Some answers to Gerald questions: The function of a retractable skeg is to trim your boat neutral, so sweep strokes on one side are not needed. How does it work? When you are paddling forward the bow has more friction on the water than the stern, this is why the stern gets blown down wind the kayak turns up wind. By dropping the skeg you will create more friction at the stern so that the bow gets blown down wind. You can trim the skeg so that the boat will cruise neutral this takes some practice to find the optimal (trim) setting, if you change your speed you will need to change your trim (the amount of friction at the bow has increased) Can you turn the bow up wind with the skeg down? As you can Read above with the skeg all the way down this will be difficult but with a neutral trimmed kayak this will not be a problem. Surfing? DO NOT use the skeg in The Surf. You will find it hard enough to control your kayak with out the skeg. But if you are running from the wind drop the skeg all the way down, you will not have to think about keeping the bow down wind, so go with the flow. If you are surfing with the skeg down the boat won't travel in a perfect strait line, don't try to keep the boat in a perfect strait line the kayak should come back on course when you catch the next wave. Can you lean carve a turn with the skeg down? This again depends on the trim. When exactly do you use it and how often do you actually use it? As soon as the kayak turns into the wind, around here in the UK a lot (lots of wind). Just a tip: if your skeg is Groetjes, Len *************************************************************************** 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 Mon Sep 14 1998 - 11:26:22 PDT
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