Since I am guilty of adding fuel to the fire by seconding the "more responses than Nordkapp LV's" I will say it was without expectation of validity of fact.
(For clarification of comment basis see-"tongue in cheek")
If the pendants demand factual correctness from that comment then give me a target and I will keep posting till we meet the "more responses than Nordkapp LV's" target.
I applaud Peter Ortons efforts at Valley and wish him and the entire Valley crew the best of sales as they move forward. I have glass VCP boats from 04, 06, & 07 and the positive changes in production year by year are quite evident (yes I know the 04 was pre-Orton)
Basically I love my Nordkapp LV (As I have previously stated) and freely admit it is not the everyman boat. I paddle as much as I can with Yakwise because we both seem to have a great time and both enjoy challenging waters (challenging to us). The fact Yakwise has a Nordkapp LV also is interesting but not the primary reason for us having a good time.
We enjoy ourselves because we are enjoying being out on the water riding the waves, smelling the sea, getting a kick from the Porpoise antics, and just generally having a good time.
So please repeat this mantra.
It is not the boat it is the experience. So paddle the boat that makes YOU happy, not some one else.
Have a great paddle, or pool rolling session since it is that time of year for most ;)
yep, those are three Nordlows on the truck we shuttled down to where we landed. Mine's on the right, Bob's in the middle and another friends on the left.
This is BobW testing out the stability curve. We were headed back into 20 knot winds and this was a walk in the park for our NLV. It wasn't necessary to brace for this wave, which makes it kind of fun to hip check it from the side.
I paddle with hundreds of people here locally and am confident that most all of them wouldn't like the NLV as most want that extra stability when they lean into the secondary and avoid rougher water. I also have friends and instructors who paddle more open water and surf and stuff,( who also enjoy flat water as well.)
So, the NLV is more for the paddler who is advancing and wants to improve their skills, has good skills with kayaks that require a different approach.
The first time Bob paddled with us he was on his way back from an open water class with BCU week and he also paddles with other groups here as well, and it was a great day, 4'-5' surf and after that he wanted to check out a few other rough spots so the two of us did that, which as the start of our open water paddling..
As Long as we remember that ALL "completely unbiased and accurate assessments " are only so as per the particular persons skill set…others milage may varry (in either direction)
When acrimony devolves from a tongue-in-cheek aside not central to a thread, why leave it?
nau's secret undisclosed sources seem to give him a sense of authority so essential to his well being that he feels the need to reassert, even though no one is seriously arguing...
As I said before, I hope that he is right that there are hundreds of Nordlows in North America.
"nau's secret undisclosed sources" - funny you cannot understand the concept of confidentiality?
"I hope that he is right that there are hundreds of Nordlows in North America" - very easy to check if you wanted to.
Finally (this is getting tiring), I just wish that when people debate here they at least make the effort of confirming first the accuracy (or at least the plausibility) of what they write. This by the way would help them adjust their views, should the facts prove inconsistent with their theories. This was the only point from the start.
that's why I posted pictures so other people would have some idea of the conditions. But the Nordlow isn't just a rough water boat. I can access a tidal creek from my back yard that is very narrow and winding, 6' wide with 180 and 90 degree turns, so all three of my kayaks had to be maneuverable and also handle a wide variety of open water. It’s a great boat for someone who wants to paddle 10-15 miles or a regular basis and well worth some practice in moderate conditions to get used to it. It’s not good for showing off sitting on the back deck and that is becoming more popular for instructors to show off as well as how far a kayak can edge over. I have successfuly completed a fair amount of formal training but take a slightly different approach when it come to what you want to accomplish.
The thread was about how do you like your NLV and I paddle mine all the time and really appreciate it in a wide variety of conditions. For example, sometimes I go on “beginner” trips though these twisting winding cypress swamps where the maneuverability is nice, or if I’m out there in big seas and need to turn into a wave that is breaking.
It also handles high wind in open water very well, easy to paddle and handle, with no unnecessary stress.
within revealed experience & skill level "Wilsoj gives a completely unbiased and accurate assessment" - as if that were possible
Actually I try to convey as accurate as possible my responses within my experience and skill level as conveyed both in my profile and in my posts.
I believe it is important to know a poster’s experience and skills in order to gage the weight of their posts. Just as it is important to know from whence their information derives to evaluate its validity.
While we are all entitled to opinions, I feel anyone who pronounces ex cathedra is to be viewed with skepticism.
well yeah most reviews are completely biased and don’t mention any negative aspect of their kayak.
That’s why it’s helpful if people post more pictures so at least we have some idea of the coditions they paddle in and their skills.
Back to the NLV… while I find it tippy to sit on the back deck, I can sit on the back deck of a Tempest just fine. The same goes for a hard edge when doing a sweep stroke. I can put the Tempest or the Q boat way over on edge. High bracing, stern and bow rudders the NLV is a dream. I did fine in demonstrating strokes and maneauvers for L3 ICE (L5 IT instructor said I was at L4) but the NLV didn’t edge over as far as I would have liked. It’s ok for instructing but most instructors use kayaks with a more stable edge, and I’m not aware of any instructor who uses a NLV. I find there isn’t much room for error, such as doing a slide slip in conditions, but it really improves technique.
