Peak UK 15m Towline

The Peak UK Towline is a 15m towline system with the ability to be waist or deck mounted. It features a webbing waist belt with quick release buckle. The bag element is a large shaped pouch akin to a walking/mountain biking bum bag with a zip open top lid. This is made from sturdy fabric with hi-vis reflective tape on the outside. The ‘floor’ of the pouch is made from pastic grid material to allow drainage of any water from the pouch. There is a vertical synch strap running from the top lid down to base of the pouch which allows the volume to be reduced when stowed.

Looking at the actual towline, the red line has a larger non-snag snap gate at the towing end with a float in the line immeadiately behind it. There is then a section of line of a metre or so before the line is daisy chain coiled. The end of the daisy chain then features a smaller non-snag snap gate which keeps the coils in place allowing the towline to be used at around a 5m length. Unclipping this smaller snap gate allows the coils to pull free and the towline extends to it’s full 15m length. The towline is attached via a bungee shock absorbing loop (with rope back-up) to a stainless D ring which is fitted through both the waist belt and bag itself.

Adapting The Towline

Out of the packaging the Peak UK towline has a couple of aspects I wanted to adapt to enhance it’s use. I have made 3 key changes:

1. Moved the float just over 1/2 a sea kayak boats length down the line.
2. Changed the way the snap gate is attached to the line from a knot to whipped line
3. Diasy Chain coiled all the line from the float to the end of the line

This has ensured I have a clean line at the towing end, particularly when feeding the towline under deck lines to clip a second boat in a rafted tow situation. The original position of the float prevented this. The extra daisy chain coiling further shortens the line but retains enough length for short tows.

In use

I really like the size of the bag on this towline, plus the fact it comes with two really nice snap gates. Worn as a waist system it is unobtrusive when the bag is synched down. I wear it with the bag at the front, the towing snap gate clipped to my PFD ready fr quick deployment. Towing shorter or longer is comfortable. The bungee does a reasonable job at absorbing the bulk of the shock. Repacking the towline is nice and easy thanks to the large opening at the top of the bag. The quick release does it job – the large ball on the buckle makes it easy to locate. I’ve practised capsizing whilst towing and released the system with no hassle.

I don’t currently have a deck mount set-up rigged on my own boat and am jumping between so many different boats I prefer a system i can take with me however, the large velcro pads sewn on the back of this system look comparable to other deck mounted tow bags. It’s nice that this towline provides both options.

Summary

Full disclosure, I’m lucky to now be part of the Peak Professional Partner System which means I can buy Peak UK kit at a reduced price. However I chose and bought this towline at full cost before I became involved with Peak UK and after using a number of other towlines.

The main problem I encountered on the two other towlines I tried was the small opening to the towline bag which became too much hassle to deal with on the water. The wide opening on the Peak UK Towline is, for me, its major selling point. Add to that the nice stainless hardware and decent build quality and for me this is a cracking towline.

However, I would recommend folks consider the adaptions I made, particularly moving the position of the float to create a clean line at the clipping on end of the system. Alternatively, take a look at Level 5 Sea Coach, Kim Bull’s article on how he adapted his Peak UK Towline.

Images

Useful Links

Peak UK Towline – Peak UK Online Shop
Adapting Your Towline – Article by Kim Bull, Level 5 Sea Coach on adapting a Peak UK Towline.

Tahe Marine Reveal

The Reveal is an expedition sea kayak from Estonian based Tahe Marine. I spent a happy few weeks reviewing the Tahe Marine Reveal last year for the excellent Ocean Paddler Magazine. (Thanks to Rich – the Editor – for kindly letting me republish my review here).

Introduction
Marketed as a “pureblooded sea-kayak from bow until stern”, the review kayak certainly generated a lot of interest in the paddlers that saw her. Jet-black and glossy from tip to tail, this could be the perfect sea kayak for Freya Hoffmeister – that or an ideal purchase for the SBS for covert operations. The build quality and overall finish is certainly impressive. The Reveal has a thinner lay-up than British manufacturers tend to use, although Tahe Marine do offer a Heavy Duty lay-up version. However, I was more interested in what lies beneath the pretty exterior, in terms of handling and outfitting.

