IŽll 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 donŽt 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 wonŽt 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 heŽll 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, donŽt be lazy, donŽt be afraid, I donŽt know how old are you but age is not important. Go for some w.w. instruction ! Otherwise youŽll 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 ??? *************************************************************************** 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 - 16:33:20 PDT