Dave Williams wrote: > > Jackie Fenton wrote on Thursday, October 7th: > <<I wonder, though, if what is considered a design shortfall by some may be > seen as an asset to someone else... i.e. Audrey Sutherland's inflatable.Can > you call her inflatable a design shortfall? There's no question she has the > skill. Seems she's found what she wants to paddle and in some conditions, > it requires a rudder. >> > > I would be comfortable saying that all inflatables have a design flaw... > it's called a flat bottom. Paddling an inflatable in any sort of crosswind, > or other wind for that matter, is a real hassle. Having paddled Aire and > Sotar inflatables for the last 6 years (and not liking it), I speak from > experience. I agree regarding the wind. Last year, I paddled with John Caveman Grey to the Statue of Liberty in quite heavy winds in one of the better class double inflatables he uses. It took all of our combined 25-30 years of paddling experience in toughing out adverse conditions plus all of our strength (mainly his...he's bigger and stronger than me) to make any headway and not get sent way off course; in a hardshell or folding kayak conditions would have been little or no sweat. I have seen people drifting around in the harbor in cheap Sevylor inflatables with $10 toy paddles...they wouldn't have a chance if conditions got windy and wavy. ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Oct 07 1999 - 05:48:11 PDT
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