Chuck Holst wrote: >1. How many of your kayaks came with an owner's manual?< >2. What would you like to see discussed in a kayak owner's manual?< 1. Neither my Seaward Ascente nor my VCP Skerray came with an owner's manual. 2. I think that the appropriate information in an owner's manual would be specific to the particular boat. Being that kayaks are relatively simple objects that might be limited to such things as dimensions, weight, maintenance suggestions, storage instructions, operation of mechanisms such as rudder, skeg, integral pumps, etc, recommendations for weight distribution, recommended paddler weight range, repair recommendations (not step by step instructions). To be cost-effective a user manual should treat on subjects specific to the object and not step out into the wider arena of general usage. There are many third-party books that cover general kayaking quite well and it wouldn't seem to benefit the kayak manufacturer(s) to try to venture into this area. All too often, even software companies fail to see the economic benefit of _good_ documentation and settle for dry, hard to use, pedestrian documentation. While I'm biased as a part-time technical writer/on-line help developer, I'm having a bit of trouble seeing how a kayak manufacturer would benefit by providing owner's manuals - a reduced number of phone calls from owners asking questions? repeat customers? fewer returns or factory repairs? Here's a cynical thought - maybe dealers benefit from the _lack_ of owners manuals.... Dave David Seng / david_at_wainet.com Wostmann & Associates / phone - 907.586.6167 223 Seward St. / fax - 907.586.2996 Juneau, Alaska 99801 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Apr 17 1998 - 11:25:21 PDT
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