My name is John Jorgensen. By profession I was an Interior Design Consultant - specialising in restaurant and commercial retail and corporate interior design. An illustrator and part time artist, but making these craft seems to keep me more than busy these days.
I enjoy the great outdoors, wildlife and yacht racing in dinghies or keel boats. I also love fly fishing for Trout and/or spinning for largemouth Bass.
I have lived in Durban, South Africa since 1975. Prior to that as a teenager, I lived in the Fiji Islands and New Zealand and as a child in East Africa.

"It's always nice to be able to put a face to the person you are dealing with."

How Did it all Begin

Well to be honest, it nearly didn't! Soon after I took up fly fishing in 1993 and I nearly packed it in. I was spending the better part of my daylight hours "catching fish" in the trees and bushes on the bank behind me, with little success, I might add. I then saw someone using a float tube and his poor back cast were simply "hooking" water, things immediately began to look more promising. Once I tried fishing from the "seaward" side of the bank, I was hooked. I got myself a doughnut shaped float tube with a separate inner tube and went fishing - I just didn't like the "sit in the water" float tube concept ! I wanted something better. I also HATED PUTTING A DAMP product away in my car boot at the end of a day.

First Impressions & Decisions

I researched what craft were available locally, overseas and in the USA and came to the following conclusions.

• Then open ended "U"-shaped configuration made alot of sense
• All the products - from Float Tubes to Kick Boats - seemed to be constructed in a pack cloth type material with a separate, thin internal bladder - Many required assembly with straps, metal plates, or had injection moulded frames or brackets etc, which to my mind was not on ! This pack cloth type material, if hooked nearly always resulted in a hook-up into the fabrics weave and several small air leaks resulted. Not very encouraging.
• The pack cloth material always packed away in my cars boot in a wet or damp condition which if left, caused a musty smell - again not ideal - Has that happened to you?
• Many of the products had bulky looking seats and appeared to pack down into various components with nothing to really house them in a neat fashion while transporting them. I thought this could be improved upon. The idea of buying a separate carry bag as an "Optional Extra", did not appeal to me.

The Solution as I saw it

• After investigating the materials available the logical solution to me was the polyester reinforced vinyl coated material used to construct the "Inflatable boat" type craft. Here is a superior proven material that is second to none. It is slightly heavier, but this has never been a problem when transporting or portaging to the water edge.
• The tactile sense that you are seated on a product of some substance is re-assuring.
• It is resilient and not easily scuffed and difficult to induce a hook up as the material is smooth the hooks tend to ricochet off the surface, rather than hook into it.
• Being smooth it does not retain mud and dirt in the fabrics weave which can cause staining - hence is very easy to clean down after use. Unlike many other products, most of the water drips off immediately you take it out the water.
• It dries very quickly even on a damp overcast day.
• This material is very quick and easy to fix should a repair be necessary without skilled labour.
• It is available in a range of pleasing colours and silk-screens well.

The KICKMASTER was the first product that I made for my own use. Being a designer by profession, I am always critical of the visual aesthetics and performance criteria of all products I use or design. Since this product was originally intended for my own personal use, it was modified and modified until even I was satisfied.....The next problem came when I took it fishing ..... Everyone who saw it said, "Where did you buy that, - I want one".

The next step I thought was perhaps I could make some pocket money out of this, so a limited production line began. The rest is history, and Dabbie Products was formed and continues to grow with gratifying results and an excellent reputation.

There will be other products to follow - each designed to fit a niche in the market, depending on your requirements. So keep in touch.

The Name "Dabbie"

My first vivid impression when I first went trout fishing on the Natal Midland or in the Southern Drackensburg mountain lakes, was of the small aquatic duck "The Dabchick". This bird really thrives in its environment, bobbing along on the surface and amongst the reeds and diving underwater and traversing vast distances. How I wished I could seek out my elusive prey, by doing something similar. The word "Dabbie" is an abbreviated word of affection.

Product Guarantee

Locally produced Material

The reinforced vinyl used in the construction of all the Dabbie Products is manufactured locally. This material is reinforced internally with bi-directional fibres which if cut will bunch up where the cut ends and prevent the cut from going any further. The colours are also extremely resistant to fading and most important it is UV stabilised for extended outdoor use in the harsh local conditions.