Water Quest Kayak Sports Authority

Water Quest Kayak Sports Authority

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Rave Sports Molokai 2 Person Inflatable Kayak $299.99 A 2 person recumbent inflatable kayak that is perfect for recreational kayaking! The Molokai features a heavy duty PVC bladder and Tarpaulin bottom for a slick and easy gliding. Tarpaulin also allows for a more durable bottom to protect your kayak from punctures. The kayak also features adjustable backrests with water resistant dry bag and bottle holder, bottom fins for straight line tracking and 6 foam-filled handles for lightweight and easy portaging and maneuverability. The Molokai Kayak has a 200 lbs (91 kg) per person maximum rider weight and measures 136″ x 35″ x 8″ (345 x 89 x 20cm) inflated. Kayak weight 31 lbs. (14 kg). When deflated the Kayak folds up compact and can be stored in the water resistant Dry Bag in your vehicle and not on top of your car like non-inflatable kayaks, keeping it safe and secure. Molokai Kayak comes with a 12 month limited warranty.

Sevylor Whitewater Kayak Paddle $46.95 Sevylor by Coleman Whitewater Kayak Paddle with Spoon Shaped Fiberglass Charged Polypropylene Blades are the kind of Kayak Paddle for the serious water sports person. Paddle with an overall length of 90-1/2 inches is strong, durable and has a corrosion resistant anodized aluminum shaft with cold weather grips and blade indicators make this paddle exceptional. Seven Inch Blade Width can give you control even in the roughest waters. Paddle disassembles into four pieces for easy stowage

Seattle Sports Full Sea Kayak Float Set $42.95 Set of two utility floats includes one 43″ x 15.5″ (109 x 39.4 cm) bow bag and one 49″ x 20″ (124.5 x 51 cm) stern float. These all purpose sea kayak utility floats offer added buoyancy and water displacement to prevent swamping. Floats are made from PVC Coated Polyester with long oral inflation tubes for convenience. Floats are bright yellow in color and have metal grommets on the top and bottom for rigging line or clips to secure to kayak. Floats are covered by a 12 month limited warranty.

Rave Sports Sea Rebel 1 Person Inflatable Kayak $199.99 The Sea Rebel Kayak is lightweight and easy to carry for portaging and tracks straight with 3 bottom fins. This one-person kayak inflates in minutes and features a water resistant dry bag and water bottle holder, with adjustable backrest. Includes a paddle, hand pump, carrying bag, and a limited one year warranty. .

Sevylor Lightweight Composite Kayak Paddle $99.95 Sevylor by Coleman Lightweight Composite Kayak Paddle with Spoon Shaped Fiberglass Charged Nylon Blades are the kind of Kayak Paddle for the serious water sports person. Paddle weights only two pounds (900 grams) with an overall length of 90-1/2 inches Strong, durable and corrosion free fiberglass shaft withcold weather grips and blade indicators make this paddle exceptional. Seven InchBlade Width can give you control even in the roughest waters. Paddle disassembles into two pieces for easy stowage.

Sevylor Sea Kayak Paddle, Double Bladed $37.95 Sevylor by Coleman Sea Kayak Paddle with Double Blades are the kind of Kayak Paddle for the serious water sports person. These sturdy and durable 2 piece paddle has corrosion resistant aluminum shaft, cold water grip and 2 drip rings when paddling in cool water. The Sturdy ABS Blades will allow you to really dig into the roughest water and keep control when you need it.

Sevylor 1-Person Pointer Kayak $339.95 Pointer K1, as the name implies has a very pointed bow and stern and this, combined with 2 skegs, and a flat bottom construction makes for a great touring kayak. The boat tracks extremely well, better than any other inflatable kayak. However, as all inflatable kayaks it can also be used on a fast flowing river. Standard equipment is: luggage type storage/carry bag, white water spray cover with apron, large comfortable padded seat with backrest, rear cargo hatch with cover, bungee lacing for deck cargo, 4 tie-downs to secure top side cargo or spare paddle, a bow and stern lifting handle, a water bottle holder, 2 Boston valves and 1 jumbo valve, owner’s manual, and maintenance kit LOA – 10′ Beam – 2’8″ Weight – 28 lbs. Pers. Cap. – 1 Max. Cap. – 300 lbs

