Carolina Wild Photo (the blog)

It looks like Spring has finally slipped past Old Man Winter. I’m glad to see it… well, as soon as the worst of the pollen season gets gone anyway. I’ve been anxious to get out and do some kayaking, especially since back in February I bought myself a new kayak (well, new to me anyway). It’s a Native Watercraft Ultimate 12 Tegris. Yeah, that’s a mouthful, I know. I’ve been quietly wishing I could afford one of them for over two years, but could not justify the expense. They’re expensive because they’re made of Tegris, a competitor to Kevlar…. and you have all heard of Kevlar. Not only are they tough, but extremely light. So far as I know it’s the lightest 12-foot kayak ever made. Without the removable “class one” seat they come with, they weight only 29 pounds. Add the seat, and they’re 35 pounds… still extremely light.

Part of what makes them so light is they’re a hybrid kayak with no deck, much like a canoe, but far more stable. When I found a used one for sale at a good price, I began comparing used prices just to be sure it was as good as I thought. That’s when I happened to learn they had just been discontinued by the manufacturer, supposedly because the cost of the Tegris material had gone way up, making the manufacturing costs skyrocket. The result was that they would end up costing more than the manufacturer thought most people would pay. So, knowing that, I decided I’d best get one before the demand for used ones drove up the price on used ones too.
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