Testimonials

This is to thank Lee Arbach for his expert advice and recommendations on two tandem touring kayaks that I have purchased from him over the last eight years. Even though I live in Virginia, and the kayaks were for use in the Caribbean, Lee gave me personal attention over the phone and in emails, listening carefully to the type of touring I would be doing (coastal kayaking in the Caribbean), and providing excellent recommendations.

I chose the Sunny and Solar tandem kayaks, and have been very satisfied with them. My wife and I have taken beautiful trips along caribbean waters, and have experienced nature in a way that we will never forget.

A couple of times I had to email Lee for advice on routine regluing of a seat fastener, and he gave me detailed instructions on what adhesive to use, how to prepare the area, and how to care for it. Even though we're thousands of miles apart, I've felt as if he was right next door with his timely and accurate advice.

Recently, one of the kayaks was found to have an out of warranty factory defect. Lee referred me to the factory rep and assisted me in having this problem resolved to my complete satisfaction.

In summary, I would highly recommend Lee Arbach and The Boat People to anyone looking for a kayak, regardless of skill level.

Thanks again,

Nelson Pacheco

I’m writing this for two reasons: one, because hardly anyone has mentioned Aire kayaks in the testimonials; and two, because there is no better dealer than Lee and theboatpeople. I’m in Hawaii, so only touring kayaks need apply here. I used to have an Innova Helios, but gave it up because it was too small to haul camping gear for extended trips, even though it performed really well in the open seas. As many of you know, the Hawaiian Islands offer quite a few opportunities for extended camping trips, most notably the coast along the sea cliffs of Kaua’i, known as the Na Pali Coast.

My first trip along the Na Pali was in the Helios, which made for a very Spartan affair. My companion and I only carried food, two large beach towels (which also served as blankets) and not much else. The food was meager and by the end of the three day trip we were both pretty hungry.

My second trip was in the import version of the Trinity II, and what a difference! This time, my companion was my wife, Jeanne (who likes a bit more comfort than I do) insisted we pack a tent. But in addition to the tent, we brought along a cooler stuffed with home made frozen dishes like bouef bourguignon, Bolognese ragu, wine, milk, eggs, cheese, cold cuts, bacon, fruit and other goodies. I remember with glee, the poor hikers (who had to hike for a day along treacherous mountain trails) eyeing our provisions with unconcealed envy! In addition we also brought along towels, air mattresses, plastic wine glasses, a French coffee press and other items to increase our comfort. The Trinity II made all of this possible.

The Trinity II is on the heavy side, so when we were taking our flight from Oahu to Kaua’i, we checked it in all by itself and put everything else (seats, pump, paddles, fin) in a duffle bag to avoid fees for overweight luggage. But even if we had to pay the fee, it still would have been way, way cheaper than renting a kayak on Kaua’i. In the seas, the Trinity II performed really well – it was both fast and stable.

We have had so much fun it for a few years, but not too long ago, the vinyl bladders started form tiny splits, causing one bladder to completely deflate while on a dolphin watching paddle in Kealakekua Bay. That day, there were three of us on the kayak, and the left bladder sprung a leak while we were on the opposite side of the bay, a mile and half from our launching point. But, no worries, we managed to make it back by leaning towards the right to avoid slipping off. Even without one bladder, we managed to paddle pretty quickly. After that trip I called Lee, who advised to buy the polyurethane bladders to prevent such mishaps from happening again. We did, so now, our Trinity II is a Chinese/US hybrid with US bladders and Chinese skin, which I think makes it a collector’s item of sorts.

Whether it’s American or Chinese, or both, the Trinity II is a fabulous kayak!

Hi Lee, As ever, very good to talk to you.
The first attached photo is one of my long-suffering attempts at gluing the Helios deck. The following 2 (below right; we just posted one since they were similar) are my solution, which I am very happy with.
If you ever get a line on a used Sunny, old variety, good condition and good price, please let me know. I'd probably buy more than one.
Best, Chris

Just a note to let you know that the 'yak (Jan had bought a used Jack's Plastic Welding solo IK) made it through a 9 day run down the San Juan (Utah). The boat performed very well! You should have seen me at 8-foot rapids! Shot through the rocks like a jackrabbit! Turned on a dime and gave 7 cents change. Hull speed was about 3X the rafts... zoom, zoom, zoom. Please let me know if you would like a picture (below) to put on the "happy customer" page. - Jan

I just wanted to send another pic along to show what the kayaker does while the swimmer is doing the truly hard work on a marathon swim/channel crossing. The picture below is from the recent and historic swim of Marc Lewis as he became the first human to swim from Santa Rosa Island to the U.S. mainland.
In black cap is the primary swimmer (Marc Lewis) who made the historic swim from Santa Rosa Island (15 hrs, 46 min, 10 sec I believe). In yellow cap is Phil Garn, a companion/pace swimmer for the event. On the red kayak is me. This picture is an explanation in an image as to what a support kayaker does for the marathon swimmer during a channel crossing. I'm under the light-colored hat and all the gear.
Most support kayakers, go lighter on the gear. I bring a few more things to work with during the swim to build up my knowledge of gear and technique during a swim event.