If you paddle in different places, you may need various kinds of permits. The plastic part allows one to write any necessary identification or permit numbers on the boat.
What is a Newton?
A Newton is a unit in which buoyancy is measured.
150 N (Newton) is approx 15 kg or approx 15 Liter.
What is the life expectancy of a kayak?
This depends, of course, on how well the kayak is maintained. On average, however, you can expect it to last 12-15 years.
Why do you have blue and dark-coloured life jackets? They can’t be seen very well in water, can they?
We also have life jackets in red, silver, grey and also rainbow-coloured colours. What is important is that the inflated life jacket is in the international signalling colour orange or yellow. This is the case with all of the SECUMAR life jackets.
Do I have to look after or store the kayaks in any particular way?
They do not need any special care. They should be cleaned once in awhile and over the winter you should partially inflate them and store them in a dark place.
Is the polyvinyl chloride environmentally conscious?
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is harmful only when burned. Otherwise the PVC is extremely robust and durable and therefore is no threat to the environment.
I go sailing and my weight is over 200 lbs. ( 90 kg ), which life jacket do I need ?
Your weight is only of marginal interest to us. What is important is what kind of clothing you are going to be wearing. In most cases today, we recommend life jackets with 275 Newton. We do this for the following reasons:
As a rule, a life jacket has a life time of 10 to 15 years. However, you do not know today which items of clothing you will have acquired in the next few years or into which cold waters you will dare to venture into in the next 8 years. But since the weight of a 275N life jacket is not substantially greater than that of a 150N life jacket, and the price difference is likewise insignificant, even today we are recommending tomorrow's standard.
Are spare parts available?
Yes, of course. As the manufacturer, we have a legal obligation to hold stocks of spare parts for 7 years after they are produced.
Are the kayaks easy to maneuver and do they have good tracking qualities?
This depends on the model you buy. Easy maneuverability and good tracking are two qualities that are difficult to find together. A boat which is easy to steer most likely doesn't have optimal tracking qualities. However, we do our best to combine these two properties for a sufficient solution. Our white water kayak, however, has excellent maneuverability which compromises the tracking qualities.
I have never used my life jacket, why should I have it serviced?
Servicing is tremendously important. Through this servicing and care, the lifetime of the life jacket will be prolonged and the safety of the product increased. There are gaskets in the inflation device which have to be renewed. These age too. The triggering forces have to be tested. The cartridges are tested for hairline cracks. The buoyancy chamber is checked for airtightness and damage. The seams undergo a check.
Can the sport kayak be used with an outboard engine?
Outboard engines are too heavy and have too much power to be used with the sport kayak. You can, however, power the boat with an electric engine. This way, both you and the environment will benefit.
What kind of equipment do I need – standard or emergency?
This depends on where you are going. If you are travelling in an area relatively close to the shore, you can assume you will be picked up within 24 hours of an emergency at sea. In that case, the emergency pack would be overdoing it. However, if you are doing offshore sailing, then you should have an emergency pack with you. Another solution would be a “grab-bag”, i.e. a bag which can be grabbed quickly and which contains all the necessary emergency supplies.
My kid is one year old, which lifejacket do you recommend? ( Inflatable / Inherent buoyancy )
This is one of the most difficult decisions. Our inflatable lifejackets are suitable from a body weight of 35 lbs. (15 kg) upwards but are a problem when a child wearing nappies falls into the water.
It goes without saying that this is also true of inherent buoyancy lifejackets, which we have in our programme from a size of 12-35 lbs. (5-15 kg) upwards. Here the motto is: You ought to be close by when your child falls into the water. The inflatable lifejacket will inflate in the water and bring your child to the surface. The necessary buoyancy is in the right place and will mean that his mouth is out of the water. The child will not get into a sweat as easily as he would in an inherent buoyancy lifejacket in the sun on the jetty.
The inherent buoyancy lifejacket, on the other hand, has the advantage of being virtually indestructible and not needing servicing. On the other hand, the buoyancy is immediately available but distributed on the whole body and not optimal because of this.
How long do the emergency life jacket lights shine for?
There are several variations of emergency life jacket lights. The SECUMAR WAB-MX 8 shines for 8 hrs with an intensity of 0.75 candelas. The SECUMAR WAB H12 shines for 12 hrs.
What are the weight capacities of the kayaks?
The total permissible weight is printed on the DIN-label. The greater the load, the more one must paddle in order to move forward.