In my work as a
full-time freelance writer with a specialty in paddle sports and outdoor
adventure, I’ve spent a lot of time in inflatable and folding craft. My
experience runs the gamut from ocean surf to Class IV whitewater, and from
overnight trips to extended wilderness journeys. I have come to an appreciation
for boats that really work in the blank spaces on maps, as opposed to the
products that only look the part.
The Innova Safari is an inflatable
kayak that works. I was first drawn to the boat because of its design,
portability, and workmanship. Over a period of several years, I’ve had it
in ocean surf in the Caribbean, in Class III and IV rapids on the Salmon River,
in fast-moving current and big waves on the Yellowstone River, and on quiet
water in touring situations. The Safari is unique because it handles this broad
range of adventure with style and grace.
The boat tracks well on the
flat, plays rough in the surf and rapids, is stable enough to be reassuring,
while not giving away too much performance, and even takes a small load of gear
for an overnight or long day trip. I trust the Safari enough to put my
nine-year-old inside and let him go for the waves, and I don’t say that
about many boats. Having paddled a number of craft that excel within a narrow
niche, but fall apart under other conditions, I’ve grown to appreciate the
adaptability and nimble nature of the Safari as it performs under the varied
conditions presented by real-life paddling.
Cheers,
Alan
Kesselheim
Alan Kesselheim is an
adventurer with more than 10,000 paddling miles in his wake, including two
year-long wilderness imersions in the wilds of northern Canada. He is a
full-time freelance writer with eight books to his credit, including Water and
Sky, Threading the Currents, and The Wilderness Paddler’s Handbook. He is
a Contributing Editor for Canoe & Kayak Magazine, a regular contributor to
both Backpacker and Outside, a columnist for Big Sky Journal and has published
hundreds of stories in national publications like Sports Afield, Men’s
Journal, Audubon, Summit, Adventure Journal and many others. He lives with his
family in Montana.
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