Nancy K wrote; While not being of "scientific and technical" mind set, it would seem to me that "stability" is a relative term and dependant entirely on the paddler's perception. For instance, a landlubber would perceive any kayak to be unstable. In addition, the weight distribution of the paddler him/her self also affects stability as does the paddling circumstances on any given day (flat water as opposed to rough). Most paddlers just want a boat they are "comfortable" in. Many things are measurable but people perceive them differently. This, however, does not invalidate the measurement. The designer (naval architect, industrial designer etc. etc.) learns to relate the perception to the reality. I will re-tell a story. If you have heard it already say so. I fitted a kayak with a mounting device on the bottom at the center of gravity. Three different plastic cylinders 3", 6" and 12" in length could be mounted on the kayak and projecting downwards. I then had experienced paddlers paddle the kayak but did not tell them what cylinder I had mounted on the bottom. The paddlers correctly identified the cylinder in only 10% of the tests, below what they could have predicted on a random basis. I have other similar stories. if paddlers can't tell the difference that does not mean designers should not try to create boats with less resistance because over time the cream probably rises to the top. The same applies to stability and paddler perception of it. Having said that Nancy is right on about what many paddler's want. Of course, that doesn't apply to eh hair shirt types who are proud of their suffering. Cheers John Winters *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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