On 12 Aug 2004 at 8:41, Shawn Baker wrote: > No, they're moving on and up, and creating fresh new designs. One could also argue that they are chasing the latest WW fads. River running has given way to sitting in one spot and playing. Those that love river running could argue that their aspect of the sport has been given short shrift by the industry. Sea kayak fads aren't what I'd like to see. I just finished most of a week in Georgian Bay with the usual suspects and a couple of new paddlers. The newbies were full of questions about what kayak to buy. When us old farts start talking about what we like in various models and start describing the "perfect" kayak, it isn't a new design, but simply combining elements of existing designs. We want good, reasonably fast, decent handling kayaks with adequate storage and ease of loading and unloading. One of the newbies had an Alvik from Boreal Designs. Bungies instead of lifelines? Duh! So we start taking features from Seaward (rudder pedals, paddle float rescue tie down etc), features from Current Designs (levered closures on nice solid hatch covers) etc. The total product is simply the best of the best - nothing needs to be invented since what we see is adequate. Radically different, half-good designs every year aren't what I'd like. One solid design every decade would be an improvement. None of this touches on hull design - that combination of speed and handling that comes from experience, trial and error and hard work. Even an idiot like me can layout a deck and outfit a kayak. Designing a hull that really works is something that should be respected and protected. 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Aug 13 2004 - 09:13:25 PDT
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