It didn't take long for that concern to be completely over-shadowed by another. In the very same post that I revealed my Panasonic plight, numerous other members using exactly the same camera reported precisely the same problem - small chunks of outer casing chipping away. Eroding, not so slowly and certainly surely. These guys also sent their cams in for inspection, and also waited for over 6 weeks for a replacement.

Little wonder the question is so commonly asked. Kayaks - good kayaks I mean - aren't cheap, and first time buyers are typically unsure which style and model will best suit their needs. So a fairly obvious way to get a clue, one would think, would be to go forth into one of the many kayak fishing sites out there and ask the guys who are using them. For sure, doing so can often help one refine the decision making process, sometimes even provide enough information and inspiration to make the final decision an easy one. But not always. Sometimes it can do exactly the opposite.

Just as often such questions are met with a myriad of replies - many of them contradictory - and the final result sometimes resembles an opinion salad. This can easily have the effect of confusing the issue further. Part of the problem here is that users get very attached to their own kayaks. And why not... these little yaks provide so much personal enjoyment that it's difficult to not want to recommend it to the next person, often with eyes wide shut on the real needs of the person they are recommending to. Those with black and white vision will typically develop such devotion to their style of yak that as far as they are concerned, that's what everyone else should be using to. If you're looking around for a kayak to best suit your needs, these sorts of people are probably the ones you can safely listen to the least, unless you're pretty good at reading between the lines.

Surfing forums is, however, very handy to look for trends of opinion as well as to correlate the varying perceived pros and cons to compare and relate to your own usage scenario. As a research tool forums are an excellent means of reading about other users experiences and opinions, especially if multiple information sources (ie: different websites) are used.

Having those limitations removed for videoing and creation is my first act towards making a start on season 2. Although I have no intention of kicking off the season prior to 2011, I certainly intend to start filming as soon as possible. And having looked at all of the options available to me, this is the way I've decided to swing. It's an expensive swing, but nessacary to get the results I'm looking for. Welcome to Sony's HDRCX350V 32GB Flash Memory HD Camcorder. Yes, it's specifications and performance capabilities most certainly sidestep the final-result issue, but no, it's not waterproof. So also say hello to the SPKCXA Sports Pack Waterproof Case that I'm going to get to accompany the cam. Not a cheap combination by any means, especially when you consider that ultimately I plan to acquire 2 of each and also have to find a suitable audio recording device, a few more hundred there no doubt as well.

My intention was to somehow set up a kayak fishing tour guide buisness, and part of that coastal kayak fishing tour was about finding the very best place to do it. The Jervis Bay area - where I lived for a year - was a potential candidate, as was the Clarence Valley, where I now reside. I've since abandoned those plans, which is one of the reasons I was fairly relaxed about changing the domain name from yakabout to yakass. I felt the phrase 'yakass' was a better fit for where yakabout in its current form was going and the popular response to my videos had a lot to do with that inspiration.

While at work today I was asked a fairly controversial question inspired by assumption, which had I not thought was such an easy assumption to make, I would have been very offended by. That question was this: Is yakass.net a front for Maclean Outdoors. The answer, in case you were wondering - and I'm guessing some of you are - is no. Allow me to explain why it sometimes might look that way, and what I plan to do about it.

It's never easy to spend the day working in such fine weather when you'd rather be kayak fishing and sometimes its even harder when you're working around kayaks all day long. But even though I would have much preferred to be on the water today, I'm glad that I was able to look around the Coffs Harbour camping show today. Not just because I like poking around at outdoor shows, but more so it gave me a chance to check out a couple of kayaks I've been hoping to check out for some time. 

First and foremost, Skee kayak Centre were showing off the Native Watercraft Propel kayaks, which are a pedal-driven propeller powered kayak. These are really very different to the Hobie mirage kayaks and I think will likely hold a fair bit of appeal for some. Many people simply understand the propeller concept better, purely because they are familiar with how they work. On the flipside, a lot of people simply don't grasp how miragedrives work, even after you show them. Some people refuse to believe they can work, because: 'how can flippers going sideways make anything move forward?' they ask. Its just easier for people to understand the purpose and capability of the propeller.

In any case, the Propel yaks look like great flatwater fishing platforms and if they are able to establish a track record anything like that of Hobie, Native Watercraft is a name we'll start seeing more and more of.

With only a few days to go before the upcoming Coffs Harbour camping show (at which I'll be present, demonstrating Hobie kayaks on behalf of Maclean Outdoors) the race is on to cobble a quick video clip together showing the new Tandem Adventure Island trimaran in action. So I'm preying for a nice, sunny and relatively windy day and an hour or so of peace and quiet so Doug and I can get it out onto the water to shoot some footage tomorrow. We were hoping to get the opportunity to do this on the weekend at Sandon, but stars did not align. 

I've been fielding a fair few questions on the whereabouts of War on Fish episode 10 over the past few weeks and all I can say is that other responsibilities have sucked away most of my time lately. I have shot all the footage for ep 10 (flathead special) and will endeavour to get that live by the weekend. Not so long ago I mentioned that episode 10 would likely be the last for series 1, but I've since decided to fall back on my intial plan, which was for 12 episodes. Series 1 really needs a snapper special (at least) as well as an episode totally dedicated to the Adventure Island itself.

Being that Saturday morning was pretty much a wash-out here in the Clarence coast today instead of going kayak fishing I spent my time productively in other ways. A part of doing my morning chores was inspecting my kayak and replacing some deteriating bungee cords on amas and rear well. Along the way I remembered that I'd been having trouble furling the mainsail smoothly and if it wasn't for Doug having similar issues - and finding the fix - I would have been stumped at where to look. Of course I looked at the suspect areas while on the water, making sure roller bearings were all there, pulley blocks all working smoothly and furling lines free to run smoothly. While looking for the culprit out there I was unable to find it.

Turns out that the mast baseplate that is supposed to be screwed down into the bottom of the mast receiver with four screws was only held in place by one, and not very tightly at that. This is precisely what happened to Doug's Island to and (in my experience) most likely to occur to an Island that has been put together with an upgrade kit... particularly if the builder neglected to use loctite.