Tuesday 3 August 2010

NEW - Kayalu Deck Light

My paddles home from work end in darkness, and I have been wondering about a good light system to keep me as visible as my low-profile sea kayak can be on a busy waterway like Botany Bay. Rob's hard core of Tuesday Nighter's are the great testing ground for night paddling, going as they do 'no matter the conditions' in the dark of winter, so I asked around.
Chris James, our mate & a man with a keen eye for a good gadget, recommended the Kayalu Deck Light, which he'd bought in the US, so with my extended period of weekly night paddling upon me, I decided to get one in & test it out. 
The first thing that strikes you about this light is the fitting system. 'Why didn't I think of that' was my first reaction. The reinforced nylon pole sits on a closed cell foam mount, held fast to the deck with a carabiner fixed to any tethered point on your boat. On my Rapier (above) it's the metal o-ring that my decklines slide through, however if I wanted it further forward I could simply pull the decklines together to get enough of a solid point for the biner to clip in &secure the light. The mount is solid, good enough for a decent trashing in the surf & certainly up to the job in the hurly burly of wind, swell & sea paddling. The light itself is a Tektite Mark III, featuring a bright white LED providing 2-mile visibility, 200 hours of service on a single set of batteries, and an LED life rated to 10,000 hours of service. The Tektite Mark III's batteries (included) are easily replaced without having to unbolt the light from the Kayalite mast.
There is a great review of the Kayalu Deck Light at the Solent Sea Kayaker HERE.
We have stock on the shelf of this excellent new product, available for $55 with free freight nationally. Taking the exchange rate & the cost to get them here from the US, that's a better price than you'd get from the retailers in the US, which is always the aim of our GEAR STORE. They're available to buy through our online store.

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