Everyone has had that embarrassing moment. You can call it a wardrobe malfunction, a skin show, or as our grandmothers politely said, “exhibitionism.” You’re riding a wave, catch an edge and splat, do a header into the surf. You tuck and roll and bob up for air. No harm, no foul. But then you hear the laughter…. snickers really. Your ride wasn’t that bad. What’s the problem? Your swimsuit has shifted, exposing more than your talent on the board.
About 71 percent of the world is covered with water. Here’s a great way to get out and explore it! SUPs are fun, efficient, and easy to use, but buying a paddle board can be complicated. There are so many choices. There are inflatable boards, river boards, race boards, surf boards and everything in between. I’ve tried dozens of boards, and found the Boardworks Kraken to be everything I need and more.
Any who recreates near or in moving water — kayakers, fly fishers, sailors, and even backpackers — will be interested in the new Estream portable power generator. Just throw it in the water while you play or sleep next to the river, and in the morning you enough stored up power to recharge your phone 3 times over.
By far the most popular company at Outdoor Retailer Demo Day was Hammocraft, with a framework that attaches to your water vessel of choice and holds up to five hammocks. Now, you and four friends can float suspended down rivers, rapids, ocean swell, lakes, and slow rivers.
Whether it’s camping pads in the backcountry or inflatable paddleboards at the beach, inflating your gear by hand (or your lungs!) can be a lot of work. The rechargeable battery-powered Max Pump from FlexTail saves you from all that agony while being small and light enough to fit in your pack.
Three river surfers from Munich wanted a surfboard they could easily transport through the city but without skimping on performance in the water. In order to bridge the gap between inflatable and hard surfboards, the team invented a new technology which allowed them to build an inflatable, vacuum-packed surfboard which can be rolled up and carried in a small backpack.
