Sit-On-Top Kayaks

Feathercraft has designed three unique sit-on-top kayaks for warm weather paddling. We have coined this line of boats our Airline Sit-on-Tops.

Our sit-on-top boats are built for speed, open storage and partner kayaking. They use an aluminum frame that is similar to the frames in our standard folding kayaks. Between the frames of the boats, are four large sponson chambers that give the kayaks buoyancy. These chambers are sealed with a welded urethane skin; they provide the body of the kayak.

Sitting 'on-top' means your center of gravity is higher. This creates a unique paddling experience. It might feel tippier at first, but you will soon notice that the raised position allows for amazing views of coral and other sea life below. The raised position also allows you to enter and exit the kayak with greater ease. You can tether the boat, jump off and swim with the turtles and then climb back on.

The Airline sit-on-tops, like our standard kayaks, all collapse. The components fit easily into a Cordura carry bag for smooth transport.

Each sit-on-top also comes with a double-action hand-pump for easy inflation.

Airline Sit-on-Tops

• Java: The Java is a wide and stable sit-on-top. It has a drop-skeg and can be converted to a recreational double with an easy add-on second seat. For longer paddles, there is storage space for dry bags in both the stern and bow of the boat.
• Gemini: Our double is a longer, wider, roomier version of the Java. A drop-skeg and rudder are standard features.
• Jet Stream: For those who want to go fast! A skinnier version of both the Java and the Gemini, the Jet Stream is the fastest folding kayak on the market.

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

Started in 1994 by the Vancouver Aquarium, The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a national project aimed at mobilizing the public for a weeklong garbage pick-up along Canada's sprawling shorelines. 

This week, the call went out for previous participants to register for  this year's event. By registering early, companies or single participants can claim sections of local shoreline that they want to be responsible for. The 2012 cleanup is scheduled for the third week in September.

Last year, the cleanup netted 147,637 kgs (325,483 lbs) of trash. There were over 50,000 participants working at over 1,600 sites, with a total distance of 3,144 kms (1,954 miles) of shoreline cleaned. Impressive!

Participation in this year's event can be done in two ways; volunteers can choose to take on a role as a cleanup participant or lead a group as a site coordinator. Sites are designated on a first come first serve basis. So if you have a patch of shoreline that you would like to focus on, register early.

If you are a teacher hoping to incorporate some of the lessons from the Shoreline Cleanup into your units, check out the online resources for elementary school lesson integration.

For yearlong cleanup initiatives, try taking responsibility for a section of shoreline and visit it bi-weekly to remove trash. You can also implement gorilla tactics by painting fish symbols above your local storm drains. This reminds the public that all our drains eventually empty into our waterways. Recycling, reusing and respecting the environment are three other ways of helping keep our waterways clean throughout the year.

Shore cleanup is a conservation effort that Feathercraft Kayaks is deeply connected with. We want to protect the wildlife and ecosystems that share our shores. Cleanup programs are an excellent way to help.

Staggering statistic: last year the Shoreline Cleanup retrieved 351,238 cigarette buts. 

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Bay Area Paddlefest

Feathercraft is excited to be taking part in this year's Bay Area Paddlefest. The exhibition will take place on April 21st and 22nd at the Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area in Fremont, California.

The paddlefest is California's Largest Paddlesports Expo, showcasing the newest paddleboard, canoe and kayak designs.

It is an opportunity for paddle enthusiasts to meet the makers of their watercrafts, talk about their sport with other enthusiasts and partake in clinics with pro and semi-pro paddlers.

Courses range from introductory on land seminars to master class stand-up paddleboarding classes.

Families are encouraged to partake in the 'Craft For Kids - Get Yours Kids Afloat' seminar, where a variety of demos will be held for parents looking to get their children involved in paddlesports.

The cost is relatively cheap, with a Demo Only Day Pass running $15 US. For a Classes Day Pass, you will need to spend an additional $15.

The gates to the beach grounds open at 9 am and close at 4 pm.

For more information on this two-day event, visit the Bay Area Paddlefest website: http://thebayareapaddlefest.org/

Bay Area Paddlefest  

Other paddle events around Vancouver in 2012:

• ·      MEC Paddlefest Vancouver July 7, 2012, at the Jericho Sailing Centre 

Iron Mountainwear Leg Armour

We have a soft spot for local innovators. We started with just an idea on how to make a light kayak that could collapse into a backpack. Then we perfected our design and added to our catalogue. Now our fleet includes kayaks with larger storage opportunities, sleeker frames for Greenland style touring and sit-on-top boats, for fun in warmer climates.

