Found my kayak. The one.

[Cataboo]

thanks everyone! I was out on the water with her for about 6 hours yesterday. I need to go buy some stuff to replace her decklines and such.

The tempest 165 gets to stay around for another year or so as R's 2nd boat. If he ever finds a good price on a p&h cetus LV,the point 65 XP is going:





Avatar's gone. Kevlar CD caribou is gone. prijon barracuda is gone. tempest 170 gone.

Zen - unless I get into racing, this thread probably won't have any more bumps. There is a limited selection of really nice good low volume high end boats for lighter paddlers - most LV boats are just cut down versions of the normal sized boats that have bad compromises. So as far as I'm concerned,for my paddling styles and needs - I've got probably 2 of the best boats for me - 1 playful day boat and 1 long fast touring/expedition boat... Now, would I want something light in kevlar instead of the fiberglass I have? The point 65 x-lite is basically my vela in kevlar and about 25 lbs lighter... That i might consider if I ever see it used at a good price. But I think most people with that boat probably won't ever give it up - and kevlar is harder to repair than fiberglass. My boats are "british heavies" - basically british boats designed to paddle along the rocky shores/islands around Britian... and there is some advantage in a fiberglass boat that you can beat around a bit like you can do a plastic boat without worrying about it, even though it makes for a heavier boat.

[Zen]

I already want a lighter boatbut it will never happen, just can't afford it.

[7rider]

Geez. T and I took the boats out on the South River yesterday.
I felt like my Dagger was dragging a sea anchor behind me the whole time! Talk about slow and ponderous. And then I come here and read what looks like a catalog for sleek zippy boats.
If you ever feel like your latest isn't {insert some word for light, fast, high-end, or all of the above, here} enough for you, let me put you in my boat.

[colby]

Geez. T and I took the boats out on the South River yesterday.
I felt like my Dagger was dragging a sea anchor behind me the whole time! Talk about slow and ponderous. And then I come here and read what looks like a catalog for sleek zippy boats.
If you ever feel like your latest isn't {insert some word for light, fast, high-end, or all of the above, here} enough for you, let me put you in my boat.

No kidding - we have a couple of 10' plastic Daggers that were great for compromise entry level kayaking, touring around the lake, swimmer tracking, not hauling butt or anything. We didn't realise what we didn't have until we went on a kayaking tour in tandem kayaks... boats that track, boats that are sleek, boats that carry weight, boats that go zoom zoom zoom (and our marriage survived). Seeing these pictures just makes me want to go back out to the San Juans and tour again - but still probably in someone else's fast, well-tracking, well-packed boats. Very awesome.

[Cataboo]

7 - if you ever want help convincing DH that you guys want sea kayaks, you can come try mine. Although, he's pretty tall - i think the point 65 xp is the only one that'd fit him (the silhouette has the bulkhead moved back up front for shorter people so that there's more room to haul stuff.)

I've never paddled shorter than 14' - and truthfully, I'm not sure I could! It'd be like getting on a walmart bike, I intellectually know that they work and can move people and many many people do use them... but I would just rather not ride. I have to stop at 18' long for the kayaks, 'cause anything longer is longer than the garage I'm storing themin. I used to row sculls in high school - so kayaks still feel slow to me.

[Cataboo]

Since I finally took better pics & got some of the decking replaced (still need to go out and buy more bungee and stuff to finish)





I'm not crazy about the airbrushing - but it's under the gel coat:

[lph]

But oh! the lines on that thing! What a beauty.

[Cataboo]

But oh! the lines on that thing! What a beauty.

It handles really well as well - I need to take it out in waves and see how it does. On the little bit of waves I've had it in, it felt like it was leaping on them to surf - so I think it'll be a lot of fun. It's easier to roll than the purple, and slices through the water nicer.

[tulip]

Catriona and lph, do you know if there is a kayak forum like this TE forum (although not necessarily woman-focused)? It would be great for a beginner kayaker like me to have a resource like TE, but for kayaking.

[Cataboo]

I read the forums over at cpakayaker.com - they are definitely not a chatty bunch in general though.

There are forums on paddling.net:
http://www.paddling.net/message/

But while searching there for specific information, I can't say that I've hung out there.

But - I'm always more than happy to talk kayaks!

And both LPH and tulip should come visit me

[Zen]

No, they should visit me

[Cataboo]

I'm gonna sing I'm popeye the sailor man everytime I see a pic f you in that boat.

You live 8 miles from me or something like that. We can share them.

You can totally have them after i tire them out.

[Kubla]

Catriona and lph, do you know if there is a kayak forum like this TE forum (although not necessarily woman-focused)? It would be great for a beginner kayaker like me to have a resource like TE, but for kayaking.

Tulip,

Try www.paddling.net I haven't "been" there for a while but it used to be a pretty good forum for kayaking. There are also owner reviews and classified ads if you are in the market.

[tulip]

Thanks Catriona and Kubla for providing information on the kayaking forums. I will take a look at them.

And thanks Catriona and Zen for fighting over me! That doesn't happen very often... When I visit one, I'll visit both. Y'all do the same. I live near the river.

[lph]

And both LPH and tulip should come visit me

Ooh, yes And anytime you're in Norway, swing on by

Dh just bought a new kayak. A Skim Dex, white with blue trim *drool* He had a Valley Aquanaut LV PE, but it was just too big for him.

I'm not really too jealous. I kayak more than he does, we mostly kayak alone, and I get to use it whenever I want