BMO Fall 2021 Newsletter

  • Written By: Mary Gibson
  • Date Written:

This Article has Expired!

This newsletter was written November 20th, 2021. Just keep in mind that much of the time sensitive info on this article is probably out of date. Feel free to enjoy the read though!

If economics is all about supply and demand, all we can say is that there seems to be a heck of a lot more demand than supply lately! Covid restrictions have prompted a whole new demographic of folks looking to get outdoors, and not only the Paddlesports industry, but every other outdoor related industry is struggling to keep up. As a result, it's best to get your wish list(s) to us as soon as possible so you can enjoy your time outside as well!

AND we actually DO have some boats in stock and more arriving daily. Keep an eye on our website; Greg is continually adding boats as they arrive (and deleting them as they sell) so it’s usually pretty current. When in doubt call ahead!

Photo of some of the Northstar Canoes for sale.

Some of the Northstar Canoes for sale as of writing.

The Long & the Short of it

One thing Covid did was clear out a LOT of old boat inventory. But not all! Still here:

Prijon Cruiser III rec/touring kayak, 17’ long with three (that’s right, three!) cockpits. Take your kid, dog, extra gear? It’s all good. Sale Price $1495; would be a great lakeside resort boat!

And on the short side? Dagger Jitsu, 5’9” fun freestyle whitewater kayak. Sale price $1095; ready to rip!

Photo of the Prijon Cruiser III

Our longest kayak, a 3 person tandem kayak.

Photo of a Dagger Jitsu.

Our shortest boat for sale as of writing!

BMO Water Bottles

After being asked repeatedly for BMO stickers to put on customer’s water bottles, we decided to take it a step further and carry BMO branded Nalgene bottles. Blue or gray, and BPA/BPS free. (Holiday gifts maybe?)

Photo of blue and grey BMO Nalgene Bottles.

Photo of blue and grey BMO Nalgene Bottles.

BMO Gift Certificates

If a water bottle doesn’t work for your gift needs, just a reminder that we do have gift certificates available in any amount. (And no, they don’t expire or reduce in value as some do!)

Thanks, Vets & Active Service Men & Women

Writing this on Veterans Day (although you won’t read it until later) and giving thanks for their service. And a reminder; we offer a military discount on accessories and river trips, not just on Veterans Day or Memorial Day but throughout the year.

A flag with the message "Veteran's Day"

What's New?

In the current supply situation there are fewer new boat model announcements this year than usual, but we do have a couple…

  • Bonafide P127

    One of the most often asked questions here at BMO is whether you can put a pedal drive on a Bonafide kayak. Until now the answer has been “no”, but for 2022 they are releasing the P127, a pedal driven version of their popular SS127 kayak. Utilizing the tried and true Propel system that’s been featured in Native Watercraft pedal boats, were seeing a lot of interest in it, and hope to have stock soon.

    Photo of Bonafide's P127

    Finally! A Bonafide Fishing Kayak with Peddles!

  • Liquid Logic Saludas

    Liquid Logic will be replacing their popular Marvel series of kayaks this coming spring with the Saluda line (If this sounds familiar, you aren’t wrong; the original Saluda was Liquid Logic’s first recreational kayak, introduced 20 years ago.) 11’and 12’ solos, and a 14.5’ tandem, coming soon!

    A Photo of Liquid Logic's Saluda 11

    One of the many Saludas replacing the Marvels.

  • Dagger Nova and Super Nova

    Won’t be seeing these until Spring, but Dagger is going retro (again) with their super slicey (not sure if that’s a word or correct spelling!) Nova Series. More info as we get closer.

What's Not New but Back in Stock

After losing a couple sources we’ve stocked up again with RAM X-Grip’s. Two sizes to accommodate most any size phone, phablet (hate that word!), motor control, etc. Pair with a connector and your choice of track mount, RAM ball mount, or suction cup mount. (Obviously best used with a waterproofed accessory.)

A photo of the new RAM X-Grip

RAM X-Grip, Comes in two sizes.

Where's the Bunny?

After over 40 years of supplying the Paddlesports world with canoes (including the ever- popular Mad River Explorer) Mad River’s parent company decided to discontinue production for 2022. We’re going to miss the iconic Mad River “smoking rabbit”! Not sure how long it’ll last, but we do have one last Mad River Explorer in stock; you might want to jump on it before it’s too late!

Mad River's Logo

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

Winter Boat & Gear Storage

While some of us paddle throughout the year there are many of us who are content to set our boats aside until spring weather returns. If you are one of those, here’s a few tips to make sure your gear is ready for you on that first warm day.

  • Leaky Float Bags

    When your float bags become “sink bags” it’s a good possibility that they got in the way of a rodent seeking a warm nook to spend the winter. Mice love to set up housekeeping in the ends of both canoes and kayaks and have no remorse about chewing their way (often in multiple places) through airbags to get there. Repairing all these chew holes can be tedious at best and can be prevented either by removing and storing bags elsewhere or covering the boat (or cockpit) to prevent them from entering in the first place (which will keep out spiders as well!)

  • Ice Damage

    It’s surprising how many boats are brought to us each spring with hulls caved in or smashed from ice damage. Although your boat may be fine propped against the side of the house over summer it’s a good idea to remember what might soon be lurking above and find another home for it over the winter.

