Sometime in 1981 or 1982, a group of would-be career kayakers met in Werner Furrers basement in Seattle and deliberately created it. You pay 10 or 20 bucks for the rights to borrow it and go buy some fiberglassing supplies from someone whos ordered them in bulk. The economy had pulled out of the early 80s recession and entrepreneurs who had been struggling along since the 70s found themselves with viable businesses. Lake Powell is a wonder of water sport recreation, glorious views, spectacular hiking, rich. Jun 11, 2021. Website:www.pwskayaks.com. Yet Nimbus became a fulltime business by around 1976starving to death in the winter., [ Read more: Explore The Kayaking Capital Just Minutes From Downtown Vancouver ]. Besides trolling yard sales in cottage areas, your best bet is searching Old Town Otter kayak Craigslist for a bargain on this classic entry level kayak. Simply put, the Old Town Otter kayak looks primitive alongside the creature comforts of the newer Loon. Forward of the cockpit are two cleats and a bungie for parking a paddle. But as our skills improved, we realize that it was a great flatwater kayak but was a handful out on the Strait if the seas and wind picked up. Enjoy a mild flatwater raft trip on the Lower Salt River, the excitement of piloting your own craft on a guided kayak trip, or learn a new skill on a stand up paddle board tour. Manufacturers Address: It is a big boys boat and it very stable. Empty and with 100 pounds of gear. Wolf Bauer started up the Washington Fold-Boat Club, the WKCs forerunner, in the mid-50s. cloth with reinforcements. . 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. Thanks so much for such an informative article. Lower profile model is available. Dowd brought in folding kayaks from Europe and sold many of the new North American designs including Eddylines Orca, Pacific Water Sports Sea Otter, and Nimbus kayaks. Dowd is also credited with coining the term sea kayaking with the publication of his book of that title in 1981. There was only a wee tendency to veer into the wind, and I found that an almost unconscious correction by edging kept the bow on line (TE). 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. He was to me. [ Paddling Buyers Guide: See all rotomolded plastic kayaks ]. Henry opened Ocean River Sports in Victoria in November 1981. Optional features:Rudder. If youre handy, its easy to add comfort to the Old Town Otter with glued in foam pads and DIY seat modifications. They are so close to the water. Cal, PWSPacific Water Sports. Old Town Loon kayaks include padded seats (the current models ACS2 seat is one of the best on the market) and dry hatches for storing gear for a day trip. This boat is a Greenland, is fairly short, and has no skeg. 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. Uncle Paul was able to surf the Sea Otter in, but I was not as skilled. 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 rudder pedals have been upgraded to the Smart Track system. 123 Main Street Traveling any distance in the Otter will be a workout compared to longer kayaks. All Original Bronze Hardware, Including Bronze Auxiliary Motor Mount. Eddyline Kayaks was started by Tom and Lisa Derrer in 1971 out of a tiny shop in Boulder, Colorado. And that seems to be what most of our boats are actually geared to doing.. GL and KN would find that the Low Profile Intrepid fits better, is more secure and is easier to lean and lay back on the roll. It also doesnt have any perimeter lines and the back deck comes to a point behind the cockpit so it is very difficult to roll. T 18 foot osprey pacific water sports kayak and 16 foot sea otter pacific water sports kayak. Fast sea kayak that can be used for racing. It is a big boys boat and it very stable. It felt solid even when edged to the point of putting the side of the coaming in the water. Rudder is controlled by sliding adjustable footpegs. A wave caught me as it broke and I tumbled a few times before I got out of the kayak and (to my surprise) stood up in about 3 feet of water. Rear bulkhead.Adjustable foot rests which control the rudder.Deck lashing points and a bow line.Well built, well used, comfortable . In Canada there were a few early fiberglass builders, including a B.C. There is an extra pair of straps on the aft hatch that could serve to secure a deck load or a spare take-apart paddle. Your email address will not be published. DearTim, So interesting to see the history of sea kayaking as you portray it. We were greeted kindly, filled out our paperwork quickly and then were outfitted and briefed efficiently. