Re: [Paddlewise] Re White Water Boats

I´ll try to express myself more clear ...

> Kevin wrote:
> > >...  buy a boat with low volume stern and sharp chines. Anything else
is a waste
> > > of time in the surf, and your learning potential will be severely
limited.
>
>
> Fernando wrote:
> > Sorry Kevin, I disagree on this. Wayne is looking for a kayak he can
learn
> > to surf with, not a kayak that surfs by itself....
> >  .... Even an RPM will be too different from any seakayak ! I'll insist
on a
> > Dancer or any 2nd generation w.w. kayak.

So Kevin explains ...

> Well, I'm not flaming, but I will elaborate on my opinion expressed above.
>
> The basis of my assertion to go for a sharp, low volume stern in a
> whitewater kayak is this: the skills used in whitewater boats are 100%
> identical to those used in sea kayaks.

I totally agree. I even suggest to any sekayaker to take some whitewater
instruction, as he/she will improove his/her skills to further limits,
developoing faster and more precise reflex.

>
> But the advantage of a whitewater boat over a sea kayak is that the
> responsiveness of the boat to these strokes is much higher, thus giving
the
> paddler better feedback on whether the skill was correctly executed....

You're also right.

> Even the venerable Dancer is much better than a sea kayak in terms of
> responsiveness in the surf. However, the sharp chined whitewater kayak is
> significantly more responsive even when compared to a Dancer. Thus the
> paddler will learn more about the finer points of edging, etc... The point
> is to learn those skills as fast as possible, so that they can then be
> translated to a sea kayak. The more responsive craft will speed the
learning
> process....
>

But in a former message Wayne said:
> In some ways, you guys scare me  .... What I propose to do is to get some
> training in the (for now) gentle surf, to get my confidence and skill
level
>somewhat better. ....

Even when I do recomend him take w.w. instruction, I don´t feel he is
willing to. He just want to improove his surfing skills under gentle
conditions ...

As you (Kevin) properly said ...
> In a dancer, all you can do is run straight down the face and then broach
....

Exactly what Wayne seems to be looking for .... a boat not too different
from a seakayak, just more controlable. Besides he won´t be able to do any
360's or cartwheels with his seakayak !

> in an RPM or better,
> you can carve across the face of the wave, thus learning more about
edging,
> and waves. In fact, the RPM is probably the easiest boat to learn how to
> surf ever made.

I also agree and this is what he´ll get with proper boat and instruction.
But remember RPM and all modern w.w. boats with flat and low volume sterns,
were designed (among other things, including good surfing and spinning) to
easy reach vertical, and this is something very hard to achieve with a
seakayak, at least under gentle conditions ;-}.

I know the Dancer is an old daddy and everything will be easier to learn in
a modern boat. But I still find it more similar to a seakayak.

Just my simple opinion.

Wayne, don´t be lazy, don´t be afraid, I don´t know how old are you but age
is not important.
Go for some w.w. instruction ! Otherwise you´ll miss a grate fun !!!  ;->

Fernando Lopez Arbarello
Kayak Argentina - Sea Kayaking Mailing List
www.topica.com/lists/kayak_argentina
kayak_argentina_at_uol.com.ar

( From a flooded Buenos Aires in a rainy day .... )

P.S.: By the way ? Is it true that after the quake the US Coast Guard is
forcing seakayakers to wear seatbelts ??? Or was it Canada ???

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