PaddleWise by thread

From: Michael Daly <michaeldaly_at_home.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 22:34:12 -0500
Amie got a new Shadow, but they put an Eclipse decal on it.  We got a proper set of
Shadow decals in the mail and I now have the task of replacing the old with the new.
Any ideas on how to remove the old ones without damaging the gelcoat?
I guess soaking in water won't work!

Mike

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Bob Volin <bobvolin_at_bestweb.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 23:55:54 -0500
Don't know if the decal for the Shadow/Eclipse is made with backing similar
to that of the NDK Romany, but if so -- I got mine off by hooking a nail
(you can use a sharp blade, too) under an edge and then working ever so
patiently to peel the thing off.  No harm to the gelcoat.


> Amie got a new Shadow, but they put an Eclipse decal on it.  We got a
proper set of
> Shadow decals in the mail and I now have the task of replacing the old
with the new.
> Any ideas on how to remove the old ones without damaging the gelcoat?
> I guess soaking in water won't work!


***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 21:09:21 -0800
Michael Daly wrote:
> 
> Amie got a new Shadow, but they put an Eclipse decal on it.  We got a proper set of
> Shadow decals in the mail and I now have the task of replacing the old with the new.
> Any ideas on how to remove the old ones without damaging the gelcoat?
> I guess soaking in water won't work!

Try a cooking oil soak, followed by scrubbing with a plastic scrubber (dish
washing type).  It should be softer than the gel coat.

If that does not work, you may have to resort to nasty adhesive removers, such
as you can purchase at auto parts stores.  They work, but are toxic and demand
wide open spaces for ventilation.  Use nitrile gloves.  Latex dies quickly in
that stuff.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: <JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 23:42:11 EST
In a message dated 3/9/2001 10:33:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
michaeldaly_at_home.com writes:


> Any ideas on how to remove [decals] without damaging the gelcoat?
> 
Use a hair dryer or heat gun.  Works fine.  Work slowly and you won't have a 
lot of gunk to clean off as a second phase.  You'll have some, no matter what 
you do.  Try alcohol, and if that doesn't do it, work up to a heavy duty 
commercial adhesive remover.  Hardware stores will have that.  Goof-Off works 
well, too, but wipe it up right away.

Jack Martin



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Gabriel L Romeu <romeug_at_erols.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 10:45:19 -0500
I use a contact adhesive remover, bestine, from the art supply store
that seems to be fairly innocuous, probably because of the small
quantities you need.
> 
> > Any ideas on how to remove [decals] without damaging the gelcoat?
> >
> Use a hair dryer or heat gun.  Works fine.  Work slowly and you won't have a
> lot of gunk to clean off as a second phase.  You'll have some, no matter what
> you do.  Try alcohol, and if that doesn't do it, work up to a heavy duty
> commercial adhesive remover.  Hardware stores will have that.  Goof-Off works
> well, too, but wipe it up right away.

> 


-- 
                            Gabriel L
Romeu                                                    
http://studiofurniture.com        İİİİİ   furniture from the
workshop               
http://studiofurniture.com/diary  İİİİİ   life as a tourist, daily
journal         
http://studiofurniture.com/paint  İİİİİ   paintings, photographs,
etchings, objects


***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Steve Thompson <czsteve_at_excite.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 21:08:57 -0800 (PST)
I've used a knife to lift a corner of the decal then squirted in Goo B Gone
to loosen the glue.

On Fri, 9 Mar 2001 22:34:12 -0500, Michael Daly wrote:

>  Amie got a new Shadow, but they put an Eclipse decal on it.  We got a
proper set of
>  Shadow decals in the mail and I now have the task of replacing the old
with the new.
>  Any ideas on how to remove the old ones without damaging the gelcoat?
>  I guess soaking in water won't work!
>  
>  Mike
>  
> 
***************************************************************************
>  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/
> 
***************************************************************************


Steve Thompson
Asheville, NC





_______________________________________________________
Send a cool gift with your E-Card
http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Steve James <sljames3_at_home.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2001 21:19:26 -0800
Bob

You may want to try WD40 and let it soaking it over night.