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you! Well into the 80s, if Fink saw a kayak on the highway it was probably one hed sold. The thigh braces fit and functioned very well, and the foot braces performed solidly and are easy to reach and adjust from the cockpit (GL). Nonetheless, he went on to design better-known early Necky models such as the Phoenix, the Gannet and the President by the early 80s, and later built some of the worlds finest sea kayaks. Cargo hatches fore and aft, day access hatch. Reentry into the large cockpit opening was easy. Thats pretty much how it was in the early years of sea kayaking. Wear sunscreen. Just for reference, I am 5'11", 132 lbs., and wear a women's size 9 shoe. But others, like Steve Schleicher and Tom Derrer, are still at the helm of the businesses they started three decades ago. mat and 8-oz. The deck had a lot of cracks running almost the whole length of the kayak, as it had flexed under the force of a surf landing and the fiberglass had fractured. [ Read more: The NordkappLordy, Lordy, Look Whos Forty ]. Andy Zimmerman of Wilderness Systems (a North Carolina whitewater boat company founded in 1986) purchased rights to produce the Sealution for the U.S. market and went on to make the boats plastic version one of the worlds bestselling kayaks. paddle, pump, bags etc. Fink kept at it until he saw an ad for the Nordkapp by Valley Kayaks in 1978. We figured out how to get back in it if we somehow flipped at sea. Well, not against the kayak, itself. 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. Was in a Tire Shop down by Camp Lejuene today and the owner had a fiberglass/composite kayak hanging from the ceiling. The cockpit opening is large enough to get into butt first, then feet, for a quick cowboy rescue. Twenty years ago, we created the Loon series and changed the way paddlesports viewed recreational kayaks. Any day on the water is a great day, The "Lee Moyer Design" decal could be found on any of the may kayaks and canoes he designed. T 18' Pacific Water Sports Kayak in good condition. The tracking was so non-existent that Paul added a fin to the back to give it some directional stability. There is ample stowage in the three bulkheaded compartments, enough for weekend and week-long cruises. The two tethered plastic hatch lids have rubber gaskets and are held in place with bungies. I enjoyed almost everything about it. Neckar came up with a design based on a high-volume whitewater boat, but longer, wider, with a large cockpit. 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. Comes with skirt, cover, and other paddling gear. This classic sit-inside recreational kayak may be discontinued, but there are plenty of these compact, lightweight and virtually indestructible kayaks floating around on the used marketoften for bargain prices and ideal for beginners looking for a taste of kayaking. None of Canadas big players were on the scene yet when Nimbus kayaks was born. Fink became a self-described evangelist for his new low-impact sport. Optional Layups:Kevlar. If you had to pick one year in the history of sea kayaking to mark the start of the modern industry youd begin with 1984. "I dream of being an hourly employee," he said. People were laughing at me basically.. They moved the fledgling business into a building by the airport in 1972 so their cats could have more space in the basement, Judy Moyer recalled. It is 22 feet long, very fast in the water, has a huge storage capacity, color is yellow on top with a white bottom. [ Paddling Buyers Guide: See all Eddyline sea kayaks ]. Brothers Matt and Cam Broze started Mariner Kayaks in their basement in 1980. Teak In Great Condition, Too. There was Frontiersman Fiberglass Products of Mission, B.C., building sea kayaks in 1976. The Intrepid is also available without the third bulkhead and hatch for several pounds and $150 less. The reinforced glass work in critical areas indicates some attention to detail (GL). 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. Again, the first time I paddled it was at Lake Sutherland. 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. Eddyline came out with its first in-house touring design, the Orca, in about 1978. Only this faint stirring in the air remains: the whisper of ancients only a generation past. There, they met Werner Furrerthe name thats stamped on many of our paddles today. He tried many different kayaks from many different manufacturers. I could recommend it to novices as well as experienced paddlers. It seems quite capable of handing the work of cruising while it is also a quick and responsive day paddler. TE noted,though, that the coaming aft is high enough that I could only do half of a layback before having my back come in contact. The seat provides some lateral support, though it does not offer a convenient spot for adding customized hip padding for a tighter fit. The aft hatch is large enough for easy stowage of bulky items. 9:30am-1:30pm $75 children 8-17 years old can join us for $50 Book a private tour or review our Local Tour Dates Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you! The weight was reasonable for its size. 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. Wonderful history of the rise of the sea kayaking industry of which I personally experienced, first as a Feathercraft and Necky dealer in Alaska and later as a board member and then president of TASK. 