|
Binoculars
for Paddling! - How many times has this happened to you: You’re
gliding silently through the calm waters of a salt marsh when you spot
something in the reeds ahead. Paddling slowly, you try to get a better
look- is it a bird or…?
Then just as you get close enough, your quarry gets spooked and takes
off. “Oh, I guess that was a bird, after all!” You mutter to
yourself. Although disappointing, this situation is much more serious
for the bird involved. If it was nesting, your presence has caused that
bird to leave its nest and possibly put its young at risk.
How can we get a closer look, and have less of an impact on wildlife with
whom we’re sharing the coastline? The answer is simple: Binoculars!
Whether you’re trying to spot a great blue heron, or scanning the
horizon for a channel marker, binoculars are a very handy item to bring
kayaking or canoeing. They come in lots of different sizes: 8x25, 7x35,
8x42, but all these numbers can be confusing. So what do they mean?
To put it simply: “how close” by “how bright”. For
example a pair of binos marked 8x25 magnify your vision 8 times and have
front lenses that are 25mm in diameter. The larger the front lenses, the
brighter the image will be, especially at dawn or dusk. However, most
people aren’t willing to carry around a full-sized pair of binoculars,
especiallywhere space is limited. The first mistake people commonly make
when shopping for binoculars, is “More power is better”. On
the water, nothing could be farther from the truth. Sure, a 10 power pair
of binoculars will magnify the image more, but it will also magnify every
tremble of your hands and every tip and rock of your boat. In anything
but the calmest of flatwater, 10 power binoculars are all but useless.
Stick with 8 power, or less for comfortable, steady viewing. You should
also make sure the binoculars you select are water resistant or better
yet, waterproof! Water resistant binos can take a splash or sprinkle,
but waterproof means the binoculars can be submerged for short periods
without any ill effects.
North Cove Outfitters, stocks water resistant and waterproof compact binoculars
from Nikon, Swarovski, Pentax and Celestron. Prices start at $49.95.
For more information give our Optics department a call (860-388-6585),
or come in and find a pair that’s right for you! |