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Kaskazi Dorado Review
The Skua ARX Review done by the new Kaskazi Rep for Auckland
We tested the Kaskazi arx along with many different wing blades over a 4 hour period on Lake Pukpuke,I wore my heart rate monitor and was also using GPS "For speed etc",First impressions,This particular yak is bright orange, not my favorite colour "I picked it
for safety" however it looks great ,Once on the water I found both the seating position and comfort excellent,The Kaskazi has excellent secondary stability,The seating position is reasonably high,this allows for excellent paddle entry ,while on the subject of "high" the Kaskazi sits high in
the water ,"I am 80 kg" it is super roomy and 100 kg + paddlers should find it no problem,While not tested by me personally I feel that this yak could handle a big lad and a lot of gear no problem.
SAFETY
I done several self rescues from sitting in the kayak to the water back in the yak in 30 seconds or less, "John Wayne style re-entry" no need for a pump as it self drains when righting like a ski.
You are left with approx 1 litre of water in the yak and so I just use a sponge Performance, I lost count of how many wing blades I had a play with on the lake over the 4 hrs and I am no wing blade expert but with most blades I used I found the Kaskazi cruised at 9.2-9.5 kph at 120 bps "beats per minute' ,"60-70%" effort,This I felt was good speed for a shallow v hull sea kayak 58 cm wide, My preferred blades were the B2 and B4, while these are high capacity blades/Large they both felt great through the water very light and although large blades I found them both very efficient "9.5 km's at 120 bpm" , for distance paddling I feel the Lettman 1 is also a very nice blade, This is a very brief review and with update after several hundred kms, I personally view the arx as a great sea kayak.
You are left with approx 1 litre of water in the yak and so I just use a sponge Performance, I lost count of how many wing blades I had a play with on the lake over the 4 hrs and I am no wing blade expert but with most blades I used I found the Kaskazi cruised at 9.2-9.5 kph at 120 bps "beats per minute' ,"60-70%" effort,This I felt was good speed for a shallow v hull sea kayak 58 cm wide, My preferred blades were the B2 and B4, while these are high capacity blades/Large they both felt great through the water very light and although large blades I found them both very efficient "9.5 km's at 120 bpm" , for distance paddling I feel the Lettman 1 is also a very nice blade, This is a very brief review and with update after several hundred kms, I personally view the arx as a great sea kayak.
So as a distance paddler/sea kayaker/recreational as well, what did I feel after 4hrs ?,,,Well I now own a Kaskazi arx along with a B2 wing,,enough said :)
Further points.....
On day 2 I had an interesting paddle at the lake, 2hrs,high winds and some reasonable waves, enough to surf and even bury the front hatch under water, first the good news, the rudder with the bungee on it works well and even with the bungee off it still turned fine unless I was paddling
fast or surfing, another good point is that the kayak does not take on waves into the cockpit very easy, and again very comfortable, I checked in both hatches only to find a few drops of water in each "impressed"
The not so good points, the arx is affected by winds side on more than most, This is no biggie provided the rudder is working fine, Another point , I left the bungs in and after taking on some water I could not remove them, No problem on a small lake but no so easy out sea, again no biggie ,
I will just leave them out or run a line off them both that I can reach, I cannot help but feel that I should fix down the deck as this is an excellent sea kayak, Having the deck removable is no advantage,"That I can think off" if I wanted a ski I would purchase a fenn, This is an
excellent sea kayak and is worth more $$ if marketed as such, It has a self draining cockpit which is a huge safety factor and feel the option of the deck fixed solid and a neoprene skirt "$150" is worthy option.
I read this on the ZA site tonight,, Kaskazi Skua ARX:
The Skua AR with deck which can be fitted permanently or detachable. Interesting they are one step ahead of me, Permanently is a good option,I wonder how they do it,Over there they market it as a safe adventure racing kayak,It is a much better sea kayak
than anything else,Also adventure racing might be well supported over there, It is not here partly due to a small population, Hence the appeal as a safe full featured sea kayak.