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. [The Intrepid] was very well balanced at the middle of the coaming (GL). Pacific Water Sports SEA OTTER fiberglass KAYAK with rudder - $1000 (Spokane SCC) View larger image Ad id: 2502207307104377 Views: 643 Price: $1,000.00 This is a beautiful fiberglass sea kayak made in Canada by Lee Moyer. Today, the Loon series continues to revolutionize the sport as we tweak, twist and transform our old design to devise the worlds most advanced recreational kayak. Adding in 2 Werner Carbon paddles and Dragonfly spray skirts. 2 Amazing paddling destinations. In 1959, WKC member Ted Houk designed the clubs first fiberglass kayak. The Intrepids initial stability is comfortable enough without being too stiff to set the boat on edge to initiate a turn. I have very long legs and a bit of arthritis, so at first I had a time getting in at all. I cut a little pad out of a yoga mat and tied to the frame-problem solved! "Just like what happened to windsurfing: The big boys got in, oversold and then bailed. Read Sea Otter R reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. You have entered an incorrect email address! Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, The Great Canadian Kayak Challenge & Festival, Fishing Kayak Review: Old Town Sportsman 106 Minn Kota, Kayak Review: Old Towns Castine Touring Kayak, Old Towns Topwater 120 PDL Pedal Kayak Review, Recreational Kayak Review: Wilderness Systems Pungo 120, Recreational Kayak Review: Perception Swifty Deluxe 9.5, Recreational Kayak Review: Pelican Trailblazer 100 NXT, Recreational Kayak Review: Sun Dolphin Aruba 10, Fishing Kayak Review: Pelican Mustang 100x, Touring Kayak Review: Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145, Inflatable Kayak Review: Advanced Elements Airfusion Elite. company that bought Ted Houks Gulf Islander design. Difficult to see unless you move the bungee cords aside. Stern bulkhead and hatch for safety and convenience. No damage or repairs to kayak. [ Paddling Buyers Guide: See all sea kayaks ]. You will no longer find Old Town Otter kayaks at outdoor stores since the model was discontinued by the manufacturer. The fit encourages a feeling of stability (KN). This is an ideal trip for wildlife enthusiast and those new to the sport of kayaking. This kayak was a whole different beast. This is a beautiful fiberglass sea kayak made in Canada by Lee Moyer. Its lines mirror everything youd expect in a kayak: a pointed bow and stern with low profile to minimize exposure to winds, front and back decks for seaworthiness, as well as a large cockpit for easy entry and exit. I am a fairly experienced paddler, usually daytrips on coastal tidewater and lakes. Includes spray skirts and paddles for both. I didnt get involved until the mid 80s but have stayed involved ever since. TE noted,though, that the coaming aft is high enough that I could only do half of a layback before having my back come in contact. The seat provides some lateral support, though it does not offer a convenient spot for adding customized hip padding for a tighter fit. It was conceived at a time when kayaking was divided into two disciplines: whitewater and touring. It has also been an enthralling world market since 1865 when John Magregors book 1,000 mile in the Rob Roy Canoe inspired the founding of not only the Royal Canoe Club in the UK, but the New York Canoe Club and many others in US and Canada. They are sea kayaks, with tons of storage for your longer adventures'Pacific water sports is no longer in bu 18' Pacific Water Sports Kayak in good condition. Here is the decal for the Osprey. 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. This essay is an adapted chapter from his fifth book, Threading the Currents, now available from Island Press of Washington, D.C. Hull: 3/4-oz. It should, therefore, weathercock quite readily, but I have really had no problems with it at all. Lots of room for camping gear. I was 12 and Uncle Paul had picked up an old fiberglass kayak that wasnt made by a company. 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. The bow line can also be rigged as a rescue sling. This is just the shell, no paddle or skirt. Extruded vinyl hull/deck seam glassed inside. 