wanna help me buy a kayak?

[lph]

Oooo - so today I get to drive for 2 hours () to try out the Catalina... I hope I like it... I hope I don't tip over... I hope it fits my dh! I'm trying to rationalize it by thinking that the rest of the family can use it too

Thank you for the good info. I think the Catalina is a "better" boat than the Eliza, Prijon uses an extremely sturdy, hard plastic for their boats and are well thought of. But I may conceivably be getting a little ahead of myself in wanting a "fast, nimble" boat. I just don't want to end up buying a boat I'll outgrow within a year. But if it's a little too unstable it may not be good for the rambling look-here-and-there-photography trips I also want to do...

arr, so much to think about. I think the offer on the Catalina is good enough that I can end up selling it used for almost the same price, if it doesn't work out.

Thanks for listening

[Badgirl]

Wish I could help but all our kayaks are sit-on-tops. Def let us know how your test paddle goes.

[lph]

I went and bought it I'm not very patient... After a 2 hour drive to test paddle it, I was ready to buy anything that didn't physically pitch me out. The Catalina is a surprisingly plain boat, the finish is matte, the decals are a bit garish and the bow is straight, not upswept, so even though it's quite narrow and sleek it looks, well, a bit ugly. But that's ok, I may lust after the shiny bling stuff but I do much better with plain functional stuff. And it's very functional. The hatches are very good, easy to open and solid waterproof, the rudder is huge and works excellently with very good pedals once I got them dialed in. The fit is very snug. That's what I get for all that cycling - difficulty fitting my thighs below deck My skinny longlegged dh fit better! But I can carve a bit out of the thigh braces if I want to. I can also sit with my knees up out of the cockpit if I don't need the bracing. The paddle I borrowed was very different from the one I've used recently so I couldn't really get the boat up to speed. It's said to be "fast", but I did notice the downside of that - it turns like a plank. So I tossed a little Newcastle Brown Ale over the bow once I got it home and christened it "Plank"

Since it's narrow it's also a little more tippy than the extremely stable beginner boats I've tried so far, but not uncomfortably so, just that if I lean over the boat will keep leaning until it, presumably, goes around. But it's easy to right up again.

So I have a kayak! W00t!

[tulip]

COOL! A kayak is way up on my list, but still below a kitchen for my house (that starts next week). IF (and that's a big IF) I have any money left over, I'm going to buy myself a kayak. I've had my eye on the Wilderness Systems Tempest 165 for a few years. It's the one I like to paddle the most. Congratulations!

[Badgirl]

Congrats on the new boat!

[lph]

*snort* tried out my new baby today, and ran into a really awful patch of neverending super-shallow siltbank on the river, and after trying to no avail to paddle or push myself out of it I just gave up. So po'ed I won't even look up

[madscot13]

if you are too upset with your kayak, I know a little girl who would be willing to take if off your hands.

or you can wait for the melting of the ice caps...

[Blueberry]

*snort* tried out my new baby today, and ran into a really awful patch of neverending super-shallow siltbank on the river, and after trying to no avail to paddle or push myself out of it I just gave up. So po'ed I won't even look up

Did you get some paddling anyway? Most of the places we paddle are tidal, and when the tide is low, you get stuck every 10 feet it seems

CA

[OakLeaf]

it's also a little more tippy than the extremely stable beginner boats I've tried so far

There's primary stability (when you lean, does the boat lean?) and secondary stability (how far do you have to lean to capsize the boat?). Often boats with less primary stability are actually less prone to capsize.

Don't skimp on the paddle... it's like the wheels of your bike, you will notice weight and flexiness there more than anywhere.

Have fun!

[TBird]

This is great—so many of you have been helpful as I shop for my first road bike. Now I can return the favor with something I know a bit about!

LPH, it sounds like you’re having fun with your new boat—fabulous. What now feels “tippy” will soon feel “playful” and “responsive,” so be psyched about your purchase.( I think a lot of people buy slow, ultra-stable boats—which is just fine—but soon grow bored of them as they get more comfortable in the sport.) It’s not so different than cycling—performance often equals skittish when you’re starting out.

As for turning, a narrow boat with a fair amount of vee in the hull (the “tippy” part) will turn just fine, you just need to get accustomed to using your hips as well as your paddle. As OakLeaf noted, your boat probably has better secondary stability than primary stability. Don’t be afraid to lean it on edge a bit. The vee in your hull is designed to help the boat track straight, so you need to get it off that vee to turn it well. But I still love the name Plank…

And that gets back to your comments about thigh braces and general fitting. You want to be rather tight in your boat—as paddlers say, you wear a boat, you don’t sit in it. Properly fit, thigh braces will splay your legs out to the side and hold you in place along your inner thigh. And as you mention, good old foam is great for custom-fitting. I use some alongside both hips, as well as under my thighs. That helps my legs from falling asleep when I paddle for extended periods.

Whew, sorry about the long post! Hope that helps and that you’re getting great time on the water.

[lph]

Oh, I'm psyched alright But not quite ready to test out how far I can lean before I capsize. I'm not worried I won't be able to do a wet exit, it's just that the water is so darned cold now... I know, I should have tried it first thing, now it's either an unplanned capsize or wait til next summer. I try to lean my boat a little but I'm not sure it's even a visible tilt

I tried paddling yesterday without the thigh braces and with the seat pushed all the way back, and it was (almost) a huge improvement. I'd pushed the seat too far back so that the backrest tilted slightly forward, which was ok for.. er, "aggressive" paddling.. but gave me a helluva sore back after an hour. And I'd yanked the footrests as close to me as I could to get a snug fit, which was a tad much so my butt started going numb after a while. So now the seat's a bit forward, the backrest is in a more neutral position, and the footrest is close enough that my lower thigh is snug against the deck but not squashed in. In fact I got a snugger fit without the thigh braces. Can't wait to get out and try it again

Paddles: I've tried simple plastic (?) flat-bladed paddles before, at the local paddling club, and I've tried two very lightweight carbon wing paddles, one with a very large blade (competition paddle I think) and one "teaspoon" with a bit too small a blade. ATM I'm testing a couple of two-piece flat-bladed paddles that a friend of mine is selling - a VKV that I didn't like much and a Werner Shuna that I think I like a lot. I'm prepared to sink a little cash into a good "engine", but geez louise these things are expensive!

Yet another shot, from yesterday's lake paddling, can't resist (Trigress, this is Mønevann). That's a thermos flask of coffee and a box of chocolate chip cookies under the net

[tulip]

Wow, that's beautiful. I've paddled in Alaska, and I'd love to paddle in Norway, too. Right now, I'm happy with the Chesapeake Bay on a borrowed sit-on-top. I still have my eye out for a Wilderness Systems Tempest 165 when I recover from this house renovation. Perhaps I'll have saved up enough by next summer; I hope so.

TBird, you hit it right when you said it's like wearing a kayak. Much like fitting a bike, I'd say. I've tried several kayaks, and fit is really important. One was just too big that when I did rolls and rescues (in my kayak classes), I simply fell out! I have much to learn about paddles, though.

Have a wonderful time on the water, lph.