Re: [Paddlewise] Feed the Need

I bought a Necky Arluk II early in my paddling career. At the time it 
was considered to be a pretty cutting edge design  in a sea kayak. I 
paddled that boat for fifteen years before it was stolen. To this day I 
compare every kayak I paddle to my trusty ol' Arluk, and they all fall 
short. Was the Arluk really that great of a boat? I suspect that as the 
years went by I learned just what the Arluk was capable of and developed 
my paddling style around that performance. In the end I feel that I had 
achieved a perfect union of boat and paddler. I believe this kind of 
boating nirvana is only reached by those few of us who are willing to 
spend a lot of time with a single boat.


When I was in the market for a new boat I seriously considered looking 
for another Arluk, but I decided that I had been there and done that and 
it was time to move on and experience new challenges. I switched to a 
Greenland paddle for a couple of years as well. These days I will paddle 
just about anything that floats, it just doesn't really matter to me any 
more. Doug, I think I understand your quest, and I wish you well in your 
search. I suspect that you are in the same boat, so to speak, as I am. 
While I enjoy everybody's critiques of the new (and some not so new) 
kayaks on the market, the boat you are looking for is probably your 
trusty old Nordkapp. It's familiar, predictable and suits your paddling 
style which has probably been modeled around your Nordkapps handling 
characteristics. Is the Nordkapp really that great of a sea kayak? For 
you it probably is - for the rest of us, probably not so much.

Scott
So.Cal.



> Yes, I can't find anything with the glide of my former heavy Nordkapp. My
> current Nordkapp is almost identical in vintage but half the weight and just
> feels a bit sluggish though it top ends better in a sprint. A lot of the
> kayaks I've tried lately just seem to reach a wall. The Norkapps in general
> are not necessarily a fast kayak by design but I feel I can always push them a
> bit more without that steep wall. The Nordkapp LV even seems slippy through
> the water and fast, if tender.
>
> I got to admit I'm having a hard time finding a kayak that does everything I
> want it to. I spoke with a top BC paddler today who was back east recently and
> tried the Maelstrom kayaks I'd benn talking about and indicated I might be
> disappointed. He actually was completely surprised by the P&H Cetus recently,
> but I'm skeptical of something with potential for broaching if I'm goint to go
> to a rudderless kayak. So, a couple of issues: I need fast and slippery and
> responsive to edging and lean.
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