prokaryote

I thought the paddle leash idea was to attach your paddle to your kayak not you to your paddle? The idea is that if you fall out 1) if you can hold on the paddle you still have contact with the kayak, and 2) if you do let go of the paddle then it will act as a sea anchor and trail behind the yak, slowing its progress and giving you something to grab for. If you attach the leash to the middle of the paddle shaft (I use a wrap around velcro strap for this) then this should work fine and it certainly does stop the boat getting away in surf. The leash should be as short as possible to minimise entanglement risk. I incorporated a quick release plastic buckle close to the paddle shaft attachment on mine for good measure. Having said all of that I only use it with my pyranha surfjet SOT in busy surf to prevent the yak from taking out unsuspecting body boarders if I can't roll back up and have to bail out. Cheers, Gary

Hi There, I have a Malibu 2 XL. I haven't tried fishing from it but I really like the boat. First it is extremely stable which has to be a bonus if reeling in a big catch. Second it tracks extremely well (I've paddled lots of other kayaks so I think I can make a fair comparison). You only have to look at the hull to understand this as it forms a defined keel towards the stern. I have paddled it solo in various wind/tide situations and had no trouble keeping on course, in fact it tracks so well that you can really get into your stroke without having to expend any energy/thought on keeping straight. Third,it goes like a rocket with two paddlers: I kayak on a weekly basis and yet I struggled to keep up with my Malibu 2 XL when I lent it to two novice friends and followed them in my 11ft surf jet, which is its self a fairly quick boat. I think the problem the previous poster had on the lake was largely due to the boat not being supplied with the backrests: I got two backrests supplied with my malibu as standard and these are absolutely essential for efficient comfortable paddling. Fourth, the seating is very flexible, enabling you to sit in the middle of the boat for solo paddling if needed. Last of all you can fit an 18" oval hatch to the centre of the Malibu2XL which I have done to mine. This is a 5 minute job if you have a router. Hope this helps.

I have a pentax optio WP. Cracking 5MP 3x optical zoom digital camera. Very small and waterproof to 1.5 M so not good for diving but perfect for messing about in boats. Battery life is superb. The camera is so small/light that I usually wear it round my neck on a string or keep it in the small front pocket of my PFD. Picked mine up in a sale for £99. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your helpful replies guys, a very pleasant welcome to this group! Regarding life jackets for the kids, great advice and I couldn't agree more: I've got three on order (proper life jackets, not buoyancy aids). I'll let you know how we get on in the spring. Gary

Hi, I've been solo sit-on kayaking for a couple of years and I've just ordered an OK malibu 2 xl so I can take one or more of my kids out paddling. They all like the idea of catching some fish for tea, but I've only ever fished in fresh water. Can anyone recommend a simple combination of tactics tackle and bait that's likely to catch us some mackerel as we paddle around the North Devon Coast? If there's a FAQ covering this sort of thing please excuse me and give me a pointer to it. I don't know where else to get this sort of info as most sea angling resources would assume you are based either on the shore or a larger boat. Many thanks, Gary