NDK Explorers are tough, but surfing five foot swell at Wesport mine was lowered onto a bit of something we never saw. It cracked the gellcoat on top and, where the hull flexed, on the bottom as well. I now carry a large float bag in my day hatch. http://www.apgar.com/040430_gallery.htm Following a little touch-up, it has given good service on the open coast for years. Roy "At least in as much as he likes his kayaks easily field repairable so that punctured hull damage limits itself too a small focused area easily patched, as opposed to a long sinewy crack that other hull matrix combinations might yield. In fact, I haven't seen too many NDk's ever get holed in the first place anyway, come to think of it. Err, I haven't heard of any, more precisely." *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Nice series of photos! Mark Sanders -----Original Message----- NDK Explorers are tough, but surfing five foot swell at Wesport mine was lowered onto a bit of something we never saw. It cracked the gellcoat on top and, where the hull flexed, on the bottom as well. I now carry a large float bag in my day hatch. http://www.apgar.com/040430_gallery.htm Following a little touch-up, it has given good service on the open coast for years. Roy "At least in as much as he likes his kayaks easily field repairable so that punctured hull damage limits itself too a small focused area easily patched, as opposed to a long sinewy crack that other hull matrix combinations might yield. In fact, I haven't seen too many NDk's ever get holed in the first place anyway, come to think of it. Err, I haven't heard of any, more precisely." *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Roy, Yours was about the only one I know off but didn't mention it to Gordin as I was thinking more of hull damage from hitting rocks. As far as boat damage in surf, Chris Duff suffered some too in his NDK. I know of some VCP kayaks that have suffered the same fate. Personally, I like to reinforce my yaks over any factory build, not matter how tough they claim the kayak to be. I think also folks get upset that all that extra weight of a British heavy doesn't always equate to a stronger boat in extremis. They do however, in my experience, equate to a boat that doesn't wear out as quickly as some of the lighter north American kayaks. That thick gelcoat has to be good for something, I guess. :-) Doug L > NDK Explorers are tough, but surfing five foot swell at Wesport mine was > lowered onto a bit of something we never saw. It cracked the gellcoat on > top and, where the hull flexed, on the bottom as well. I now carry a > large float bag in my day hatch. > > http://www.apgar.com/040430_gallery.htm > > Following a little touch-up, it has given good service on the open coast > for years. > > Roy > > "At least in as much as he likes his kayaks easily field repairable so > that punctured hull damage limits itself too a small focused area easily > patched, as opposed to a long sinewy crack that other hull matrix > combinations might yield. In fact, I haven't seen too many NDk's ever get > holed in the first place anyway, come to think of it. Err, I haven't heard > of any, more precisely." *************************************************************************** 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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