methinks
the OP has left the building…
Please answer the OP’s post…
under the OP’s post and not under mine.
I would prefer not to have your nonsense associated with my posts.
Jack L
Disappointed?
Then sell it.
Considering that you have
experience in canoes, I’ll give your abilities the benefit of the doubt. You say that the boat is 14.5’ long and about 2’ wide. There is a type of kayak called a “Wild Water” kayak that is made for down river racing in whitewater. They are reportedly very tippy and very maneuverable. You might have gotten an old one of these. Like this: http://www.westsideboatshop.com/wild_water_racing_kayaks
disappointed in new kayak
The shape is not exactly the same…but the way the seat is molded to the body looks like the “river 81”. My sisters boyfriend says it is very ole…because they don’t make them that way any more. He states that it is for open water, like lakes…and suggest that I try it on one of our local lakes. If that works…then GREAT, I didn’t but a bad kayak, just not one suited for the river that is walking distance from my house! And to the question as to cost…I paid $150 for it, and picked up a piece of metal ruining a $100 tire.
Turning
The turning behavior you describe sounds typical for a whitewater kayak. I used to help teach a beginning whitewater class. Folks who claimed to be experienced flatwater paddlers couldn’t go more than a couple of boat lengths without turning sideways the first time they got into a whitewater boat. Most did fine with a little practice.
The basics:
Sit up straight – no leaning back.
Paddle stroke starts at or in front of your toes and ends at your hips.
High angle, blade as close to the boat as possible.
Quick short stokes are better than long hard stokes.
Correct as soon as the bow moves – once a turn starts it’s hard to correct it.
To stop a turn, a stern draw on the inside can be more effective than than a bow sweep.
molded in seat
Makes me think of a Jackson Riviera. That’s current, but, similar kayaks have been made in the past. Like the name implies, they’ve been used in resort type areas and rental fleets, with protected calm water, and only short distances to paddle.
thats exactly
What it sounds like.
angstrom, yours is the clearest and best
advice. Such techniques are “cab forward” paddling and result in the boat being pulled forward by its nose. I haven’t ever paddled a ww kayak that I couldn’t get to track immediately.
Of course we don’t know what OP’s fiberglass wonder is, but I’ll bet I could make it track too.
maybe
Thanks!
But to be fair, if the boat is badly out of trim(or designed for a different weight) it could be frustrating even for a good whitewater paddler. I’ve tried paddling kayaks and canoes out of trim on purpose and it can dramatically change how they handle.
Best bet would be to have someone who’s comfortable in whitewater boats try it to see if it’s the boat or the paddler.
Pictures
My quick perusal of the replies so far might have missed it, but you did take pictures. How about posting them on a free photo-hosting site, then posting links to the photos here. There are people here who can tell a lot about the the design and paddling character of a boat just by seeing its shape.
Riviera is 11’ 4"
– Last Updated: Sep-21-14 3:47 PM EST –
OP said that his is 14.5'. And, I believe that the OP said that his kayak is fiberglass, the Riviera is plastic.
proposition is
…kayak LIKE the Riviera. And, kayaks like that, for resort and rental use, have been made in fiberglass.
I had the same problem…
I just kept at it and, one day, it started going straight. The problem came back a couple of times but then straightened out again. Turned out I was just developing the muscle strength on my weak side.