Rich and Bailey built kayaks with me last fall. I love hearing from Rich because he is my #1 product tester, using these kayaks in the ferocious open water and surf zones of the Big Island of Hawaii.
“We returned to Hawai`i with open arms and realized that icy cold water and weather has its qualities, but cannot compare to tropical paddling. I have all the wood you donated last fall and a pair of freshly sawn gunwales ready for an initial building attempt this winter. Even though so much time has past since your class last fall I’ve been ready to begin ever since (no more delays!). Our qajaqs have outperformed all of my expectations in Hawai`i and solidified my belief in the design’s unrivaled potential. They surf like sleek long-boards, handle the biggest swells, and have even been bow-pivoted (twice!) in exposed reef and coral while surfing without a single puncture or gouge! Anyway, your class remains the best way to spend a week of your life!
I’ve been excited/interested to talk to you about other responses to the skin boats! the sea turtles here (which get HUGE and can be embarrassing when your surfing) LOVE the skin boats and will appear en masse out of the deep and have followed my boat for a full hour, circling and even brushing the bottoms. I suppose its the translucent skin and ribs, but its amazing and consistent! The dolphins are the same and have swam hitting our bows and circling for a long, long time…
Either way, I’m not trying to impress you with creature stories, but it’s an amazing reaction and a distinct difference from the plastic boats!”
