For spring of 2012 we are proud to announce a highly anticipated and extremely versatile addition to the Astral product line…

This unique project has been underway for a couple of years with the intention of bringing the market a true sea kayak pro’s vest built on our popular Foam Tectonic platform. Its sleek profile will allow you to tuck under exploding waves with ease, offering exceptional mobility while both paddling and swimming. In many ways this is the Greenjacket of expedition sea kayaking, loaded with technically-minded features that apply to a wide audience of paddlers.

When creating the Sea Wolf we knew that it had to address some of the following design parameters:

• Excellent mobility and comfort
• Loads of gear storage with easy access
• Tow belt compatibility
• High visibility with strobe attachment
• Hydration compatibility
• Durable and quick drying shell material
• Lightweight

Over the last year we field tested the Sea Wolf prototypes in a variety of exotic locations including Nova Scotia, Alaska, the Carolina Coast, and the Grand Canyon. We quickly realized that not only did we have the makings of an amazing sea kayak vest, but that it could also crossover into many other disciplines including: whitewater paddling, surf kayaking, and fishing.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Sea Wolf is its large clam shell pocket with plenty of gear storage and organization. You can see below that it holds all the essentials needed for a Grand Canyon self-support trip.

We have added belt loops to make the Sea Wolf compatible with the quick release tow belt (sold separately), as well as two side pockets for long term gear storage and housing for the WebToe during whitewater applications.

Over the coming weeks we will take a closer look at the Sea Wolf during its field testing over the past year.

photo courtesy of JEB Hall

Ingredients:

Buoyancy is feather light 100% PE Foam

Quick drying 200d x 400d Ripstop Nylon Shell

200 Denier Nylon Liner

Acetal plastic buckles

Polypro Webbing

Sizing: (measured in inches at widest torso circumference)

Small/Medium: 31-37’’

Medium/Large: 38-44’’

Large/Extra-Large: 45-51’’

Release Date: March 2012

MAP Price $185.95

Preorder today through our dealer powered Shopatron store:

My 2012 paddle season has started off once again with a trip to Chile. This time my focus was my company ‘Whitewater Chile’ which organizes and hosts kayak vacations in Chile. I have been running trips in Chile for the last 10 years and this year a great crew joined me for a 2-week adventure. Teaming up with international guide Logan Grayling, our plan was to travel from Santiago south to Puerto Montt while catching as many rivers as possible along the way! We managed to paddle 14 out of 15 days and our first paddle destination was one of Chile’s most popular, Rio Maipo.

After collecting the team at the airport hotel we loaded the vehicles and headed for the mountains of the Cajon Del Maipo. We set up base at Las Cascadas De Animas, which is a campsite, lodge, and rafting outfitter owned and operated by Chile’s pioneering Astorga-Moreno family and has been in continuous operation since 1840. From our new base we spent the next 2 days getting comfortable in our boats and logging some time on the water.

The Rio Maipo is a true gem of a river in Chile. It flows all year round and has whitewater ranging from Class II through Class IV. It is a brown flowing river, which makes it unique from other rivers in Chile. It can be divided into many sections, with rapids that can be scouted from the road. If so desired, you can paddle as much or as little of the river as desired. You can paddle the entire 30 km Rio Maipo all the way to Las Lajas or take-out at any of the locations along the large section of whitewater. The Rio Maipo has normally high levels in November through December, dropping all throughout the season to low water in March. Average flow is 2000-3000 CFS.

Stay tuned to follow the adventures of team Whitewater Chile as we continue to move south and paddle….For more info on the River of Chile check out www.whitewaterchile.com and find the guidebook ‘Whitewater Chile’.

Tyler Curtis

For more imagery of stout running in Chile check out Bomb Flow TV Episode 7 “Minor Fails and Epic Wins”

We are proud to welcome Dan Gavere as an Astral Ambassador.

Dan is a true legend of whitewater paddling, and is one of the key athletes responsible for pushing the sport forward in the ’90s and beyond.

Currently Dan a leader in the realm of Stand Up Paddling (SUP) as both an athlete and instructor. Check out Dan and friends as they shred a couple of Oregon’s finest surf rivers.

For more info on learning SUP technique check out www.supinstruction.com

Thanks to Andy Grizzell for organizing another awesome event.

