I think there’s one on eBay at the moment Yep, Nick Gates posted a link to that one above. The seller doesn't know what it is and isn't getting much interest. I was tempted to send them some more info via an eBay message so they could advertise it better, but decided to stay out of it as that might...

How would they have made the apex on the foredeck that pronounced without the ply fracturing I don't think you could make it from a single unscored piece of ply. I suspect they've either used two pieces or they've deeply scored a single sheet of ply in the middle and cracked/folded it along that li...

It's unlikely that the OP will reply - he was only active on this forum one day over a year ago when he posted the advert.

All the PLBs I've seen have been waterproof and completely plastic - i.e. nothing to corrode in salt-water. My model (McMurdo FastFind Max) has only one potential failure point as far as the waterproofing goes - the battery terminals. This model has a user-replaceable battery, which you screw onto t...

Then it sounds like your boat turns in the direction you're edging towards, the same as my low-decked boat. This would make sense if you're talking about your Anas Acuta as my Greenland boats are Shrikes, for which Nick pinched the dimensions from the same historical boat that the Anas Acuta is base...

Now I know that I may well be out on a limb here, but I really don`t get this idea that you should edge / lean outwards to turn a sea kayak. When people discuss the topic of leaning-away edging turns on sea kayaks, they're not talking about dynamic turns like breaking in/out of an eddy. They're tal...

Yep, shouldn't have said fill the suit with water. I just block off the neck and wrists and pour about an arm full (Hancock reference there to match your Laurel and Hardy) and zip it up. Then you can slosh it around inside the suit to find all the holes.

I can't help with chemical re-proofing as I've never had any success with it, whether it be on tents, motorbike clothing or drysuits/cags. However, it's worth investigating whether you've got individual holes in your suit, as opposed to the material going porous. I've been buying used military drysu...

I wouldn't want a tall mast on my kayak as it would get damaged eventually. Would it be possible to keep a coil of antenna wire on you which you could screw into your VHF in place of the stumpy antenna when needed? Then you'd somehow fix the other end to your main paddle blade and hold it up, or fix...

There has been similar discussion on here previously about sticking velcro inside boats - my suggestion there was to use superglue and accelerant, as an extremely cheap, quick and bomb-proof way of doing it. When it comes to foam, I've only recently discovered a glue that does a perfect bond, i.e. y...

Yes - The system alerts the rescue authorities nearest to you when you hit the red button: https://cospas-sarsat.int/en/beacon-ownership/what-happens-when-i-activate-my-beacon If you search for COSPAS on Wikipedia, their entry includes a list of the 44 countries which participate in the system. (You...

The nearest thing to what you're after that I've owned was a Decathlon cag that I bought in France similar to this: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/s500-mens-jacket-blue-orange-id_8383868.html?_cclid=v3_d2ef805c-f38a-5e25-8bc3-2c306350ea07&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3KzdBRDWARIsAIJ8TMSLu5vr6ifx6hH1KtGijoDo5SjaMjo9gi...

(Damo is a nickname for use on forums etc) Right - didn't realise you could get those cuff things retrofitted. Good luck trialling that glue - if it works, let us know. Re. neoprene v. latex: neoprene seals used to be rubbish, as I discovered many years ago when I was learning to dive using the scho...

When you say neoprene cuffs, are we talking wrist seals? If so, you put those on the same way you would latex seals. The only difference is that you might want to put one or two extra layers of contact adhesive on the neoprene because it's a rougher, more absorbent surface. I've got one neoprene and...

There's no harm in trying this glue, but given the hassle you have in getting seals changed, I think the best long-term solution would be to learn how to do them yourself. One of my ex-colleagues was a lifeboatman, and he took me down the lifeboat station where the guy that looks after their kit sho...

Does the glue stop UV? Could the glue itself attack your seals? Would the glue affect how well the seals work - e.g. make them a bit stiffer and less able to form a tight seal around your wrist? What's the cost/benefit analysis like? I.e. how much does the glue cost? How much of a hassle would it be...

On the rare occasion that I need to dry my kit indoors, I find a dehumidifier in my front room is enough to do it within the day. No need for heating over and above your general household heating. If I were making a room for dealing with my kayaking kit, my main priority would be that it allowed for...

That's good to hear. I've had similar excellent customer service from Icom, in circumstances when I really shouldn't have expected any help at all. Both Icom and Standard Horizon have a well-deserved reputation for this sort of thing.

The temptation to try a home-rebuild is much more nagging with my model of PLB because the battery and the PLB are two separate sealed units which are just held together with a screw. To replace the battery, you simply buy a new one from a shop and swap it over yourself. Don't worry - I value my eye...

Lucky b********! That would have made my day. I'll have a look in my local store, but them having one is probably about as likely as me winning the lottery. I managed to get a very cheap, new McMurdo FastFind Max G several years ago, but replacing the battery after 5 years cost me £100, and many sho...

When I tried tide prediction it only recognised Bristol & East London in USA... Setting it up for the location you want is its least user-friendly feature. If you can't guess the name of the nearest town that the app recognises (e.g. in my case it's Devonport, England) then the app doesn't help you...

I didn't respond to this thread as the OP was looking for an iPhone app, but now they're sorted out: there's a free Android app which will give you tides around the world for over a year ahead. 'Tide Prediction' by 'Muchoviento.net'. It's on the Google Play market. Works fine.

Appending SOLD to a post title (or deleting the post, if possible) is an entirely logical thing to do and makes browsing the forum a little bit easier: it's the whole purpose of using subject lines on posts. Moderators: please continue with the experiment - I am sure nobody else would object.

I use the 8-hour sunblocks as I want to put them on at the beginning of the day and forget about it. These tend to be very expensive, and it's surprising how much you can get through over the summer. However, I found Wilkinsons were selling one called 'Calypso once a day' pretty cheaply - less than ...

A couple of days ago I bought a 'Crivit Lightweight Camping Mat' from Lidl. They'd obviously been one of their weekly specials from a few weeks earlier as they are now being sold with 30% off, making them £12.50. Have a look on YouTube to see a couple of people reviewing them. One of my favourite bi...

Access at the Mount Batten watersports centre is via a big but occasionally very busy slipway, but you have to pay a parking fee to get to it. The nearest free alternative is the beach at Batten Bay, but that's a bit of a hike to the water, including a flight of steps, and it can be difficult to fin...

I'm not aware of any launch sites in the vicinity other than the beach. However, at this time of year, you've got a good chance of small surf which would be easy to get past - it's a forgiving sandy beach and you've got lifeguards on duty. I was there a couple of weeks ago and the only difficulty wi...

Thanks for everyone's replies but my experience of 100 / 200 lumen lights is that they are great for close-up stuff and general use, for example in a campsite, but don't really provide a sufficient pool of light to be of much use in a cave or similar environment. But please keep the suggestions com...

A significantly cheaper alternative: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rechargeable-BYBLIGHT-Headlamp-Headlight-Waterproof/dp/B073TRVJ7J I've been using this one for a couple of years - very bright, long-lasting and completely robust. At the reduced Amazon price, it's a no-brainer, Only two mods you ought to...

I assume the cheapest way would be the car body repair shop option as G7AFM says. My mate did mine for me for free using the kit he uses to fix bumpers - basically a big hot air gun with a load of sticks of different types of plastic. If you find a backstreet garage with the right kit, and agree to ...