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Hi-N-Dry Paddle Shaft Float Invention

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#41 ·
I will guarantee you that I can set up and roll faster without one of these than you can with one. A failed brace gets you pretty close to set up.

I think the concensus here and on Boatertalk is that this might be a training aid but is no replacement for proper rolling technique.
 
#44 ·
i dont know what to think about it. it could be a good thing or a bad thing, i think it would teach people bad habbits if u cant roll on your own you need to get your ass back to the pool!
 
#45 ·
Gary D said:
I noticed alot of people automatically assume this is a device you will want to take off asap... but what many will soon find is that you are a lot safer on rivers with it. It is great for shielding the face when under water and gets you into your set position and out of the water fast. My dad and I have zero intention of ever kayaking without one.
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Not sure I can see this being a safety tool. I can see the buoyancy fighting against you in a hole ride. More buoyancy means more retention in hydraulics. period. I can also see this leading to shoulder dislocation with the added surface area catching current. The video shows how "safe" this will make holding a paddle because it is padded when it hits your face, so wear a full face if you are concerned about hits, this seems to be much more likely to pop back and hit you in the face just based on the above. I can also see this being more prone to being ripped out of your hands. I would rather miss a roll and still have a paddle in my hands.
 
#46 ·
As an instructor, this has to be the worst "teaching aid" I have ever seen. Like it has been mentioned time and time again in this thread, learning proper technique for rolling/bracing is way more important to having fun on the water and staying out of the hospital.
 
#47 ·
all it seems to me is somebody is trying to make a buck in sport they dont quite grasp. Whitewater kayaking isnt a instant gratification sport like your aiming this device towards. good luck with your shaft wrap
 
#48 ·
Now if it had an air reservoir so you can breathe because you havent perfected your roll
 
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Discussion starter · #50 ·
I've got a bunch of new videos up that demonstrate the Hi-N-Dry works well for sea kayakers, works great in holes, works great in class 4 whitewater (haven't tested in class 5 yet), works great for surfing, protects the face while whitewater kayaking, does not get pulled out of your hands at any time, does not cause shoulder injuries but helps to prevent them, is great for teaching beginners, is great for advanced paddlers as well, helps with playboating tricks, and much more! Check them out: shaftfloat - YouTube
 
#52 ·
A couple of bits of advice for the outdoor equipment startup:

1. Find a place to base your business. You won't have legitimacy in the eyes of the consumer having a company making paddle-sports gear in Griffith Indiana. You don't have to move, but need to find a way to headquarter somewhere where paddlers live and play.

2. Find a buyer. You make a single product - wholesale is your best bet. If this thing was featured on NRS front page it would blow up.

3. Keep after the R and D. It might be a stupid product, but there are lots of stupid products on the market. Refine it and redesign it. Keep calling the retailers and find a production process that makes you money at wholesale.

Good luck. Innovation is important - but so is image. Right now it looks like a product for old men in Indiana, not a learning tool for kayak classes. Change that image!
 
#53 ·
Oh, and watch what you say about "works great in Class IV" etc. Rapids and whitewater are as varied as the rest of the natural world and this kind of speak makes you seem like an uninformed gaper. You need to talk to a seasoned paddler and get the lingo down. I'm sure this thing would work great in the pool at the base of a Class IV rapid - if it has a pool. However, some difficult whitewater is continuous and SHALLOW. Some of it is steep and deep. Products are generally either for whitewater or not, not rated like rapids are. For example, recent videos on the internets have proven inner tubes to work for running Class V, inflatable couches for Class IV+, etc.
 
#54 ·
I like that if you do the trial 30 days $1 and decide to keep it than you pay $49.50 x3, but if you pay in full right now you pay $99. Funny.

However it is now on my Amazon Wish List.
 
#55 ·
Just to keep the debate going, there is a good thread on BT right now cause of this video with People using the paddle shafts (I think the owners, maybe Gary D):

Upper Ocoee Whitewater Kayaking Using Rolling Aid - Dad's POV - YouTube

Start watching at 12:45 and then again at 20:45, pretty interesting to see them running harder whitewater that without the float seems like it would have been a rough day.

I like the idea of training tools and think this could have its place on flatwater and with an instructor to get comfortable. But using it as a crutch to run harder whitewater seems to be an accident waiting to happen.

My god we need snow...
 
#56 ·
kayakfreakus said:
Start watching at 12:45 and then again at 20:45, pretty interesting to see them running harder whitewater that without the float seems like it would have been a rough day.
Click to expand...
That person seems to have really crappy edge control and not very aggressive strokes. From the video, I think they'd look like a metronome going down the river.

kayakfreakus said:
I like the idea of training tools and think this could have its place on flatwater and with an instructor to get comfortable. But using it as a crutch to run harder whitewater seems to be an accident waiting to happen.
Click to expand...
I am impresed that it got the paddler down the river, and you're right, it could have been a very rough day without it. Might be good to stuff under the back deck and blow up a float bag around it. If someone's having a shitty day and the takeout is still 8 miles downriver, pull it out and give them the crutch to complete the run.
 
#59 ·
Seems like all this would do is teach bad habits, like learning to roll by bracing off the bottom. Rolling aside, it looks like the paddler in this video needs to learn an actually effective brace. It's all well and good for people of all skill levels to push their comfort envelope, that's how one progresses, but there is something to be said for actually putting in the time required to be ready for that next progression, i.e.: bracing. On the upside, maybe the "device" comes equipped with the great "Southern Accent" and that's how it will help to impress your friends.
 
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dirtbagkayaker
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