Hi, is there anyone in NY, NJ, PA, MD, DE, VA who owns a Cooper who would be willing to let me test paddle it for a few minutes, under their supervision? If you are going paddling, I could just meet you and try it then you could go on your way. Want to know if I fit, and how it feels, too much $$ to buy blind.
thanks!
Kara
Kara
I am in columbia SC and have a Cooper.
You are welcome to try it out whenever you want.
I am absolutely impressed with mine. The tightening system is incredible. their quality and customer service is outstanding.
Paul
got a small gallery going:
http://picasaweb.google.com/BrazilBrasil1/FolbotCooper
The Factory in Charleston?
They will let you demo it there (Charleston, SC). Nice place to take a mini-vacation, demo some boats.
I paddled a Cooper at the ECCKF in April and told them “It feels normal!”. That was a compliment.
I also help assemble one at our local kayak club meeting. Three of us, just had the instruction manual and the parts on the floor. No help whatsoever and we got it together in less than 30 minutes. I think with practice 12 minutes is more than possible for one person.
Pretty easy as things are color and number coded.
A few minutes…HaHaHaHa
– Last Updated: Jul-22-08 10:36 AM EST –
You have no idea how silly that sounds from someone who just paddled a Cooper Folbot. It would have been fine had you not said "you just want to paddle it for a few minutes".
I paddled one for a couple of hours and then didn't want to get out. Unless you are as big as a barn and tall as the Jolly Green Giant you will fit and you will love it.
Having not seen one before I was impressed starting when Paul walked around the car with it on his back. The mechanics and engineering is exceptional. The ease putting it together is surprisingly simple although it may take a few minutes to figure out. Paddling and boat control is amazing. If you accidently roll it over then you might want to consider a row boat. The boat is very stable (too stable) and handles well on the water.
Now...How's that for a sales pitch from a first-time-in-one paddler?
Try a GP at the same time for a double sweet experience.
Paddlin' on
Richard
Money back guarantee?
Doesn’t Folbot have a money back guarantee?
Let themn know you want to buy one, but if after the first paddle you don’t like it you’ll return it in “X” days.
The Cooper is on my short list.
lkdecoration, hook up with brazilbrasil
who is ikdecoration?
taking some of your own pills again doc?
Paul
thanks
everyone. Especially Brazilbrasil, but I am trying to avoid the 1100 mile roundtrip drive to SC. Who am I? I live in Baltimore, paddle flat to class III, am president of the local canoe club, and also love art deco, hence my log on.
Georgia kayaker: hmm, definitely not as tall as the Jolly Green Giant, I will conduct a poll and get back to you on the ‘as big as a barn’ question. And I have a lovely handmade GP that I have been dying to use for 8 months, but need a boat to go with it. It is starting to sound like the Cooper is the one. People sure seem to love their Folbots.
Kara
Kara
contact Phil at folbot. I bet there are numerous people in your area that have purchased the Cooper. Also get on the folbot forum and ask there. I swwm to remember several in your area.
good luck!
I wrote a review on the cooper on this forum also.
Paul
Interesting
I was born in Frederick and graduated from HS in Cumberland.
Maybe you’ll make it to Raystown and we’ll paddle together. Brazilbrasil is going to let me use his Folbot which is absolutely wonderful to paddle. I love the feel of it on the water and hopefully there will be some different water to paddle it on up there.
Paddlin’ on
Richard
interesting negative review
mostly negative and mostly dealing with the coaming issues. folbot now has a new design that unfortunately cannot be retrofitted for their coaming that apparently addresses and eliminates the foam clad aluminum coaming. The way the coaming worked was that you had an aluminum tube coaming coveed in what appears to be pipe insulating sleeves of minicell that the fabric would be stretched from the inside over the tubing to under the outside (if that makes any sense) this arrangement could be made tight by pulling on a cord that is within a sewn over rim and held tight with a fastener at the end. I agree with the reviewer that this caused the sprayskirt or the sea sock to come off way too easily as well as seriously loosening the coaming itself during any kind of roll or wet exit. the simple fix was to put a 1/4 or 1/8 inch piece of bungee material in with the cord all around the coaming and one of those cinch tighteners. You pull on the bungee until it is very firmly attached under the coaming rim and you have absolutely no issues whatsoever with spray skirts or sea socks coming off. that coaming is on to stay!
I disagree with the reviewer about it being solely a rec boat. I have had mine in some pretty good chop and waves and have felt very secure with the framework and the skin. but then again I am very used to skin on frame boats.
the cooper flexes like any other folding boat but the tightening system and the stiffening arrangement at the stern makes it a whole lot less noticeable than some other folders I have paddled!
Paul
if you’re as wide as a barn…
…try the Long Haul. You could try mine - but you’d have to drive to Phoenix.
Cheers,
Gerry (tall but not wide…yet)
k-1 try
…or come to Atlanta and try a feathercraft K-1
Chris
Hey, I never got to try it.
We need to meet again on the water.
Paddlin’ on
Richard