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From: Dave Uebele <daveu_at_sptddog.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] beamy boats
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 10:19:50 -0700
Ok, now that some of the mail has died down regarding "tippy"
boats, I have another question.

I built a Pygmy Coho for my wife, and she hardly ever uses it.
Instead she is more comfortable in our wilderness systems "Pungo".

The coho is a long narrow kayak, while the pungo is shorter and
much beamier "recreational kayak", mostly purchased to allow room
for our 2 year old daughter.

It seems she finds the tight confines of the narrow boats too uncomfortable
a match with her own beam.  So any suggestions of other compromise kayaks
that will provide hip and thigh room, while perhaps being
a bit more performance oriented than the pungo?

I know, the obvious solution, I paddle the coho, and mom and daughter
go in the pungo. Except mom gets nervous with an energenic toddler
in the kayak, so I get to be in the pungo with my daughter, and
we're looking for another kayak for my wife, until she
can work up to fitting in the coho, or build enough confidence
to want to have a toddler passenger.

sigh.

any suggestions, or at least condolences?  At least I do have
permission to get another kayak, but I'd really rather be able to
spend time and money on narrower kayaks, and not another wide kayak.

thanks
dave
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From: Rob Cookson <rob_cookson_at_mindspring.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] beamy boats
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 10:31:40 -0700
Hi Dave,

I' don't know what type of seat you have in the boat.  would it be possible
to replace the seat and allow more room in the cockpit?

Cheers,

Rob Cookson
 "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
Benjamin Franklin

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
> [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of Dave Uebele
> I built a Pygmy Coho for my wife, and she hardly ever uses it.
> Instead she is more comfortable in our wilderness systems "Pungo".
>
> The coho is a long narrow kayak, while the pungo is shorter and
> much beamier "recreational kayak", mostly purchased to allow room
> for our 2 year old daughter.
>
> It seems she finds the tight confines of the narrow boats too
> uncomfortable
> a match with her own beam.  So any suggestions of other compromise kayaks
> that will provide hip and thigh room, while perhaps being
> a bit more performance oriented than the pungo?
>
> *********

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From: Michael R Noyes <mnoyes_at_gsinet.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] beamy boats
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 13:48:38 -0400
Dave Uebele wrote:

> It seems she finds the tight confines of the narrow boats too uncomfortable
> a match with her own beam.  So any suggestions of other compromise kayaks
> that will provide hip and thigh room, while perhaps being
> a bit more performance oriented than the pungo?
> any suggestions, or at least condolences?  At least I do have
> permission to get another kayak, but I'd really rather be able to
> spend time and money on narrower kayaks, and not another wide kayak.

Hi Dave.
Check out the Current Designs Solstice series.  At about 24 inches wide they are
not too confining, but they have plenty of performance.  A friend of mine
recently picked up a GTS and loves it.  She can get claustrophobic wearing tight
clothes, so the boat can't be too confining.  At the same time, the Solstice
offers decent initial stability without hampering future growth as a paddler.

Mike - the happy owner of a different Current Designs boat.


--
    Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are
visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great
blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a
mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your
passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space.
Mark H Hunt


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From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] beamy boats
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 16:01:35
At 10:19 AM 5/16/00 -0700, Dave Uebele wrote:
>Ok, now that some of the mail has died down regarding "tippy"
>
>It seems she finds the tight confines of the narrow boats too uncomfortable
>a match with her own beam.  So any suggestions of other compromise kayaks
>that will provide hip and thigh room, while perhaps being
>a bit more performance oriented than the pungo?

Take a look at my page "Boats for big guys -- and gals". It's not quite the
same problem, but you'll find some suggestions for boats with larger
cockpits. There are several that still have pretty good performance.

http://www2.dmci.net/users/wesboyd/bigguy.htm

-- Wes

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