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| Packed up and ready to transport |
A marvel of inflatable engineering, the
Sevylor Quikpak K5
is a collapsible vessel which folds into its own pack, making it ideal for foot
or bike based transportation. Our
current residence bears a strong spatial resemblance to a shoebox, with insufficient
room to swing even a kitten, so occupied space is always a concern. Fortunately
the kayak manages to squeeze beneath our cream Ikea couch, thus appeasing Heidi’s
valid concerns of vanishing living space. At only $240US from the consumer’s
paradise of Wal-Mart, the value was exceptional, and given the low price the sophistication
of the design complete with included pump and foldable paddle blew me out of
the water (so to speak).
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| Inflation underway |
So once or twice a week I saddle up and head down to the
water, a short walk down some serious flights of stairs to Sirius Cove. Unclipping
and rearranging the pack, which converts into a padded seat, I proceeded to
inflate the ‘yak which is a short five minute exercise with the uber volume
hand pump (I’m convinced it could seat a fat bike tire with no worries!)
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| Down the stairs... |
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| And onto the water at Sirius Cove |
Sliding into the water and the real adventure begins. I
usually follow the bush clad coast in and out of coves, where one is treated to
a hitherto unexplored world. Crystal blue water reveals fish and seething kelp,
with warped perspective leading to the odd rocky collision which inflatable
hull shrugs off with ease. Kayaking has also allowed me to embrace my inner
ornithologist, with the silent approach allowing me to observe day to day aviation
activities from an intriguing distance.
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| Paddling POV |
While the Quikpak with its uber-wide hull won’t win any
kayak sprints, it will potter through significant swells with relative ease,
with stability that will allay any fears of an impromptu dip. Besides territorial
seagulls looking to dispatch their guano payload, an ever present hazard which
lends an element of excitement to explorations are the switftly moving ferries
that dart about the harbour. My knowledge of maritime law is limited and I don’t
fancy testing give-way rules, so I’m happy to pause or divert course to avoid
the turbulent water and ‘yak crushing heft of these craft.
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| A ferry lurking behind the zoo wharf |
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| Keeping my distance as it dashes to the city |
The freedom afforded by the kayak is exhilarating, with a
choice in route only limited by ones imagination, allowing me to slide past
whatever piques my interest. Last Sunday
Sydneysiders were out on the harbour in force, with a mixture of families
fishing to rowdy party boats moored in the cove. It felt great to out in the
sunshine amongst the water based revelers.
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| Sydney harbour panorama |
Safe to say I’m pretty stoked with the adventure
opportunities afforded by this new addition to the fleet. With time I’m hoping
to develop seafaring skills to attempt longer journeys such as the famed home
to city aquatic commute. I'll be wary of the limitations of this glorified pool toy and plan to only venture out when winds rate low on the Beaufort scale, with my Spot tracker as an emergency back-up. With a relaxed pace and soothing bob far removed from
my usual hasty biking journey’s the aquatic treats of Sydney’s harbour are now
within paddling reach.
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| Waves aren't conducive to well composed shots |
