Winner of a Paddling Magazine 2019 Product & Industry Award, Taiwan-based Gearlab Outdoors’ new deck pod promises to be a game-changer for kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders alike. Created by a team of award-winning industrial designers, the Gearlab Deck Pod is designed for integrated kayaking safety, featuring dedicated slots for pump, paddle float and hydration system.
Both sides of the Deck Pod have a solid holder for pump and paddle float; paddlers can simply slide the gear in without needing to adjust sloppy mesh. To remove gear, simply click the strap’s buckle to release it. The Deck Pod can also fit a 3litre hydration system, and the built-in tube hole design provides easy access. A hidden handle beneath the bag eliminates the possibility of confusing spray skirt with deck bag when capsized.
A mesh compartment inside the deck bag provides additional storage for essentials and allows water to easily drain out when the pod is lifted up. The Deck Pod fastens to the deck with four straps and buckles. The buckle system allows for affixing the bag to the kayak deck—and unleashing it—with ease, with no need to pair and route for the buckle to attach like conventional deck bags.
Founder Chun Shih Sun shared his reaction, “We are very honored to have won this award. We worked very hard on a design solution that would be efficient, clean and precise for all our needs on the water and to make it perfectly adaptable to all of us in shared water sports in our industry. We could not be more pleased. Thank you for the votes!”
Gearlab debuted the Deck Pod as part of its new accessory collection including a new paddle-carrying travel bag and a new paddle float, as well as a redesigned cabin bag.
For the past eight years, Gearlab has designed and manufactured Greenland-style carbon-fibre paddles for ocean kayakers around the world. Created by a team of award-winning industrial designers and outdoor enthusiasts, the paddles are adapted from indigenous Inuit designs.
Greenland paddles allow kayakers to travel farther with greater efficiency and precision, while reducing injury and fatigue. Made from 100% continuous carbon-fibre material, the paddles ally thousand-year-old ergonomics with advanced material strength and durability.
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