We’ve just received the latest shipment of our popular Symbiant WW vest, which as of 2010 comes in two new colours, Midnight blue/grey and Red/grey, as well as the classic Cadet blue.
The Symbiant is a versatile whitewater vest, providing freedom of movement and comfort, and can be fitted with a quick release chest harness if you want to upgrade for more serious whitewater.
The new colours will be available in the shops soon, and the Symbiant is priced at £72.95
Palm Equiment International have been awarded the contract to work with Rapid Blocs in supplying the course features to the new Broxbourne Whitewater Course, the component parts of which will be made right here in Clevedon at the Palm Factory.
The revolutionary new system is extremely durable, easy to adjust or modify, and allows for creation of virtually any whitewater feature.
To find out more about the new Rapid Blocs system visit www.rapidblocs.com, or click on the image below:
Palm’s current line up of products are out on the water and on test by paddlers all over the world. We’re really pleased with our products and glad to say the good reviews have been pouring in.
Check out this in-depth review of the Aleutian Sea kayaking suit from solentseakayaking.co.uk:
(click on the image to go to the review).
Palm’s whitewater specific suits have also been going down well with the industry’s reviewers, check out the immersion suit group test in Canoe and Kayak UK magazine: (click on the image below for a link to the review).
The Latest Issue of Canoe & Kayak UK magazine also contains reviews of both the new Palm AMP buoyancy aid, and the ‘modern classic’ whitewater kayak the Dagger Nomad. Issue 106 of the Magazine can be found at your local kayak shop, on any UK high street, or direct from their website at www.canoekayak.co.uk.
Here at Palm we’re always keen to hear feedback and opinions about our gear, so please let us know what you think of your Palm gear in the comments section below…
Here at Palm we are we are continuously looking at innovative ways of recycling waste product. Our Technical Director Bob Slee used the current weather situation for inspiration and came up with this……
“All we need now is a long steep hill to test it!”
Take care out there!
After having spent the latter end of 2009 poorly and sofa bound, I decided that the New Year was a good way to put all last years woe’s behind me and start the year as I mean to go on.
With this in mind on Saturday morning I loaded up the Dagger Axiom 9.0 from the demo fleet ready for a trip to the coast for a surf session.
I have not as yet had a chance to paddle the Axiom since I couldn’t get into the prototypes and was poorly once the production boats where ready. I was looking forward to the surf and hoping that it was not too big as not being in a boat for over 6 months will have made me quite rusty.
Checking the surf report for Saunton before we left my heart sank it wasn’t big it was messy, 1-2ft, 4sec intervals at the bouy, NW cross shore wind. However this was not going to deter me as I wanted to paddle!
One police diversion and a couple of hours later we arrived at Saunton Sands, the sun was out, the tide was out and the wind was bitter! Looking at the boiling mass of back to back messy waves wasn’t the most inviting.
Once togged up in my Torrent with as much thermal gear that I could fit under it, we headed for the sea which seemed about a mile away and still undeterred we headed out through the mush.
The Axiom 9.0 is great, having paddled the GTX then the GT Max for years the experience is actually quite different. The Axiom 9.0 has more height in the bow, more progressive edging, more room up front and with a livelier tail end, I thought it might trip me up a bit at first but it felt quiet forgiving and manoeuvrable. The best thing is the speed and acceleration, even in the small back to back messy surf the Axiom accelerates fast down the face which took a bit of getting used to as initially I kept stalling at bottom of the wave. Initial stability is good although a little narrower in the hull than the GT Max, but this does allow for faster edge to edge transfers. One thing I have to mention is it floated me really well (I’m 130kg kitted up) and although a short session due to lack of fitness the Axiom 9.0 inspirred confidence within a very short time!
Sorry we where all on the water and the surf was poor for photos on Saturday! Maybe next time, soon, once I take delivery of my own Axiom 9.0! Here’s a recent photo to wet your appetite……
Mark Sharman from late last year at Croyde. Mark loves the surf and instigates nearly all my trips to the coast!
Oh, and if you haven’t yet tried an Extrem vest or Amp, go do it, its incredible!
See you out there!
Ben
Jon Best on form, Nile Special, Sunset.
With the cold and dark turning paddling in the UK into a truly character building experience, It was decided that we had quite enough character already, and some warm water paddling was in order. With this in mind, and with the completion of the Bujagali Falls dam drawing closer everyday, Tim T and I booked some last minute tickets, packed our flip flops and suncream, and boarded a plane to Uganda.
As the sun rises through the mist, the local fishermen are already at work.
Almost a mile wide at its source, emerging from lake Victoria 1100m above sea level, the Victoria Nile is a geographical marvel, and kayaking aside, would be worth the visit purely to look at.
Sitting almost squarely on the equator, the Nile enjoys year round warmth, with an average daily temperature of ‘very hot’, and water which can only be described as ‘quite warm’.
Amy Simcock, right hand line, Bujagali Falls
Sadly, several of the section’s classic rapids are very soon to be lost, as the final stages of the new dam are completed. The building site is now starting to look more convincingly like a dam, and is simply breathtaking in its scale. Estimates as to when the section will finally disappear range from sometime around Easter to a couple of years time, however if you’ve not paddled there before, I can’t reccommend a trip strongly enough, and sooner rather than later. Clicking on the link here will take you to Google’s satellite images of the Nile, showing the Dam’s current progress, and what is soon to be lost.
www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=0.494808,33.147554&spn=0.042914,0.055189&t=h&z=14
For those unfamiliar with the situation and the river; here’s a link to Sam Ward’s video ‘A Dam Shame’, filmed exclusively on the section of whitewater which will be lost upon the Dam’s completion.
Although the classic ‘Silverback’ Section is doomed, the Nile thankfully still has a huge amount to offer besides, with some of the world’s best waves, and incredible freestyle paddling. The standout wave on the river is the world famous Nile Special, which serves as the warm water training ground for the many of the world’s best freestyle paddlers.
James 'the artist formerly known as Pringle' Bebbington, in flight.
Some of the River’s mightiest Rapids will also still remain after the new dam is built, and probably the most well know of these is Itanda Falls. Once classified as a grade 6 monster, but now downgraded to ‘still one of the biggest rapids you’ll probably ever see’, this 300m long maelstrom of white chaos (beige disorganisation at lower flows) contains several of the biggest holes on the river, and has handed out some severe beatings to some of paddlesport’s finest.
This December however, saw the rapid’s 2nd successful (4th attempted) descent in a Topo Duo. With the unflappable Tim Trew at the helm, and a fearless Max Coney providing the Ballast up front, the pair navigated the craft flawlessly through the beast, much to the disappointment of the carnage hungry spectators.
Tim and Max, leaders in the tandem kayaking revolution...
If you can make it to the Nile before the new dam is completed, then do so. If not, then go anyway, whenever you can, it really is as good as everybody says…
