After a number of years putting up with my kayak which is too small to store all my gear on long and/or cold-weather trips, I have started looking at new kayaks. I have a second issue with my current boat: I love playing in decent waves, but I'll have a "whoopsie!" moment and then I'll tense up and everything just goes downhill from there. So I'm looking for more stability in a boat. At my age, it's doubtful that my skill level is going to increase to any extent, so please don't suggest I learn a new skill to make me feel better, and that isn't going to solve the storage issue in any case. I have read a number of glowing reviews of the Valley Aquanaut and plan to drive to the nearest dealer (a day's drive away) later in the spring when he gets his full complement of boats in. He has suggested a few other boats I might want to try: Current Designs Infinity Delta 17 Skeg Boreal Baffin Boreal Ellesmere Impex Force 4 Seaward Quantum Nigel Foster Legend P & H Capella 173 The Impex Force 4, as I recall is a fast, narrow boat more suited to day trips and speed demons (which I am not), so I probably won't test it. But I am interested in comments about the Aquanaut, vis-a-vis its overall stability, or any of the other boats listed. I am just under 6' (and shrinking with age), about 185 pounds. I consider myself a decent intermediate paddler. I do not roll. (Or rather, I do not roll back up.) Things seem rather slow on the list these days, so perhaps it wouldn't be too much of an imposition to throw myself on the mercy of other paddlers who may know these boats better than I. Thanks in advance, -- Darryl *************************************************************************** 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 Sat Apr 02 2011 - 14:11:57 PDT
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