Steve

Bob Volin wrote:

>   No harm to the gelcoat.
>
> >
>
> ***************************************************************************
> 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/
> ***************************************************************************


***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Matt Broze <mkayaks_at_oz.net>
subject: RE:[Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 01:40:43 -0800
Michael Daly <michaeldaly_at_home.com> wrote:
Amie got a new Shadow, but they put an Eclipse decal on it.  We got a proper
set of
Shadow decals in the mail and I now have the task of replacing the old with
the new.
Any ideas on how to remove the old ones without damaging the gelcoat?
I guess soaking in water won't work!

Once you are really sure the kayak is a Shadow and not an Eclipse, try
warming the decal up with a heat gun or hair dryer to soften it up some.
Next use a fingernail to get a corner of the decal up and try peeling it off
while warm. Keep the heat gun moving and try not to get the fiberglass
hotter than you can stand to hold your hand against. A solvent like Acetone
or gasoline will clean up the adhesive residue, but be careful not to use a
wool rag or anything that might make a spark from static electricity and
wear rubber gloves when using a solvent. If it doesn't look like you will be
able to remove the decals another option would be to use the acetone to
remove the printing on the original decal and stick the new decals right
over the old ones if they are the same size. Use a mist of water when
putting the new decal in place and then work the water out from the middle
to the edges (to avoid bubbles of air getting trapped under the plastic
decal and possibly to allow positioning it).
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe <aldercreek_at_qwest.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] RE:Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 07:10:54 -0800
Matt writes:  A solvent like Acetone or gasoline will clean up the adhesive
residue

I would hesitate using acetone as it is a solvent for gel coat .  You will
notice a gel coat colored residue on your rag after rubbing acetone on
fiberglass.  We have a strict rule around the shop to NOT use acetone on a
finished f/g boat.  It is a disaster to use it on Royalex!  It's OK to use
it on poly/plastic.  I would use paint thinner <mineral spirits> or WD40 to
remove any sticker glue.

Steve
Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe    N 45ş 39' 47"
250 NE Tomahawk Isle Dr.       W 122ş 36' 16"
Portland, OR  97217          Web: www.aldercreek.com
Phone: 503.285.0464        Email: aldercreek_at_qwest.net



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: <SeaKayakNH_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 05:44:08 EST
In a message dated 3/9/01 10:40:56 PM, michaeldaly_at_home.com writes:

<< Any ideas on how to remove the old ones without damaging the gelcoat?

I guess soaking in water won't work! >>

Hi Michael,
    I've seen very good luck with the hair dryer / heat gun method. Just warm 
an edge up and pick at it with a fingernail to lift. Once you've got 
something to hold onto, heat the rest of the decal and slowly lift it off. I 
personally would avoid the use of any hard or edged object. I like my boats 
too much for that. Removal of all decals, from all of my paddling gear is 
standard practice for me. I don't see why I should do someone else's 
advertisement, at least not without compensation.
    There are several non-toxic adhesive solvents available (many citrus 
based) at most hardware stores. I have some of the nastier organic solvents 
around the house but find they are no more effective than the non-toxic ones. 
Whatever solvent you use will only soften the adhesive, making it as easy to 
just smear around as remove. The trick for me seems to be a lifting movement 
as I wipe, making sure only clean/dry material touches the surface being 
cleaned.

Good Luck.
Jed

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Doug Lloyd <dlloyd_at_telus.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Removing decals from fiberglass kayaks
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 00:52:03 -0800
Dave said:

Try a cooking oil soak, followed by scrubbing with a plastic scrubber
(dish
washing type).  It should be softer than the gel coat.

If that does not work, you may have to resort to nasty adhesive
removers, such
as you can purchase at auto parts stores.  They work, but are toxic and
demand
wide open spaces for ventilation.  Use nitrile gloves.  Latex dies
quickly in
that stuff.