In short, most kayakers would want more stability and even instructors want a more solid edge. But to me the advantages out weigh the disadvantages for having one kayak for everything, as most of my time isn’t spent sitting on the back deck, and Valley has the narrow pointed stern for rougher conditions.
rained all day wind wasn’t as strong as predicted… most of the day below 20 knots… surf zone would have been a bit harder to punch through… the air temps were pretty warm… the water is down to 55 though…
the last time was fun, the surf zone was difficult to get through, but we avoided the even rougher conditions at the inlets… so that’s what I meant about being on the same page… go out have fun in some challenging conditions that we weren’t extreme… water temps above 60 …
that was about my limit for where I’m at now… fun to do something different every now and then…
Unfortunately, so often when I've been paddling in interesting conditions I am not confident enough to take a hand off my paddle to pull out my camera, so there are rarely shots - though I wish there were ;-)
Stating ones goals when paddling is not something I had thought about much but makes sense when writing about a boat.
Every boat design is a complex of compromises. As a result each boat does some things better than others. So, each paddler will find some shortcomings in each boat. Of course, the perception of those short comings will vary according to the skill and goals of the paddler.
I like pictures they are a fun way of motivating my kids to get better so they can come out and join me in the big bumpy stuff.
I use an Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 attached with a carabiner to the right shoulder strap of my PFD.
I put some clear packing tape over the LCD screen to prevent it getting scratched to oblivion and it lives tucked down the front of my PFD.
In case I need two hands for the paddle I can drop my camera and it just barely reaches my spray skirt so it is reasonably out of the way.
I have fallen over a couple of times while taking pictures but it isn't a big deal, I just drop my camera and roll back up (usually laughing).
A thing to be aware of is losing track of the ocean while focusing on the incredibly hard to see view finder. I try to make sure I am not in the way of breaking/dumping waves as that could hurt, but it has happened a time or two. I would like to live to a ripe old age so I really try to make sure I leave a wide (for me) margin for safety.
For awhile I didn't have any good pictures of the really fun stuff because I typically paddle alone. But now that I have found safe and competent fellow crash test dummys to paddle with (Yakwise take a bow), I can stand off a bit and shoot others doing the wild thing in the waves. I don't have an online photo account but I guess maybe I should get one to share.
tested this kayak for the first time at the ECCKF I liked the way it responded to edging. I had just taken a L3 training with Ben Lowery and he helped me test out some kayaks and asked me what I thought of each one. I had been looking at a Aquanaut and regular Nordkapp but wanted them to be a more responsive to edging. I had been paddling a hard chine Q boat that was beautiful on edge. Ben asked what I wanted from the kayak. I told him maneuverable and efficient for extended distances. I tested a lot of kayaks and it had to turn when edged. I realized the secondary wasn’t as solid. Ben even expressed his concerns about the stability also. I also tested a North Shore Atlantic that was a very impressive kayak, so it was between the two of those, and I wanted the one that was more efficient to paddle.
As far as a camera. I’m glad Bob had a chance to bring his down and we got a few pictures. There was also no way we could have taken a picture in the surf zone, but even a picture before launching would be good. You see good pictures over at UK Rivers Guidebook all the time and it’s really helpful and nice to see where people paddle.
I assisted with some classes last year and the NLV is fine for that. The Tempest is a little better for me on edge and I can just use one of those, or an Explorer, Romany, or whatever is left on the trailer which makes it easier than bringing my own. In the ocean I'll trust my bracing and roll before I trust the Tempest hatch covers. ;)
I kind of like the way the NLV edges when paddling forward even in conditions. When putting it on a hard edge in the surf zone I wish it were more stable but it still turns pretty well for an almost 18’ kayak and maybe someone else can dance that kayak on edge better than I can when doing a pivot turn. For me, an intermediate paddler, that’s the compromise which I knew when I got it and still find true. Last night I watched a video of my instructor that he made, the first part was of me doing the strokes and maneuvers and the second part was him doing them as a reference. I think I noticed him leaning more at the beginning of the sweep pivot turn which I’m going to try next time. Everything else is fine, leaned turns, rudders, slips, bracing, I rarely have to brace and for it is a kayak that keep me improving.
Anyway if I had little video clip it would be much easier to understand what I'm rambling on about.
this is one surfing on some 4' that was just getting warmed up.. me and my other friends usually surf smaller stuff that are a little more playful..
nice just seeing a little video clip is much more helpful…
im done trying to have a discussion on the internet, too many trolls and posers, who who twist everything out of context conform to their own limitations… and pnet is no exception…
"...it’s really helpful and nice to see where people paddle."
When I was early on this board it seemed the most common photo hosting site was webshots. So, I joined. I use the photo album option here, but post most of my paddling photos on webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/wilsoj2
Nice RI Shots Those rocks look interesting. Down here we are mostly sand with potentially ugly beach launches right into surf.
I guess it is time to get a Webshots account. I never really thought the things I did were all that interesting to other paddlers, but I guess it is nice to see pictures to help give a scale to comments about various different paddling situations.
webshots thanks! you have nearly 300,000 views on that, with several thousand views for the albums I pulled up…
Sometimes I wonder how many people even read these post at pnet?
I have a good mental image of some of the conditions you and Celia paddle, especially when you use your Romany in tide races.
But for a lot of other people here, including myself, more pictures would go a long way. Sometimes I take a camera in a Pelican box but really need a water proof one.
Sometimes I think people extract what they want out of a post or only read the first sentence, or get off topic, and in general pnet could benefit from more visual aids.
Just like our local paddling groups it helps to see the trips we go on.
My friend and I both appreciated Bob sending back a some pictures after our first paddle. We had been surfing all summer and those were the only surf pictures we got.
