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Paddling Accessories- Choosing the right equipment for your paddling trips is the only way to have fun, be comfortable, and be safe of the water. |
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Please shop on our new ONLINE STORE where you will find all of the Accessories. |
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Please Feel free to click on any of the tabs below to visit the page on our online store. |
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Clothing & Gear- Dry tops, dry pants, splash tops, splash pants, fleece, rash guards, elbow pads, gloves, socks, shoes, polypro. dry bags, dry boxes, safety equipment, outfitting for kayaks and canoe, white water, touring, recreational, and every other thing needed to make your paddling easier, safer, more comfortable and more fun.
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The only way to be
safe and comfortable on the water is to have the correct
layering & equipment for the trip. Even if it is hot
outside you need to prepare for the water temperature and/or
wind & rain. It is a good guide to say that if the water &
air temperature add up to 125 degrees or less, you can easily
get cold & potentially develop
HYPOTHERMIA. Another way to think
about it is that it is easier to take layers off than it is to
put layers, that you don't have with you, on. This brings
up another great point. It is also a very safe practice to
carry extra layers that are dry in case you need them. You
never know when the weather is going to change. A few
other things that are good to have is a waterproof first aid
kit, a spare paddle, a noise maker (whistle or horn), a survival
blanket or tarp, matches or lighter, a flash light, a throw or
tow rope, a compass, bug repellent, sun screen, water or a water
filter, and snack food. This is a good guide, but you may
need other things depending on what kind of paddling you are
going to do. Just think about everything before you go
paddling and you will have a great time.
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Paddles-
We
stock
a only the finest paddle companies. Werner, Seven-2, H2O
Paddles, Bending Branches, & Mitchell just to name a few.
We have a huge selection on white water, recreational, and
touring canoe and kayak paddles.
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Whitewater kayak paddles - Choosing a white water kayak paddle, start by considering materials, length, feather, and shaft (bent or straight). Alabama Small Boats stocks only middle to high end white water kayak paddles. The reason to go with a higher quality paddle is because of the nature of white water kayaking. White water rivers are very hard on equipment. The materials range from fiberglass to carbon fiber shafts; fiberglass, nylon, gas injected plastic, carbon fiber, carbon foam core, and carbon/Kevlar foam core blades. Typically, if you are running rivers or creek boating, you will choose a little longer kayak paddle. Somewhere in the 194-200cm range with a 30-45 degree feather. If you are play boating most of the time, you may want to consider a shorter length, from 188-194cm, and a lower feather, from 0-30 degree. The most sold length at Alabama Small Boats is a 194cm and the most sold offset is 30 degrees. This seems to offer a good mix of the 2 and most white water kayaks do a little bit of every style of paddling.
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Touring/Recreational Paddles- You will need to think about length, material, and blade size. A typical touring paddle will be 210-240cm with 220 and 230cm being the most sold length. You will need to consider the width of your boat and your paddling style. If you have a boat that is wider, you will need a paddle that is longer (230cm is what is recommended). If you are in a more narrow boat, a 220cm will be a great length for you. On the other hand, you will want to get a longer paddle if your paddling style is low and laid back, even if your boats is narrow, you may want to try out a 230cm. As for materials, they range from aluminum shaft with a gas injected blade all the way to a carbon fiber shaft with a carbon fiber blade. The only upside to aluminum is the price. They are more of a hot and cold conductor, their durability is low, and they are more of a lightning on the water. It is recommended that you go for at least with a fiberglass to take a lot of weight of and increase the durability. The cost increase is only $25 or so. There are also carbon fiber shafts and blades. What you are getting if you go with a carbon fiber paddle is increase durability and stiffness and a much lighter paddle. If you are paddling a long distance, you may want to consider getting carbon fiber
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CANOE PADDLES
- When choosing a canoe paddle, you will want to start out by
deciding what material will suit your needs best, then the style
of canoe paddle will be next thing that you think about, and
lastly the length.
