I hope that this posting will not be perceived as a complaint and that Norm will not think that I have misinterpreted his meaning, Indeed I think that the point that he made may be valid.... but it made me think of my first impression was of sit-on-tops and how happy I am to have overcome that impression and to have purchased one for myself. It is the perfect boat for how I wish to enjoy communing with nature. In a recent posting from Sandy Kramer I read: <<One thing that raised my eyebrows was Norm's conclusion the the land of Oz lacks women sea kayakers because of the lack of Sit-on-tops there.>> As a member of the automotive industry I am aware of what the market dubs "Chick Cars" and hope that this sort of thinking will not be encouraged in regards to sit-on-top kayaks. I would not (and do not) have a problem with peoples perception of sit-on-tops being thought of as some how "less than"... but it would be a real shame to find other men not entering this wonderful sport at this level just because sit-on- tops had slipped into the common mind set as "Chick-Yaks" (once more, I do not wish to give the impression that Norm meant his comment to be interprited in this way, I took the license of reprinting only one line from his post and mearly because it triggered a thought in MY mind.) Thank you to all who post and keep me entertained and informed. When I can not be on the water, Paddlewise keeps me connected to the sport that I have come to love! Best regards to all, Rob Dee Austin, Texas *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 11:46 AM 11/12/00 -0600, Rob Dee wrote: >I would not (and do not) have a problem with peoples perception of >sit-on-tops being thought of as some how "less than"... I don't see sit-on-tops as "less than" other types of kayaks. I see them as almost every other style of kayak; a design which has advantages and disadvantages depending on the kind of paddling one is doing and the conditions in which one typically paddles. In your response I noticed that you're from Austin. Living near a warm water paddling area, a sit-on-top makes sense. That's why they also predominate in places like Florida and Hawaii (where it's very difficult to find a closed cockpit kayak). However, for someone that lives in Maine, the Pacific Northwest, or anyplace where the water temperature is much colder than you'll find in the gulf, a sit-on-top doesn't look so good because it's a much wetter ride. What annoys me are retailers that try to sell sit-on-tops and casual recreational kayaks as "beginners" kayaks. A beginner that hopes to become a more advanced paddler on whitewater or hopes to do some extended touring isn't being done any favors being sold a wide stable platform that might be easy to reenter. I believe retailers are preying on the common beginners fear of capsizing and getting stuck upside down, when in reality all it takes is a couple of hours to learn how to wet exit, assisted and unassisted rescues, and become quite comfortable with the stabiility in a boat that measures 17' x 23". If a beginner is interested in learning doing extended touring trips a kayak that is designed for that is much better than a casual recreational kayak that is designed for casual recreational activites such as bird watching, fishing, or spending a couple of hours puttering around a small watershed. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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