colour-does it matter??

[musket]

Hi all,

Well done the tope troupe..wow!!

I'm nearly there,my back pay has been assured(?)

So it's going to be a P13 or a caper(I know this has been mulled over before-nice word mulled don't you think?)but what about colour,I realise safety should lean me towards yellow ..but I really like green ,It would go so well with the Landy.The question is DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Some fish ,ie Bass,spook quite easily but from a fish point of view do you think it makes a difference if they are looking up at a green hull or a yellow one?

Camouflage only works if the object in question blends with the background and we all know fish can get caught in harbours and marinas' with a multitude of hull colours above them.

Whaddya think??

Jon

Ps I,ve got to lift kayak up to cage type roof rack 6'6" high,do you think there would be a noticeable difference between the two afore mentioned models??

[Simon Everett]

You'll build your muscles quickly with either!

The Caper is definitly lighter on that front, no question. It will depend on how easy it is for you to heft the kayak above your head - if you can bench press the P13 then you won't have any trouble. The thing to consider is how well you can manage it AFTER a day on the water when you are tired. Consider also that you only lift the kayak once at each end of the day - but you paddle it all day long. The Caper worked fine at Towyn and Speciman caught 4 Tope out of his. He was on the same mark as the rest of us and we didn't have to wait for him as we paddled out. He was a bit redder in the face than the Prowler team though, unless that was the sun getting to him

The Caper is a real little sleeper of a kayak. It shouldn't work as well as it does. Without doubt seeing Simon out in his has opened my eyes as to how well they do paddle in reality. It gives very little speed away to the Prowler, but in a chop Simon says it is a bit wetter and he was the one who caught a big toad on the way out with a great lapful.

That highlighted a small problem with the Caper - the seat and central console area don't drain through the scuppers - water and blood just sit in there in a big puddle. Simon looked like he was running an abbattoir! The depression for the seat has a rim around which prevents the water draining out. The foot wells and seat depression just don't drain.

Either of the Prowlers or the Caper will fish very effectively - as will the new model due out next year.

Keep pondering!

Simon

[Simon Everett]

Oh, forgot all about colour - doesn't matter a jot to the fish - looking up all they see is "dark". I think noise is more of a concern than colour - for the fishing.

However, colour is a factor in your visibility to other vessels or if you need to be found. The Sunrise colour suits the prowler very well and they look terrfic in that. Mine is a yellow one and it looks good too. I think the Sunrise is probably even more visible than yellow at sea having been out with them. They stand out very well.

Olive green is the perfect colour to blend in with the surroundings - Speciman virtualy disappeared and we kept looking around for him - there he was all the time, sneaky chappy that he is - got the first fish each time I've been out with him. Somehting tells me that it isn't the colour of his kayak though - more to do with his kaarma I think

[Leon Roskilly]

Talking of visibility, what happens when the sun goes down and boats/helicopter are using beams to search the sea?

 

My bicycle is plastered with reflective (not flourescent - that's different) tape, which is really picked up well by headlights.

 

I'm thinking that a few strips on the top and side of a kayak could make a real difference in a night search, making a glint from miles away in the dark, yet wouldn't hardly be noticeable at other times.

 

You can buy reflective tape from Halfords.

 

It's also useful around your rod tip when fishing in the dark.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

I am not a Kayaker but if it was me I'd look for a SOLAS approved tape, which is basically the same stuff they use on floatation suits and life jackets etc (it really is very hi-vis).

[Starvinmarvin]

There are various PFD's with reflective tape on the shoulders, this should be a consideration when purchasing.

 

I've just looked on the Palm and Yak websites, all the PFD's over £50 in their Recreation, Ocean and Touring ranges included reflective tape on the shoulders.

 

On the Yak PFD's it's available on three of their PFD's.

 

SM

[Starvinmarvin]

Leon,

 

That's a great suggestion and worth investigating, I'll pick a roll up and see if it will stick to the Yak.

 

SM

[Simon Everett]

If the Coastguard helicoter is on the search they will pick you out in a moment with their heat sensitive camera -infra red. They can see you in pitch black without reflective "scotch tape" - but the lifeboat with a searchlighht, now that's a different story.

I had thought about it, but then, like Starvin, thought it woudn't stay on so didn't bother. The stuff used to be made by 3M, I don't know if they still do it. Others do.

[musket]

[ 25. July 2005, 05:06 PM: Message edited by: musket ]

[Yakity - Yak - u.k.]

Hi Musket.

 

The colour of the Kayak should idealy be as bright as possible.

However, there are things you can do to improve your visibility on the water, should you want the green Yak.

 

One of my XTs was ocean colours- blue -green- and white, looked nice, but not very S.A.R

friendly.

 

Your choice of cag, P.F.D, could be bright colours.

I spray painted the blades of my paddles flourecent yellow, good for vis and signaling, or attracting attention if needed.

The crate at the rear (IF you have one )cover it with a cut off pair of hi vis work trousers like this.

 

 

Also on the crate there is a fixed staff, with sea light and hi vis flag that stands up from the crate about 3 1/2 ft.

 

When loading the Kayak onto your landy, load from the rear, lean the the Kayak against the roof, and then lift up and over, saves a lot of stuggling and unneeded heavy lifting, I used to load mine on a semi hi roof Transit, no probs, technique is the way to go.

Unless of course your a wieght lifter anyway

 

Hope this helps you.

 

Yakity.