>From a consumer point of view: >Good about rudders: Going a long way in one direction with any sort of cross wind my arm gets real tired from paddling mostly on one side. I'm no athlete but I do get on the water 3-4 days a week and I still dread long straight shots with a cross wind. All boats are bad in cross-winds, some just less bad than others. >From the commercial tour perspective, rudders could be useful for first-timers. They make the "tour" more enjoyable. I certainly appreciate Matt and others views. It does take something away from the paddling experience. However, since not everyone has a true-tracking Mariner kayak (unfortunately), rudders provide a means to keep a boat going where the paddler wants it to with less effort. A bit of drag isn't a issue for someone who is just starting paddling. It is hard to justify the difference in the amount of energy used to correct a boats tracking compared to the minimal drag that a rudder imparts... not to mention the frustration factor. I have no problem with calling them "training wheels" though "cruise control" seems more appropriate. Once a person is "hooked" on paddling, he or she can then decide whether to go sans rudder or not. It's a personal choice and rudders, like it or not, do have a place in the paddling community. I certainly don't agree with shops that give the misperception that a sea kayak must have a rudder or that if it doesn't have one it's not a sea kayak. That's just plain silly to put it nicely. BTW, personally, I can take 'em or leave 'em. I switch back and forth between using a rudder and not using a rudder. I'll drop it down when I'm feeling lazy or in conditions that push my boat around more than I like. Cheers, Dave the Impartial Dave Williams dave_at_paddleasia.com http://paddleasia.com Phuket, Thailand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Sep 04 1999 - 23:56:02 PDT
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