----------

Reply:

I find rolling in heavy shore break combined with the strong scouring
action of gravel avulsion works well. Seriously, the heat gun works
well, but most folks don't have a good one and revert to a hair-styling
blow-dryer on high setting. Beware, however, as pointing a blow dryer
directly atop your deck with little space for air movement results in an
overheated and blown blow dryer. I've wrecked two over the years. The
second loss of one of these devices caused sever censure by my lovely
spouse who got, well, kind of hairy about the unauthorized borrowing of
said device and destruction (reason for the warning part above!).

If you are looking for a natural alternative for a goo remover/solvent,
I strongly suggest folks give serious consideration to Tea Tree Oil. You
need quality product with high concentration levels. As always, test in
an inconspicuous spot for blemish avoidance. I once got some tar and/or
bilge-sluge substance on the my hull, and it was one of the few
effective removal agents. This natural oil emanating from Australia, I
believe, has other excellent benefits, far ranging and very effective
from health to household issues. I have a whole book dedicated to it. I
get mine from a lady who sells a product called Mellaluca, I believe
(awesome toothpaste, teeth white as snow, hull like new -- Mr. Clean!).
Sometimes mother nature in the raw provides the best stuff. And here you
all thought I was a polyester sucking, epoxy fume sniffing modernist.

DL



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
subject: [Paddlewise] Canoecopia 2001: Big Guy Boat News
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 19:03:58
Canoecopia, in Madison Wisconsin, was held this weekend. It's always fun to
go there, because beyond being a sign of the oncoming spring, there are a
lot of dreams to generate and a lot of neat things to see. The show is
especially useful to me, since it's a chance for me to check out boats and
gear for big guys and gals, food for updates on my web page.

There are several points of good news for the big guy boater brigade coming
out of Canoecopia this year. I think I detect a little more interest in
making boats or boat options available to the big guy boater than I've seen
in years past, and Brian Henry from Current Designs said as much.

Possibly the biggest news in sea kayaks for the big guy came rather
surprisingly from the Britboat front. I'd been hearing rumblings that
Valley and Nigel Dennis were going to come out with some boats with
somewhat more latitude for big persons than they've had in the past. One of
my first stops was at the Great River Outfitters booth, where the rumors
proved correct. Valley is now offering an "Excel" version of the composite
Skerry, but since it's eight inches longer and an inch wider than the
regular version, it seems more like a new boat than a minor redesign. I'm
six feet, 300 lbs, and have a 29 inch inseam -- but even considering that
the thigh braces would need a little carving the boat was a good fit.

And that wasn't all the good news from Great River Outfitters. Nigel Dennis
Kayaks now has a new big guy boat, the Poseidon. Similar in size the Romany
16, it's again not the same hull and strikes me more as a new boat than a
redesign. It's at the absolute limit of fit for me and would require some
seat work for the long term, but this boat and I clicked right from the
beginning -- it has that "wearing it" feel of a boat that you could take on
serious stuff in. However, I do wonder if a boat that narrow (21.75") and
short would have adequate capacity for a guy my size. I really want to try
one on the water.

When it comes to big guys boats in plastic, Perception has probably the
largest selection. I tried on several boats and found them ranging from
adequate in fit to even too large. The plastic Shadow, in particular, seems
larger than last year., but the Captiva seemed huge in the cockpit --
probably because it was the first boat I tried on after the NDK. However,
I'm reluctant to recommend any Perception plastic boats because of the
instability of the plastic, especially when you leave them out in the sun.

Another surprise was an 11-foot Old Town Loon in fiberglass! Although
strictly a recreation boat, it's a lot lighter than the plastic ones, and I
hope means more glass kayaks from OT in the future. Two more Old Towns, the
Nantucket and the Castine are a tad more sea kayakish although still pretty
much rec boats at around 26 inches wide, but might make a good boat for the
beginner, and for a waterfront boat would have much more stable plastic
than the Perceptions.

