We ended our three-days-packed-into-two-days tour at the show this year with Astral - and it was a great way to wrap things up. Last year, Astral brought out the V-Eight and it quickly became one of their best selling vests. Made with a high back that suits a number of boats, Astral's Air Escape technology to keep the paddler as cool as possible and keeping environmental impact to a minimum, it's easy to see why.
This year Astral adds the Camino to the Air Escape family. Made with the same eggcrate foam and high venting as the V-Eight, the Camino is a full back PFD meant for every water sport from sailing to SUP to canoeing.
Another new addition is the Nova, made for the paddler that has a high backed seat and needs a PFD that is comfortable with their boat. The Nova has low foam in the back as well as good mesh breathability, chimney venting (Coast Guard approved to wear unzipped, with just the buckles) and nice big pockets.
Both the Wonderjacket and the Tempo 200 received color updates this year. Yellow and Cranberry for the WJ and Charcoal and Orange for the Tempo. The Norge added Olive to it's color line up.
The Abba also received a face lift, courtesy of Astral friend and paddler, Robin Betz. Coming in Black and Cranberry with embroidery detailing for 2010, there's a little pink in the new Abba, but with Robin's background in paddling and engineering, we can guarantee there is nothing girly about the performance of this PFD.
Last year Astral introduced a dog bed made of recycled PFDs. As much of a success as those were, it became a conversation starter for a dog PFD. The Astral team answered the call and there is now a canine PFD for 2010 - with 5 sizes, there's one for every pup.
We had a great show this year and hope you enjoyed following us around the convention floor. If you have any questions on availability dates or product, let us know and we'll see what we can find out!Labels: astral, outdoor retailer, pfds