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Feature: Anglesey’s own Rockpool Kayaks
02/11/2004

Chris Wright, Snowdonia-Active’s resident keen paddler, focuses upon a bright new business, which makes seriously good kayaks from its North Wales base.

With two of the UK’s most experienced sea kayak designers and kayak builders in charge, the new range of Rockpool kayaks has a fine lineage. Anglesey born and bred, Aled Williams has more experience on the sea around the island's coast, than most others would dare to claim. Whether he is surfing reef breaks, squirting in the Menai Strait, or looping his sea kayak off Penrhyn Mawr or North Stack tidal overfalls, Aled knows where to be and when.

Add to the mix, the legendary Mike Webb of Webb Custom, and this is a powerful combo. Mike has been designing and lovingly hand crafting precision products in fibreglass and carbon kevlar for longer than even he would care to admit.

Both Mike and Aled were closely involved with the development and construction of the by now ubiquitous Nigel Dennis kayak, the Romany; they certainly know how to make a boat that will appeal.

The fact they have chosen to launch their new boats in four flavours, to me, clearly demonstrates that they know that the “one size fits all” approach, is no way to satisfy the fickle and some would say plain flaky, sea kayak buying public.

Their website, www.rockpoolkayaks.com has details on the full range:

The ALAW - High performance touring sea kayak for medium to larger size paddlers.

ALAW bach (small) - High performance touring sea kayak for smaller to medium size paddlers.

EXPEDITION - High carrying capacity and rugged sea kayak for extended expedition use by advanced paddlers.

X–1 - Probably the fastest sea kayak in the world...

The website also has contact details to arrange a demo of the boats; in fact that’s what I’m off to do now.

These boats are the genuine article: born out of experience, passion, and a desire to do better; they have been designed to take advantage of everything that North Wales has to offer the adventurous sea kayaker, they deserve to be hugely popular.

I will leave the last word to the lads themselves:

"Above all, we enjoy kayaking. We enjoy using our own hand made kayaks to explore beautiful coastlines. We would like to share with you the thrill, the excitement and the rush of paddling our boats. Come and join us!"

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