(End of race group shot by Joey Hall)

Thanks,
Spencer Cooke, Astral Rep

-Boyce Greer

Moon over the Grand Canyon, photo Bryan Owen

When you think about your wish list for whitewater river trips it would be insane not to include the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. I’ve had it on my radar since before I learned to roll a kayak, but the feasibility of spending so much time away from work and everyday life can make it a big mission to actually pull off. Finally after years of the “big ditch” being on my mind I was presented the option to go. Each year the guys from Liquidlogic organize a winter self support trip. I got the invite from Astral/LL Reps Kelly Fisher and Chuck Joy…then, after clearing it with work and family, I was on my way to becoming a Grand Canyon boater.

Packing the XP at the put in, photo Chuck Joy

Months of preparation led up to our team of 16 putting on at Lee’s Ferry on January 2^nd 2012. Many of us had met before, and those that had not quickly became friends. There was a ton of canyon knowledge on our trip, and most of the guys seemed to have been there multiple times, and few like Mike Hipsher and Les Bechdel had spent combined years of their lives exploring the canyon over many trips. Still, everyone seemed to carry a unique feeling of anticipation about this trip. Sometime around noon we set off downstream, 16 Remix XPs headed down the canyon together. There were no rafts to carry our gear, and everything that we would need for 12 days was packed deliberately inside our kayaks.

First Camp Below House Rock Rapid, photo: Bryan Owen

The style of whitewater in the Grand Canyon is quite unique for a first timer. It feels big, like ocean-sized features at times. For the most part the rapids are quite friendly once you get used to paddling fluffy big water in a 200 pound kayak. There are massive exploding wave trains, and some that you can take four or five paddle strokes on before you reach the crest, just to have them crash down on your chest at the last moment. Then, at the end of the rapids you usually encounter some crazy eddylines and turbulent whirlpools. Lucky for us, Shane Benedict designed the Remix XPs with an integral drop down skeg that helps the boat maintain its speed and track incredibly well in the funky water. For many of us on the trip, we were skeg down to the takeout!

Mike Hipsher at Havasu Creek, photo: Chuck Joy

You soon realize the canyon is not all about the whitewater, more it’s the ambient environment that swallows you completely. You pass through millions of years of geologic time. There are fossils, native artifacts, historical sites, plants you’ve never seen before­­­­_­, animal tracks near your tent. My senses were overloaded down there. We went on some awesome hikes along the way. Honestly I wish that I would have been better prepared by bringing a pair of hiking shoes (the only item I forgot coincidentally), so I opted out for some of the burlier off-water excursions, which became affectionately known as ‘Mike Hikes’ after our fearless leader.

Steve and Jerry approaching the Graineries, photo Bryan Owen

Our evenings were spent as a small nomadic boater community. We would pull up on shore and begin the ritual of setting up camp, gathering driftwood for the fire, getting water ready to cook, and enjoying all the aspects of wilderness living. The campfire scene was always one of my favorite parts of the day. There were always some entertaining stories of river trips from years past, remembering good friends, some off topic humor, and always the run down on what to expect the next day. I’d always get exceptionally stoked when Mike would preface this with, “tomorrow is a big whitewater day.”

Woody and Kelly between rapids, photo Chuck Joy

About day 5 we really started to get into those “big whitewater days.” After cruising through Phantom Ranch, really the only pocket of civilization you encounter, we started our passage into some of the bigger rapids. Drops like Horn, Granite, Hermit, and Crystal really stand out in my mind as making one of the best whitewater days of my life. They were some fluffy, long rapids, with powerful features. I felt lucky to have such a world class crew with so many hundreds of years of combined experience. I was also impressed to see some of our team really stepping up and running some bigger lines and surfing some massive waves. Still, we all knew that none of the rapids would be as big as Lava!

Chuck running Granite, photo Bryan Owen

One aspect of the trip to consider is that we were navigating the canyon in the winter. We were prepared with cold weather boating and camping gear, but for some phenomenon the weather was fairly mild the whole time and felt more like fall than winter. On only a few days did I wear all my layers under the drysuit, but it was sure nice to have them all on at camp as the nights were still a bit cold. We were blessed with a full moon during our voyage, and as the canyon walls closed, we felt the intimate beauty of the Grand Canyon at night.

Fire pan and the moon, photo Bryan Owen

Lava came on day 10 and it’s a spectacular piece of whitewater for sure. Mike led us in a scout while a few of the canyon vets fired it up first. Woody Callaway had a sweet line to help start things off, and I was inspired to hear his account of paddling the canyon in a squirt boat many years ago during a National Geographic trip. Lava is a visually impressive and powerful rapid that has some moves involved. Luckily you get a lot of good practice leading up to it, so you feel alright about rolling in there all loaded down XP-style. We all passed through Lava safely, less a couple flips and one quick swim.

