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(ARA) - The soaring price of fuel and the desire to protect the peace and tranquility of outdoor spaces is having an effect on the way we relax in cottage country. As popular as jet skis are, their increasing cost, safety considerations and noise and environmental pollution have led some communities to ban them completely. But lack of a motor won’t put the damper on water fun. There are plenty of ways to enjoy a day on the lake without gasoline, noise or harm to the environment. Using people-powered watercraft gets you up close and personal with the beauty of your surroundings, and is great exercise to boot! Watching wildlife is easier in a non-motorized watercraft, and is safer for users – though everyone should wear proper life jackets and other safety precautions should always be followed. These types of boats are also easier to maintain, with no filling, draining or storing of tanks and easy cleaning.
Canoes, kayaks and pedal boats are perfect for exploring along the banks, enjoying a sunny day, or even fishing. Everyone recalls the rusty paddle wheeler featured in every municipal park and lake front home in years gone by. This icon of an earlier era, which tended to collect water on its seats and footwells like a floating bathtub, has been replaced by a modern single-piece boat made completely of non-corroding materials. The new WaterBee from Montreal-based Future Beach combines avant garde styling with many modern features for safety and ease of maintenance.
“What is truly innovative about this boat,” says company founder David Lekhtman, “is that it is completely self bailing.” This means that all water from rain or splash drains away automatically rather than gathering on the boats surfaces and turning to a slimy dirty swamp. Aside from being a convenience for riders, who no longer have to sit or stand in stagnant water while enjoying a peaceful cruise across the lake, or bail the boat manually after an overnight rain, it is also a safety feature. The inherent stability and buoyancy of the WaterBee combined with the self-bailing feature, creates an element of safety in that any water the boat might take on during a trip in rougher water will simply flow out the bailing holes and cause no danger of submerging the boat.
“All of our products were designed to handle the demands of commercial users, like beach resorts,” says Brian Levine, Future Beach’s executive vice president. “Consumers have embraced them because of their stability, safety, and fun.”
For those who would prefer to paddle rather than pedal, Future Beach has created a line of Catamaran kayaks. Again these products, all with catamaran hulls, were designed to meet the demands of the resort market but also provide the consumer, whether novice or expert, a safe, comfortable ride on flat water or on the waves.
But sometimes all you want is a simple place to relax on the water. Inflatable mats and pontoon islands are a popular way to pass a summer day. But if you want to cool off by being in the water, or if you want to visit with friends, you may be searching for something else.
“We also recognize the need to simply relax and do nothing,” says Levine. To meet these needs Future Beach offers a line of products it calls “WaterFun.” This line includes floating swim rafts with or without slides. These products can stand alone or be connected to each other to make a virtual water park for any number of users.
A new innovation is the Future Beach Water Hammock. This is a simple device consisting of a large polyethylene ring with excellent buoyancy characteristics, with an elastic bed attached to its perimeter. These hammocks are typically anchored in the water and act as an island for any number of swimmers. Because of its buoyancy the product can carry a crowd; even when the ring submerges it continues to support the users in the water and will not sink.
Whether you’re on the ocean, a river or lake, you travel there for fun and relaxation. Be sure to keep the land you love pure with non-invasive activities. Enjoy it to its full potential with products that give you freedom and fun.
Courtesy of ARA Content