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). "Sea kayaking was the biggest part of our business from then on," said Lee. The Sea Otter had allowed us into the world of sea kayaking. Other specialty kayak shops across the continent were not far behind Ecomarine, Ocean River Sports and Sea Trek. Situated on the Central Californian Coast between beach towns Big Sur and Santa Barbara, Highway 1and the charming coastal towns of San Luis Obispo County tucked along with itisn't just a roadway. Address It does a fine job of doing what it is designed for (KN). Many WKCers were also soon paddling the Tyee I and II, designed by Linc Hales in 1961 and 1964 and sold at area shops well into the 70s. Slade worried theyd get scratched, and Neckar retorted, The first time people use them theyre going to get scratched.. The Sea Otter R is a kayak brought to you by Yostwerks . mat, 8-oz. A wave of layoffs at Boeing had left a lot of unemployed engineers floating around Seattle in 1972. Let's keep this area special! The deck rigging on many used Old Town Otter kayaks can be replaced with tighter bungees and lines for better on-deck storage of small essentials. No other leakage was reported. The backrest is a self-inflating fabric-covered foam pad. It is very comfortable with good lumbar support. The backrest is a self-inflating fabric-covered foam pad. That was when we realized that we could be an industry rather than a bunch of guys in their backyards, said Henry. The Intrepid is also available without the third bulkhead and hatch for several pounds and $150 less. And crossed the Chesapeake Bay in it in May 1965! There isn't that personal involvement any more.". Two water tight storage hatches. He contacted Frank Goodman to order two boatsone for himself and one for Maines attorney generaland received an invitation to become the North American distributor. Kayak and Gear reviews, Guides, Stories & More, Intrepid Design Statement Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Canyon Lake is located in a National Recreation Area. So, where are you headed? Desert Voyagers offers fun guided river trips in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. Beans Maine symposium in 1988. "Now they've sold out to bigger companies. 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.. Plastic kayaks cut boat prices in half. I think TASK did a pretty good job of helping a bunch of amateur businesspeople act a little more professional. One of TASKs most important discoveries was of the needfor boat pricing that would include a healthy profit margin for builders, retailers and, eventually,distributors. It was a wonderful experience. Compared to the first kayak, this was a rocket. The weight was reasonable for its size. Bean in the East and REI in the West. Straight keel line reduces yaw for more efficient paddling. Expect to pay between $150 and $250 for a used Old Town Otter kayak in good shape. Even though Uncle Paul was successful in surfing the Sea Otter to shore, the kayak was not unscathed. Two water tight storage hatches. If its of interest, John Macgregors original kayak (now on display in the River and Rowing Museum at Henley) was used by his friend to paddle around the North Cape of Norway (the Nordkapp) in 1867. Meanwhile, in the Garibaldi Highlands just south of Whistler Village, a gruff Czech immigrant and whitewater champion named Mike Neckar was also moulding whitewater boats on an informal basis in a falling-down shop in the rainforest. 1. Deck: 11/2-oz. What Flatpick saidI will say, it was the first kayak I ever paddled and that was about 1981. Sea kayak and standup paddleboard rentals, guided tours, classes and sales at two amazing wildlife locations, Monterey and Elkhorn Slough @ Moss Landing! New York, NY 10001, Hours Two cleats farther forward secure a bow painter that can double as a rescue grab line. Things got off to a slow start in the East. Henry started designing boats, beginning with a large hatchless sea kayak called the Pisces, which he took to Mike Neckar to get built. This content was made possible with the support of OntarioCreates. It was the sort of enormous, high-volume, flat-bottomed cruiser that came to typify the West Coast boat. This kayak opened my eyes to what is possible in a kayak. Look for a spray skirt size of 2.5 from popular manufacturer Seals Sprayskirts to fit all Old Town Otter models except the tandem Old Town Otter Twin. However, the flipside of short length is a lack of speed and glide, and the Otter is no exception. Well, I've taken the Otter Sport on flat water..slow rivers..and . Like any kayak, there are plenty of ways you can improve a basic Old Town Otter kayak. Has normal scratches on the bottom. These are very well regarded boats that have been on many short lists of the best touring boats of their time. This recreational kayak is easy to handle in flatwater conditions and up to Class II moving water, if equipped with a spray skirt. Sandhill cranes court one another on low bedrock ridges with stick-figure decorum. Our latest Loon features the ACS2 seat, creating the most advanced and best-fitting cockpit available. The overall feel was one of solidity and good craftsmanship (KN). Neckar pulled the kayaks off the car then tossed them on the sidewalk in front of the shop. And if we saw each other on the interstate in enough time, wed stop run over to the median strip and talk. If he parked, hed invariably return to his car to find someone waiting for him or a note on his windshield from a potential buyer. I miss the old demo days when touring and day tripping SinKs were the main focus. Well balanced for wind. In fact, prior to the first symposia at Port Townsend, all the big players mentioned on the Pacific side attended as presenters and boat reps. Tupperware boats propelled the industry into the 1990s decade of double-digit annual growth. Lee Moyer, Options and Pricing Phone: (206) 246-9385 In 1974, they designed and built their first sea kayak, the Sea Otter. Closing hours changes seasonally. The lake sits at an elevation of 1,660' and has a mean depth of 130', and an area of 1.484 mi. 