route as a result of its focus on river marathons. Nonetheless, numerous paddlers continued to put SA on the world map. It is a difficult task to name every South African paddler that made a name for themselves over the seas, but I would like to mention the paddlers who really stand out for me. This is by no means the definite list of top SA paddlers, but rather a list of paddlers that, in my very subjective opinion, have been most successful in establishing a reputation for South Africa on the world stage. Paddlers like Lee McGregor, who first made his name as swimmer and later as surfski paddler. The Chalupski family, with Oscar being the most well-known outside the borders of our country. Robbie Herreveld and the late Mark Perrow, two of the most talented all-round paddlers this country has ever seen, and who could have achieved even more with better international exposure. Martin Dreyer took over the mantle from Graeme-Pope Ellis on the Dusi, but also made a serious name for himself as adventure racer on the world stage. Hank McGregor, Dawid and Jasper Mocke are all tough as nails and highly competitive in international races. Sprinters Bridgitte Hartley and Chrisjan Coetzee are top contenders in any race they enter. On the whitewater side, Corran Addison and Steve Fisher are household names all around the world as top competitors and inventors of freestyle moves. The late Hendri Coetzee is considered to be one of the greatest expedition paddlers in history. Others who made a name for themselves as competitors and also expedition paddlers are Andrew Kellett, Shane Raw, Ross O’Donoghue and the late Graeme Anderson. As whitewater guides and safety experts, few can hold a candle to Stan Ricketts, Jakes Saaiman and Jane Dicey. South African born Mike Horn, highly acclaimed adventurer who resides in Switzerland, is not a paddler, but he is highly revered in the riverboarding/hydrospeeding community for his solo descent of the Amazon River and early waterfall records. What is maybe less well-known is the impact that South African manufacturers are having across the globe. A number of manufacturers successfully export their products and hold a reputation for producing top-quality craft and great designs. Fenn Kayaks in East London has been exporting surfskis for two decades, and their crafts are well regarded in many parts of the world. Carbonology Sport in Porth Elizabeth is a younger company but no less successful with their surfski exports. Then, of course, there is Epic Kayaks, a USA company with strong South African roots, which is considered by many to be the world’s premier surfski brand.  On the fishing ski side, Stealth Kayaks in Durban has a solid reputation in Australia and they are making in-roads in the USA and Europe. Racing kayak manufacturers have taken a hit in recent years with the local river-racing market contracting, but Knysna Racing Kayaks are exporting their quality craft with great success. Mocke Paddling Gear and Orka Paddles, both based in Cape Town, are flying the SA flag with their innovative and high-quality gear. My own new brand of paddles and other paddling-related gear, under the brand CEKR Gear, is not yet officially launched and I already have a demand from international distributors. South African-born Corran Addison, who is based in Canada, has been at the forefront of whitewater and SUP development for three decades already. His latest venture, Soul Watercraft, is already taking the North American whitewater market by storm. Finally, I have to blow my own trumpet a little.  My first kayak company, Fluid Kayaks, was quite an established player in the international world of whitewater kayaking, with a reputation for innovation back in the day when I drove R&D. My new kayak company, Vagabond Kayaks, is only two-years old, and already we are making waves in all the main markets overseas, with my latest designs considered to be the most innovative recreational kayaks on the market. My reputation for making quality craft has also resulted in a number of international kayaking brands moving production of their kayaks to our factory. This article is not so much about bragging about our collective efforts, as paddlers and manufacturers, as it is about highlighting the fascinating fact that our impact on the international paddling world is entirely disproportionate to the number of paddlers in this country. There are only a few thousand river racing and surfski paddlers in the country, and just a few hundred whitewater kayakers. Comparing the number of active paddlers in this country to that of most countries in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, and many others, South Africa should be a non-entity in the international world of paddling. Yet our paddlers and manufacturers command respect in all corners of the world. Why is that? How can such a small pool produce such a big impact? Is it the result of the years of isolation that forced us to think outside the box as it did in many other fields? Is it the result of a general ‘can do’ mentality, or a ‘boldly go where no one has gone before’ attitude? I do not know what the answer is, but I think that South African paddlers in general do not realise how unique our situation is, and how fortunate we are to have access to this wealth of knowledge and expertise as well as world-class kayaks and gear right on our doorstep. Our legacy on the world stage is highly improbable, yet undisputable.

