Re: [Paddlewise] Question for Doug Lloyd/Rudder

That pretty much sums up how I feel too (minus the fly-boy, sky-man stuff).
I'd also recommend not using a rudder for the first year or so, or taking it
off for the same amount of time when one first gets into kayaking. I'm
appreciative of my initial tutelage without the rudder.
  It's certainly too late for me to change my rudder cables. Kayaks with
"normal" rudder pedals react exactly the same as my 1946 taildraggers (1
Luscombe and 1 Taylorcraft) did. Not to mention my glider (with an almost
steerable tailwheel). I'd be lost crossing the cables.

  I also find that I don't put any pressure on the rudder pedals (on the sea
kayak) or the bulkhead (on the w/w kayaks) because my paddling position has my
knees touching the underside of the cockpit. I just add pressure to the
appropriate knee and, viola!, the kayak edges nicely.

  Craig Jungers
  Royal City, wa


  On 6/18/07, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote:
    John said (snip):
    > I have always suggested that here, where most sea paddlers use rudders,
    > with
    > little uptake. One paddler has just changed over, after taking a class
by
    > Nigel Foster, who got him thinking about railing and balance. I'm not
sure
    > that Nigel would see the irony in this!

    Kind of like the irony when Matt Broze suggests this same cross-over of
    rudder cables. Matt got me thinking about this a few years ago and I
    eventually made the switch, but found my "muscle memory" too well
developed
    to make the change natural. I switched back. I'd certainly recommend
someone
    new to rudders make the change immediately. The irony of course, is Mattt
    and Cam designed/made kayaks that excelled without rudders.

    Doug L
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