Sea Kayak Townsville

The Jet-Beam SRA40 is a stylish IPX8 rated waterproof torch powered by 4 x AA batteries.  The unit is capable of outputting 960 lumens of light and has three selectable light output levels along with a strobe, SOS sequence and a built in charging circuit. The overall build quality of the SRA40 is top-notch.  The body has been precision machined from cast aluminum and has an attractive dark gray anodized finish. Traditional knurling and four sided milling has been applied to the hand grip, while stylish cut-outs at the head of the torch serve as discrete heat dissipating fins and provide an effective anti-roll surface.  The tail cap has three slotted rim protrusions, perfect for attaching a lanyard. The tail cap is the only detachable part of the torch and it simply screws off providing access to the  battery compartment.  Inside the tail cap there is a rotary contact plate with two pin guides for proper contact alignment during installation.  The b...

The Black Diamond Storm Head Torch is a durable IP67 rated waterproof head torch with a maximum output of 350 lumens.  The unit incorporates five separate LED's to achieve its specific lighting profiles, which include a spotlight, proximity light and three different coloured night vision lights. The main LED delivers 250 lumens of light as a directed beam capable of reaching up to 80m on a clear night.  There is also a separately selectable  proximity beam which delivers an output of 100 lumens as a wide beam that reaches up to 10m.   Both beams are capable of being dimmed down to an output of 4 lumens and the proximity beam has a strobe function.  Both beams are only active simultaneously when the maximum power setting is selected (350 lumens). The head torch also has a night vision mode which allows you to toggle between red, blue and green light outputs.  The night vision mode also includes dimming and strobe settings for each colour. Br...

The Standard Horizon HX300 is a handheld  VHF marine radio which has a lot of useful features which make it well suited for sea kayaking applications. The HX300 has a large backlit display which shows the channel, volume, squelch and the battery charge all on the one page.  The buttons are large and thoughtfully set out, with backlit edges to aid in night time use.  Should you ever drop this radio overboard, the entire unit will float and will remain watertight with an IPX8 waterproof rating.  There is also a water activated flashing LED light as an aid for retrieval in the dark. Selectable High / Low Transmission    5 Watt high / 1Watt low Preset channel scan function 600 mW loud internal speaker audio Programmable scan, Priority scan, Dual watch and Tri-watch One of the standout features of this VHF radio is the ability to charge it's battery from any USB power source.  This means that I don't need to carry replacement batteries f...

Designed to be kept on your person, the KTI Personal Locating Beacon fits easily into a lifejacket or a pocket and has the same lifesaving technology as an EPIRB, but in a smaller, light-weight design which is self buoyant. The unit is equipped with a 66 channel GPS and a radio transponder which relays position information to the Search and Rescue satellite system every 5 minutes to within an accuracy radius of 124m.   A homing signal is also transmitted to assist search and rescue responders pin-point your location. For comparison non GPS units relying on homing signals alone are only accurate to within a 5 km radius and require two satellite passes (minimum 90 minutes), or signal confirmation from low flying aircraft in the area before the rescue response is initiated.  Other Features / Benefits. 406.040MHz (Transmitting Signal) and 121.500MHz (Homing Signal) Floating and waterproof  to a depth of 3 metres (not IP Rated ) Greater then 24 hours signal t...

The Astral Seawolf is a lightweight, low profile sea kayaking lifejacket which is extremely comfortable both in or out of the water, has heaps of storage space and a great variety of useful features for sea kayaking. The front of the lifejacket consists of two separate panels of foam. The inner section of foam wraps securely around your torso and is fastened with two adjustable straps.   The outer panel is able to float over the inner panel and is adjusted to your torso height via two vertical straps below the panel.  This makes for an extremely comfortable fit, allowing for a completely unrestricted paddling motion and preventing the lifejacket rising up your torso    One of the biggest issues with low profile lifejackets is that they’re inherently bulky in the front, in order to maintain the required buoyancy. This is not the case with the Astral Seawolf.  Most of the foam is located in the inner front panel which sits low enough as to...

A kayaking knife suitable for use in a salt water environment has to be easy to access,  rust proof, and durable enough to hold an edge for a decent amount of time.  Knives claiming to be rust proof are usually made with steels that are unable to hold a cutting edge for any measurable amount of time. The Spyderco Salt series of knives use H1 steel.  H1 steel is a precipitation-hardened steel, utilizing nitrogen instead of carbon to harden the steel.  It reaches a Rockwell hardness of 57-58rc and outperforms most other stainless steels in corrosive environments.  All internal steel parts are treated making them impervious to rust and pitting.   The blade has a prominent thumb ramp with jimping and an opening hole with a large 14mm diameter for easy opening/closing.  The blade is coated with a titanium carbonitride to prevent light reflecting off the blade. The black "Fiber Reinforced Nylon" handle is textured in a ...

A short length of 6mm double braid polyester rope attached to two stainless steel snap latches, serves as an emergency attachment or tow rope.  This rope is ideal for attaching to other kayaks for rafting together or for a quick tow out of a dangerous situation. It is also great for attaching to docks and other fixed structures.  The rope is looped through the snap latch and secured with a whipping knot, before being coated by a section of glue lined heat shrink tubing. Short Tow Rope fits nicely in the side pocket of my lifejacket Brand :  Home Made Length  :   2000 mm   Diameter  :   6 mm Rope Type:  Double Braid Polyester Snap Lock :   50 mm Stainless Steel

A tow rope is an essential piece of sea kayaking equipment.  Not just any piece of string will do. A tow rope needs to be at least 15 metres long to provide sufficient clearance in sea swell and strong enough for the vessel to be towed in any condition.  Other design features I consider important are that the entire tow rope system should float, be easily swappable from one boat to another, able to be conveniently stowed and readily accessible. Home Made Kayaking Tow Rope My preference for long distance towing is to use a thinner style rope.  After some initial  experimentation I found that 3 mm polyester rope has more than enough strength for towing a sea kayak.  An extra advantage is that 15 metres of this rope, along with all the attachments will easily and neatly fit  into a one litre dry bag, which serves as its carry case.  The rope runs through a small hole in the bottom of  the bag, and a few stitches are sewn ar...

The Fox 40 Classic whistle is a 3-chamber pea-less whistle, with no moving parts and chambers which are designed to self-clear when submerged in water.  This whistle requires you to blow hard to get that louder intense sound.  The metal attachment ring will easily rust and should be removed if using in a marine environment. This is a great safety whistle for kayaking purposes, which can be relied upon to deliver an intense blast of sound that will be heard in the worst of conditions.