Monday, October 11, 2010

Invent that, Science!

When I was a kid, to say I grew up outside was an understatement.

We played sandlot football and baseball all day. When we weren't playing neighborhood team sports, we we collecting baseball cards, throwing rocks at each other, bashing each other's brains with homeade weaponry, setting off found fireworks, smash 'em up Big Wheels,  making tree houses down by the river, looking at ripped up porn mags in burnt down houses, spying on teens making out, running through other people's yards, sneaking in their garages, riding our bikes off homemade ramps. Basically breaking our heads. Except we didn't. We learned how the world WAS. We learned how to survive. How to contract ringworm and control the local cat population.

One thing we used to love to do was invent cool kid gadgets like tennis ball bolas, or wooden tanks based on Big Wheels. If there was a logistics problem we'd come up with kid ruffian solutions.

So when I'm out fishing these days on some rivers, I think fondly back on those dreams we had of hang gliders and ultra light homemade areoplanes w/ rotten egg baskets. Why can't science come up with something better than my own feet for wading when a boat just won't fit or is too spooky?

No noise, no ground vibration transmitted, but the ability to cover the straight stretches of river quickly. Look out smallies, the Japanese will have us all fishing from these soon. "F" kayaks and jet boats.

3 comments:

  1. At scout camp last year one of the instructors at the waterfront had a paddle board. Basically a small surf board with a kayak paddle. Not sure how well it would fair in a river but it did make me pause and think it that would be an option.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmm, easy to get out and wade.

    light.

    easy to transport.

    No storage features.

    Standing the whole time, or sitting rather uncomfortably.

    Interesting idea...

    What is the draft depth on those things?

    Probably less the longer. Super long to not scrape bottom.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I checked some out online. Looks like just a skeg for a rudder (I think that's the right term) and the one I saw being used only drafted a couple inches if that (other than the skeg). REI has a some good info. Pretty pricey though...
    It's a good idea in theory. Rig up a milk crate or something to hold drinks and/or gear and a bracket for the the paddle and away you go...

    ReplyDelete