Old Town Canoe Company
I recently took a trip to Old Town, Maine to pick up a kayak. It was a 3.5 hour drive spent listening to weather reports, of the incoming Hurricane Dan. Maine was only supposed to get rain, as the storm had moved farther out to sea. I pulled into the Old Town parking lot, and it was grey and overcast. My daughter and I walked in, guessing at what color we would get. She picked blue, and I said I had a feeling it would be the orange/red color. For once, I was right! We looked around the store for a few minutes, and then decided we better get scooting home. Tied the kayak to the roof of the car, double and triple checking to make sure it was secure.
The drive home proved to be a bit nerve rattling. The wind picked up, and the National Weather Service kept breaking in with storm and tornado warnings. Being a midwest girl, tornadoes warnings put me on alert. The rain picked up about an hour from home, and made driving with a 12′ kayak interesting. I stopped a few times to make sure everything was secure.
Thankfully, the guys at Old Town made sure it was tightened down very well. I kept thinking, as I drove – ‘this storm better pass quickly’. Thankfully, the next morning was bright and clear. The kids and I packed some snacks and headed to the lake. I was anxious to try it out, and apprehensive, since most of my experience this summer had been in a super stable inflatable kayak.
Trying to get my kayak back!
The Dirigo 120 is a 12 foot, 48 lb. recreational kayak. It is designed for flat water, and up to class 3 white water. It may be a while before it sees any water above a class 1 (isn’t that flat water?)
It didn’t take long to get used to the Dirigo! I was paddling and turning fairly smoothly within minutes. My son showed me some tips for turning more sharply and with less effort. The Dirigo tracks extremely well! I could get into a rhythm and paddle without much effort.
I found that paddling, once I got the rhythm to be very relaxing. I also found its a great workout for my arms. I wasn’t too sore the next day, but I did feel it. I’m okay with that – I can use the exercise!
On our next few outings, we took turns in the kayaks, trying each out. The Dirigo is only 48 lbs, so it is easy for me to get on and off the car, although having another set of hands is nice to help balance it.
The storage compartment comes in handy for keeping things dry and secure. I found the seat adjustment very easy to use. I am looking forward to getting out again this weekend, to help with the Saco River Clean-up. I’m going to try it out on the river and see how it does (or more accurately, how I do). Over Columbus Day weekend, I plan on taking it out on the ocean…, well, on a bay anyway. I’ll update as I get more use in, but so far, I am loving it!
I’d love to talk paddling over in the forums – 4alloutdoors.org/forum
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