RE: [Paddlewise] Kahuna questions

* You mentioned your favourable experience with the Kahuna and this leads me
* to ask a few questions also. Maybe you can help? I've heard many good
* reports on this boat and have frequently been tempted to buy it except for
* one bad report from a local who was desperately disappointed
* because one of
* the ribs cut into his legs making it almost unbearably uncomfortable for
* him. As I'm still tempted and don't have access to try one out, can anyone
* tell me if this boat is likely to fit a 6 foot 1.5 inch 11 stone
* male. Also
* is it suitable for up to 20 knots wind and/or 2 metre sea (i.e grade 3
* conditions by the NSWKC standards). Also how long does it take to
* assemble,
* disassemble, clean and stow away on an average day?
*
* All the best, PeterO
*
PeterO,
I'm a 6'0" 190-lb paddler (I don't know that in stones) who recently bought
a used Kahuna.  It is my first boat, and I have to say that though I have
little experience with many other boats, I'm quite happy with it.  It moves
very easily in the water, and is a very cozy fit (this is a normal, not a
Big, Kahuna).  I take it apart after every paddle, and assembly time is down
to a leisurely 20-25 minutes.  I bought it from a local dealer specifically
because I could take a class in a demo boat and because he showed me how to
assemble and disassemble it.  The Feathercraft video is ok (and endearingly
Canadian), but there is no substitute for the reinforcement of seeing the
actual boat being assembled close up.

It took me awhile to get used to the sea sock, but in chilly weather it
gives the boat a pleasant sleeping-bag-like feel.  The foot pedals do not
feel as secure as I would like, especially through the sea sock (there was
an article on fixing this in the last Folding Kayaker Newsletter, though no
particularly elegant solutions [sorry]).  I haven't had any problems with
the ribs cutting into my legs, but the seat is remarkably adjustable and I
have yet to identify what configuration corresponds to lumbar bliss (I got
it once).  The backpack is a bit heavier than I expected, and the straps
aren't comparable to a typical hiking pack for comfort and fit,  but being
6'0" tall is a bonus here because I CAN carry it fairly easily through the
subways without a cart.  It weathercocks a little, but nothing that can't be
corrected by leaning.

Can't tell you about the 20 knot winds and 2-meter seas yet.
That, with many caveats, is my review...

Best,
Severn Clay


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