Somewhere along the False Bay coastline in the middle of the night I’d paddle out in a dark green kayak with a naval attack dive buddy and head towards the naval base at Simon’s Town. In an exercise to keep the submarine base on its toes, we’d tie our kayak alongside the harbour wall in the pitch black dark, slide overboard with our rebreathers not emitting a bubble, we’d swim underwater beneath the submarines. We’d place mines on the hulls of the submarines near the engines and then slip away in the night back along the coastline.
A few years ago just after Christmas day I went leisure kayaking with a good friend off Kommetjie. This time it was in an orange kayak with two crayfish nets placed on the bow of the kayak. We dropped our baited nets in the kelp beds and after an hour we had our quota of crayfish to take home for supper.
These kayaks were made from opaque plastic that prevented us from seeing the ocean and the reefs below us as we paddled across the water.
Now the Molokini all-transparent kayak has been made from durable polycarbonate material used in the production of bullet-proof glass and fighter jet canopies. The kayak lets you see the wonders of the ocean below as you glide over reefs and kelp beds.
The idea for a transparent kayak evolved out of a military shallow water surveillance watercraft project in 2000 and led to the engineering of the Molokini prototype. After successful testing, the Molokini was introduced as the first two-person clear kayak to the market in May 2001. The company has diversify into other products including travel bags, adventure travel gear and has prototyped other new products.
If you want to start a business, you don’t have to come up with the most amazing idea. It’s the right idea that counts. Just like finding the right customers. The right way for you to make revenues and profits. The right business for you as an individual.
The Molokini kayak was the right product at the right time for a travel and leisure market fascinated with the ocean. Think of the number of people who have got into watersports such as diving and kayaking. Dive shops and kayak shops have shot up over the past decade.
The right idea will help you start your business on a solid business plan just like a new house needs a solid foundation.