[Paddlewise] Wet is Bad (was stiffness)

I wrote:
>> (and some performance advantages to the stiffer kayak) there was one
major
>> disadvantage. The glass version had a very wet ride. The same shaped skin
>> boat flexed and allowed the bow to rise with the waves so the water
didn't
>> easily wash over the front deck. The glass baidarka project was scrubbed.

Richard responded:
>Why is "wet" bad?   Is it just a regional thing with yalls cold water up
there? To me, wet is about the only way I can keep from overheating, and I
often manipulate the boat to punch the bow into a wave so that I can get
wet.    Also, dry to me, means that the boat has way to much cross
section exposed to the wind. Wind is bad, wet is good.<

Why? Because when your bow is trapped under water you lose control of it to
the water. The water washing over your cockpit might get inside of even a
good fitting spraydeck. I don't want a boat that puts its bow 14" underwater
and the cockpit 6" under in following seas even if the increased tendency to
broach as a result is well controlled by a skeg or rudder. I would consider
that dream a nightmare.
The spray off hatches and deck fittings and lines gets all over your
eyeglasses and then dries to even harder to see through salt crystals. The
Salt drying on your skin may cause some problems and can be uncomfortable.
Where fabric rubs you the salt crystals can be very abrasive. I don't like
being repeatedly sprayed in the face without having some choice in the
matter. The salt gets in my eyes and burns. I don't like getting water
potentially polluted with giardia or worse in my mouth. Okay, maybe I am
just a wimp.

If I get too hot I can always Eskimo roll or (like I did thousands of times
during a 14 mile kayak race one 99 degree day) scoop up water with my
fingers and splatter myself with it during a stroke.  I want to make the
choice of  if, when, and how I get wet.

There are a lot of ways to make a boat drier riding without adding windage.
Adding windage in the forebody (where it may also result in a drier ride,
more footroom and gear capacity) is not all bad either as it also reduces
weatherhelm in side winds.

Just yesterday an expert surf paddler I know was describing a sea kayak he
was testing to me. The first wave that came over the bow hit the hatch and
sprayed out and up to each side in what he thought was an interesting way.
Later the regular splat in the face he got with every wave reminded him more
of Chinese water torture (and he doesn't even wear glasses).

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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