  • Old Salt

    Nope, not the revered title given to crusty seafarers; we’re talking about the stuff (salt, sand, silt, and/or river sludge) that accumulates in your kayak and equipment throughout the season and eventually causes things to grind to a halt. Now’s the time to thoroughly clean footpegs (and rails), rudder or skeg assemblies, paddle ferrules, and any other moving parts before they become terminally immobile. Also thoroughly inspect those hatches; it only takes the most minute leftover bit of lunch (or worse yet, bait!) to make them toxic by Spring!

  • Not so Dry Top/Suit

    Drysuits, dry tops, and semi dry tops are great if the latex gaskets are intact, but they have a nasty habit of blowing out at the worst time, usually in the middle of a cold, wet paddle that puts a damper on the rest of the day to say the least! Inspect latex seals often, keep them clean (rinse after use and clean with an approved cleaner) and protect from contaminants such as smoke, coal dust, and gases. And PLEASE don’t leave them in the trunk for prolonged periods of time! If seals are bad, now is the time to replace them. We have replacement seals and adhesive in stock for do-it-yourselfers or can do the work in house for those who don’t want to tackle it.

Black Friday & Small Business Saturday

Although Black Friday (and ensuing Small Business Saturday) were both initially about supporting local businesses, putting them "in the black" they morphed later into sales promotions, often extending far before and after the days themselves. With the current situation of difficulty obtaining (and maintaining) inventory, we’ve decided to forgo sales for this year, and hope that our patrons will support us and other small businesses who in turn support your local area. We appreciate it!

Small Business Saturday Logo

Play it Safe!

Quiet water can be just that: smooth on the surface, easy to navigate, pleasant to paddle. It can be a lot of other things, too. Depending on conditions, dangerous is one of them.

While many variables should be considered when planning a trip, two critical factors to assessing the dynamics of a quiet water river or stream are its stage and CFS (Cubic Feet per Second) levels. They go hand in hand, correlating in measurements. The lower a river’s stage, the shallower the water is, and the lower number the CFS reading will be. And vice versa. Higher water is going to produce a stronger current with a higher CFS. At four feet at the Harrisburg Gauge, the Susquehanna is running around 16,000 CFS; at 10 feet, it’s moving at about 135,000 CFS; a HUGE difference! (For the record, we usually do not allow our renters to paddle the Susquehanna when the river gauge at Harrisburg is over 5 feet for safety reasons.)

The stage of a river or stream is its depth, fortunately there are river gauges we can consult. If the gauge at Harrisburg is at about four feet, you’re likely going to have a nice calm day paddling. With the gauge at 10 feet your trip downriver will be much more intense. Especially if you go for a swim.

CFS is not the speed at which water flows but rather the volume of water that moves through a specific part of a river at a specific time. That volume is measured in a single second. One cubic foot of water weighs 62.5 pounds; its rate of travel is 7.48 gallons per second. A gallon of water weighs slightly more than eight pounds. If we imagine a cubic foot as spherical, picture 50,000 translucent 8-pound bowling balls barreling under the Market Street Bridge in Harrisburg. In one second. That would translate to the Susquehanna running at 50,000 CFS at that location.

So how do you measure CFS? According to American Whitewater, determine the velocity (feet per second) of a stream or river and multiply it by the cross-sectional area (feet squared) to calculate the discharge in cubic feet per second. Use the following formula:

River width x depth x speed (flow + gradient) = CFS

If that sounds impossible to do from the shoreline, it’s because it is. Engineers have fancy equipment and technologies for things like this. We have the internet.

Access river and stream gauges throughout the country via the National Weather Service’s website, water.weather.gov. Its Advanced Hydraulic Prediction Service provides stage levels and CFS readings as observed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The measurements recorded are updated daily, offering boaters the most current information on river and stream conditions. Use the BMO Gauge Page on our website for the latest observations and forecasts affecting our local rivers and tributaries.

Another factor to strongly consider is temperatures. Combining high water levels with cold air or water temps ups the risk factor considerably, especially if not dressed correctly for the conditions. (Check out our Fall 2020 Newsletter for more on this subject)

Guest Author, Jeff Fisher, BMO

Wear It!

A friendly reminder from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission: Life jackets are required by law to be worn by anyone using a boat under 16 feet long or any canoe or kayak from Nov. 1 – April 30. The PFBC strongly encourages all boaters to wear a life jacket year-round, not specifically during the coldest months.
(More info about "MANDATORY COLD WEATHER LIFE JACKET WEAR" on www.fishandboat.com)

PFBC P.S.A. "Wear It"

BMO Artwork

Yup, not "BMO Gallery of Fine Art", 'cause this is just a photo taken from our deck. BUT, it shows how lucky we are to live so near the beautiful Susquehanna River!

Susquahanna River from our Deck

Susquahanna River from our Deck

Wow, this is probably the shortest newsletter I’ve ever written! Hopefully by Spring Covid and all its ramifications will be a distant memory and we’ll have lots more things to talk about.

And in case you’re wondering where the “Dougism” is this time, I couldn’t think of one that was printable!

Get outside, enjoy the fall weather (it’ll be winter before we know it!) and Happy Thanksgiving!

- Doug, Mary & The BMO Gang!

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