Below picture shows the ARX fitted with a Day Two "Purple tag" Spray Skirt
Further picks of the ARX with Spray Skirt
Kazkazi Dorado Review (Older model)
New NRS Mission Drysuit with 
Fabric
Event fabric info http://www.eventfabrics.com/eVent_technology.php
So soft and supple, you'll forget you've got on dry wear! This is your ultimate kayaker's safety system. The NRS Mission Drysuit, in ultra breathable, waterproof eVent® fabric, is as comfortable as your favorite sweats, only way drier.
- eVent fabric, with its Direct Venting™ and Dry System™ technology gives you unparalleled breathability and waterproofness.
- The 50 x 100-denier ripstop nylon eVent fabric is light in weight and quiet, no rustling noise as you paddle. All seams are precision taped to keep you dry.
- The overskirt teams up with your sprayskirt to keep water out of your cockpit.
- The raw neoprene on the 3-inch wide waistband firmly grips your sprayskirt. Cinch it tight with the double-pull hook-and-loop closures.
- No more tying your sleeves around your waist while you prepare for the water, this suit has internal suspenders.
- Top-end metal YKK entry and relief zippers seal water-tight for ultra dryness.
- Highest quality latex gaskets at the neck and wrists seal you in a dry cocoon.
- Latex socks will ensure warm feet.
- The high-wear seat area is reinforced with rugged Cordura® for extra protection while the knees are beefed up with an extra layer of eVent® fabric.
- The neck, wrists and ankles are cinched with adjustable polyurethane-coated Lycra overcuffs.
- Reflective piping enhances your visibility in low-light situations.
- Awarded a "Paddler's Pick" by Paddler Magazine 2008!
What do we think of this product after actaully using the Drysuite?
We have tested the NRS Event Drysuite in both sea and and lake conditions and it exceeds my expectations.
The suit fits and feels great on as the fabric is so soft giving you the feel of what you would normally feel from your drytop but with the added security of a full suite that can float on it's own with out the need of a PFD (Not Recommended) it has a handy pocket in the arm to hold items that you want on hand and also has the ability to fit your tunnel under a special overlay that comes standard on this suite.
One thing that came to mind was the latex socks which allow you to get in and out of the suite with ease and the feeling that this suite is dry which it is, the breathability really depends on how much effert you are exerting as we found that if we where pushing it such as in the Taupo 46 Km race the suite was not able to handle all the sweet we where producing but saying that it was quite a warm day, at no time did we chill as the suite was able to maintain a good standard of warmth, while on a colder day and while doing wet exits and rentry with out PFD, I found that I was really comfortable and dry and I was able to carry on wearing the clothes I had on under the suite for the rest of the day as was the case when I did a 5 hour paddle of a dam..
The suit fits and feels great on as the fabric is so soft giving you the feel of what you would normally feel from your drytop but with the added security of a full suite that can float on it's own with out the need of a PFD (Not Recommended) it has a handy pocket in the arm to hold items that you want on hand and also has the ability to fit your tunnel under a special overlay that comes standard on this suite.
One thing that came to mind was the latex socks which allow you to get in and out of the suite with ease and the feeling that this suite is dry which it is, the breathability really depends on how much effert you are exerting as we found that if we where pushing it such as in the Taupo 46 Km race the suite was not able to handle all the sweet we where producing but saying that it was quite a warm day, at no time did we chill as the suite was able to maintain a good standard of warmth, while on a colder day and while doing wet exits and rentry with out PFD, I found that I was really comfortable and dry and I was able to carry on wearing the clothes I had on under the suite for the rest of the day as was the case when I did a 5 hour paddle of a dam..
On that particular trip we stood under a water fall that was ice cold and never had any issues apart from brain freeze.
The internal braces are an awesome feature but we did notice that they needed the correct adjustment as they had a tendancy to slide of your shoulders while paddling - maybe it would be better to only use them while walking around which is what they are for to avoid the need of tying your
arms of your suit around your waist which I found is always a pain. No more with the Mission drysuit - 10 points for features.
Conclusion:
This suite is really worth the expense and fits nicely, looks great on and feels natural.
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