RENT ME AT GRAND RIVER KAYAK

“By narrowing the shape and slightly lowering the seats we have developed a series that paddles better than most recreational canoes on the market. The Saranac series features two contoured seats plus a bench seat perfect for smaller passengers. The bench seat also includes a covered storage compartment. There are a variety of extras including cup holders, rod holders and storage trays designed to add convenience and versatility. The Saranac is affordable family fun!”

• Contoured comfortable seats with padded seat and seatbacks
• Center bench seat with storage inside
• 6″ hatch
• Molded-in rod holders (bow and center)
• Molded-in flush mount for rod holder or anchor system (bow and stern)
• Molded-in storage trays
• Molded-in paddle rests (bow and stern)
• Molded-in cup holders (bow, center and stern)
• Comfortable molded-in handle

CURRENT SPECIALS THIS WEEK – MAY 16th to 23rd, 2012

RIOT EDGE 14.5 OVERSTOCK ON “RED/YELLOW BLEND” COLOUR
This has been one of the most popular models of the 2012 season, but we have an overstock on one particular colour. SAVE $ 75.00 for a limited time on the Riot Edge 14.5 in the red/yellow blend. Other colours also available at regular price.

SAVE 20% ON ALL REMAINING CURRENT DESIGNS KAYAKS
These kayaks are new, but they are 2011 inventory:
    

The Current Designs “Rumour” is a used kayak, great price!!!

NECKY “MIX N MATCH” PROMOTION
We’ll take $100 of the regular price PLUS get a $100 Mail-in-Rebate on the Necky Looksha 17 until the end of May!
 

GET A GREAT DEAL ON REMAINING REMIX XP’s
Purchase any of our remaining Liquid Logic Remix XP9 or Remix XP10 and SAVE $200.00 !!
 

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Six Days, 250 km, One Grand (River) Adventure

 Waterloo Region, ON, April 24, 2012

In this first edition of “Quiet Nature’s Grand Adventure”, Derek Lippert and JP Bartle, of Ayr based landscape firm Quiet Nature Ltd., are canoeing the entire Grand River in order to raise money for the Grand River Conservation Foundation.

Beginning April 30, 2012 in Waldemar, these explorers will be on the river night and day until they finish their journey six days later, on May 6^th at Port Maitland. Through daily updates and online photo journals over the course of their trip, Derek and JP hope to increase awareness of watershed-wide environmental issues while raising funds for the Grand River Conservation Authority’s tree planting and outdoor educational activities.

By following “Quiet Nature’s Grand Adventure” at www.QuietNatureTour.ca you can view the expedition’s progress, learn about historical landmark information, and listen to live updates from the explorers. Media events are planned for various legs of the journey. ‘Canoeing the Grand’ will be hosting a BBQ and GRCF ‘Donation Station’ at their Kitchener facility on May 1^st at 5pm. The ‘Outfitters Launch’ in Brantford’s Brant Park will be the site of an event on May 3^rd at noon, and the journey wraps up in Dunville at 12:00pm on May 6^th, coinciding with the Southcoast Paddlesports Symposium.

About Derek Lippert – an avid outdoorsman with a background in ecology and forest management, Lippert started Quiet Nature Ltd. in 1999 with a focus on lawn alternative and native plant landscapes.  Since that time the company has evolved to offer a full suite of sustainable landscape solutions, including ecological restoration and zero emission landscape maintenance. It has also been a mission of Derek’s to educate others about environmental issues and the need to protect and restore natural spaces.

Please contact Derek Lippert at 519-632-5218, derek@quietnature.ca, or visit the event web (www.quietnature.ca/grandadventure) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/quietnaturesgrandadventure) pages for more information.

In 2010 Norm Hann paddled the 400km proposed tanker route. In 2011, Norm will lead an evolving posse of athletes passionate about both stand up paddleboarding and the environment along the same route. With support from First Nations communities the crew will spend a month paddling the pristine inlets of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Enbridge Inc, a Calgary-based oil and gas company has proposed the construction of a 1,170 km pipeline running from Alberta’s tar sands to Kitimat on British Columbia’s west coast. From here, crude oil would be loaded into super tankers bound for Asia. Before reaching the open ocean, these tankers would first need to pass through some of the most dangerous navigable waters in the world―the narrow inlets of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Long protected by the 1972 Trudeau government moratorium on crude oil tankers plying British Columbia’s north coast, these waters are now facing the risk of oil spill. Potentially, 225 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) per year would each transport approximately 2 million barrells of oil through the Great Bear Rainforest. In context, today’s supertankers carry ten times the volume of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Put simply, the pristine marine and terrestrial ecosystems as well as the people of the Great Bear would likely not recover from such an incident.

This issue is perhaps the most important environmental issue in B.C. history. Whats more, a catastrophic oil spill could reach beyond borders and impact much of the Pacific North West coastline.

Visit the official Enbridge website for the Northern Gateway Project here.

