kudos to you
You should be applauded. Not only for adhering to your values but for your candor here.
Weights
I don’t forsee a dramatic reduction in weight coming soon. Materials are evolving fast, but sheet thickness has a lot to do with hull strength. I have paddled many, but have never been a fan of poly sea kayaks due to weight, and compromise of design. Before I became involved with Rockpool I paddled a glass Tempest ( which I still own). IMHO there is no comparison between the glass and the poly version. I would love to own a Carbonlite version.
Beating a dead horse
Watching the superbowl yesterday, I got to thinking about what football helmets are made of and their relationship to kayak materials. Ideally,
both helmets and kayaks should absorb shock, not break and be relatively light enough to be usable. Helmets are made from injection molded polycarbonate, not polyethylene, Carbon fiber, Kevlar, epoxy etc…
Many years ago someone tried to mold a kayak from Lexan (polycarbonate) without success. I am not sure of the details, but I suspect that cost was a huge factor. Another reason may be that polycarbonate does’t absorb shock as well fiberglass. Either way, this early attempt to modernize kayak manufacturing got people thinking about newer materials. However, it wasn’t until Composite construction became so costly that it became feasible to to experiment with newer and much more costly materials.
I do see a time in the near future that, except for racing kayaks and surf skis, most sea kayaks will be thermoformed and only whitewater and bottom of the line rec boats with continue to be made of polyethylene.
In the history of football helmets, it took a long time for “plastic” to make the standard leather helmets obsolete as many resisted change. In the end, it was the performance factor that prevailed.
Food for thought.
Chris Mitchell
Reed/Rockpool North America
Should you decide to build a larger boat
let me know. Or at least a boat that would fit someone my size. I would buy your product in a heartbeat. For now, my next boat will either be a Fathom, the new Valley, or something from Tiderace produced by their new source in Thailand. Best wishes and best regards, Bill
Larger Rockpool TCC?
Chris, any plans to make another Rockpool model in thermoform for larger paddlers?
Rockpool GT
I am hoping to get the go ahead on the GT from Rockpool. Bigger boat with four hatches. Little longer and deeper. It paddles sweetly!!!
Chris
Yay!
Awesome!! Can’t wait.
Isn’t the Alaw the Rockpool flagship design? Any chance that will also come out in a TCC model?
Rockpool ALAW
The Alaw was the first design, but the Alaw Bach is the most popular. The GT is a newer design that falls somewhere between the Menai and the ALAW. The ISEL is the design for smaller people.
The GT is now the second most popular design.
Chris Mitchell
Reed/Rockpool North America
Kayak prices
Roughly, I see poly kayaks selling for around $1500, thermoform for $2500, and fiberglass for $3500.
Valley poly kayaks are at the high end for poly, around $2000, and Rockpool is at the high end for thermoformed, around $3000.
The rep for NDK is great designs with terrible quality control in manufacturing.
Your comments are fairly accurate, but
– Last Updated: Feb-11-11 9:24 AM EST –
without some additional words are easily taken out of context or are at the very least misleading and incomplete. What are we to take from your statement, or are you asking a question? If you are not asking a question, what is your conclusion or position based on these genral facts? Not trying to be confrontational, just wondering if you are taking a position that we can learn from. Bill