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Manly Daily 28/10/2014: "Seeing is believing for this completely clear kayak from Freshwater business Bay Kayaks."
Oct 24, 2014
The first time cousins Lachlan Love and Hamish McMinn went paddling in a completely see-through kayak, peninsula locals couldn’t believe their eyes.
“It looks like two people just floating in midair above the water,” Mr McMinn said. “no one’s ever seen anything like it before.” The cousins own Freshwater business Bay Kayaks and Mr Love said the transparent Winner-brand Vue kayaks were selling themselves.
“We put it on the roof racks and drive it to Shelly Beach and people follow us to ask about it,” Mr Love said.
Lachlan Love and Jono Cousins in the Winner Vue kayak. Picture: Matthew Fallon
Indeed while we’re at Shelly Beach to test-drive the two-person kayak, at least 10 people approach the cousins to ask if they can hop in.
Sliding into the kayak in the shallows, it looks like there’s nothing between you and the sandy bottom. Paddling a little deeper, there’s a sense of flying over rocks, fish, scuba divers and one port jackson shark. It’s a bizarre, immersive experience. However heading out to the deep is another experience entirely, Mr McMinn said. “It’s a bit intimidating paddling over a deep drop off,” McMinn said. “You start thinking about sharks but I just tell myself, imagine if a whale surfaced nearby.”
The kayak is made from the same polycarbonate fibre as fighter jet cockpit windscreens, making it light and durable and as Mr McMinn says: “If it’s strong enough for a cockpit, it’s not going to have any troubles at Shelly Beach”.
Mr Love said the potential was endless. “It’s an amazing kayak and it’s pretty much built for exploring what’s under the sea — checking out the wildlife, the fish, the coral, anything that’s down there, you can see it,” he said.
‘We’re looking at things like resorts up at the Whitsundays, here at Shelly Beach, it’s made exactly for that.”
Sliding into the kayak in the shallows, it looks like there’s nothing between you and the sandy bottom. Paddling a little deeper, there’s a sense of flying over rocks, fish, scuba divers and one port jackson shark. It’s a bizarre, immersive experience. However heading out to the deep is another experience entirely, Mr McMinn said. “It’s a bit intimidating paddling over a deep drop off,” McMinn said. “You start thinking about sharks but I just tell myself, imagine if a whale surfaced nearby.”
The kayak is made from the same polycarbonate fibre as fighter jet cockpit windscreens, making it light and durable and as Mr McMinn says: “If it’s strong enough for a cockpit, it’s not going to have any troubles at Shelly Beach”.
Mr Love said the potential was endless. “It’s an amazing kayak and it’s pretty much built for exploring what’s under the sea — checking out the wildlife, the fish, the coral, anything that’s down there, you can see it,” he said.
‘We’re looking at things like resorts up at the Whitsundays, here at Shelly Beach, it’s made exactly for that.”
Dave De Ferranti, Lucy Turville, Hamish McMinn, Jono Cousins and Lachlan Love put the kayak in the shallows at Shelly Beach. Picture: Matthew Fallon