November 28, 2001
Dear Innova,
I have spent at least 700 days paddling the Helios
380 in the South Pacific, Guiding clients and going off on my own, and am
convinced the Helios is the best boat you can have for tropical applications.
French Polynesia, the Cooks, Fiji, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, you can go
ANYWHERE in this boat!
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 I’ve never
had a puncture, though I’ve scraped over staghorn corals at low tide more
than a few times. I am always careful to let a lot of air out of the boat if
it’s going to be out of the water for more than a few minutes , and
I’m religious about parking it in the shade. A little caution with the
heat, sun and pressure, and this boat will last you for many years. The rubber
material handles the intense tropical sun amazingly well, better than my skin.
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David in Fiji
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Using the boat as a
single, I can stay out for a week without resupplying water, and as a double,
we can easily stay out for more than a week, resupplying water. With the
optional rudder, the boat handles well in any winds you care to go out in, even
when paddling tandem. I’ve surfed in, bashed my way out and ridden big
tide rips without a worry. The boats virtually untippable, unless you broach in
big surf.
The Helios really excels as a snorkelling platform: ANYONE
can climb back in, without fins, and the security of snorkeling with a boat
allows us to dive into rough water or currents that wouldn’t be prudent
without such a safety net.
I’ve landed at an international
airport, bought gas and tanked up on water and been paddling within half an
hour of clearing customs – the convenience and speed of this boat in a bag
can’t be appreciated until you’ve tried it. I’ve struggled with
a certain folding boat under the blazing sun, 90 degrees dripping with sweat
and humidity, crawling inside the damn boat, and would rather pump up a Helios
and be on the water any day – it’s too easy for words.
The
Helios is also ideal for what I call "covert landings": you’re paddling up
to a crowded wharf or market in some third world island nation. Naturally, a
large crowd assembles to stare at the boat, your gear. Do you really want to
hang around with bits and pieces strewn all over, with everything you own up
for inspection? With the Helios, I can land, have everything into one large
duffle and be in a cab, on my way to the hotel, in 5 minutes!
Would
you rather buy a new Helios and a PAIR of 6 month plane tickets to tropical
Paradise (and have money lefr over for beers), or would you rather buy that
heavy, bulky folding boat and stay at home? I’ll take the plane tickets
any time!
David Nitsch
Guide for Mountain Travel Sobek
Interested in a trip to Papua New Guinea?
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