CD Whistler
Please see my review on this site. I highly recommend this boat. Very versatile.
Thanks
Alright, thanks for the information!
good information
Hey Silvercobra, good thread you started here. I’m in the same boat you are as far as the purposes for which I want a kayak. About the only difference is my body type which is short and stocky (5’9", 200), not so tall and slim as yours.
Many of my questions have been answered here by the very helpful and knowledgeable members on this site. To said members, thank you.
So, would it be ok, since this seems to have been an active thread, that I ask a question as well?
I have been solo paddling a 60#, 16’6" Bell Northwind tandem canoe in Royalex from a kneeling thwart amidship and heeled onto an edge. Even though it is a great paddling canoe, when I go out to cover some miles on flat water the boat gets to feeling heavy. I am looking for something for lakes, flat rivers, the occasional southern Missouri stream that presents no more than Class II rapids.
What I am asking you all is, should I get something similar to the CD Whisper, would it be a noticeably more maneuverable/easier boat to paddle for my solo trips?
I’m not trying to hijack this thread and if I’m in the wrong to post this way…sorry.
Bud
move the post
You’ll get a much better response to your question if you post it as a new topic under the canoe heading. Canoeists are not likely to see your inquiry buried in a thread about kayak sizing.
He wants a kayak, but you are right
This person is considering the use of a kayak in place of his canoe, but usually this kind of question works better if asked independently.
thank you all very much
I really appreciate your pointing me in the right direction.
Tsunamis
– Last Updated: Jan-06-15 7:28 PM EST –
the Tsunami 145 will be way oversized for your proportions. Even the 140 may feel too big; assuming you are slender you would actually fit better in the 135. It is easy to add hip pads and get a more custom fit.
The 140/145 are good kayak camping platforms if you need that much volume.
Yes they are a harder tracking hull but will turn with a bit of edging; we have taken Tsunamis on some very twisty rivers and creeks, even fully loaded. The 135 might be worth a look, it's quite different than its bigger brethren.
the general rule is
that longer boats go faster but are more difficult to turn.
shorter boats turn easier but are slower.
Wider boats are more stable but slower.
I like a 10-12 foot for day trips lakes and slow rivers as they are easy to manuver. BUT, I’ll never win a race.
When I go upriver, I like a longer and narrower boat to slice through thye current.
So I have a 10’ Mallard for day trips, a 12’ Dirago for overnighters or larger lakes and a 14.5’ Carolina for longer trips where I may be fighting current.
One thing you did forget…
if you are going in a group or with a paddle-buddy, take boats that are the same length. Otherwise you in your 12’ boat will be left behind by the faster 14’ boat.
Not all boats paddle the same. Deliana’s 12’ manteo is much faster than my 12’ Dirago which I can do 3knots all day, 3.5 kn for a short burst.
My 14.5 Carolina will do 3.5kn all day with 4.2 in a short burst.
Short boats and group trips
It’s very often said here that anyone in a relatively short boat will be left behind or at least have trouble keeping up on group trips if those in the group have longer boats. That may be the case on open water with skilled paddlers who are in a hurry to get somewhere, but I’ve never seen it happen on river trips with casual paddlers. Just because a long boat can go faster doesn’t mean most paddlers will put forth the effort to make it happen. Most casual paddlers don’t go any faster than 4 mph on average, and in my experience, most groups of paddlers go a bit slower than that. Cruising at 4 mph is pretty easy in nearly any boat. In fact, at 4 mph, a decent 12-footer is likely to require less effort than a comparable one that’s a few feet longer. Push the speed up to 5 mph or faster and the 12-footer becomes a barge, but no group trip I’ve been on ever moved that fast.
Update 1/12/15
Alright, so I got the Tsunami 145…rather i’m in the process of getting.
I had a quick question though. If I could secure equal weight inside the bow and stern would that improve performance since I will be in a “bigger person” boat and only weigh 110lbs? Or would the weight have to be closer to the center of the boat since it is designed for a heavy person in the middle?
I really appreciate everyone’s input and I know this boat isn’t designed for me but given my options I took it. Worse case scenario I hate it and decide to re-sell it I bet I can get within $100 of what I paid. I have such little experience it is hard for me to tell how well a boat is responding to my strokes or if it is my technique or the boat.
This boat will give me the opportunity to get a feel for if I want a rudder or not, allow me to actually try rolling, and hopefully help me improve my paddling technique. I still plan to test the other kayaks if given the opportunity but considering around here touring kayaks are the LEAST popular kayak class I don’t have high hopes.
Also I know taking a kayak class would help greatly but there just aren’t any around me. Being in Fort Smith, Arkansas if someone could point out a class within 2 hours driving I would take it.
Temporary alternative
– Last Updated: Jan-12-15 1:48 PM EST –
until you can find a nearby ACA skills class: check out the Articles tab here and start reading and studying videos on the forward stroke and other strokes.
Here's a video from Greg Barton on the importance of using torso rotation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lef_ut8n0ms
And a WaterTribe forward stroke clinic conducted by Greg Stamer (KayakVagabond of the WT):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iuBYZ9kr8A
Videos and articles were of great help to me during the two months I paddled before I took an ACA skills class.
You can also visit the ACA website and do a search to find certified instructors within driving distance. Contact one close to you and set up a private lesson.
http://www.americancanoe.org/
Weight Distribution and Teeter-Totters
– Last Updated: Jan-12-15 5:40 PM EST –
In terms of trimming the boat (making sure neither end floats too high or low), it really makes no difference whether the weight is closer to the ends or center. A balanced boat is a balanced boat if all you are doing is paddling forward on calm water. However, overall handling will improve the closer you can get the weight to center. Keeping the weight close to center keeps the ends light. Think about "swing weight". If you have a long object that has a lot of its weight out toward the ends, there's a lot more momentum to overcome whenever you wish to point that long object in a substantially different direction, and also to stop it from moving when you do, than if most of the wight is at the center and the ends are light (with boats, this applies to making quick turns or having the ends ride easily up and down over waves).
You won't be able to put the weight at the center because that's in your lap. And you won't be able to put the same amount of weight both forward and rearward of center, because the area occupied by your legs can't be utilized except to store lightweight stuff. So remember the teeter-totter effect. With a teeter-totter, a large amount of weight not far from center can be counterbalanced using a smaller amount of weight on the other side of but farther from the pivot point. So, put the greater portion of the weight right behind you, and a smaller portion in front of your feet. You'll have to experiment to get the right balance until you get good at this (that's true for anyone loading up for a camping trip as well).
Try the boat without a load too. On calm days, you may actually prefer it that way. Carrying extra weight requires extra work on your part (no vehicle of any kind burns less fuel when empty than when loaded, and the same is true of your your boat, where your effort is the fuel), but the improvement in boat-handling provided by extra weight can be more important. The benefit of extra weight won't always be the same, and there may be no benefit at all at certain times.
Thanks
Perfect, thanks for the explanation. I plan to experiment quite a bit and this will help me understand what is going on.
Thanks!
Thank you so much. Sure enough there are instructors in my home town as well as others close by. I will get in touch with them and get some information.