First prototype testing!

The first Full On Vest prototype has emerged from the Cactus factory! The west coast weather cooperated and allowed for 2 days of on the water testing before returning to the factory for (many) minor changes.

We took it to the Styx River and spent the hour long walk-in talking about hydro schemes and the future, terrorism, the increasing cost of driving a car, etc. Everything but the most exciting thing happening in the whitewater world-the Full On Vest!

On the water, though I was pleasantly surprised to find that it fits me better than the original. The design skills of Andy Milne shone through and the thing fits like a glove! It's comfortable, and felt protective...I have to admit-I couldn't find the courage to test the body armour, but the fact that I did't notice wearing armour scored a positive in my book.

When asked, all other boaters on the water noted its tough appearance and looked decidedly jealous!

The Totara River provided a good location for swim testing.

It's definitely more floaty than the original too! We haven't had the chance to do any scientific testing to calculate the actual uplift force that it generates, but I gave it a good testing and found that I resurfaced quickly, was unhindered in swimming and it didn't ride up at all. Refinements working? Tick!

So, the verdict on proto 1... It works, it's an improvement, but there's still work to be done.

Keep watching. Work is progressing on the next prototype and should be available for testing soon...

So what's happening?

Well, since Hydroscapes River Gear ceased production of the Full On Vest in 2005, there's been a steady stream of requests from dedicated users (and jealous wannabe users) for more Full On Vests, and it's time to oblige those requests!

A five year hiatus has enabled Hydroscapes to shift half way round the world, and the new gear will be coming to you from New Zealand. The original ethos of quality assurance was brought to you by personally hand crafting each and every Hydroscapes product, but the new Full On Vest will be manufactured by Cactus Climbing Equipment , right here in NZ.

Many of you will already know Cactus for their legendary quality gear, but for those who don't

you can check out their web site at http://cactusclimbing.co.nz/ and see what they do.

Why Cactus?

Cactus make a product called the "Dreadnought Supertrouser". It's a piece of clothing that when you first put it on, you know that you're wearing something you're going to love. Then you put them through a couple of years of hard clothing abuse and you'll still be loving them. They're solid. They're reliable. They fit perfectly. They last way longer than any other clothes.

In short, Hydroscapes had to find a manufacturer who could deliver a premium quality product, and we decided that Cactus was the only option.

What next?

The man behind the design work at Cactus, Andy Milne, has taken all the original patterns and one of the last remaining original Full On Vests, and he is bringing the designs into line with Cactus manufacturing techniques. The original designs will remain unchanged as far as fit and function, but Andy's design philosophy of product innovation and integrity will surely add a flair to the Full On Vest and ensure that the design is able to utilise all the skills of the Cactus sewing staff.

Andy is hoping to have the designs completed and prototypes available for testing in 6 weeks and the first batch of 100 Full On Vests will be available for purchase in late June.