I spent a fair amount of time around the Current Designs booth, since one
of the guys I came with bought a Solstice GTS (one of three boats he bought
at the show). I spent a fair amount of time wishing I could fit into a
Caribou, but didn't really notice anything new for the big guy there,
although the Solstice GTHV is still a darn good big guy boat.

Not a lot else new for big guys in sea kayaks caught my eye, but for the
normal person, I have to comment that the 17 foot plastic Wilderness
Systems Cape Horn is the first WS boat that's impressed me in a while.
There are some very nice features on it, but it's too small in the cockpit
for me.

Due to an interest in white water that's renewed in recent years, I spent a
fair bit of time looking at whitewater boats. The rapid move toward
playboats left boats for big guys behind, but they are starting to catch
up. Before the show I had been touted onto the Wavesport BigEZ, although I
had doubts about the volume. I didn't try it on, because one look told me
there was no hope of fitting into it.

I'd also been touted onto the Dagger RPM Max, but didn't get to try it on
as the only one Dagger bought got snapped up in the first few minutes of
the show. I did, however, try on the Dagger Honcho, which is a fairly
radical playboat. I was surprised at how well I fit into it, although
there's not a lot of foot room. I wouldn't want to spend hours there, but
some work on the outfitting might help. The rep told me that the Max was
bigger and more comfortable, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Pyranha had a couple boats that were really interesting. The Micro 250 was
really surprising. It was snug but not a bad fit, and had that "one with
the boat" feeling of the NDK Posiedon. I was really surprised to get out of
the boat and tape the cockpit width at 15 1/2 inches! Normally, I can't fit
in a boat that narrow, but they'd done something that made it fit. The
Micro 250 is more of a downriver/creeking boat, while the other Pyranha,
the H2Zone 255 is more of a playboat -- in fact, it almost seemed to be
crying "Play me!" when I sat in it. The H2Zone was a tighter fit in spite
of a wider cockpit, but I'd sure like to try one on the water some time. A
few years ago, Pyranha got a bad reputation for their plastic, and the rep
admitted it, saying that they'd used a plastic that was very sensitive to
the correct heat in the casting, and their ovens weren't good enough to
handle it, so some bad boats got out. They've changed plastic and ovens
since and appear to be back on track.

I probably should point out that all of the whitewater boats that I tried
were near, or maybe even a little beyond the limit of fit and capacity for
a guy my size.

Another nice surprise came at the Kokatat booth, where I got to talking
custom gore-tex dry suits. It turns out that Kotatat is willing to custom
make big guy dry suits, although they don't particularly advertise it. The
impression I got from the rep was that the extra size charges weren't even
too bad, although I wonder what would happen when it came down to an order.
That's still a lot of bucks, though,  so an extra fifty or or hundred or so
on a purchase that large would be hardly noticable. 

Canoecopia was its usual fun in talking with outfitters and dreaming about
trips that would be fun to take, although I'd have to hit the lotto to take
all that I'd like to. I didn't get to as many presentations as I would have
liked, but made it to several good ones. Josh Teitelbaum's friend Omer
Singer proved to be a neat guy with an interesting presentation, and
there's another couple entries on my list of places I'd like to go someday.
The best presentation I saw -- in fact, the best kayaking slide show I've
ever seen -- was Chris Duff's account of paddling around New Zealand. A
very interesting and difficult trip through much remote and awesome
country, done by a very neat, sensitive and well-spoken guy. If you get the
chance to see this presentation, take it. I'm really looking forward to his
book on the trip, due out in a year or so.

About the only downer for the weekend, except for the drive through the
Chicago traffic, was the long lines to check out purchases. The wait was up
to an hour on Saturday afternoon, I was told. I had my eye on a couple
hundred bucks worth of stuff, but the discount wasn't worth the wait when I
could mailorder the gear directly. Rutabaga needs to work on that -- it's
costing them.

Shows like Canoecopia are a good place to see what's on the market and try
stuff on for fit, although I'd be reluctant to buy any boat cold from just
having seen it at a show -- who knows what surprises lurk out on the water?
But it was worth attending and I'll probably be there again next year.

