>> The boat I used did not have a skeg and I'm not sure I would get one. Keeping it in a straight line was easy with just a little edging. The instructor had an Explorer with a skeg that he had owned for over two years but had never used the skeg. He regretted getting the skeg. Since I got to use an Explorer they put my wife in the Romany 16 which she loved. At the end of the first day we swapped boats on the paddle back to shore. The 16 is good but I prefered the Explorer more. Ironically my wife liked the 16 better. That may be a size thing. I'm 6' 0" and 190# while she's 5' 6" and 120# >> I do not use my skeg most of the time, only when edging and other techniques are not enough. I was really glad to have it the day we paddled 20 miles along the Pukaskwa coast in 15-to-20-knot winds with two-to-three-foot quartering waves and clapotis. My Romany wanted to turn into the wind until I dropped the skeg a few inches. That gave it a neutral helm, so I was able to paddle without having to constantly make corrections. We were tired enough at the end of that long day without having to fight to keep the kayak on course, even though it did not have a really strong weather helm. My wife paddles a Romany 16 and loves it, and I think Nigel Dennis himself prefers the 16, which is more maneuverable than the Explorer, and probably a better surf boat for that reason. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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