I’m wondering, provided that the fit is on, if the Gulfstream is as capable of a boat in terms of learning and developmwnt as say a Currituck, Explorer, Capella etc…?
It seems for some reason that the gurus will give it credit as a “good” boat, but go on to list many alternatives that are infered to be better.
Where I live, s.w. Florida, I have access to most boats but would like to support a particulr kayak shop(good people), and if the Gulfstream fits and I can develop in it I would like to give it a go. But, If other boats are that much better I’ll go with aomething else.
Advice greatly appreciated,
Steve
yes it is
within that field of boats the limits to learning development will be you and the context for learning. A wide range of predictable stability is a feature of that hull.
Details
The Gulfstream is a perfectly fine boat if you fit it well. Very seaworthy like all of CD’s boats, manuvers very nicely for a boat of its size. It may come down to details for many.
It has a higher deck than many of the newest models, high enough that it would take a pretty big person to have the same kind of fit to facilitate advancing skills that many paddlers find in boats with tighter cockpits. CD hasn’t come thru with versions of the boat like P&H has with the Capella to fit different sizes, instead they have different models entirely.
The other comment is that, to get a fiberglass bulkhead from CD these days, you have to special order it. So there are likely a lot of these boats around that have the plastic bulkheaed which give some people pause when thinking about long term durability and stuff like being able to brace against the bulkhead.
That said, CD has traditionally been quite good about doing custom layups. So if you do have any questions about whether their standard build will work for you, CD is a good company to work with for changes.
My first closed deck boat was a
Gulfstream. Until this past January, it was my only closed deck boat.
That boat will handle any conditions that you can possibly consider paddling in.
Although not known as a “fast” boat, you should be able to keep up with other paddlers in the same type of physical condition as yourself. In rough water conditions, I was able to paddle faster than a friend in a CD Extreme (which in flat water could leave me in its wake).
Yes, there are other boats that do somethings better than the GS, but it is an excellent all around boat if you fit it. You won’t out grow it.