Scouting rapids is one of the most important consideration when paddling rivers. There are essentially two ways to scout a rapid: from the bank, or from an eddy. And then there is the odd occasion where you may have the aid of a helicopter ride or a drone to check out a rapid. Most of the time, it’s just you, your mates and the river. Scouting from the bank is sometimes needed, but not always. It all depends on a number of different factors, such as: Your skill level: The more experienced you get, the easier it becomes to identify the rapids that may need scouting from the bank. Your pre-existing knowledge of the river: You may have paddled the section before, or have very good information from someone who knows it well, or you are doing a race with well-described rapids. The type of boat you are in: A long, narrow, tippy racing kayak cannot handle the same grade of rapid as a short whitewater kayak that is designed to turn on a dime. Your faith in other people: You could be paddling with someone who has the experience to make the call to go for it, or, in the case of a race, there may be marshal on the bank indicating that the rapid is fine to run, and they may even point out the best route to you. The level of the river: If the water is at a much higher level than what is considered average, new features can develop that wouldn’t exist at normal levels. If the water is much lower than normal, nasty syphons and undercuts that are normally deeply covered by water could be exposed. Generally, when you approach a rapid and you can see a clear horison line, often with some spray visible too, there is a good chance that you will need to scout it from the bank. If you approach a rapid and get pretty close to the point of no return and you still can’t see the bottom of the rapid, best is to jump out and have a look. You may also notice some serious gradient ahead by the way that the whole gorge/valley drops out, or you could notice a tree lying across or inside the rapid. In any of these cases, if you are uncertain, get out and have a look. As you gain experience, your gut feel will get fine-tuned. A word of caution when scouting from the bank: Always try to get as close to the rapid as possible and stand at the same level as the rapid. When you scout a rapid from afar or from high up, your perception is distorted. The clear line you might be seeing from above often looks completely differently when you get on the water. Seemingly small features look much bigger from up close, and seemingly small drops tend to be much higher when you get to the lip. When scouting from the bank is not absolutely necessary, it is much more efficient to scout by eddy-hopping. In essence, this means that you paddle from eddy to eddy, making your way down as you survey the next section of the rapid to the following eddy. This technique is not possible with long racing kayaks, but with most other river-running craft, eddy-hopping is the preferred way to run rapids. When you’re in a group, eddy-hopping can be done in different ways: The same paddler can lead all the way, often leaving an eddy to make space for the next paddler to occupy their vacated space in the eddy. This is mostly done when only one paddler in the group is confident enough to take the lead. We like to call this person ‘the probe’, which is both an honour and a curse. When more than one paddler in a group has the confidence to lead, we resort to leapfrogging, which is more fun and also more time efficient. Let’s say that you catch an eddy and can see a clear line to the next eddy. You would signal to your mate upstream, who will paddle past you and catch the following eddy. He will scout the next section, identify the next eddy to catch, and then signal for you to pass him to catch the next eddy. This leapfrogging technique can be used by all members in a group to work their way down a rapid if the group is not too big. With a larger group, you will often have a core group that will eddy-hop their way down a rapid and then signal from the bottom to the rest of the group waiting at the top that all is clear and that they can just paddle down the rapid without catching eddies. With a large group and more difficult rapids that may require some boat-rescues along the way, the most capable paddlers with good rescue skills will work their way down by eddy-hopping as above. But, instead of everyone paddling to the bottom of the rapid, some paddlers will stay in eddies where some help may be needed. Once they’re all in position, they will signal to the group waiting above to paddle down the rapid. The paddlers waiting in eddies will give signals to show the lines, and they are on hand to help with a rescue if someone swims. When a rapid is difficult or dangerous enough that it requires proper safety being set up from the bank, the potential rescue spots should be discussed by the group while scouting from the bank. Often, with more dangerous rapids, only one or two of the group may be up for the challenge of paddling the rapid. In that case, everyone else will set up safety, and the few challengers will only start running the rapid once they receive a clear OK signal. When all the paddlers in the group want to run a rapid where safety is required, paddlers should take turns to do safety. In this scenario, it is important that everyone is very clear about whether they will run the rapid or not, because once the process is in motion, it causes a lot of frustration and sometimes consternation if a paddler suddenly changes their mind about running it or not. Scouting for racing If you do a race on a river that is unfamiliar to you, say the Fish, the Dusi or Umko, you will have a LOT of second-hand information on what to expect. Some