New Rockpool Alaw Bach TCC-How I got here....

Thanks to Dan @ The Headwaters Kayak Shop in Lodi I was able to procure a DEMO Rockpool Alaw Bach TCC.  I had been looking for a new kayak after selling my CD Caribou in Alaska in 2007.  I/we own several kayaks, but due to my assignments we left them shrunk wrapped in my Father in Laws barn. I had a passion to build my own skin on frame kayak. I had been looking at the opportunity for about 6 years, but life in the Army and deployments kept me from attaining that goal until I was stationed on the west coast. 

Backstory:
I had looked at several classes and the best that lined up for me was with Brian Schulz of Cape Falcon Kayaks in Manzanita Oregon (top 2 places I have paddled).  Like Cortes to motivate me in achieving this goal I burned my Caribou in the figurative sense by selling it before I moved from AK to CA.  This along with the generosity of my command allowed me to build my first SOF w/ Brian in 2008-Fram 176.  A fantastic LV kayak that has assisted me in maturing my rolling skills.

Return to a Hard Shell:

After my second build w/ Brian constructing the Disko Bay,  I felt the need to acquire a hard shell kayak.  One that combined the attributes of my Caribou and Romany, but incorporated some of the low volume of my Greenland replicas.  I was in no rush and began sorting through different contenders in 2009.  I wanted a responsive kayak that I could enjoy paddling with my family, develop my surfing skills, easy to roll and had the capability to conduct weekend tours.  The challenge for me is @ 6'& 220#s w/ a size 12 foot finding a decent LV/MV kayak with these attributes is difficult.  I own a CD Extreme and although I enjoy that kayak for it hull speed and volume, I did not want a kayak over 18'.  I was tempted as a few Nordkapps and Q Boats crossed the screen while searching the classified ads, but wanted to keep the size @ 16-17' x 21-22".

Narrowing the Field:

I looked at kayaks I had paddled before as a start point.  I was not looking for a new kayak, but made that a consideration if it was the "right" kayak.  Some of the first kayaks I considered included the Boreal Ellesmere, CD Caribou S, WS Arctic Hawk, and a NDK Romany surf.  I perused Craig's List, E Bay and Paddling Net classified adds.  I came across some very nice kayaks and some kayaks that broadened my search.  In late summer this year and with the introduction of several kayaks Rockpool and Maelstrom, I narrowed the field to three: Rockpool Alaw Bach TCC, Maelstrom Vaag174 and Tiderace Xcite.  Following the lines of a previous Aled William's design in the Romany , I found myself with two of his collaborations in the Tiderace and the Rockpool.  The next step was to Demo these three kayaks.  Living in the high desert of the Mojave the opportunities with time off from my job and the outfitters that carry these models ranges is narrow.  For me it is a minimum of  a 3 to 8 hour drive one way.  Good fortune -I was able to Demo the Vaag after a paddle with my family at Aqua Adventures in San Diego (aka the Brown Family Oasis).  The next step was to Demo a Rockpool.  I located a source, but the outfitter was 8 hours north in Rocklin, CA.  As good fortune would have it, I came across Dan Arbuckle demoing the Alaw Bach on the American River on You Tube.  I called Dan and learned he was opening his own shop and would have a line of kayaks to include Sterling available at his open house. I also learned after inquiring about purchasing a new Vaag 174 that a customer of Aqua Adventures took delivery of one and maybe in a position to allow me to DEMO his kayak.  The DoD interceded in my plans to DEMO the Alaw Bach at Dan's open house and so I settled on continuing to pursue my new hard shell until after the new year. 

I signed up for Dan's site on Facebook and discovered he had a DEMO Rockpool for sale! So, after consulting my financial consultant (Judi) I contacted Dan and asked if he would avail me an opportunity to paddle it the day after Thanksgiving.  I made the 7 hour trek north and met Dan and his family at the shop.  Dan joined me and we went to a local and discreet put in nearby to allow me to assess the "fit" of the kayak.  It was all that I expected from my research and the fit was solid. At a great price and meeting my decision criteria, I left satisfied with my "new" Kayak. Thanks Dan for sharing your insights and time on the water.  I am eagerly anticipating my next trip to the water to exploit this well made MV kayak.  More posts to follow........