Watershed Aleutian Kayak Bag $107.96 Watershed Deluxe Aleutian Kayak Deck Bag – The Aleutian Kayak Deck Bag is simply the best storage available to touring paddlers. It provides on-the-deck, easy-access storage for kayaks. This fully submersible kayaking deck bag offers the patented Zip Dry seal, similar to a heavy-duty freezer bag. It locks shut, keeping out moisture with an airtight, waterproof seal, even when submerged and under pressure. The opening faces the paddler, allowing easy access to gear at all times. The polyurethane-coated 420-denier nylon pack cloth Kryptothane fabric offers 5 times the abrasion resistance of PVC, stays flexible in cold weather, is UV-stable, and more environmentally friendly. Radio-frequency welding bonds the multiple layers of fabric into a single piece of material, eliminating leaks. A removable stiffener sheet allows for easy loading and unloading. There’s ample internal storage, a mesh water bottle holder, bilge pump clips and a welded-in easy-view map case

Airhead Roatan Inflatable 2 Person Kayak $119.95 The Roatan Inflatable Kayak – 2 person is perfect for camping, vacationing, exploring remote areas, and for cruising yachts. They’re also great for paddling enthusiasts that don’t want to drive around with a kayak on their rooftop! Roatan Inflatable Kayak is designed for lakes and moderate white water. Airhead Travel Kayaks fit easily into the trunk of your car, duffel bag or suitcase. When you feel the itch to paddle, your inflatable boat is with you!

SealLine Kayak Thigh Cushion – Slate $49.95 Don’t let mild back trouble keep you off the water. This unique, self-inflating cushion is designed to go under your thighs, alleviating pressure on blood vessels and the sciatic nerve. Excellent inflation properties make one-handed adjustments a snap. Combine with the Discovery Kayak Back Rest and Seat Cushion for the ultimate paddling comfort.

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Chico River: Kalinga’s Ultimate Whitewater Adventure

“Face your Fear! Get Ready! Now forward, hard forward, harder! “. Everybody listens to Danny Bravo – the head rafter as everybody gets wilder than the river itself. This is a challenge of endurance and ability for those who like to attack the edge. If your attitude leans toward extreme sports then this 225 kilometer stretch of adrenaline-pumping whitewater is for you! But although it is ranked among the extreme sports, it doesn’t mean you can’t take the family to enjoy it and get them “Wild over Water”. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors and is looking for adventure will be delighted by whitewater rafting. People of all ages and athletic abilities, with no previous experience raft the rivers can challenge the rapids and enjoy the wilderness fun. The Chico River is for those seeking untamed whitewater thrills offering potentially terrifying drops, ledges, rapids and the most exciting sightseeing trip.

The Kalinga Trip

The adventure actually begins last christmas , when Roger Alcantara – a Manila Times photojournalist and myself had to take an almost 12 hours bus ride from the bus terminal in Espana, Manila to get to Tabuk in Kalinga Province. Our bus departure time was 10:15pm and we finally reached Tabuk at around 9:45am with about three stopovers in between, more than enough to urinate and to take a long dreamed coffee break. The best thing about taking long trips at night is you normally fall asleep because you hardly see anything interesting along the road.

When we arrived at the Davidson Hotel, a surprising twenty excited rafters are also there having their breakfast. After unloading our things in our room, had enough time to freshen up and came down to enjoy a local breakfast, we waited for Naty Sugguiayao – our host for this trip of never ending adventure. After loading up, we went to lawagan resort to fetch some other rafters headed by Lito Beltran, a popular photography instructor of the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation.

The Rafting Adventure

It was not a sunny day; imagine a kalinga mountain trekking with a freezing temperature is maybe not everybody’s adventure, but a worthy experience though. Along the rough roads leading to Lubuagan, a breathtaking view of the rice terraces, waterfalls and kalingans greeting you “Umali Kayo” a native tongue of saying “Welcome” will definitely make your day. As we reached Lubuagan – the “start-off point”, a rafting safety seminar was given. Lead rafter Danny Bravo gave us the tips on how to read the river, the paddling moves and the most important survival guide. “If anybody falls from the raft, just go with the flow, never let go the paddle if you are not in a shallow rapid; use your feet to push against the rocks, until the guides throw you a safety rope and bang! You’re back to adventure” – a line remembered by the author.

Vital to every rafting, the basic paddle commands to be remembered are, “forward”, “backward”, “left back” and “right back”. Finally, after life jackets were checked, the head gears are buckled, the grip on the paddles are tightened, each foot are in proper positioning and cameras are safe in a dry sealed pelican boxes, the river raft were pushed of the mooring to negotiate Class III and IV rapids. It doesn’t take long after you’ve gotten into a raft to realize this is an exciting fun filled way to spend a day. The first rapid, is just the start of a heart stopping several mile series of rapids that intensifies in its strength and power until you find yourself enjoying every second of the ride. But that is far from the end of the trip. No, there is still more white water to come along with calm sections where you can get out of the raft and frolic in the river.