rapids that really are not that difficult have huge reputations attached to them. This could be because the rapid has spectator access, or because someone once had a really bad swim there. Often, it is just because paddlers like to boast about the big rapids that they have conquered. The opposite is also often true. There exist no-name rapids that receive no mentions yet they have sneaky surprises that catch many paddlers unaware. These rapids are normally found far from spectators, and are also often in between more well-known rapids. One tends to focus on the big-name rapids and lose concentration when you hit the supposed-to-be-easy ones. The best thing you can do, if you have the time, is to trip the river beforehand to get familiar with the obstacles. Take your time, scout from the bank when necessary, and maybe try different lines through rapids to pick the fastest line. A good strategy is also to figure out Plan Bs for the rapids where paddlers are likely to get stuck or to be swimming. There is no point in having the perfect line figured out, if you get to the rapid to find that someone else is stuck right in the middle of where you intended to go and you have no other option prepared. This brings me to another important point: Do not follow directions given by other paddlers or marshals like sheep. You have no idea of the river-reading capabilities of the paddler in front of you, and you could just follow them straight into a disaster. Regarding marshals, some are paddlers and some are not. Chances are good that a marshal is just pointing you to the line taken by the first paddler that came through. So, if you enter an unfamiliar rapid, don’t just blindly follow. Scout your own line as you make your way down. You may still end up following the paddler in front of you, but at least it will be a informed decision then. A last note on scouting while racing: If you get to a rapid and another paddler is pinned or swimming where you most likely would have gone if said paddler wasn’t messing with your plans, don’t panic! If you notice the obstruction before you enter the rapid and another clear line is not immediately visible, rather stop and back-paddle to give yourself more time to scout. If you can see another doable line, go for it. If there is really no other way, you should either wait for the way to be cleared, or, if you don’t want to wait that long, get out and run around. The last thing you should be doing if someone is in trouble is to plough straight into the rapid on top of them. It goes without saying that if the paddler that is obstructing the way is in real danger, the race is off and it is your obligation to get out to help. Don’t be an ass, you are not going to win anyway. Portaging To portage or not to portage is the question that every river paddler faces from time to time. Sometimes the choice is easy; if it is a nasty weir, or a big waterfall landing on rocks, or simply a rapid that is clearly above your skill level, you simply walk it. There is no shame in that. But, when the rapid seems like it could be runnable, you have to decide if you are going to push your limits a bit (and scare yourself at the same time), or take the low-risk option to walk. Group dynamics often play a big role in this decision. If you are unsure and a dominant paddler in the group tells you to walk, you’ll walk. More regularly, the opposite happens where a gung-ho group may push you to run everything all the time. While their intention may be to help you to improve, it could also be for the spectator value… River rats find a good beating quite hilarious. There are other potential factors too. For instance, an approaching storm would add pressure to run everything in order to get to the take-out faster. Or, you may be the only paddler in the group who wants to portage a specific rapid, and this portage could take two hours to walk, you will be pressured to run the rapid to get the group through in two minutes. These are the types of potential issues that are best dealt with even before you get on the water. Are you with a group you trust? Are you getting onto a river that you can handle with your skill set? Is the weather going to play along? OK, let’s say that you have dealt with all the potential issues beforehand, there is no peer pressure, and you are looking at a rapid that you just can’t decide whether you should run it or not. The first thing to do is to look carefully at the line you intend to run. Then, decide whether you have a good chance of sticking the line. Consider the sections where you may miss the line, and decide if you can handle the consequences. Will you end up on a different line that you can easily run? Or, is there a good chance that you could end up in a really nasty hole, in an undercut, a syphon, or a tree block. In other words, a situation that you really would want to avoid. The bigger the consequence of a missed line, the surer you need to be that you can stick the line. That is what it always boils down to. If you will certainly die if you miss your line, you have to be 100% sure you can stick your line. That is the logical part of the decision-making process. The emotional part needs to be dealt with too. If you have the technical ability to stick the line, but you are just not feeling it, best is to not talk yourself into running it. Leave it for another day, when you’re on top of the world and ready to give anything a go. When you feel that you are in the zone, you have the adrenaline under control and you generally feel a bit ballsy, then give it all you’ve got. Author: Celliers Kruger. This article was originally published in The Paddle Mag in the Feb/March 2020 issue. This is a superb, free-to-read digital magazine.