But back when we were starting, it was that first product, the K-Light, that got people talking. It was new, light and it got locals excited about an emerging sport.

Iron Mountainwear is doing the same thing with the downhill mountain bike scene.  They've created a new type of leg armour that can withstand the cruelest of punishments. They actually attempted to blow their armour up with 5000 lbs of explosives and were unsuccessful. This stuff is seriously tough.

It allows for a full range of motion from your knee, so you can ride the way you want to. With removable/washable pads, it won't smell like your hockey equipment bag and with vents on all sides, it will keep your leg cool for your entire ride.

Try it. You won't be disappointed.

We're excited for what they will dream up next.

Iron Mountainwear Shin and Knee Protection

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

Innovation Rewarded

In 2011, Feathercraft Kayaks was honoured with the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award of Distinction. It was a honour that we received for our innovation in kayak design.

Innovation requires a leap. It builds on a present solution and offers a superior process for engagement. It can be tedious work that leads to dead-ends, long nights and grey hairs. Years of asking, 'what if we did it this way,' can end in, 'well, I guess it can't be done.'

The Feathercraft Company is built on innovative thinking. We began making kayaks in a time when fiberglass boats dominated the market. We knew that the Inuit had succeeded in making skin kayaks, but their design needed a new spin.

We asked the question, "Why can't we make a modern skin kayak with an aluminum frame and a welded urethane skin? And if we can, why not make it collapsible?"

After years of experimenting, Feathercraft created the first modern collapsible kayak.

In 2012, we are still designing new boats. We are the leader in the folding kayak industry because of our commitment to innovation.

Thanks to all the wonderful people who supported our dream and bought our kayaks. We hope you're having as much fun paddling them as we have designing them. 

Former Premier Gordon Campbell, Doug Simpson and Keith Mitchell,  Chair of the BC Achievement Foundation

-Previous winners of the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award of Distinction include, John Fluevog, Karl Stittgen and Toni Cavelti.

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.  

Forest Ethics: Putting the Environment First

Causes and Organizations Important to Feathercraft

Last Monday, a rally was held outside the Vancouver Art Gallery to protest the presence of oil tankers in the Vancouver harbour and Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. Hundreds voiced their concern for the safety of Canada's wild interior and the Pacific Coastline.

One of the leading non-profit organizations spearheading the rally was Forest Ethics.

Forest Ethics is an environmental organization dedicated to the protection of Canada's forests, waterways and the wild animals that inhabit them. They work to ensure the communities affected by corporate resource depletion are treated justly and are given the proper platform to voice their local concerns.

One of Forest Ethics' main initiatives is corporation accountability. They target businesses that profit from resources taken from Canada's natural spaces.

When corporate bodies look to improve their environmental practises, Forest Ethics offers 'Market Solutions' to implement effective policies for change.

Their Green Grade Report Cards document corporations that are succeeding in preserving wild spaces and corporations that are profiting from the unnecessary depletion of the environment.

In 2010, two of their highest grades were given to Walgreens and Whole Foods, two companies that both chose to avoid using fuel from refineries connected to Canada's tar sand industry.

Feathercraft views Forest Ethics as a powerful champion in the fight to save Canada's wilderness. For more information about this organization and their current initiatives, visit their website at: http://forestethics.org/

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.

The CycoPod Bike Bag

What cycling accessory can you buy for your friend's birthday that will have them singing your praises as they ride across town?

The answer is the CycoPod. The CycoPod is a detachable storage compartment created by the intrepid inventors at Canada's foremost kayak company - Feathercraft Kayaks.

It will hold your books, lunch, a six-pack, a change of clothes or even your laptop computer.

The storage unit fits just below the average touring seat and extends over the back tire of the bicycle. It comes in two handy sizes, large and small, with the large version having a 13 litre volume capacity.

The seams on the CycoPod, like our kayaks, are welded for maximum water resistance. The exterior case is a double urethane coated fabric, again, the same material and construction used to make our kayaks.

It will keep your textbooks safe and dry, it won't pull you to one side like a one-sided pannier and it will make an excellent gift to the roadie who seems to have it all.

Feathercraft. Made in Canada. Paddled Worldwide.