Features

Tahe Marine Reveal Foredeck

At 18’2” the Reval is a touring / expedition boat. It features a typical three-hatch set-up for storage, providing 140 litres of space. The rear hatch is oval shaped, the day and front hatch round. The deck is well-equipped with thick bungees and decklines and a compass recess is provided forward of the front hatch, although some additions would be needed to stow split paddles on the front or rear deck.

There are, however, plenty of spare attachment points to allow for personalisation of the decklines.

On the left-hand side a skeg slider sits in an easy-to-reach position and has a very smooth action. At either end of the kayak a moulded rubber handgrip for easy carrying can be found. Finally, the sliding footrests have reasonably sized pegs and can be easily adjusted when seated in the kayak due using long ‘arms’ that click the pegs up and down the settings.

Tahe Marine Reveal Sea

The seat and backrest combination are, however, very comfortable with good padding fixed to a GRP seat. The cockpit coaming itself is on the thinner, sharper side and did get chipped carrying the kayak on my shoulder after the first paddle. I would be happy to see a slightly ‘beefier’ coaming utilised.

On The water
Once on the move, you feel the speed provided by the length and associated waterline. The Reval is a fast boat and tracked very well. When the wind did pick up, it did tend to weathercock when paddled empty. Applying a quarter/half- skeg was sufficient to bring the Reval back on course, however, and there she stuck despite some very choppy swell and gusty wind conditions. The initial stability is good, thanks to a wide, shallow v-shaped hull. Put the Reval up on its edge and there is also a reassuring amount of secondary stability, allowing for good edge control.

Tahe Marine Reveal Hull

Despite its length and size, it can be turned easily when edging is applied. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised at just how quickly it could be turned when a hard edge and a braced handbrake or bow rudder turn was used. It was possible to carve nice tight turns around a figure- of-eight course between buoys.

Running with the wind and tide the Reval surfed the waves nicely and, for a long kayak, was fun to paddle and play with. Paddling into the swell, it coped admirably. In a confused sea on a paddle across to the Isle of Wight, the Reval held a good course and was easy to keep under control.

The height of the deck and space within the cockpit allows for a range of leg positions to be utilised. I could happily adopt more of a K1 paddling position on long straight runs, yet brace my legs well for more controlled handling. At times, I found the skeg control moulding to be a little intrusive within the cockpit area, but not to a great extent. The lower back did allow easy rolling and recovery strokes.

Tahe Marine Reveal Skeg Controller

I had two minor issues with the Reval. Firstly, the skeg control ‘handle’ extends out beyond the edge of the boat to provide an easy grip. Despite its relatively small size, I caught it with the paddle on a few occasions when manoeuvring on a medium to hard edge where the paddle shaft came close to the kayak. This would suddenly deploy the skeg fully mid-stroke. I would prefer to see a control that is flush with the side of the kayak. I was also a little disappointed with the amount of water ingress through the hatches. Researching the Reval online, I read some very positive comments regarding the hatch covers, so it may be an issue with this particular boat. Whether a 1 mm hole drilled in the bulkheads would help reduce this, as some manufacturers are beginning to do, I’m not sure.

Summary
Overall, the Reval is an interesting and enjoyable boat to paddle. Tahe Marine are a lesser known manufacturer here in the UK. However, they can certainly produce well-finished and equipped kayaks. Would I would choose the ‘stealth’ gloss black were I to purchase one? I don’t think so – one beach landing left me wishing for a white hull. Would I consider a Tahe Marine Kayak per se? It would definitely be on my short list and, retailing at just £1299.99 it presents compelling value for money at £700 cheaper than many of similar sized/spec sea kayaks.

Manufacturers Response

We at Tahe Marine very much appreciate the review of the tester. It is very rewarding to us that the test paddler found the quality and overall finish of the kayak impressive. Of course we are tremendously happy that the Reval’s good initial and secondary stability and the positive response on tracking and speed showed that the hull design receives excellent feedback. We appreciate also that some details like rubber handgrips and sliding footrests were positively noted, which were among the improvements already for season 2009. We have noted the minor issues to improve and we can guarantee that we will continue to listen to paddlers so we can develop the best value for money kayaks. Thank You!