“Kayak Distribution, makers of Riot and Azul brand kayaks, announced today that they have completed the purchase of Boréal Design of Québec city. Manufacturing, sales and customer service will be moved into Kayak Distribution facilities in Canada, the USA and China over the course of the summer in order to minimize impact on its dealer network.

By acquiring Boréal Designs, Kayak Distribution positions itself as a leading privately held boat manufacturer. Boréal’s integration will allow the company to have a strong presence in the sea kayak category which will complete its line-up of Riot and Azul boats. It will also allow the company to carve out a leading position in thermoformed boats which the company launched earlier this year.

By integrating Boréal into its existing operations, Kayak Distribution will help the company become more competitive, and add thermoformed constructions to its line-up.”

We’ve just gotten word from three of our kayak manufacturers – Seaward, Riot, and Jackson Kayak – that our 2012 orders have been shipped, and all are expected to arrive in the next few days! By next Monday, April 16th, there will be about 150 new kayaks, including a demo kayak for each model. Come and check out what’s NEW for 2012! Still to arrive are Point 65N, Boardworks SUP, more Werner Paddles and lots more gear! NEW Kokatat PFD’s arrived last week, including the new Aries vest, and Seals spray skirts and cockpit covers are also in.

RIOT KAYAK has one of the most complete lines of polyethylene and thermoform kayaks in the industry : sit-on-tops, recreational, day touring, fishing, whitewater, surf and sea kayaks in a variety of sizes and materials. For 2012, we’ll be carrying nearly the entire line, with a focus on the “Edge” series of day touring kayaks in 3 lengths, in both “Cross-Max” poly and “Cross-Light” thermoform, as well as the much anticipated release of the Brittany 16.5 sea kayak in both constructions, standard with rudder and skeg factory installed!

SEAWARD KAYAKS has long been a favourite brand around here, and we are Ontario’s largest Seaward dealer! They have built their reputation as one of Canada’s best composite sea kayak brands, and they have been developing a line of thermoformed day touring and sea kayaks as well. Designed to the same exacting standards as their fibreglass kayaks, one look at any of their thermoformed boats tells you right away you are looking at a Seaward.
All NEW for 2012 is the “SR” (Super Rec) Series. The “Pura SR-120″, “Halo SR-130″ and “Compass SR-14″ embody the performance, quality and passion that goes into everything Seaward does. There’s also a newly designed “Amnik 15″ and the time-tested favourites the “Infinti 175″ and “Cosma Tx” arriving this week.
Also just announced is Seaward’s “Financing Plan” to help you purchase the Seaward Kayak you’ve always wanted. Ask us for details.

JACKSON KAYAKS was founded by world champion paddler Eric Jackson and started out in the whitewater business, and have grown to include recreational and sit-on-top kayaks. NEW for 2012, and NEW to Grand River Kayak is Jackson’s line of fishing kayaks. Unlike most angler kayaks out there that are designed around an open water sit-on-top platform, Jackson fishing kayaks have been designed specifically with river fishing in mind – perfect for the rivers in Tennessee where Jackson calls home, and PERFECT for the rivers, streams, marshes and backwaters here in Southern Ontario! No detail has been left out of these exciting new boats! Two different lengths of solo kayak, the 11 foot “Cusa” and the 14 foot “Cuda” in great outdoor and camo colours, and boat EVERYONE is waiting to get a look at, the TANDEM “Big Tuna”! The Big Tuna is 14 feet of glorious fishing kayak for you and a friend, it has a max. weight capacity of 550 lbs. All 3 models feature the height-adjustable (and removable) Elite seat system. We’ll have all 3 models available for rent or demo paddles, too!

Come in and check them out…we’ll be happy to show you our “boat bouquet” for Spring 2012!
 

If you watch the news, listen to the radio, or have a Facebook account, it’s pretty hard to avoid the onslaught of stories this time of year about paddlers getting into trouble, some of them fatally so. Stories of people taking ill-equipped recreational kayaks out onto the Great Lakes in February, people not wearing their PFD’s, people not dressed for immersion, people paddling in conditions beyond their ability when the weather changes suddenly….too many stories, to many tragedies. Maybe it’s because we’re in the business, but we seem to hear about a new paddling accident almost every day. An Ohio newspaper reporting on a boating accident last week said it had been the SIXTH coast guard response to an incident on Lake Erie in a WEEK!

