Ive been led to believe that a chatham 16 is pretty much good for ocean use and not for much else…can anyone here tell me how it compares to something like an valley advocet in big flattish to choppy water. I’m trying to find a demo days near me to try it but no luck so far
you can’t paddle a Chatham 16
on flat water
That’s correct…It will sink!
Seriously. It is an outstanding rough water kayak that exels in huge conditions, rock gardens etc. The very things that make it so great in big water make it less suited for long boring flat water paddles.
Avocet is likewise an excellent boat, and may be a tad more all round like the Chatham 17, than the highly specialized 16.
If you paddle flat water quite a lot I’d go with a CH 17 or Avocet. If you like big coastal conditions and fit the CH 16 (snug is good), you’ll love the boat!
Course there are numerous great options out there including NDK, Impex, Mariner, Wildy, etc…
Play and skills work
Like a Romany (the boat with which it seems to share many characteristics)the Chatham 16 is a fabulous play boat for rough conditions, surfing, tide races, etc… It is also a good skills boat. By that I mean it is a forgiving boat that is very supportive of developing and refining skills such as rolling, bracing, etc…
Neither the Romany nor Chatham 16 is intended primarily for flat water straight ahead paddling. However, the lack of hull speed on flat water is a small trade-off for the fun these boats can trigger as a result of their responsiveness.
I have two faster on flat water sea kayaks than my Romany. However, I tend to paddle my Romany more than my other boats.
Chatham 16 on flat water
I’ve paddled the Chatham 16 many miles on flat water, and don’t see a problem, other than it’s slow. If a body of water is flat it’s also probably not very large l, so it won’t take so long to get anywhere anyway , so what’s the problem?
If inland bodies of water get bumpy its usually wind waves & chop, and the Chatham 16 is good in those conditions.
But yes, the Chatham 16 is in its element when in rock gardens, rough water etc.
chatham
I paddle with a guy who uses a romany. I am mostly in choppy water or bay like water but sometimes do large lakes and rivers. the romany seemed fine in any of these conditions. I never paddled the chatham but did sit in one. It feels real good to me. I can fit a 17 also with a little padding it will snug right up. I’m trying to demo one of these…
i’m more curious aboout it now than anything else…