With the summer holiday approaching, many paddlers are thinking about doing multiday paddling trips. (more…)

Your kayak can handle bumps and bashes, scratches and abrasions, and it can withstand sun exposure. But, over the years, these things take their toll and no kayak is indestructible. (more…)

When loading and moving kayaks, we do not always have the convenience of another person around to assist.  If you do not have your technique sorted, getting a kayak off a roof on your own can result in near decapitation, twisted wrists and pulled shoulders. Avoid the hospital by using this tried-and-tested technique. The kayak in this video is a Tarka. For bigger, heavier kayaks like the Kasai, Marimba or Mazowe, place a towel over the back of the car to protect your paint as you slide the kayak down.  

When you travel anywhere with your kayak, make sure it is tied securely on to your roof racks. In this quick video, Lisa shows you how she ties a kayak on to her roof racks using tie downs and cord/rope.   

To buy a kayak is to make an investment in a long-lasting piece of equipment. A kayak costs more than a pair of running shoes, but less than a decent bicycle. They are strong and robust and will see you enjoying many, many years of paddling for sport, fitness and recreation. (more…)

The Orange River is South Africa’s biggest and longest river. Despite having paddled many sections of the Orange, there are still some sections that neither Vagabond’s Celliers Kruger nor Graeme ‘Riverman’ Addison had ever been on. A number of weeks ago, Graeme gave us a shout to see whether we’d be keen for a winter kayaking trip to scout a lesser-known section of the Orange: the stretch between Prieska and Koegas. In writing his book ‘Run the Rivers of Southern Africa’, Celliers was mostly after whitewater, so he had never ventured to this area. We were in! (more…)

For many months, you have been committed and dedicated to training for a long-distance running event. You’ve logged hundreds of kilometres on your feet in preparation to run the race. Now, with the race over and your medal in hand, it is time for a break – physically and mentally. Instead of seeking solace in your sofa, use paddling as an active recovery exercise to maintain fitness and be even stronger. (more…)

