The palm Kaikoura...to be or not to be....that is the question............

There is a dilemma brewing …..do I replace my ageing Crewsaver buoyancy aid with a new one when the sailing season starts.

I am, I confess, a buoyancy aid man when in the dinghy.  Personal choice I guess. My Crewsaver is showing signs of wear and tear. The pocket zips have almost now corroded; they jam constantly, despite being rinsed in freshwater frequently after a trip. The Velcro on the adjustment shoulder straps is looking worse for wear too. An odd tiny tear in the fabric completes the look.

Don’t get me wrong, it is still serviceable. I think! It has kept me afloat when I have gone overboard on the odd occasion last year. But with pockets that now don’t zip up – well…..I think the time may have come to send it to a restful place of retirement…the garage shelf…where it can stay as a backup one.  Which now raises the dilemma – what do I replace it with?

Heading up the top of the list is the Palm Kaikoura. Met a sailing instructor last year who had one and he swore by his for dinghy use.

The blurb goes like this:

The Palm Kaikoura is a premium touring and sea expedition buoyancy aid.  It has a front zipped entry.  Packed with features and storage space.  Ideal for ocean expedition paddling, sea kayaking, touring, canoeing and instruction. Designed to give comfort and freedom of movement. The Palm Kaikoura took many years to develop and took on board views and opinions of many of the world’s top paddlers to offer a feature rich vest.

• Flex formed front panel wraps around torso giving unparalleled comfort and fit
• Neoprene lined armhole to prevent chafing
• Front zip entry; YYK tough plastic construction
• Large front cargo pockets with internal compartments, clip in points and velcro sealed opening for VHF radio aerial
• Fleece lined hand warmer pockets behind cargo pockets
• Shoulder pocket with whistle
• Large rear cargo pocket designed to accommodate a 1.5L hydration bladder
• 3D anti ride-up waist belt
• Easy Glide strap adjustment throughout
• Solas¨ reflective detail on shoulders, front and rear panels
• Front and rear lash tabs
• Vent Mesh inner lining for next to the skin comfort
• Gaia PVC free foam throughout

So much for the hyperbole. A video review is here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrhXHi2BWF8

Anyway, I have yet to find one locally but what is attracting me are the number of pockets. I am forever putting things down in Arwen and then watching them slide about or, worse still, I forget where I put them down due to my severe absentmindedness, which as anyone who knows me will tell you, is genuine and alarmingly getting worse. So what kind of things do I want to carry with me? Well strapped somewhere my SPOT PLB; sunglasses; my radio; knife; some chocolate bars or sweets; whistle; car key bag; money and cards pouch; personal mini flares pack. When you read canoeing forums, many have been impressed with it, not only in its capacity but also in its essential property of keeping you afloat.  Much has been made of its front zip entry which makes it easy to take off if you want to quickly remove an item of clothing or put an extra one on. My current BA is an over the head one which requires some interesting contortions from me, which as I age further, I’m damn sure will end up with me dislocating a shoulder, or falling out of the boat!

It would also suit any little canoeing adventures I want to do this year in Angharad, the wee canoe tender built for Arwen. There are other slightly less ‘pocketed’ palm BA’s.  The Palm Taupo is highly recommended.

Anyway, it is something to think about and try and track down so I can take a closer look. As I say, I may have to bite the bullet and then the ‘I like my old BA and I don’t have the money anyway’ feeling kicks in.

If you know of anyone who has one and you can get them to give an honest opinion of it – do please let me know

Steve

PS the BIG question of course is if I do bite the bullet, as my birthday approaches, what colour do I go for - red, blue or (shudder deeply) yellow?