Along with both of us are four raft guides conquering the wild river with a raft named “Allasiw” meaning an exchange of four peace tokens – a gesture of the historic head-hunter tribes of Kalinga. Our fear was totally gone as the ride went on and each time we conquered a rapid, or skirted a rock formation, we laugh out loud and then branded each victory with a rousing rafters “High Five” gesture.

In between moments of sheer adrenaline, the head rafter lectured us on the names given to a popular Chico River spots such as Angel’s Nightmare, Gods Playground, Dead Carabao, Piggybank, Danny’s Drop (where Danny Bravo slammed into a rock and broke his tooth) and Dragons Tail. Each site gives us a different taste of adventure no one can ever forget. Sometimes it is tricky finding time to enjoy the scenery because you are so focused on the awesome wild river exploration.

It took us almost three hours for that ride, we stopped over to a flat river where we enjoy our break beneath a breathtaking waterfalls while having a snack and of course a feast for the smoking dragons. Our raft moves ahead for the second half for us to take advantage of the much awaited wild rapids and perhaps to have our photo shoot. Although drenched by the cool waters and freezing temperature, the rafters were still excited and exhilarated when they finally get back to the dry. Upon reaching “Malaking Bato” – the drop-off point, we enjoyed a bountiful lunch by the river with a perfect aroma of locally grown Robusta coffee. This trip creates the perfect blend of natural exercise, exhilaration and serenity that will have you coming back year after year!

History in the Making

Whitewater rafting is the newest sports adventure to invade the local shore. While high-adventure travelers craving for more whitewater rafting spots beyond Central America and Africa flocked for decades to the rivers of Brazil and Borneo, the Philippines remained in the quiet depths, all but overlooked. It was in 1995 when initial kayaking was done in Cagayan de Oro with the goal of introducing Whitewater rafting in the Philippines. Long before 1995, adventure driven group however have been involved in river expeditions, studying its characteristic for more than 10 years and honing their skills in paddling the rapids. Those activities have prompted the discovery of one of the word’s most exciting rapids of Kalinga’s Chico River.

Ned Sickles together with other Oregon natives Gary Fondren and Dr. Bob Anderson were the first to discover the sports-tourism potentials of the Chico River as a world-class whitewater rafting destination when they spot it in 1997 via satellite mapping, after which the group traveled all the way from the United States to visit the Cordillera’s. Joining them on their first exploratory run were Tita Naty’s eldest daughter Mae Shiu who was with the UP Mountaineers then and Elmer Cabotaje who is now a boar of trustee of the Philippine Airlines Mountaineering Club.

The exploration lasted for four days; needless to say, they were impressed with awesome natural scenery, the diversity of rapid levels, and the rivers cultural, historical and political contributions. From then on, Ned and company returned every year to train native kalingans to become a professional river guides. Ned Sickles was considered the father of Chico River Whitewater rafting. He brought all the international standard rafting equipments including the latest named after the native name of Naty Sugguiyao called “Lagunawa” – meaning a beautiful lady. The months of July to January are primetime months and have historically offered the most rainfall, highest water and most exciting whitewater rapids. So if you are planning to challenge the rapids and party in between, you have the months of February to June to plan your trip.

Chico River Quest Inc. is the biggest Whitewater rafting tour operator in Kalinga, being managed and operated by Kalinga natives headed by Naty Sugguiyao. CRQI operates in partnership with Kalinga Raft Guides Association, these enthusiast know the river well and received their training from professional whitewater guides from the USA.

Contacts:

Web: http://www.chicoriverquest.com

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com

Getting There:

By Air:

Philippine Airlines flies from Manila to Tuguegarao thrice weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

From Tuguegarao, it’s an hour by Bus or Jeep to Tabuk.

PAL Reservations: (02) 855-8888

By Land:

Autobus Lines – Tel# (02)743-6870

Victory Liner – Tel # (02) 920-7396

These Buses offers daily trip to Tabuk. Reservation is a must to get a secured seat.

The Chico River Rafters Creed:

The Chico River is never to be conquered,

But to be respected and protected.

Back to Manila:

It was indeed a great year ender trip for the rest of the rafters; everybody was baptized as the newest river warriors and left a promise of coming back.

Face your Fear and see you in the rapids:)

About the Author

Melo Villareal is Filipino Backpacker, PhotoJournalist, Netrepreneur and an SEO Blogger. He authors Paradise Philippines Travel Blog – helping you discover the 7,107 Philippine Paradise Islands and Earn Money Online – giving tips on how to monetize your blog.