Ahhh yes! You caught us being lazy 😂 don’t worry we did plenty of walking in Iceland to make up for that! 😇🤣

See you over there! Chips

Next time!! 🐍

We were hoping to do the same but rallying for 1 day from Valsesia proved too much for that unfortunately 🤨 next time we go downstream for the slide and the waterfalls at the bottom of the valley 😁

Thanks Syfax! ... It's the the swirly or bubbly line that divides the eddy from the main current.

Great question, the ISO standard goes by the mass of the person wearing -- PFD Wearer’s weight (kg) 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 >70 Minimum buoyancy (N) 35 40 40 45 50

You can find out more about the labelling and rating of Palm PFDs here palm.equipment/gb/content/17-care-for-your-gear

The ISO standard is the industry recommended minimum, you will find the size labelling inside your Palm PFD shows a higher N rating than this standard since all Palm PFDs are designed to exceed the standard. Testing your PFD buoyancy will let you know how much the buoyancy is depleted over time. You may wish to retire your PFD before it reaches the ISO minimum.

@@palmequipment Thanks!

There are no drain holes in the upper of the Gradient. Drain holes or mesh are often a weak point in a pair of water boots, that will clog up or break after many hours of use in gritty, wet environments. Drain holes will also let fine debris into the boots. The Gradients will drain through the stitching and seams (they are not watertight) but they do not hold much water and we prefer to keep the river grit out.

The Bora is a more weatherproof for extreme weather, the Chinook is a little simpler and lighter. The Bora's fabric has a knitted lining that is warm to the touch and helps spread moisture across the material surface to aid breathability, where the Chinook has a simpler 2.5 layer fabric without that lining. The Chinook's inner neck seal uses velcro where the Bora has a zip and velcro, making it easier to open up the neck wide to vent the jacket. The Bora's front tunnel pocket has a warm fleece lining. Overall the Bora is a bit more premium and suited to cold water. The Chinook is a great option, a simpler all-weather jacket at a lower price point.

@@palmequipment Cheers. Where I live (Australia) my winter it’s probably still going to be warmer on the water than a UK summer so Chinook probably suits better!

The Rescue 850 has high floatation with over 80 Newtons for the M/L size. Buoyancy aids are designed to a standard where you can float in a swimming position, unlike life jackets that float you on your back with your head supported. So buoyancy aids in general can make you more confident and safer in the water, and let you be more mobile, but a life jacket will keep you face up all the time, while limiting your ability to swim. A buoyancy aid can give you more confidence while you learn to swim. Before entering the water it is always good to have a plan/know you can exit the water on your own.

@@palmequipment I don't really understand your reply... Will one of these keep me afloat if iI am conscious. but not able to swim? 115kg Non buoyant, non swimmer adult.

@@stephenbailey9970 The Rescue 850 PDF will help you float. If you are not confident in your swimming, before entering water deeper than you can stand in, it is best to have a plan of how you can exit the water.

@@palmequipment Errr... Still not an answer... We sail in a reservoir and I went in out of the back of a Keel-Boat on a very rough windy day... There was no plan to enter the water and no plan to exit... That's when I found my Palm Hydro did not keep me afloat... I had the chance to hang onto the end of the extended tiller as I went in.... Can you give me a definitive answer please? Thanks.

@@stephenbailey9970 Thank you for your reply. Sorry for not being clear in my answer. Your density (including the items you are wearing or carrying) will affect how much float you will need from a PFD, so we can only advise you try your PFD in a safe environment before relying on it to float you without assistance. 80 Newtons of buoyancy is about 8 kg force of uplift in water, which will offset your sinking force. The Hydro you have has a buoyancy of 70 Newtons, so given your experience you are right to be looking for a PFD with more buoyancy. The average person is slightly buoyant in fresh water, but this is not always the case, so what floats one person may not float another of the same mass with their face comfortably out of the water. If you can borrow someone else's buoyancy aid with more than 70 Newtons float you may be able to work out how much buoyancy you will need to float without treading water. If you cannot find a PFD (buoyancy aid) that floats you you might try a life jacket. Life jackets have much more buoyancy than PFDs and will always float you with your face and airway clear of the water.

We used minicell, the kind of foam with small bubbles that gets used for kayak centre pillars and sometimes footrests. You may be able to recover some foam from an old kayak. Some budget kayaks have 'ethafoam' for central pillar foam though, which has bigger bubbles and so will not cut, sand or paint as well as minicell. Minicell is not cheap mind, so best to use offcuts. The good news is that you don't need much for a small foamie, and you can glue blocks of minicell together really quite well with Evostick contact adhesive.

@@palmequipment Super, thanks!

Yes, this advice applies to all sorts of kayaking. Flat water racing kayaks with wing paddles are a little different, but mostly the same. Jake is a whitewater paddler and a strong efficient forward paddle stroke is really helpful on the river.

@@palmequipment Thsnk you for letting me know.

Pink Mountain Imports, Kamloops, Canada might be the closest stockist for you right now Barry.