Finally some decent
ladies paddling kit, after spending years in men's gear, new ladies
paddling gear is starting to come through from some of our
manufacturers, designed specifically for ladies not just men's gear in
pink! With more on offer each year.
I have been updating my
kit with some of the new gear, towards the end of last winter I
purchased myself a Palm Thalassa Cag and Palm Halo Buoyancy Aid. Here
are my thoughts on them...
Palm Thalassa Cag
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| Palm Thalassa Cag |
After finding myself
doing more and more sea paddling and having enough of wearing white
water cags with tight latex seals I bought myself a touring cag. I
tried on a few different options by various brands and ended up with
the Palm Thalassa because for me it felt like the best cut, I really
like the high fleecy collar and good hood that tucks away when not
being used, other features include latex wrist seals and a twin waist
to help keep the water out, a inner neck seal, which you can get nice
and firm with the velcro fastening or if you get to warm you can
unzip it to cool off and an additional outer collar again with a
offset zip to open up and vent. I spent the last winter in it and
will be using it again this winter, its great for those chilly days
on the water, whether its a bit blowy or just freezing cold. I find
that its really comfy, the fabric was a little stiffer that some of
the other cags I tried on, but its now starting to ease up a little
after a bit of use and I feel that it will last really well.
They come in two nice
colours a nice bright red or aqua blue and are available in XS –
XL. £219.95
Palm Halo Buoyancy
Aid
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| Palm Halo Buoyancy Aid |
I also got around the
same time a Palm Halo ladies specific buoyancy aid that’s designed
for touring, sea kayaking, canoeing and easy going white water. It
sits nice and low though it is fairly bulky it doesn't cause a
problem while paddling, it has a really good size pocket that can
easily fit a camera and two smaller pockets to fit a knife and
whistle, it buckle up front makes it easy to get on. Its a very well
thought out buoyancy aid, with lots of features. The only problem I
have come across is the hydration pouch, because it is built into the
inside of the back of the buoyancy aid and as soon as you put a
bladder filled with water in, it becomes incredibly uncomfortable, I
now just take a bottle of water with me in the boat. I have spoken to
a few customers who have tried this buoyancy aid on and it fits most
ladies well (all shapes and sizes).
Available to match the
Thalassa cag in red or blue, sizes are XS/S, M/L & XL/XXL.
£119.95
Jemma
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| Jemma wearing the Palm Halo Buoyancy Aid |