Just because the early warm spell means that the lakes and rivers here in Southern Ontario are not “frigid” does not mean that they are not dangerous. Lengthy exposure to even warm water can rob your body of precious heat and bring on hypothermic conditions. “Cold” water is defined as anything less than about 21 degrees C (70 degrees F). Put that into perspective, and keep in mind that normal body temperature is 37 C. Your body will perceive the water as “cold” and will react accordingly (shivers, etc) when your body temperature drops just 2 degrees C.
Amnesia can begin to set in with just one more degree of body temperature loss, at just 34 degrees C.
At 30 degrees C body temperature, a person in the water will most likely be unconscious,  and death will occur at 26 degrees C. That’s 18 degrees WARMER than the current water temperature!
According to statistics, it would take between 30 and 60 minutes to be rendered unconscious in 8 C water, with an expected survival time of 1 to 3 hours. These numbers do not take into account how the person is dressed, what their physical fitness or age is, what the associated air temperatures might be, so it’s a pretty vague guideline. But, if you found yourself in 8 degree water, do you have a rescue plan that can get you out of the water and to safety in under an hour?
That assumes that the person is not susceptible to cold shock. Cold shock is an involuntary response to be suddenly plunged into “cold” water that causes panic and shock. This strain can often bring on the sudden inhalation of cold water and/or cardiac arrest. Everyone’s perception of and tolerance for “cold” is different. Despite the physiological response at any given water temperature, people with a lower tolerance for cold will certainly experience a different psychological response. Shock, panic, and fear will shorten a person’s expected survival time in any situation.
Cold water will absorb your body heat  32 times faster than cold air. This is one of the major reasons that getting a victim out of cold water immediately is so important. Water presents many other hazards than can make survival (and rescue) more critical, but it’s simple ability to rob your body of precious heat is the number one risk. Even moderately cold water can quickly make your hands numb and this can play a major factor in your ability to get out of the water and back into, or onto, your boat.

Are you planning to head out paddling or boating in the nest little while? Take advantage of this weather, but go properly prepared!
Do you have the proper experience to rescue yourself or others in the conditions to plan to be in?
Are you familiar with the signs, symptoms and first aid response to hypothermia?
Do you have the proper clothing and gear for immersion in water the temperature you will be around? Keep in mind that your head, neck, chest, armpits and groin are the areas where the majority of heat loss will occur. When your body temperature starts to drop, circulation to the extremities is decreased to protect your vital organs and brain, so the cold will be felt first in the hands and feet. Make sure they are protected with warm layers.  Wearing your PFD is a must, in all conditions, all the time. They save lives!
Do you KNOW what the current water temperature is?

Here at Grand River Kayak, we paddle year-round whenever there is open water. In the colder season, we wear drysuits and appropriate layers under our drysuit to suit the weather. We tend to stay closer to shore, and we’re more careful and aware of our paddling, especially in the winter. We plan routes with easy access and egress points, we bring materials for a hypothermia wrap, hot water for making drinks, and a couple of dry bags with extra warm layers to change into. We always discuss the weather and water temperatures with the group.

If you’d like to learn more about the local water conditions and planning a safe paddling trip we’d be happy to help.

“It is impossible to die from hypothermia in cold water unless you are wearing flotation, because without flotation – you won’t live long enough to become hypothermic.” – Mario Vittone, has nineteen years of combined military service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard

That doesn’t mean you can’t still get FANTASTIC Outdoor Adventure Show DEALS right here at Grand River Kayak!
So, starting Wednesday, February  22nd until the Outdoor Adventure Show closes on Sunday, February 26th, we’re offering everyone who comes to the store the same SALES and DISCOUNTS we would have taken to the show!

NO NEED TO FIGHT TORONTO TRAFFIC, NO PARKING HASSLES, AND NO ADMISSION TICKETS!!!
JUST GREAT DEALS!!!

EVERY KAYAK IN STOCK IS ON SALE 20-40% OFF, PLUS WITH EVERY BOAT PURCHASE:
FREE Storage for the Winter! Buy now, pick it up whenever you are ready!
FREE Intro to Kayak Lesson!
FREE Paddling Book or DVD! Your choice, from existing inventory, while supplies last, first come, first serve!
DISCOUNTS ON PADDLES, PFD’S AND ACCESSORIES!!
CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME PROMOTIONS:
SAVE $500.00 OFF ALL REMAINING IN-STOCK SEAWARD KAYAKS
SAVE 10% OFF ANY CUSTOM ORDER FIBREGLASS SEAWARD KAYAK FOR SPRING 2012 DELIVERY
SAVE $300.00 OFF ALL REMAINING IN-STOCK BOREAL DESIGN KAYAKS
SAVE $100.00 OFF ALL REMAINING WERNER “KALLISTE” PADDLES
SAVE $100.00 OR MORE ON ALL OTHER IN-STOCK KAYAK MODELS 

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS ON ALL 2012 KAYAK LESSONS AND GUIDED TOURS BOOKED AND PAID FOR DURING THE SALE!!! SIGN UP NOW AND SAVE THE HST!!! (includes Kardio Kayak classes, Yoga/Kayak, and more. Does NOT include Fireworks Tours)

EXPERT ADVICE, GREAT SELECTION, NO CROWDS!!

HOURS FOR THE SALE : Wednesday, February 22nd through
Sunday, February 26th, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day.

NOTE : PROMOTIONS APPLY TO NEW, IN-STOCK KAYAKS AND GEAR ONLY. NO FURTHER DISCOUNTS OR SPECIALS APPLY.