Does Anyone Use A Trolley To Get Their Kit To The Water's Edge?

[Kuya]

Does anyone use a trolley to take their kit to the water's edge?

I am wanting to try a trolley for my Guardian Float (like a Dive Hunter), but it must be heavy duty for uneven paths and pack down small enough to fit onto my float whilst on the water. At the moment I have backpack straps for the float and wear it on my back. It's ok, but does get tiresome when the walks are more than a mile long and it may not be doing my back any good long term.

I love being in the water but after several hours my legs are shot and it can be quite an ordeal when walking back.

 

[Broseidon]

After dealing with the dilemma of lugging kit up and down cliffs for a number of years, I found the only one real solution. Buy a boat!

 

[Apneaddict]

Check out the Banks Board for a good, portable float option with heavy duty backpack straps. Everything can fit on there and be reasonably ok for longer walks.

If the straps ad config is ergonomic, you can carry quite a lot if weight.

Just make sure to wear your weight belt, instead of carrying it.

 

[Kuya]

Thanks. I am currently doing something very similar with my Beuchat Guardian float. I adapted some straps for white water kayak portage for the float and wear it like a backpack, whilst wearing the weights separately as you suggested. I have since decided to just keep myself fit and keep with what I have for the moment.

 

[Apneaddict]

The VHF marine radio is a VERY smart addition, but one that I seldom see others doing.

Look like a solid setup.

I've seen trolleys used for carrying kayaks and also for transporting UWR goals, but the terrain that you'll be crossing will decide if it's the right solution.

Dirt, dust, mud, etc all require very robust and large wheels. Rocks and cliffs might negate the usefulness.

It could be worth building something if your conditions are a good fit.

We have a place (princessauto.com - real name!!) that sells decent setups that you could adapt. Perhaps there's something similar where you are.

It might make more sense if you wanted to also carry a cooler full of ice to keep your haul fresh.

 

[cdavis]

You might try looking at cave diver sites. Cavers in my area of Florida use all kinds of carts, trolleys, etc to get their gear out into our swamps (which is where the best cave diving is)

 

[Mr. X]

Hi Kuya, I have seen SCUBA divers taking using lightweight wheelbarrows to cart all their stuff down to a beach (tanks, etc.). You can get fold-up wheelbarrows too.

You won't like my other suggestion but I'll make it so that others who have not yet invested in a big float at least give it consideration: just buy a simple, inexpensive torpedo float with a diver-down flag (price ~£9-£28 - get a big "double bladder" one if you like) that you can fold up and inflate, by mouth, at the beach. Pare back your gear then wear as much as you can (wetsuit, knife, weightbelt,...), carry the rest (mask, snorkel, float, stringer, floatline, water bottle) in a small, cheap back pack (the smaller & cheaper the better - swim bags fit the bill) or in your hands (speargun & fins?). Leave little if anything on the beach/shore while you dive, certainly nothing of value. I have found this simple approach works best for me - your mileage may vary.

 

[Kuya]

I've ended up ordering a collapsible kayak trolley which should be here next week... I am hoping I can fit it on my float - I used to use the same one when I went kayak fishing.

I can't wait to test it out - the ability to cart my gear cross country from an exit point a few miles away from my entry point (when my legs are like jelly!) could be a game changer for me.

I will consider buying a smaller float and use it in the manner you have suggested for certain marks down here.

I will report back about the trolley after its been tested.

 

[Mr. X]

Any images of your trolley Kuya? I made my own kayak trolley, intending to buy a proper one later but never got round to it - there seem to be a lot of different designs out there, each with their own quirks (some better on soft sand, others better over rough ground, some hold yak more securely, others more stable, some fold up small, etc.).

 

[Kuya]

The trolley I ordered was a C-tug (best price £85 including delivery).

I am hoping the top supports of the trolley will fit between the stabilizing fins on the bottom of the float - they can be angled upwards so they may just squeeze in between the bottom fins.

Whilst this trolley is more expensive than many of aluminium tube based ones its probably one of the best out there. I used a C-tug when I was into kayak fishing and it was excellent ( I made my own trolley once, & I also tried an aluminium type one.. nothing came close to the C-tug).

Perhaps due to complaints of punctured tyres and splits near the valves, C-tugs are now usually sold with the newer plastic wheels called sand hoppers (instead of pneumatic tyres). I am unsure how these will perform and am hoping they are suitable for cross country grassy and gravel path surfaces which is what I have bought it for. I have read that the sand hopper wheels don't perform that well with a weighted kayak on sand however there is an accessory which can convert the sand hopper wheels into something much wider and more suitable for sand.

C-tug with sand hopper wheel accessory fitted.

Probably over kill for my float and makes the wheels too big for compact storage. My float and dive gear weigh much less a kitted out kayak.

I won't receive the trolley until late next week (if I am lucky). I really hope it works out there are some drift dives I want to do that involve quite a walk back to the car.

 

[Kuya]

Trolley has arrived. I have changed the straps around and it fits the float well. I will give it a test off road tomorrow - so far so good...