Kayaks Dreaming

Although my feet is now firmly planted in Malaysia but I’m now smitten with the beautiful clear waters of Fiji and I’m daydreaming here about the kayaks that I’m going to use if I am living in Fiji!

I have only kayaked along the beaches but I know that the next time I visit Fiji I would definitely want to run the rivers there -especially the famed Upper Navua and Luva Rivers. River running and creek whitewater kayaks would be ideal to run these Class 3 plus rivers.

My kayak of choice would likely be Jackson Kayaks as they specialize on Whitewater Rivers kayaks be they for creek, river running or even freestyle. Jackson Kayaks was founded in 2003 on the principle of creating the best kayak possible for paddlers. It is a kayak company that is simple, streamlined, small, and dedicated to bringing you the best kayaks that it can. The designs for Jackson kayaks are always evolving and improving, showing the company’s dedication to both the sport and their customers. I like that. Although they are located at Rock Island, Tennessee in the US, I suppose I can always order it online as this type of river kayaks are usually no longer than 8ft and not too heavy being around 40lbs.

But for me it would be river running and I would be looking for a kayak that is well constructed durable and retains its shape well in the hot tropical sun. It should have a planing hull for great initial stability and a predictable ride and ample footroom as I’m quite tall. Jackson Kayaks also comes with a shock absorbing bulkhead system which is very reassuring and gives a more solid feel and to absorb more shock than the bulkhead by itself.

I should be able to find the model I like as Jackson Kayaks have a wide range of selection to choose from including their new 2008 models - Jackson Hero for medium size adults and Jackson Super Hero for larger adults up to 300lbs! I like the Jackson Hero as it’s designed to handle the largest diversity of water possible.

Now back to the grind … *sigh*