Re: [Paddlewise] Tandem

We have paddled for 1-3 weeks every summer on the west coast of  
Vancouver Island for the last 27 years. In the middle of that, we had  
two kids.

We owned a Seascape II which is a large double made by Northwest  
Kayaks. Once I got over the shock of not being able to paddle a  
single, it proved to be a pretty good system. When the kids were  
infants, they were in my wife's lap in the front. Then they graduated  
as two yo to the middle hatch (one at a time - they were two years  
apart) which came in a large version on that boat. I built a big  
fiberglass wind/rain domed cover for that middle hatch (open in the  
back) that they were small enough to stand under for a couple years.  
Then the older one was put in the back hatch. We managed all the  
transitions until they were completely on their own in kayaks at about  
12-13.

We called that domed cover the "skull" because it had two openings to  
allow the kid to look forward. The whole thing could be covered up in  
a nylon bag/sprayskirt for heavy rain/wind or waves. It worked very  
well.

We paddle with three other couples who had the same boat and one to  
two kids and we all managed to continue the trips through those years.  
I think that that Seascape is a excellent boat for this. Stable and  
big enough to carry gear for the 3-4 people traveling in it for a week  
at a time. It was balanced enough that I never felt the need for the  
rudder, which I liked because I am not a rudder fan. I have paddled  
other doubles that required a rudder to be manageable. With that  
Seascape, I used the rudder only a couple times in all those years. My  
friends, with the same boats, did use the rudder so it partly a matter  
of style. We were out on the open ocean with this system. But we had  
had a lot of experience before the kids arrived.

After a few years, as the kids got better we started dragging a  
single. I wanted more room for "luxury" camping gear. The first year  
we dragged a little plastic kayak. After that we dragged an original  
Mariner which in fact towed better and caused less drag. We loaded it  
stern heavy so it would tow well which it did.

That way we could carry more gear and have a single when we arrived at  
our destination. Eventually that allowed a transition period when my  
wife would paddle the single and I would paddle the double with a kid  
in front. Then we transitioned to two singles and the doubles with the  
kids alternating. Then FINALLY all back in singles.

But those doubles have their uses. Last summer we had one double on  
the group at large and one of the now early twenties kids fell off a  
rock and injured himself but we were able to complete the trip because  
of that double.






On Apr 19, 2008, at 11:04 AM, Jeff Peterson-Davis wrote:

> In your experience, is a
> tandem the way to go with a child not ready to paddle on her own?   
> Do you
> have tandem recommendations?
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