Re: [Paddlewise] A bone head way to start the season...

Others may have more scientific based answers...

I race so every difference can matter.  During the local race series
last summer there was only a 28 second difference, total, over 10 races
between the accumulated times for the first and second place paddlers
(the average race is about 45 minutes)

First off I start with the off water difference.  I can comfortably walk
a half mile to the put in with paddle, water, and boat.  No cart or
vehicle needed - for walkable distances.  The off water weight can be a
negative in wind gusts - as I proved at the beginning of the thread.

I'm "recommended" body weight for my height.  So trimming paddler weight
isn't a viable option, for me.

Lighter boats respond faster to paddle input.  With a 25 pound boat I
can get onto a small wave with 1 or 2 paddle strokes.  When running with
the waves I can sometimes pull myself up and over the back of a small
swell and get a ride on it.  With a heavier boat I will miss some of
those waves.  I definitely can't pull myself onto a wave that I appear
to have missed with a heavier boat.  Light boats do have a disadvantage,
your center of gravity will move upward as your boat is a lower
percentage of the boat/paddler combination.  A lighter boat sit higher
on the water so you can end up with a slightly smaller footprint on the
water.  This can result in a more skittery boat.  I like the lighter
weight, either catching waves going my direction, or a quick sprint to
get out of range when a larger wave starts to rise up.   

There's also been some discussion of rotational benefits.  If you have a
long boat with weight in the ends it will take some time to get it
turning, such as on the crest of a wave.  The lighter boat can "snap" a
good distance with a single sweep stroke.  A heavier boat won't start
turning as quickly, but it will continue the turn for longer after it
starts turning.

Late last year I mentioned another disadvantage.  A tether is required
when using a lightweight boat.  Blow aways can be a real issue.  It's
not comforting to see your paddling partners boat airborne as it bounces
off wave crests on it's way downwind.

I paddle in 40+ knot winds several times a year.  With the knife edge
bow, and a decent sized rudder I've only had control issues once that I
can recall.  One place the lightweight boat could get entertaining is if
the large swells were running semi-perpendicular to the wind direction. 
Launching off the top of a wave, with a strong crosswind could end up
with some entertaining direction adjustments while airborne.

For the boat that I'm contemplating I can get it in about a dozen
different layups,http://huki.com/index.php?page=S1_Prices .  With the
boat weight anywhere from 24 pounds to 40 pounds.  If I were spending
all of my time in chaotic seas, without much downwind surfing I would
probably go for a 35 pound boat.  If I were going for distance, or
regularly riding the waves I would go lightweight.


On Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:23 -0800, "Doug Lloyd" <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote:
> Also Kirk, what differences are there with a super-light boat out in
> heavy conditions, in terms of handling, etc? I know we have talked about
> this before with respect to FG versus light SOF and S&G, but what about
> these fitness kayaks?
> 
> Doug 
> 
> > > Each pound of boat weight costs about $100 to lose.
> > If I may, I would like to ask a nieve question...
> > Could you share the benefits of having a lighter boat?
> > 
> > To the extent that the benefits obtain while on the water, can 
> > the same
> > benefit be obtained by reducing the weight of the paddler as by 
> > reducing the
> > weight of the boat?
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > Mark


-- 
  Kirk Olsen
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