Woody runs Lava with Shane filming, photo Bryan Owen

The final two days of the trip were bittersweet for me, and I imagine the same was true for the rest of our team. We were glad that the canyon let us pass safely through her belly, and happy to go back to our lives and loved ones. Still there remained a sense of sadness to leave this place, and the crew that you have become a part of over the last 12 days. In this way, the canyon was a truly unique experience, and one that I recommend to any paddler able to make the trip of a lifetime.

Crew at the Diamond Creek takeout, photo Chuck Joy

Cheers to our crew for such an incredible experience: Kelly Fischer, Woody Callaway, Chuck Joy, Shane Benedict, Les Bechdel, Steve Jordan, Ted Keyes, Jerry McAward, Nate Helms, John Grace, Kasi Fellman, Brook Burke, Bruno Scheidegger, Rob Yager, and Mike Hipsher.

-Bryan Owen

Check out a little “Cave You” Adventure Club Remix by Flight Facilities and lets look forward to what 2012 has to offer.

For more check out the Slippery When Wet DVD here shastaboyz.com/store/dvds/

Shon Bollock 2011 from Shon Bollock on Vimeo.

At Astral it is our goal to create products that are both unique and necessary. This goes for not only our lifevests, but also for the accessories that are designed to be used alongside them. One of the original accessories that we produced for rescue was our towing system dubbed ‘the WebToe.’ We’d like to take a moment to explain how this product works, and to introduce an important update that we have made for 2012.

How it Works:

The Webtoe is essentially a 6′ Spectra Tow line with a carabiner on one end and a stainless steel O-ring in the other. The webtoe was designed to be stowed safely inside the side pocket of Astral rescue vests, reducing the chance of snagging while remaining easily accessible. There is a knot tied approx 6’’ from the O-Ring acting as a stopper to keep the webtoe securely inside the side pocket. We have found that for most whitewater towing applications, the Webtoe used in conjunction with an Astral rescue PFD is ideal as it provides the best method of stowing the line to avoid entanglement.

New Locking Carabiner for 2012:

After extensive field use and consultation with some of the nation’s best Swiftwater Rescue educators, we have decided to upgrade the WebToe from a non-locking carabiner to the Petzl ‘William’ screw lock. Using a locking carabiner helps to eliminate the chance of  unintentionally snagging during a rescue situation. Since the webtoe can be used in many different scenarios, we wanted to make sure that the carabiner offers the ability to lock.

Always use a locking carabiner when connecting any line to a rescue PFD to prevent snagging!

“As a principle of SWR education, you want a strong, light, large mouth carabiner that has a warning line to show the gate is unlocked. Easy to use with gloves and underwater rigging.  That type of function compliments the function of ASTRAL technology.”

- Justin Padgett, ACA, SWR Instructor Trainer, Paramedic

Landmark Learning

Get Trained:

For specific info on these uses we highly recommend taking an accredited swiftwater rescue course. These are available from both the American Canoe Association and Rescue 3 International.

You can also check out the ‘Uses and Techniques’ manual that accompanies each Astral Rescue PFD. This booklet contains additional info about finding a course, and outlines basic techniques associated with Astral Rescue PFDs (click here for online version.)

For years Astral has partnered with Landmark Learning based in Cullowhee, NC. They have led our staff in swiftwater rescue workshops and have helped to keep us up to speed with the latest news in the realm of ACA swiftwater rescue curriculum.  Here’s a video showing some highlights from their courses:

My husband leaves me for Veracruz, Mexico about 4 times a year. I have been a couple times, but only to play the kayaker’s wife who has food and beer for him at the take out and a back massage because he landed too flat off a big waterfall. Not this time. I went down to hold my own and although I didn’t run a 70 footer, or launch off the biggest rapids in the biggest rivers. I did get my own adrenaline thrill and enjoyed doing so!

