At 10:15 AM -0700 10/13/98, K. Whilden wrote: >On Tue, 13 Oct 1998, John Lull wrote: > >> >> Dan pointed out that even whitewater kayaks can be paddled at 3 to 4 >> knots. And of course they are very maneuverable; however they require >> considerably more effort to paddle on the open sea than a boat like the >> Coaster. Anyone who doubts this should get out on a stormy day in their >> rodeo boat (or even a Dancer) and try paddling a few miles! In a >> Coaster you would be having fun (assuming you have the skills to paddle >> storm seas); in the whitewater river kayak, you'd be cursing. >> >> John Lull > >So why exactly do whitewater kayaks require more effort? I confess to >never having paddled a river boat in rough ocean conditions. Is it >tracking? Whitewater kayaks have no tracking, however course corrections >are effortless as a result, so a paddler on top of technique should have >no trouble keeping on course. At least, this is what I have always >suspected, but have never tested personally. Is it lack of speed? >Whitewater kayaks are significantly slower than even a coaster at >reasonable amounts of paddling effort. Also waterline length plays a >relatively much greater role when trying to catch windwaves than in simple >straight line paddling (ask me about my experience at Skookumchuk). Is it >volume distribution? The bows of whitewater kayaks are made for punching >through holes and stopper waves, but there is nothing like this in the >average sea condtions that I think John is referring to. So I would guess >that a whitewater kayak would provide a very wet ride whereas the coast >has a high volume, anti-pearl bow for riding over waves, not through them. My complaint when paddling a WW boat on open water has had more to do with comfort than anything else. Just paddling straight ahead can get hard on the back. I can last alot longer in the same boat on a river because I am doing more different things other than just paddling straight ahead. Leaning back and surfing a wave is easier than continuous paddling. A sea kayak is generally fitted to be more comfortable. I don't find it hard to keep the boat going straight. If I stop paddling a WW boat will swing off course and slow down more quickly, but not enough to bother me. I do find my natural paddling cadence keeps me pretty much near the top speed of my WW boat and I would probably be more efficient paddling at a lower speed. But when I do, I tend to start slouching backwards which again is not very comfortable. Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks c/o Newfound Woodworks, 67 Danforth Brook Rd, Bristol, NH 03222 (603) 744-6167 Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ >>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<< *************************************************************************** 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 Tue Oct 13 1998 - 11:37:12 PDT
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