Marek Pohla R&D Manager, Tahe Marine Team

Specs
Length: 555 cm (18’2” )
Width: 54 cm (21” )
Approx. capacity: 155 kg (340 lbs)
Weight:
Fiberglass: 23-25 kg (51-55 Ibs)
Carbon/aramide: 21-23 kg (46-51 Ibs)
Storage:
Front: 60L, hatch: 25 cm (10”)
Rear: 60L, hatch: 43×26 cm (17×10” )
Small:20L, hatch: 15 cm (6”)
Options:
Retractable skeg / rudder / skeg + rudder / Heavy duty lay-up

Website: Tahe Marine Reveal

Tahe Marine Reveal Skeg

Tahe Marine Reveal Footrest

Tahe Marine Reveal Day Hatch

Tahe Marine Logo

Tahe Marine Reveal Toggle

Tahe Marine On Roof Rack

There are many books out there that cover all aspects of Sea Kayaking within one publication. Sea Kayak Handling is different. It foucses purely on developing kayak handling skills through detailed, yet concise coverage of strokes and associated techniques.

Written by Doug Cooper – a BCU Level 5 Sea Coach, and Head of Paddlesports at Glenmore Lodge, Sea Kayak Handling looks in detail at each of the strokes or combinations of strokes we use to propel, turn and control our Sea Kayaks.

Clear Photographs

The book follows a logical route through the strokes using clear photographs of each stage of the stroke along with step by step instructions on how to perform the stroke correctly. The photographs are numbered and referenced within the written instructions so you know which image to refer.

Instructions are concise and easy to understand yet provide more than enough detail. In my first glance through the book I picked up to things I have been doing wrong for a number of years and was able to apply Doug’s advice on my next paddle to good effect.

For example, cross bow rudder is a stroke I have played with a lot but never felt really comfortable with. It transpires I have been angling the paddle too low down rather than keeping it as vertical as possible.

Similarly, I fall into the category of paddlers who deploy the skeg with no real understanding of when or how much skeg to deploy. One page of Sea Kayak handling is devoted to a superb diagram which has demystified skeg use for me.

Sweep Edged Turn

Pesda Press have also provided a set of videos which can be viewed online at their website. The videos are clear and very good quality and are a huge help in visualising what you are trying to achieve. These are available whether or not you buy the book, however the combination of Doug’s expert writing and the videos is the a real winner.

Although the book is focused primarily on stroke technique, each section has information on ‘equipment considerations’ and ‘environment considerations’ where the affect of differing equipment and weather/sea conditions on stroke execution is examined.

The book is also smattered with ‘top tips’ which build on the basic stroke technique described by looking at ‘extension’ activities/drills or alternative ways developing your technique.

Handy Small Form Factor

The relatively small form factor of the book is very welcome ensuring it could be carried wherever and whenever you feel you may want to refer to it. I’ll admit to being ‘geeky’ enough to have carried it on a paddle and when I stopped for coffee dipped into it to check on a couple of techniques I had been practising while out on the water.

Overall, I think Doug’s book is potentially worth it’s weight in gold for paddlers who are looking to develop their handling skills. I class myself as an enthusiastic intermediate paddler and have learnt a lot over the last week, picking up ideas and techniques which I am already trying to integrate into my paddling.

Sea kayak Handling will not provide a beginner or other paddler with an all round introduction into Sea kayaking. For this I would always refer beginners to something like Paddle Your Own Kayak or intermediate paddlers and above the Sea kayak: A manual.

What Sea Kayak handling will provide is a fantastic, user friendly manual to developing your own paddling skills and when combined with the online videos provide a resource I believe you will come back to time and time again.

Sea kayak handling is published by Pesda Press and is available direct from their website for £9.99 (my copy arrived within 36 hours of being ordered) or from your local Paddling Store.

The Originz Northwest Passage provides an alternative to more expensive offerings.

Whilst there is no denying the quality and popularity of brands such as Lendal and Werner, for many the prices can be somewhat frightening. It may not have the features of these high end paddles, but the Northwest Passage from Originz may provide a solution.

Although available in 2 pieces, with a quicklock connection, the set reviewed are one piece. They feature a set of Glass Reinforced Nylon blades on a Glass Fibre Shaft. The shaft provides reasonable flex to reduce fatigue and feels comfortable in the hand. The blades are mid sized, and appear toughly made.

Although they lack the fancy construction and option of modified crank shafts at £74.99 for a set, they are a good purchase.

Available in left and right hand set up at 215, 220 and 225 lengths they are worth a look.

Featuring easy adjustment and ample storage yet retaining a slim designthe Palm Axis Extrem bouyancy aid is now a prized addition to the gear bag.

