Going fast with my Aquabound Whiskey paddle

I got a new kayak a month ago. It's a Rebel Ilaga, a narrow and long kayak that I mainly is going to use for rolling and short day trips. It has been a long and cold winter and I have been out every week kayaking but not with the Whiskey paddle. It's a too nice a paddle to break the ice with! 

But, now finally, the ice is gone and I tested the Ilaga kayak with the Whiskey paddle for the first time. And boy does it move! I don't think I have ever paddled a kayak as fast as I did this day. I did not bring a GPS or other instrument to track my speed but that is something I absolutely will test.

Cold day in March but first day this winter without ice

 

Back in black!

I also got a new tuiliq from Reed Chilcheater that fits with the smaller cockpit of the Ilaga. I feel more comfortable with a tuiliq than a dry suit as a tuiliq is not as restricted to roll in as a dry suit and spray skirt.

I'm very fond of my black kayak and paddles.

 

The Rebel Ilaga is a low volume, Eskimo style kayak. 

Length: 545 cm (17'10")
Width: 50 cm (19.7")
Weight : ca. 17,5 kg
Capacity approx: 125 kg
Cockpit rim : 57 x 40 cm (22" * 16")
Hight rim : 17cm (6.7") from top of rim to bottom, rear of rim
25cm (9.8") from deck to bottom, front of rim

Low, narrow and long. Not a racing kayak but very fast nevertheless.

I have several kayaks and the Ilaga is the smallest (almost the longest) of them all. There is not much space for my feet in it and I can't use the boots I usually wear when winter kayaking. So I have to do with some more narrow neoprene boots with no extra socks in. And I got very, very cold feet when out this day. The air was 3°C (37°F) and about the same in the water.

A nice fire to warm my feet and some hot coffee helped a bit.