Because we were helping to promote all levels of boating in the Veracruz region I got to paddle many jaw dropping class 2, 3, 4 rivers. These rivers were not only amazing because of the fun whitewater they had to offer but because the scenery was indescribable.  I ran three class 5 runs, the Upper Jalacingo, the ORO, and the Road Side Section of the Alseseca and each had me slightly nervous but excited at the same time.  I am that person that screams the whole way down and then cries afterwards when I get forced onto Disney’s Tower of Terror. I am also the girl that throws up looking at intimidating horizon lines. I also don’t get too worked up until right after I run something. It’s pretty funny actually, the timing in most videos where you see a kayaker fist pump after nailing a line, you see me hugging my boat and trying not to let everyone around me know I am sniffling back tears. Normally muttering something like “why did I just do that, that was scary.” But it’s the little stuff in between that reminds of cool it is to be in such a unique canyon in another country, with my family and friends and doing what Eleanor Roosevelt said to be necessary in every day. “Do one thing a day that scares you.”  One thing that tends to keep me off the class 5 creeks is that thinking of that one rapid that I absolutely don’t want to do. The one rapid defines the whole run because it’s all I can think about, even if that rapid is easier than the one I just did. But I was very excited as this trip was one of the first times I managed to take each ripple at a time and I realized how much of it I truly enjoyed the river and felt I was in my comfort zone.  I also realized that as much as I can trust the boys to tell me what I would and wouldn’t like for a majority of the runs, that sometimes I can surprise them, and myself. After doing some sketchy seal launches and big slides, I looked at the famous log drop on the Jalacingo and decided out of all the things I have done in the day that it looked nowhere near as bad! My line wasn’t epic but I was proud in myself for looking and deciding based on me and not what people tell me. I also walked certain rapids on the Road Side section but overall was amazed at how much fun and accessible all the drops were.  If I didn’t want to run something, the walk was as simple as portaging could be!

The easier runs that I enjoyed paddling and really soaked in the landscape were the Pescados, Phillabobos and Octopan. We did multiple sections of the Pecados and the Phillabobos and each had their own unique feeling. From the rock formations, elephant ear size ferns to the rapids themselves the rivers will always be remembered as a fantastic life experience.

If anyone is every wondering where to go to eat fantastic and I mean truly fantastic food, drink good cheap beer, paddle down some insanely beautiful rivers, and enjoy the adventure that a personally new location has to offer, Veracruz, Mexico has it all…..

Happy Paddling to All!

Emily Jackson-Troutman

After years of trying to make this trip happen, I was super stoked to finally make it to Uganda to surf the Nile Special and paddle the White Nile’s big water rapids.  Our first few days were spent at the Kayak the Nile compound in Jinja paddling what were to be Bujagali Falls and the other rapids last days before submersion.  I felt fortunate to experience these rapids before they disappeared below the Nile Reservoir created by Bujagali dam.  But, it was a powerful, bittersweet experience,  witnessing first-hand the disappearance of a playground for kayakers and a tourist attraction for this Ugandan community that will not benefit from the power produced by the dam.   This photo is of Dave running Bujagali 2 days before the dam started to hold back water and Bujagali halfway through its drowning process.

The rest of our time in Uganda we spent at the Hairy Lemon, which proved to be an amazing, relaxing kayaker’s paradise.  The days were spent eating delicious food, watching monkeys and birds, and surfing the Nile Special which was only a 15 minute paddle away.

I thought 3 weeks would be plenty of time to surf a wave.  But, I can’t wait to go back.

Enjoy these images from the trip:

Slippery When Wet: GoPro Reel from Shon Bollock on Vimeo.

Rapid Transit Video announces the premiere of Coming Home, a DVD featuring four short films from kayaking around the world. Coming Home is the collaborative effort of producers Chris Gallaway and Spencer Cooke. Filmed over the course of four years, these stories take us to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the North Woods of Minnesota, the beaches of Europe and South America, and finally back home to the mountains of North Carolina. Through these adventures Coming Home explores how waterways connect us to the earth and to other people. These are stories about getting lost, finding friends on the water, making good and bad decisions, and finally coming back home to understand why paddling whitewater can be so meaningful and life-sustaining.

Coming Home is co-produced by Astral Buoyancy and Shred Ready.

“Coming Home” Teaser from Horizonline Pictures on Vimeo.

“The Dewey Mills dam on the Ottaquechee during Irene.“

Moosefest was fun as always. The high water dished out some serious carnage on the Bottom, and I got to run the whole Independence for the first time. Pretty cool river…it’s no Moose though. Some nice, cold rain kept us hoping that the Oswegatchie would come up, but no dice, it just made us cold and miserable instead.

“Greg Sokol coming down the Independence slide.”

“Ellen Ludlow snapped a photo of one of my many laps off Agers.”