I recently launched a 4.6-metre long recreational/touring sit-on-top (the Marimba) with my new kayak company, Vagabond Kayaks. The response from the market has been overwhelmingly positive, as expected, but I also received requests that reminded me of a peculiar aspect of South African paddling: most paddlers think that a rudder is needed to steer a kayak. Before I delve into the details, let me make a few things clear: no kayak under 3m long needs a rudder. Never. Ever. Period. Between 3m and 4m, maybe, but most unlikely. Between 4m and 5m, maybe, maybe not. Between 5m and 6m, possibly, but maybe not. Over 6m, yes, you need a rudder. If and when you need a rudder is determined first by the actual design of the kayak, second by the conditions that you will use it in, and lastly by your skill level. When do you need a rudder? In principle, the purpose of a rudder is to steer a kayak that is otherwise difficult to steer; in other words, to turn a kayak that is designed to go straight. The reality is that most kayaks can be steered without a rudder with relative ease. I will get to steering techniques further down, but let me first explain when you really need a rudder: Sprinting: when you sprint, you cannot afford to waste energy to steer your kayak, apart from wiggling your toes to steer the rudder. Riding slip on flat water for long distances with a long kayak: it is difficult to stay in the perfect spot toride slip without a rudder. Riding swells or surfing ocean waves with a surfski or any other long kayak: you need that rudder to steer the kayak and keep it in the sweet spot. Rough conditions on open water: when you cross a big dam or lake, or cover distance on the ocean, and the weather turns foul, a rudder helps to keep direction while you battle the elements. You may notice that I did not include rapids in this list. The reason is simply that you don’t need a rudder most of the time in most rapids with most kayaks. If you absolutely cannot turn your river-racing K1 in rapids, there is a good chance that you’re paddling a K1 with a hull designed for flatwater racing, not for river racing. By this time, you may wonder if you shouldn’t just put a rudder on a kayak in case you need it? There are a few reasons why it is better not to add a rudder: A rudder adds weight. A rudder adds cost. A rudder is something that can (and often will) give trouble when you least expect it. A rudder prevents you from expanding your repertoire of paddling skills. The normal aluminium over-stern rudders commonly used on racing K1s in South Africa are relatively cheap and light, but they are also very prone to damage. It is far more difficult to steer a kayak with a broken rudder through a rapid than to steer a kayak without a rudder. Should I use a skeg? For the sake of completeness, a few words on the rudder’s cousin that is not common in SA but that is widely used over-the-seas: the skeg. The purpose of a skeg is to keep a kayak that has been designed to turn easily,to stay in a straight line. Skegs can generally lift up to slide over rocks or sandbanks, just like rudders; but they can’t pivot and they are not controlled by pedals to help you change direction. Most kayaks with skegs installed have a mechanism for raising or lowering the skeg, so that you can choose whether or not you want to engage the skeg. Skegs are typically deployed when hitting long sections of flat water; where you just want to keep paddling in a straight line without having to constantly steer the kayak. When manoeuvring is required, the skeg is lifted to allow the paddler to steer the boat easier by paddle strokes. Skegs tend be used most often on kayaks in the 3m to 5m range. Learn to steer your kayak without a rudder All right, let’s move on to steering techniques. There are different ways to control the direction you want to go by using a combination of paddle strokes and body control. The preferred technique will depend on the type of boat you’re paddling and where you’re paddling. Back stroke I put back stroke here just so that I can tell you not to use it. For most beginner paddlers, a back stroke is the default stroke that they adopt to change direction. But, a back stroke breaks all of your momentum, and it messes with the fluidity of your paddling motion. Unless the purpose of the back stroke is literally to stop forward motion in addition to turning the kayak, don’t do it. Sweep stroke The sweep stroke is the easiest stroke to learn and it works on just about any kayak. It can be done when your kayak is standing still or when you’re paddling forward. To initiate the stroke, put the paddle blade into the water in front of your toes. Pull it in a wide arc around your body. Your boat will turn to the opposite side as you pull the arc. Keep pulling until the kayak has turned enough, then take your paddle out of the water before you turn too far. To maximise the radius of the arc that you’re pulling, your paddle should be a lot flatter (more horizontal) than when you do a normal forward stroke. The key with the sweep stroke is to incorporate it into your normal forward-paddling rhythm. In other words, if you paddle forward and need to turn right, you stay in rhythm and just change your left forward stroke into a left sweep stroke. This way you efficiently turn the boat without breaking your momentum. If you haven’t turned the boat enough with the first left sweep stroke, do a normal forward stroke on the right side to keep your rhythm going, then do a second sweep stroke on the left. Practice this stroke to anticipate the degree of turn of your kayak when you do a sweep, so that you turn it just enough and not too much, otherwise you will need to follow up with a sweep on the other side again. Bow rudder The bow rudder is more tricky to learn, but it is a very efficient stroke that is especially useful in rapids. The bow rudder puts you in an unstable position if you do it wrong, making it a difficult skill to acquire in a narrow racing kayak. This stroke is best practiced in a more stable boat. A great way to learn this stroke is to start playing canoe polo as it will be one of the first strokes you learn. Once you have mastered the bow rudder, it can be used very effectively in a racing kayak too. The bow rudder only works when you are moving forward (to do the same thing when standing still, use a bow draw). The advantage of a bow rudder over a sweep stroke is that it is very precise, putting the bow of your kayak exactly where you want it, and it lends itself to combo strokes. In essence, the bow rudder is a vertical paddle stroke where your paddle blade is planted as far forward as possible, some distance away from the side of the kayak but not too far, and with the blade twisted enough for the power face to face the incoming water. To keep your balance when doing a bow rudder, you need to lean into the stroke. Don’t just sit flat, or worse, lean away from the stroke; there is a good chance that you’ll end up in the water. If you paddle forward and want to turn right, plant your right blade in the water. The incoming water will act on the blade and pull the bow of the kayak to the right. Keep your arms fairly straight and use your core muscles to hold the position while your kayak turns. When the kayak has turned as far you as you want it to go, simply twist the paddle blade in the water and continue with a forward stroke. This combo stroke is extremely useful for dynamic moves in rapids. Edging your kayak This is a very useful technique to steer most long, fast kayaks. By edging your kayak, the hull profile in relation to the movement of water is changed, causing the kayak to turn. This method is not as effective in wide kayaks (over 70cm wide) as they are too buoyant to keep on edge, and it is also not very effective in narrow kayaks with a completely round hull. But on most longer, narrower kayaks it is the most useful technique for steering your kayak without having to change your forward paddling motion. To edge your kayak, use your hips. Don’t lean to the side, simply tilt the kayak. If you paddle forward and want your kayak to turn to the right, tilt the kayak to the left. In other words, drop the left edge and raise the right edge. Or put differently, lift your right bum. Keep this position while you keep paddling forward. Your kayak will take a slow turn to the right. Once it has turned enough, simply use your hips to level the kayak again. It is important that your kayak moves at a descent speed, otherwise edging won’t have much of an effect on the direction of the boat. Also, if you move at a descent speed, very little edging is actually needed to turn the boat. Don’t be conned into thinking that you always need a rudder. Learn and practice these techniques, and only add a rudder when really needed.By gaining command of different paddle strokes you will evolve from someone who just propels a kayak forward to a well-rounded paddler.You can thank me when you pass someone flailing around in a rapid with a broken rudder.  Important pointer for any turning stroke: Look where you want to go, not where you are currently going. This article written by Celliers Kruger was originally published in the April/May 2019 issue of The Paddle Mag. This digital publication is free to view and download. Try the ISSUU app on your mobile phone too. View the original images of paddle strokes in the magazine.