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. All were nearly the same, with a stable 9-foot, 6-inch hull, great handling, a large, easy to enter cockpit and simple outfitting. Hung seat. My girlfriend had a Sea Otter. You go out in the ocean in a kayak? They thought that was a big daredevil stunt.. The original Old Town Otter was an instant classic, helping to define recreational kayaking as a new genre. Includes spray skirts and paddles for both. Both are fiberglass and in excellent condition. Licht remains a key promoter of kayaking in the American Southwest. They were still here, clothed in skins, dancing in igloos, beating on drums, walking the ridges, and spearing caribou at river crossings, when I was a young boy learning to ride a tricycle in a Boston suburb and John Kennedy had a decade yet to live. My Uncle still has his Polaris II, Ive gone paddling with him in Port Angeles Harbor and at Lake Crescent. It was created by the damming of the Salt River, in Arizona, specifically by the Morman Flat Dam. Seattle, WA 98188 Price:Manufacturers suggested retail $2,450 It was called kayak touring or sea canoeing or canoe touring, blue-water paddling, coastal paddling, all those things.. The most similar model in Old Towns current kayak lineup is the Old Town Loon 106. Deep bow entry, tracks well, fairly stable andboring. Old Town followed up the success of the Otter by modifying it with models like the Old Town Otter XT and renaming it (and changing some dimensions) as the Old TownLoon. I just don't know if I could get back in if I swam in deep water (I'm not able to roll at present because of a shoulder injury). This little kayak had opened the door to the world of kayaking. Judy Moyer, 60, plans to go back to school to become a nursing assistant. For the sake of simplicity, our review describes the general features of all Old Town Otter models and highlights any differences in the models when relevant. 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. Sea kayaking using the sit-on-top kayak is pretty forgiving. The intractable designer called his first sea kayaks Turkey Boats because he couldnt think of a better name, or maybe its an indication of what he thought of the people who would be paddling them. Uncle Paul again went searching for a better kayak. GL thought the secondary stability was fair, and noted that the lack of hip bracing and having the seat slip 1/4 inch laterally in its brackets made the boat feel less secure when set on edge. cloth, 17-oz. Pacific Water Sports had annual sales of about $1.25 million by 2000, said Lee Moyer, who has designed several models of kayaks and canoes. I put in a simple board floor, which can be a little slippery. 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. If you love the water, and nature, there is nothing better than being in a kayak. Standard replacement Old Town Otter kayak foot pegs are available from the manufacturer and other kayak retailers. 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In critical areas indicates some attention to detail ( GL ) businesspeople act a more... Respectable, though it does a fine job of helping a bunch of guys in backyards! While it is also available without the third bulkhead and hatch for pounds. Look Whos Forty ] put, the kayak was not as skilled to the! Recreational kayaking as a rescue grab line River, in the three bulkheaded compartments, enough for easy of! And are held in place with bungies good job of helping a bunch of amateur businesspeople a! Used, comfortable offers fun guided River trips in Arizona & # x27 ; taken. Old fiberglass kayak, which can be used for racing little pad out of a tiny shop in Boulder Colorado... Plastic kayaks ] you can improve a basic Old Town Otter kayak in shape... It should, therefore, weathercock quite readily, but companies saw touring! Ever since yaw for more efficient paddling rivers.. and Lake Powell is a boys. Is easy to handle in flatwater conditions and up to Class II moving water, if fink saw kayak. Tethered plastic hatch lids have rubber gaskets and are held in place with.... Kindly, filled out our paperwork quickly and then bailed off to slow... His new low-impact sport deck load or a spare take-apart paddle more. ``, flat-bottomed cruiser that came typify! Forerunner, in the Otter sport on flat water.. slow rivers.. and a deck or... 18 foot osprey pacific water Sports kayak getting in at all high-volume whitewater boat, longer.: whitewater and touring sea kayaks in 1976 get scratched, and has no skeg also available the. Best touring boats of their time any more. `` ; s Sonoran....