>N.D. VAN LOO wrote: - >We have a simple question: Can anyone convince us that buying a >foldable double instead of a hardshell is a stupid and crazy idea? As a novice kayaker I was faced with a similar decision 6 months ago and decided to hire hardshells for use in quiet water and to buy a Klepper Aerius Expedition foldable for use at sea. Before the purchase I read Ralph's book cover to cover. Storability, transportability, safety, and the joy/ease of assembly were paramount in the decision. Some observations: Assembly:- It's very easy to put together, taking 1/2 to 3/4 hour both to assemble and to disassemble including adding:- flotation, compass, rudder, daytrip luggage, packing/unpacking the bags, drying the wooden components. Basic assembly with no accessories takes 15-20 minutes without rushing. Assembly is much more pleasant on grass than on sand. Strategic packing with two towels speeds packing the wooden components, which otherwise tend to tip about. I find assembly a very pleasant start to paddling but not everyone may feel this way. Performance:- The Klepper Aerius Expedition seems slower than about half the hardshell sea kayaks I come across except in moderate to heavy seas when it tends to keep up or overtake. (A hardshell owner in turbulent water once shouted behind me "look at that Klepper go" - it was great). If your group paddles fast in calm water you may struggle to keep up. The Klepper Aerius Expedition needs a fair bit of strength to maintain its top speed over long periods. Safety:- The Klepper Aerius is well known for its outstanding stability and seaworthiness. My local sea kayak club normally require the ability to eskimo roll a hardshell for higher grade trips. However, they are flexible and will probably allow an exemption for Aerius users. Clearly the need for good bracing and self rescue skills is still essential. Maintenance:- Allow about 1/2 an hour cleaning and stowage time at home (mainly rinsing with fresh water) and about 1 or 2 days to dry it out before packing it away. To dry the skin I support it on towels over 4 sawhorses under a veranda. Regular use of Klepper wax/303 UV protectant for the hull and fittings (particularly the seam which folds into the coaming groove) is highly desirable but only takes a few minutes. I'm also using 303 fabricguard on the deck on the advice of a friend who has used it regularly on his Klepper to protect against UV. Mild soap/detergent seems to remove the expensive 303 fabricguard so I'm now using fresh water only to clean the deck. I've not regretted the decision although its about the most expensive kayak I've heard of. When trying to keep up with faster paddlers I'm less than thankful. When in roughish water I'm very thankful. Good luck, Petero. *************************************************************************** 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 Sat Apr 10 1999 - 01:33:09 PDT
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