: As we learned from a recent kayak incident with a fatality, minimal
: gear (including safety gear) is carried by some on these type of
: paddles. I don't skimp when it comes to that and that's why I
: like having the rear hatch. If more go the way of the surf ski,
: we need to remember the safety equipment, and conditioning and
: skill set of our companions to minimize risk the best we can.

Can you elaborate a bit on that?

I look into my day hatch. Aside from a bunch of spare clothing (glove, hat, jacket, etc), I don't have anything that I consider safety gear in there... :-(