Pivot turns
http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?215
Use that slicy stern to your advantage.
ummmmmm
"That boat is NOT a short sea kayak it is more of a WW boat."
It is NOT “more” of a white water boat…IT IS ONE!!!
That is the Most popular whitewater boat ever sold/made…
it just happens to work great for rolling practice…it has a displacement hull-more like a sea kayak-rather than the now popular planing hull…it carves pretty well on a wave (we have had them up to 8’ seasin Newport sufing them)…but does not do any ‘new’ tricks…
believe it or not this thing tracks better than most of the other ww boats out there due to the hull shape…
r
Pirouette is easier to roll 
And from my experience and others, the easiest boat to roll might be a Piedra.
skeg
http://www.epoxyworks.com/16/index16.html
See “Bonding a skeg to a polyethylene kayak”
Learn to paddle it first, and THEN decide if you want to modify it.
Tracking
BTW, my scratched up old Piedra is the easiest boat to roll…
No WW boat is intended to track quite in the way of a touring boat, as in the paddler providing most of the propulsion. They are intended to follow moving water, or be able to stand solidly on edge and ferry against it. Used this way they handle surf fine, though it may take more like 3 feet of it to really have that come out.
But the question on this boat is using it in slow rivers - while the RPM has more hull speed than the pure playboats, it still isn’t a prime candidate for moving on flat water unless you feel like giving yourself a workout. If that’s what you want to do with it it’ll work fine. But if you are just looking for a slow river boat that will handle very lightweight moving water, you may want to look for something like a high end rec or barely-touring boat.
dude, you crack me up…
– Last Updated: May-15-07 10:34 AM EST –
The hull is fine and don't even think about adding a skeg to it. Like many folks above have stated, it's a whitewater boat which means it has a lot of natural spin momentum built into the hull. It may be initially difficult to keep straight but it's ridiculously easy to do correction strokes once it starts wandering. Keep at it and I'd recommend a shorter paddle and more vertical strokes to help it to go straight. The RPM is actually a "river-runner" so it's pretty darn easy to keep it tracking as long as your technique is good. Keep working on it and if you ever have a chance, take an introductory whitewater course.
As for long crossings, forget about it. It's not meant for it. Oh and get stern flotation bags for sure. With float bags you can cowboy scramble or reenter and roll if you have to but it will still be akin to paddling a submarine. Without float bags... you're screwed.
meet me at Clinton
Lake again – Sat AM - this time I’ll buy YOUR boat cooldoc – seriously, I’m in the market for a WW boat
How much?
How much will you sell this defective kayak for?
I have a friend who has been looking for a Max for about two years now. He’s in CO, but we’ll be driving through IL the second week of June.
Pamlico_14 lives on
– Last Updated: May-15-07 12:24 PM EST –
cool doc is the new troll king!! Seriously, a buddy of mine does 12 mile river runs in a 5'9" Dagger and goes straighter than I do in my 13' Dagger Encore. I think it's just their canoes that veer off course, though my son would disagree, as his Reflection goes like an arrow.
Get A Prijon!
– Last Updated: May-15-07 4:12 PM EST –
A Prijon white water boat will paddle like a sea kayak - straight and fast, hold a week's worth of gear, and still turn on a dime. Prijon ww boats are also known for nearly sculling and rolling themselves and yet stable up to class IV. And, don't forget that Prijon has got the best plastic on the market.
That's what you get when you leave the cult, it's pure disappointment. You of all should understand that. ;)
sing
careful
you’re damaging the sea kayaking industry by buying that plastic tub
Float bags
You need more buoyancy in the front as well if you put float bags in the back. I’ve seen what happens to an RPM with just the float bags in the back and it ended up bow down with the tail in the air before the paddler could get back in.
And I’ve got the Prijon to prove it!!!
Fast, tracks straight, super-stable, doesn’t scratch, doesn’t fade.
Wait till you paddle it with a GP!!!
Dude - - - - - This ain’t right
You realize your paddle may be longer than your boat - - - - -
Hook up with Team Dirt Clod…
http://teamdirtclod.com/forum/
They’ll help you out with equipment/outfitting and some basic instruction and you can practice with them at Dead Carp Drop on the Sangamon over by Springfield.
Just paddle it
an use body English. It will make you a better paddler. Dancers & Crossfires are better for long crossings though
Long Crossings With RPM…
it’s highly suggested by RPM experts that an electric bilge pump is just the thing… 
Probably more important than an add-on skeg or rudder.
sing
…agreed, one to be archived!!!
– Last Updated: May-16-07 11:26 AM EST –
YES!!! CD, put a skeg on that bad puppy!!;-) ..and please post a link to it once you get images.
Let your relaxed hips ride with the boat...and keep your weight over the boat....your balance WILL improve.
Can be done
– Last Updated: May-16-07 2:53 PM EST –
I paddle with a kid that has used his in just about every condidtion. white water to flat and in between. the right paddle and butt time makes all the difrence. but to be fare the kid is a natural paddler. who was doing white water at 8 years old.
Actually, I think the problem
is that these boats are supposed to be sold in pairs, and you connect them via a sailing rig and cargo hammock, much like the Hobie Catamarans.
Derrrrrr