I wanted a lower profile bouyancy aid, which afforded a larger range of movement. Both my white water and sea bouyancy aids included padding/bouyancy over the shoulders and felt restrictive and bulky.

It also needed to be dual purpose, and as such include features such as chest harness that are not normally found on Sea/touring pfd’s. I also wanted sufficient storage on the bouyancy aid for a compass, knife, whistle, chocolate and vhf radio. Was this going to be possible?

The Palm Axis Extrem was actually one I discounted early on. George at the Woodmill shop highlighted it as one of their best sellers, however it looked too complicated with a range of straps. However, as I worked my way through the other possibilities the combination of features and price made it the ideal choice.

It has a large amount of bouyancy (75n) yet remains low profile. The large pocket on the front easily swallows my VHF, as well as other small items and has d-rings and a removeable key clip.

The shoulders have comfort padding that remains low profile and the active cut allows a full range of movement when paddling. On the rear, reflective tape will aid safety when paddling in low light or at night.

The bouyancy aid is over the head, so not as easy to remove when in the boat, however it has a great range of adjustment, cleverly designed to be accessible when on the water.

The chest harness is present for when I do hit white water, but does not get in the way when out on the sea.

On the rear of the bouyancy aid, there is a lash tab for attaching lights for night paddling.

This was undoubtedly the most comfortable of the bouyancy aids I tried on and has felt ‘right’ since day one of use. I still have my 5 pocket ‘old school’ bouyancy aid to hand if I needed the storage space, but the increased feeling of freedom and movement from a lower profile PFD can’t be beaten.

Features include:

• >75N Soft foam buoyancy.
• Adjustable Easy Glide™ padded neoprene shoulder straps.
• Adjustable Easy Glide™ glide and chest straps.
• Easy Glide™ Chest Harness with quick release cam buckle and load spreader.
• Karabiner retainer.
• Front zip fastened pocket with internal and zip fastened external stretch mesh pockets.
• Two “D” rings and security hook contained within the pocket.
• Lash Tab to secure a flash light etc.
• Fast draining mesh inner lining.
• Reflective tape on shoulder straps
• Reflective piping around pocket.

Fabrics: Shell: 550D Ripstop Cordura®.
Colour: Mango/Black

Price: £99.95

Marketed as suitable for multi-day ocean/expedition, leadership and instructional use this is a serious paddle top with a high quality construction and to date has performed flawlessly.

Pullover style, with a hood, high collar, drysuit wrist seals, double waist and fleece lined pockets this top has become a firm favourite. In cool, windy conditons I am warm, perhaps too warm, with just a short sleeved thermal underneath.

When the temperature begins to drop and the wind picks up I begin to really enjoy the protection offered. The active cut means I do not feel restricted, even playing with cross-bow strokes.

With the neck zip done up fully, you can feel somewhat clostrophobic but at the same time glad of the extra protection offered by the high neckline of the collar. A fleece lining prevents the zip rubbing your chin.

One issue I encountered was the tightness of the neck with the hood stowed in the collar and zip done up. This was painfully tight for me. The simple solution is to release the hood from the collar if you intend/need to zip up the collar fully however a slight change to the design here could make a lot of difference.

A large, volume adjustable, rollaway hood provides even more protection when the going gets really tough, and offers enough side-to-side movement as not to fully restrict your vision.

The little features you expect from Palm are all there too. The drysuit wrist seals are protected by velcro adjustable over-protectors with mesh drainage panels.

The waterproof zipped sleeve pockets offer storage for small safety or easy access items. The fleece lined pocket on the front is fantastic as you chat over the great days paddling on the shoreline.

Off the water, loading up the car or wandering around the nearest habitation, the top looks great and I’ve happily sat outside the pub after a long days paddle feeling as comfortable as when I first put it on.

Features include:

• Articulated panel cut – no underarm seams
• Volume adjustable hood with wired peak
• Adjustable smooth skin inner neck seal
• Water resistant zip front baffle
• Double waist featuring outer tab adjustment
• Inner waist using light weight material and gripper elastic to prevent ride up
• Latex cuffs with tab adjustable outer lined with smooth skin
• ‘Tunnel’ front pocket, with double water resistant zippers
• Single arm pockets with water resistant zipper
• High visibility reflective piping on arms, and neck

Fabrics: XP150 3 layer, XP 100 inner waist, Smooth skin lining, neoprene adjustment.

Price: £179.99