In my last article, I touched on multiday trips. Since then, I received a bunch of requests to write more about this subject. This is easy to fulfil as multiday trips have always been my favourite way to enjoy paddling. (more…)

Paddling is as much a recreational activity and fitness sport as a competitive discipline, but in the sport of adventure racing it has not achieved the priority of the land-based activities of trail running and mountain biking. Yet paddling is one of the four key disciplines (map-and-compass navigation being the fourth) and it is integral to this multi-discipline sport. (more…)

Materials used to manufacture kayaks have come a long way since the days of seal skin on driftwood frames. While there are still new kayak designs based on the concept of a skin on a frame, albeit with modern materials, the vast majority of kayaks today are made from composite materials or plastic. (more…)

Most paddlers would like their children to paddle. Most paddlers are unsure of how to go about it, but they give it their best shot. Sadly, most paddlers fail. (more…)

This video has been on our to-do list for months. We recently took the featured pre-production Vagabond Tarka to our paddle club to take it for a spin. While there, we saw a chap struggling to get on an off a sit-on-top (of another brand). He almost fell into the water! There-and-then we shot this quick video of Lisa demonstrating how to get in and out using the Stand-up Platform. The Stand-up Platform is a key feature of our recreational sit-on-tops. It gives a flat surface for secure foot placement so that you can get in and out more easily. The superb stability of our boats adds to making it easier to get in and out without assistance.

Back in August, a school group of 13 teenagers – guided by three teachers – headed for South Africa’s Orange River for their first river trip. They launched about five-kilometres above the Hopetown Bridge and paddled 62 kilometres towards Douglas over three days. As their Mazowe kayaks arrived only a day before they departed, they were a little sceptical to be paddling untested boats. “But, we were committed to these boats and took them along,” writes teacher and trip leader Ant Campbell. (more…)

Imagine a boxer who never spars with a training partner. He skips rope and punches a punch bag to prepare for fights. The only time he ever gets to learn and experience fighting, is in an actual fight. (more…)

Called ‘seconds’ or ‘shuttle bunnies’, these are the people that provide support for paddlers. Their role typically involves taking a vehicle to the take-out point of a trip, or in the case of river races, meeting their paddler/s at multiple points along the river to offer refreshments and spare parts. More often than not, though, their unofficial duties extend to that of being a cheerleader, cook, navigator, paramedic, psychologist, physiotherapist and emotional punch bag. The list of task is endless. (more…)

Our first Vagabond kayak model in production is the Kwando, a high-performance children’s sit-on top. Celliers Kruger describes it as “not just a floating toy for kids, it is a real little kayak with good ergonomics and speed, as well as some handy fittings and features”. These photographs show the Kwando in all six colours together with some action images showing Celliers’ children: Ruben (9-years old, 38kg) and Kyla (12-years old, 44kg). “I designed the Kwando mainly for flatwater use, but it is very capable of running small rapids too,” Celliers adds. Parents, are you outdoorsy and active? Introduce your child to paddling with the Kwando. It is an ideal children’s kayak that will see them from bobbing on the pool to running small rapids on river trips.