July is an exciting month for us, first we had the Johnson Outdoors (Ocean Kayak, Necky, Old Town, Malone) product show, then two weeks later we left for Salt Lake City to attend the Outdoor Retailer show. Apparently the need for new ways to carry water is at an all time high because there was about a gazillion new methods to carry water from one spot to another. It seems that the water bottle is an exciting new invention. Looking past that we were able to secure a litany of new items that we know you will love. Here is a brief summary of some of the exciting things we saw at OR and some of what you can expect to see soon at ACK. 

Confluence Watersports is coming out with some great new kayaks in both their Wilderness Systems and Perception brands.  The Wildy Commander 120 is a 12' hybrid kayak with a large comfortable seat and plenty of storage.  It has a tunnel hull similar to the Ride so it's quite stable and paddles well.  The Perception Tribe series is an affordable, no frills, family of recreational kayaks featured in a 9.5' and 11.5' single models as well as a 13.5' tandem.

The Ocean Kayak Tourqe is an exciting addition to an already great line of kayaks.  It's based on the hull design of the Trident 13 with a fully functioning, battery powered, drop-in motor.  It's fun and practical for both anglers and recreational yakkers alike.  If you follow us on Facebook you have seen the power it has as it drove my 290 pounds around a lake while towing Steve on a stand up paddleboard (The Nalu) which will also be a new feature for ACK. 

In addition to the Nalu ACK will also  be carrying several other models of the hot new Stand Up Paddle Boards.  The mix isn't set yet, but we will have options from the biggest names in Surf and SUP.  SUP's are in every magazine these days because of their functional, fun and fitness abilities.  You can throw a SUP board on your roof or the  back of your truck and get a quick workout in which is amazing, wet a line with minimal gear or cruise the lake looking like a celebrity. 

There are so many new items coming down the pipe this column isn't enough space to tell about, as well some items we can't even talk about yet.  The kayaking world is growing by leaps and bounds year by year and the manufacturers are listening to the consumers and creating products that are fully functional and useful for both the newcomers to the sport and the grizzled veterans.  You can always find the latest items added to our website right here.  Keep watching as we release some exciting new products over the next few months.