most likely! Also had the 600 on my list but not sure yet. QCC is currently having an great sale with 25% off and I think I may take advantage of it.
My question is, what material do you think is best for my application (coastal paddling in New England with some rock gardening)? I’m 6’ 180 and currently paddle a poly Tempest 170. As well, what material is easiest to repair?
I did call QCC and they recommend kevlar which is supposedly stronger than the fiberglass and not much more expensive but lighter. I’m just cautious as I believe fiberglass may be the easiest to repair and don’t want to worry about costly repairs when the time comes after a misadventure into some rocks!
I’ve read the reviews on-line and have gathered much information but I want to make the right decision and not have to inconvenience QCC with having to return the boat at their cost if I do not like it.
Thanks in advance.
Repair concerns
FWIW, when you are talking repair re hits in rock gardens, you are usually talking about gel coat repair. I am not sure but I suspect that is the same whether the gel coat is over kevlar or fiberglass. It’s a sacrificial layer that protects the structural part of the hull. Gel coat repair, even big ones, are mostly just time and elbow grease. They are not difficult technically, and if it is your own boat you can even choose to forgo the perfect fine sanding job.
If the hit is hard enough to go thru the gel coat to the underlying material, that’s where the diff’s between kevlar and glass may come into play.
I am not familiar enough with kevlar to comment there, but you may want to find out where the boat has additional strips of reinforcement. Bow and stern ends along the keel are common, but they may be more liberal with that in the kevlar boat. My NDK boat has a diolene strip along the entire keel, the value of which I can attest to after a drop on a concrete dock. The gel repair is my lazy usual, but the boat was absolutely unaffected underneath the section of completely smashed off gel coat.
Brian Nystrom
Brian has a couple of albums on his webshots dealing with repair. They may give you an idea what is involved. Some say fiberglass is easier to repair than Kevlar.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/107841735XmwxIb
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/185236435CtCzwx
no rock gardens
The 700 is not the best boat for rock gardens. Stick to your Tempest when you go there.
Yep
I own a 700 and in my opinion it is not the best boat for that type paddling. If you are poking around rocky shorelines that is different. But if you are in moving water (waves or current) where your boat could be slammed into rocks by the water, there are likely better choices. Not just because of the material either. I don’t feel the hull design fits this purpose.
I don’t think
the primary task of the 700 would be rock gardening but with the group I paddle with, we will most likely do some on each outing. I do plan to keep the Tempest so if I knew we were primarily going into the rocks, that would be my choice. However, the majority of each trip is solely paddling where I think the 600 or 700 would excel.
Kevlar
Kevlar would be my choice. It has some give and will absorb some of the impacts. I believe you would have fewer damages to fix with Kevlar but you will have to wait on a response from the repair experts to address that issue.
I take the advice of QCC very serious. They are like Pat with Onno in that they seem to get a feel quickly for what your intentions are. If they said Kevlar and you accurately described your intentions, I would go with kevlar.
You Didn’t Ask…
but the 600 has a very high rear deck. At least it used to. Not so roll friendly as the 700.
Get it in kevlar, and get the 700
I think the 600 would be a bit small for you.
I am 5’-9" and 160 pounds, and prefer the 700.
I have had a 600 and a 700 both in kevlar, and believe me the kevlar is built very strong.
I just traded mine for a carbon kevlar, mainly because I enjoy racing, and the extra few pounds translates to a bit of speed for me.
I had a least four places on my kevlar boat where I slammed into various objects, and all that it did was chip the gel coat off, and I repaired it with epoxy and white automotive paint.
Jack L
Good to hear from someone who has both…
QCC said that John Winters who is 6’3" and over 200lbs. is paddling the 600 and it seems to work well for him. I thought I would be slightly large for the 600 from the research I have done and even the QCC site says I’m at the high end.
Not only that, but my wife was in on
the design of the 10X, and got the first one they made. They didn’t even have a number for it when she got it.
She asked for it to be a inch narrower, but they said it wouldn’t sell.
Right now she is eagerly awaiting her second one out of carbon kevlar.
I would like to see the 700 a inch or two narrower, but we can’t have everything!
Jack L
FWIW
I paddle a 600 and am 6’1" and 170 pounds. I think it fits great and have no problems rolling it at all. I certainly don’t feel like I’m crammed in it but I do like a snug boat. I’ve never paddled a 700 but I did get a brief test paddle in a Epic 18 Endurance - which I believe is supposed to be lower volume than the 700 - and that felt larger inside than I prefer. But I’m used to paddling racing boats. If you’re comfortable in your Tempest 170 then I’m sure the 700 would feel fine.
The other positive for the 600 might be better maneuverability because of shorter length when around rock gardens.
Good luck with the new boat, whatever it is!
Alan
600 vs. 700
The 600 is easier to turn without edging. The deck on the 600 is higher in the front and back. The 600 is slower than the 700 controlling for the paddler. The 700 tracks better than the 600. If I had to choose between the 600 (my wife’s boat) and my 700 I would choose the 700. I can edge it to turn, I like the lower deck, and I like the tracking. I don’t have a comparison, but my 700 behaves very well in waves. I am 5’ 10", 190 pounds.
qcc 700x
Purchased a 700x after actually driving up to
Exeland WI, and visiting with Steve at QCC. Wanted
see if I actually fit in, and to test paddle a 700.
After about 15min of paddling, I was sold. Was
thinking about the kevlar version, but ended up
with carbon-kevlar 700, due to weight concerns. I
usually cartop my kayak, and I’m not getting any
younger, or stronger. On my first outing with the
boat, while paddling down river between to large
lakes, I ended up going over 200yds of rocks coated
with Zebra mussels. Water was rushing fairly fast, and
I was commited. Tried to carry the boat back upstream,
but sliced up my feet on the rocks. Thus paddled it
upstream over said rocks. I was wearing neoprene shoes
which were shredded. Thought I had holed the boat,
but just ended up with some really bad looking gelcoat. If I were you, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy
the kevlar version. Qcc makes a strong boat.