You may first want to ask yourself where you are going to be paddling. If you are on shallow, moving, or white water you will want to purchase a canoe paddle that is more durable. On the other hand, if you are on deep rivers or lakes, you may want a much lighter weight canoe paddle as durability is not your greatest concern. Materials - such as Aluminum and hard plastic offer a very inexpensive choice when combined, but they are typically heavy and the durability is not very high. From there comes fiberglass shaft with a gas injected plastic blade. This make-up is a great way to get good durability without spending a ton, but they are certainly a little heavier and a little less durable than you all fiberglass paddle. An all fiberglass option is a great middle of the road option for all different kinds of canoe paddling. Now, there are two different ways to lay-up a fiberglass blade. The first is to pour fiberglass into a mold and pop it off in the shape you desire and the lighter weight and more durable way of building blades if a woven fiberglass. A good alternative to fiberglass is wood. Wood is beautiful and typically weighs about as much as fiberglass. The durability is not as good as fiberglass, but some compensate by wrapping the blade in fiberglass. Lastly in the material line is carbon fiber. Carbon is, by far, the lightest, stiffest, and most durable material that canoe paddles are made of and they are the most expensive. If you can afford it, you won't be disappointed at all. The - Style - canoe paddle you are looking for will be determined by the style of paddler that you are. If you are a flat water canoeist, you may want to consider bent shaft canoe paddles that offer a much longer perpendicular stroke for more touring applications. Or perhaps you would look at a smaller/longer blade shape for less impact per stroke. For white water applications, look into the spoon blade paddle that will hold more water on the power face of the paddle. For white water you need bigger blades as well because you need all of the acceleration you can get. You canoe paddle - length - will be decided after you have thought about what kind of paddling you are going to be doing. Someone that is touring will most likely use a shorter paddle than someone that is paddling white water. You can used you height as a guide. You can get a touring length that goes up to about the top of you stomach to your chest and a white water length from your chest to just below your chin. Paddle length also has a lot to do with your personal preference, so Alabama Small Boats suggests that you try a couple different lengths if you can. |
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HELMETS-
We stock A wide
range of companies including Shred Ready, WRSi, FnA, Head Trips,
Pro Tec, Sweet, & Predator. We have both Plastic and
Composite Lay-ups.
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Helmets are the most important piece of equipment that a white water paddler or sea kayaker in the surf zone can have. You should find a helmet that is snug and does not move around on your head at all. The 2 types of materials that we carry are a high grade plastic and a carbon/kevlar lay-up. The plastic material is the more inexpensive way to go, but they are considered a single impact. A carbon/kevlar lay-up is a much more sturdy and you can take multiple hits with carbon/kevlar, but they are more expensive. | ||||||
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Personal Floatation Devices (PFD)
aka:
life jackets/vests -
We carry a wide range of PFD's here at Alabama Small Boats including Astral, Salus, Kokatat, Stohlquist, MTi
and more. The vests that we carry, excluding some youth
PFD's, are made of middle to high end materials for the maximum
durability. We also have
PFD's for your dogs.
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The key to choosing
the right PFD is to find one that you will actually feel
comfortable wearing. You should make sure that it fits
tight without being uncomfortable. It should also stay
low, around your mid-chest, and not ride up when you swim.
Be sure to get someone to pull up on the shoulder straps to make
sure that it fits properly and doesn't ride up. Another thing to
watch out for is cheaper materials. You should look for
something that is going to last. Lower end materials will
mildew and mold easier and allow UV damage, both of which will
slowly eat away the buoyancy of your PFD.
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Yakima Roof Racks-
We have the largest selection of Yakima clips, towers, and
all water related attachments around.
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If you would like to have the
best aftermarket car rack system, Yakima is a great place to
look. They make strong steel racks and lots of attachments
for all your transport needs. You should visit the
fit list
at
www.yakima.com
to see what it will take to put a Yakima rack on your car.
It is worth every penny for the amount of trouble you save.
And at Alabama Small Boats you will save money as we offer
FREE installation with every rack
purchase.
Alabama Small Boats has the most Q-Clips around |
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