-- Wes


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wes Boyd's Kayak Place               http://www2.dmci.net/wesboyd/kayak.htm
Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: WhiteRabbit <whiterabbit_at_empowering.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canoecopia 2001: Big Guy Boat News
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2001 22:33:41 -0600
The trick to Canoecopia is go Friday and Sunday.  The speakers you couldn't
get into on Saturday spoke to half houses on either Friday or Sunday.  We
checked out around noon on Sunday with no wait what so ever.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are
putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.
     ---Mark Twain
------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wes Boyd" <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 7:03 PM
Subject: [Paddlewise] Canoecopia 2001: Big Guy Boat News


> Canoecopia, in Madison Wisconsin, was held this weekend. It's always fun
to
> go there, because beyond being a sign of the oncoming spring, there are a
> lot of dreams to generate and a lot of neat things to see. The show is
> especially useful to me, since it's a chance for me to check out boats and
> gear for big guys and gals, food for updates on my web page.
>
> There are several points of good news for the big guy boater brigade
coming
> out of Canoecopia this year. I think I detect a little more interest in
> making boats or boat options available to the big guy boater than I've
seen
> in years past, and Brian Henry from Current Designs said as much.
>
> Possibly the biggest news in sea kayaks for the big guy came rather
> surprisingly from the Britboat front. I'd been hearing rumblings that
> Valley and Nigel Dennis were going to come out with some boats with
> somewhat more latitude for big persons than they've had in the past. One
of
> my first stops was at the Great River Outfitters booth, where the rumors
> proved correct. Valley is now offering an "Excel" version of the composite
> Skerry, but since it's eight inches longer and an inch wider than the
> regular version, it seems more like a new boat than a minor redesign. I'm
> six feet, 300 lbs, and have a 29 inch inseam -- but even considering that
> the thigh braces would need a little carving the boat was a good fit.
>
> And that wasn't all the good news from Great River Outfitters. Nigel
Dennis
> Kayaks now has a new big guy boat, the Poseidon. Similar in size the
Romany
> 16, it's again not the same hull and strikes me more as a new boat than a
> redesign. It's at the absolute limit of fit for me and would require some
> seat work for the long term, but this boat and I clicked right from the
> beginning -- it has that "wearing it" feel of a boat that you could take
on
> serious stuff in. However, I do wonder if a boat that narrow (21.75") and
> short would have adequate capacity for a guy my size. I really want to try
> one on the water.
>
> When it comes to big guys boats in plastic, Perception has probably the
> largest selection. I tried on several boats and found them ranging from
> adequate in fit to even too large. The plastic Shadow, in particular,
seems
> larger than last year., but the Captiva seemed huge in the cockpit --
> probably because it was the first boat I tried on after the NDK. However,
> I'm reluctant to recommend any Perception plastic boats because of the
> instability of the plastic, especially when you leave them out in the sun.
>
> Another surprise was an 11-foot Old Town Loon in fiberglass! Although
> strictly a recreation boat, it's a lot lighter than the plastic ones, and
I
> hope means more glass kayaks from OT in the future. Two more Old Towns,
the
> Nantucket and the Castine are a tad more sea kayakish although still
pretty
> much rec boats at around 26 inches wide, but might make a good boat for
the
> beginner, and for a waterfront boat would have much more stable plastic
> than the Perceptions.
>
> I spent a fair amount of time around the Current Designs booth, since one
> of the guys I came with bought a Solstice GTS (one of three boats he
bought
> at the show). I spent a fair amount of time wishing I could fit into a
> Caribou, but didn't really notice anything new for the big guy there,
> although the Solstice GTHV is still a darn good big guy boat.
>
> Not a lot else new for big guys in sea kayaks caught my eye, but for the
> normal person, I have to comment that the 17 foot plastic Wilderness
> Systems Cape Horn is the first WS boat that's impressed me in a while.
> There are some very nice features on it, but it's too small in the cockpit
> for me.
>
> Due to an interest in white water that's renewed in recent years, I spent