Over Thanksgiving, we finally got a rainstorm, except in Vermont it was a snowstorm…So I packed up my car with boat, skis, and dog and drove south for the holiday. I skied a quick lap at Pico in Vermont on the way home and spent the next two days boating in Southern New England. On Thanksgiving Day, Jeff Sharpe, Greg Sokol, Alden Bird, and I rallied to the Popolopen Creek, a little-known class V gem that is genuinely only 45 minutes from New York City. Rumor has it Eric Nies used to come up here and solo this while in med school years ago. Water was on the lower side, but as always, the run was great and we all made it back home in time for traditional Thanksgiving dinners…at 1pm

“Greg Sokol paddling down the Popolopen gorge. Every now and then you hear explosions from the military training base upstream.”

Thankfully, despite there being no water in New England this fall, I live in Lebanon, NH just a six minute walk from the Mascoma River and a short stretch called “Downtown Hair.” Some people don’t like this run: “There are too many shopping carts to dodge,” or “I just don’t feel like being stabbed with rebar today.” But those people don’t know the smooth lines down it…really, Downtown Hair is a class IV/V quarter mile that keeps me sharp through Falls like this one. And, when I’m walking 6 minutes from my house to go kayaking, I can’t complain.

“Me, boofing the big hole of the run around 800cfs. Photo Brian Seitz.”

“Alex Toth getting a huge stern ender in our miniature, rebar filled Golf Course. Photo Seitz.”

Anyway, while I wouldn’t say no to another rain storm or two, I’m really hoping winter begins in earnest up here soon. Till next year…

-Nick Gottlieb

This last year is becoming the most incredible adventure ever, It has been a few few months out of home, living out of my backpack and travelling from one place to another. I arrived in Chile a few weeks ago, we haven’t lost anytime and we haved kayaked everyday. The water levels are pretty low for the month of December but we still getting to do all the best stuff. If you wanna learn how to stomp waterfalls and run some sick rivers come to Chile! One true paradise!! Enjoy the pictures!

photos by Mathias Fossum

CLICK IMAGES TO ZOOM.

Report by – Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc

For Immediate Release
11/29/11
Asheville, NC
Astral Buoyancy Company is proud to announce a new plan for servicing its dealers in FL, AL, GA, and the Caribbean. Starting on November 15th 2011, Chris Summa of Modern Tradition Sales will drive Astral’s sales efforts in this key territory.

Summa has been immersed in the paddlesports industry since 1998 where he started as retail associate at Black Creek Outfitters, and has also worked with Confluence Watersports before launching Modern Tradition Sales in 2011.

Astral CEO Philip Curry commented, “People that work with Chris already know that he is the best rep in the territory. He has an intimate knowledge of the market and understands well how to provide the critical link between manufacturer and retailer. Chris will be an excellent resource for Astral to fully engage with customers in his territory. In return, his customers will find Astral to be responsive to their needs and true partners in their success. We are proud to have such a fine person on our rep force.”

Centrally based in Jacksonville FL, Summa is an active paddler and surfer with a first hand understanding of the products that he represents.

One event that I was honoured to be a part of this year was the Whitewater Grand Prix.  You’ve probably seen alot of the competition media from this event, but the paddling that we did in between the competitions was every bit as incredible.  One of the highlights for me was certainly running the giant rapid on the Mistassini River in Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec.

I dropped into this thing with young Aniol Serrasolses, and was stoked to pioneer the middle line of the rapid.  Check out this edit of Tyler Curtis, who took the first D of the group, along with the Bomb Flow team running the rapid.

When it was our turn to go, I was excited to try boosting off of the giant exploding tongue in the middle of the rapid.  I studied my line-up for a long time because it was a 60,000+ cfs river, and then when the helicopter was in place, Aniol and I went for it.  He went right, I went middle, and we both came out about as fired up as you could possibly imagine!

Here is the result.  Photo by Bryan Kirk.

And here is a preview of Astral’s 2012 catalogue cover… submitting to the chaos.  This one is shot by Patrick Camblin.

And here is the headcam of the run.

Thanks for making the best PFDs in the industry Astral!

Good Lines,

Chris Gragtmans

So I finally made it to my favourite place of the earth for stout creeking, cheap beers, amazing food,  welcoming people…. MEXICO!!

I am here together the Sauvage crew, consisting on Tino Specht from America, Lachie Carracher from Australia, the peruans daniel and Juanito, Mathias Fossum and the frenchie Jules dominic we are having a blast of a time, paddling everyday amazing waterfalls, sections and enjoying the pleasure of be travelling with a group of good friends just doing what we like: KAYAK EVERYDAY!

Tno Specht is recording the next Unknown episode on me, 15 minutes of great footage travelling from Canada to Mexico, teaser coming up really soon!

Thanks,
Spencer Cooke, Effort Inc.