Hi all, just picked up my bic scapa which I bought after much research but no visual sighting to go by.I liked everything I read about this yak and it was on special so I took the plunge.Having taken off the bubble wrap I have had my first look and there is a big concave section in the hull just aft of the seat.My question is,is this a weird bit of french design,or has this kayak been sat on or had something heavy on it in the warehouse?I havent paddled it yet so I dont know if it will affect performance.cheers,dave
EXCUSE MY MUFFLED GIGGLE…
…but that concave section aft of the seat’s called a tankwell, and it belongs there. Surprised you didn’t notice it in the pics…!
Early Ocean kayak designs -Scupper Pro, Scrambler, etc., were sometimes used by SCUBA divers, and a depression aft of the seat was molded in to provide stowage for a dive tank. Nowadays, tankwells are common on many if not most SOT’s, and they’ve become the equivalent of having the equivalent of a car trunk to take along a variety of things -coolers for anglers, coolers for party-ers, coolers for paddlers to keep cold drinks cold. It’s also used for other things, too, I suppose… :->
So don’t sweat something being wrong with the boat -it belongs there, and most of the time it’s a handy place to have as you
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami
The tankwell is in the deck, not hull…
bic scapa shape
thank you rwven,yes its in the hull so if there are any scapa owners out there I would love to knoww if the concave is meant to be there or do I have take it back?cheers,dave
The Scapa has a
pretty flat hull, so if it is concave from a profile side view, that might be why it was on special.
It sounds like oil-canning which can occur in high heat when something is putting pressure on the hull. Maybe it was strapped down in/on the transport vehicle?
Worst case, the dealer will blame the transport company, and they will inform you that you should have inspected the boat and refused delivery if there was damage.
jim
bic scapa shape
thanks,Jim.looks to me maybe someone sat on it.if there was a hatch near the dent i could try popping it out.The other possibility is putting it in the sun and seeing if heating up the air inside would pop it out.Either way I will take some photos and go see the dealer,cheers,Dave
I don;t own a Scapa…
…but I do own two Bic Yakkas. Great little boats. Welcome to the Bic family, microbrewer. Hope you enjoy the Bic Scapa.