Re: [Paddlewise] a thought on rescues

Ralph wrote;

-----Original Message-----
(SNIP)
>Why in the world do people get themselves into boats that need all that?
>You're probably guessing that this is leading to a sermon on folding
>kayaks.  It is not.  My thought is--Why not use sit-on-tops?
>
(SNIP)
>
>Am I missing something here?  I think that closed boats should get a
>long, hard look for their deficiencies and sit-on-tops be given more
>their due as boats that are "no problem, mon!" said with a West Indian
>lilt.

Ralph has hit the point, SOT's do provide more safety when one is paddling
and expects or fears capsize. The argument frequently given that their
designs are inferior has nothing to do with being SOT's. No law states that
an SOT has to be poorly designed.

A properly designed SOT can have as much storage as a traditional kayak and
the seating position can be adequately low if the volume of the cockpit is
kept low (nice snug fit that traditional paddlers try to get with foam etc
in their boats).

The Tsunami people have developed good quick exit straps for the hot shot
paddlers.

The SOT's have a bad reputation because of poor design by the earliest
manufacturers who had more interest in appealing to the less knowledgeable
paddlers. I suspect that new designs will come along that have good hull
shapes and better engineered cockpits.

The cold weather paddling does pose a problem but I believe that wet suit
and dry suit technology has advanced to the point where the enclosed
cockpit has become redundant.


Cheers,
John Winters
Redwing Designs
Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft
http://home.ican.net/~735769/



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