On Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 4:02 PM, PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com>wrote: > > I'm not suggesting that one hull is 'better' than the other, but would be > curious to understand the pro's and cons of these different characteristics > and whether they apply in general to most rounded hull vs. chined kayaks. > > Matt Broze is the man to answer your question. And Matt's not some wimpy opinionated paddler whose tests consist of paddling a boat around and then submitting his "opinion". Not, mind you, that Matt doesn't have some opinions. (snicker). At one point Matt had a database of paddling characteristics for every boat introduced into the Puget Sound (Pacific North West) area. This was made considerably easier because for over 25 years we had a kayak symposium at Port Townsend where manufacturers introduced their boats. He may lose ground now with boats introduced that he can't catch up with but perhaps not. I don't know all the criteria Matt uses but they include 180 and 360 degree turns on edge, flat, with rudder and flat, with rudder and edged.... well, you get the idea. I don't see how it's possible to keep such tests absolutely objective but Matt's look to be about as close as you could get given the restrictions of a paddler climbing into a boat and paddling it around with a stopwatch. As far as I'm concerned, hull designs seem to follow marketing trends. Right now we're in the middle of a hard-chined Brit-Boat with skeg era. A few years ago it was rounder hulls with rudders. The market also seems to be headed into a period where more hull designs will offer greater rocker which will, in turn, enhance maneuverability. Whether or not these new designs actually reflect what paddlers want... or if, like fishing lures, they are made to capture the fancies of the paddlers first and maybe only then reflect performance issues farther down the line. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Jun 06 2010 - 19:32:43 PDT
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