| Location: Halawa Bay, Koolau Moloka'i, Hawai'i |
| Hawai’i Chinese Historical President Beverly Lum and John “Caveman” demonstrate the typical Moloka’i Expedition format. Many decked boat kayakers look down on inflatables, but if you visualize them as “expedition paddlecraft”, they make a lot of sense. Inflatables evolved in Hawai’i for three basic reasons.
First, they are airline transportable, making neighbor island kayaking possible in the days before Sit-On-Tops “infested” every island. Today, with Hawai’i’s Sit-On-Top kayak population over 50,000, that’s not so important.
The best option in cold water only, Hawai’i’s decked kayak population still numbers well under 100. They are out of their element. In 1984, a decked kayak limped into Ha’upu Bay, taking on water from a two-meter crack. The Alaska expert was circumnavigating the entire chain, but he met his match in surf landings on our exposed rock beaches, cracking his hull and himself while trapped inside his own
kayak. In 78 commercial inflatable trips, often landing in 8-10 foot surf, we never had a problem with the rocks (except banging up my own shins).
Second, inflatables are stable, pack a ton, and are relatively safe in surf landings. We would never attempt Hurricane John in anything but an inflatable. That stability and safety is imperative for commercial kayaking in Hawai’i’s rough waters.
Third, tanks that they are, inflatables are great fun with tradewinds at your back. No matter how hard you paddle, the trades guarantee you will reach any downwind destination
Lloyd’s trip was calm enough for experienced kayakers in Sit-On-tops, but Ocean Kayaks released their first “Scupper” model the same year as Lloyd's trip — on the Mainland. In Hawai’i, we still didn’t know they existed.
Photo Copyright to Lloyd Lewis, Ph.D |
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