It’s the weather report every kayaker waits for, and every non kayaker dreads…. A Heavy Rain Warning. Earlier this week, the remnants of a slow moving easterly cyclone and a cold and wet front roaring up from the Southern Ocean collided over the North Island of New Zealand. This was bad news for Easter holiday makers but it was good news for us. As per normal when heavy rain is approaching the cell phone lit up, plans were hatched and a restless night ensued…. The rain arrived as predicted and it was game on. Our destination for the day, The Wainui River…
I had been itching to get on the Wainui after missing the first descent several years earlier due to food poisoning that I picked up the previous night from drinking a large number of dodgy beers… Or something like that! Since then there has been a number of descents and the reports filtering back have been all good! Stories of epic slides and big drops were more than enough to wet the appetite…. Finally, on Tuesday, it was my turn!
- Only a kayaker knows the feeling! The moment we live for…. rolling off the lip of the big one.
- Inside the beast… About 50 feet into the freefall and preparing for impact!
- Tucking in and hanging on….
- This drop in the middle of the Wainui is about as good as they come… Who says kiwis can’t fly.
- Pretty stoked, and a little dazed and confused!
- Watching Simon take his run.
- Jamie taking flight.
- Big old air boof on little brother.
- Airing it out on little brother.
- The other end of a 30 foot boof… This would explain the stiff neck!
- Simon styling it!
- One epic slide after another…
- Letting gravity do the work on another rowdy Wainui slide.
Simon Mayo’s Monday programme on BBC Radio 2 featured Palm’s marketing manager, Paul Robertson, talking about the differences between canoeing and kayaking. Nice one Paul!
Check out the interview on BBC iplayer (skip to 18 minutes)
The annual Adventure Paddlers Weekend on the Dart provides Team Palm with an ideal time for a get-together. It’s wonderful to get the chance to all meet up, go for a paddle and have a couple of glasses of wine together.
Palm also brought along all of their exciting new gear. I was eager to see the new ladies gear after helping in the development process. I can’t wait to get out in the new buoyancy aid and cag – they are so comfy!
Janette modelling the new gear: rigid with excitement.
Big up to Simon Westgarth for organising APWE and massive thanks to Palm for great team support and providing us with lovely accommodation!
The guys from Five Element Productions were round last week for a tour of our Dagger Europe factory and Palm customer services dept. Here’s Paul Robertson showing you the boat production process, and where your kit goes if it comes back to Palm for repair.
Have you still got a question about boat production, or for our customer services department? Leave a comment below or ask a question on our Facebook page and we’ll get straight back to you.
New for 2011 were introducing a complete range of new touring jackets. From the expedition ready Alaska to the ‘do-it-all’ Aegean, they all feature brand new articulated cuts with pre-bent sleeves. Innovative detailing such as a bright (and safe) new colour palette and laser cut drainage with reflective reinforcement ensures that not only are these jackets the most technically advanced we’ve ever produced – they’re the best looking too.
We’ve just announced a complete range of whitewater jackets for 2011. Expect new fabrics and construction methods and beautifully realised details. such as the new laser cut drainage and colour co-ordinated zips.
Form and fit are crucial for whitewater paddling. By completely rethinking the way a jacket is constructed we’ve managed to create a cut which perfectly compliments the body’s form whilst paddling. By reducing the number of seams we’ve also improved the garments’ longevity and durability.
Check out the range below or see page 20 of our workbook for more details on features and colourways.
Atom
Atom
Fuse
Fuse
Surge
Surge
Flow
Flow
Zenith
Zenith
Again, we’d love to hear what you think. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or on our facebook page.
We are really excited to release our new range of kayaking apparel and PFDs at Europe’s premier watersports show.
2011 sees a complete redesign of all Palm’s performance whitewater jackets to include fresh new colours, fabrics and features.
The jackets include new patterning which increases the paddler’s range of motion – the sleeves and torsos are pre-shaped to match the natural sitting position of a kayaker. We have improved the fit while reducing seams to give a better, smoother look, reduce weight and improve wearability.
We have harnessed advanced technology that helps to streamline our construction process. Check out the drainage vents at the collar and cuffs which allow water to drain out from between the layers of fabric. Instead of stitching drainage mesh into the fabric, we use a laser to cut neat, small circles in the fabric. The laser melts the edge of the Nylon fabric to prevent fraying. We also laser cut the holes into which the pockets zips are welded.
We have developed a whole new colour palette, including vibrant aqua blue, zesty lime green and fresh, bright purple. These zingy new colours are complimented with details picked out in an extra key colour resulting in a striking new visual aesthetic.
Keep checking this blog for more photos and information on these and more Palm products.
It has been brought to our attention that counterfeit Palm products are appearing on internet auction sites. We would like to confirm that these items are substandard copies, made with inferior materials and components.
They will not perform to the high standard of genuine Palm Equipment products and are not tested or approved to European Certification.
Palm does not condone or endorse the selling of these counterfeit products.
We would like to reassure our customers that we are doing everything we can to shut down these unlawful sellers.