a
> fair bit of time looking at whitewater boats. The rapid move toward
> playboats left boats for big guys behind, but they are starting to catch
> up. Before the show I had been touted onto the Wavesport BigEZ, although I
> had doubts about the volume. I didn't try it on, because one look told me
> there was no hope of fitting into it.
>
> I'd also been touted onto the Dagger RPM Max, but didn't get to try it on
> as the only one Dagger bought got snapped up in the first few minutes of
> the show. I did, however, try on the Dagger Honcho, which is a fairly
> radical playboat. I was surprised at how well I fit into it, although
> there's not a lot of foot room. I wouldn't want to spend hours there, but
> some work on the outfitting might help. The rep told me that the Max was
> bigger and more comfortable, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
>
> Pyranha had a couple boats that were really interesting. The Micro 250 was
> really surprising. It was snug but not a bad fit, and had that "one with
> the boat" feeling of the NDK Posiedon. I was really surprised to get out
of
> the boat and tape the cockpit width at 15 1/2 inches! Normally, I can't
fit
> in a boat that narrow, but they'd done something that made it fit. The
> Micro 250 is more of a downriver/creeking boat, while the other Pyranha,
> the H2Zone 255 is more of a playboat -- in fact, it almost seemed to be
> crying "Play me!" when I sat in it. The H2Zone was a tighter fit in spite
> of a wider cockpit, but I'd sure like to try one on the water some time. A
> few years ago, Pyranha got a bad reputation for their plastic, and the rep
> admitted it, saying that they'd used a plastic that was very sensitive to
> the correct heat in the casting, and their ovens weren't good enough to
> handle it, so some bad boats got out. They've changed plastic and ovens
> since and appear to be back on track.
>
> I probably should point out that all of the whitewater boats that I tried
> were near, or maybe even a little beyond the limit of fit and capacity for
> a guy my size.
>
> Another nice surprise came at the Kokatat booth, where I got to talking
> custom gore-tex dry suits. It turns out that Kotatat is willing to custom
> make big guy dry suits, although they don't particularly advertise it. The
> impression I got from the rep was that the extra size charges weren't even
> too bad, although I wonder what would happen when it came down to an
order.
> That's still a lot of bucks, though,  so an extra fifty or or hundred or
so
> on a purchase that large would be hardly noticable.
>
> Canoecopia was its usual fun in talking with outfitters and dreaming about
> trips that would be fun to take, although I'd have to hit the lotto to
take
> all that I'd like to. I didn't get to as many presentations as I would
have
> liked, but made it to several good ones. Josh Teitelbaum's friend Omer
> Singer proved to be a neat guy with an interesting presentation, and
> there's another couple entries on my list of places I'd like to go
someday.
> The best presentation I saw -- in fact, the best kayaking slide show I've
> ever seen -- was Chris Duff's account of paddling around New Zealand. A
> very interesting and difficult trip through much remote and awesome
> country, done by a very neat, sensitive and well-spoken guy. If you get
the
> chance to see this presentation, take it. I'm really looking forward to
his
> book on the trip, due out in a year or so.
>
> About the only downer for the weekend, except for the drive through the
> Chicago traffic, was the long lines to check out purchases. The wait was
up
> to an hour on Saturday afternoon, I was told. I had my eye on a couple
> hundred bucks worth of stuff, but the discount wasn't worth the wait when
I
> could mailorder the gear directly. Rutabaga needs to work on that -- it's
> costing them.
>
> Shows like Canoecopia are a good place to see what's on the market and try
> stuff on for fit, although I'd be reluctant to buy any boat cold from just
> having seen it at a show -- who knows what surprises lurk out on the
water?
> But it was worth attending and I'll probably be there again next year.
>
> -- Wes
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> Wes Boyd's Kayak Place
http://www2.dmci.net/wesboyd/kayak.htm
> Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats &
Gear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>
>
***************************************************************************
> 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/
>
***************************************************************************


***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:21 PDT