well…
First, thanks, Chip (booze talkin) for your words above in my defense and attesting that I am a descent paddler and not just someone looking to blame the boat…
But primarily I wanted to comment on the Super Nova…got one last night and got it out on the river today.
Was a nice stretch of river with a couple of class III rapids and one I had previously run with the YS solo.
I found the Super Nova to be a great boat. Primary stability was not an issue…don’t know why people describe it as such a tippy boat. Not really in my opinion. Secondary is very good as well.
It is a big boat and therefore not quite as comfortable to paddle as the YS solo…and a little clumsy feeling in comparison maybe. Maneuverablility is about the same as my “modified” YS with the wider thwarts. Super Nova may have a slight edge.
But the difference is in volume. I once heard someoen say that there was no substitute for volume when it came to seaworthiness and taking big waves / drops, ect. Well…that is exactly the case.
No comparison between the Nova and YS solo. The added flare, higher freeboard, higher bow, and greater volume made the drops and large waves much more manageable. It is hard running some rapids in teh YS solo since it pencils in so much and easily ships water over the bow and gunwales which makes for a lot of bracing. Not so with the Nova. Truly no comparison in that regard and made the harder sections a lot easier.
Living proof that the boat does matter. You really have to have the right tool for the right application and the right boat for the conditions in which you are going to paddle.
Class III in the YS solo is doable but really borderline. Not so with the Nova. It is much more up to the task. No matter how good of a paddler you are and how good a line you pick and maintain if the boat does not have enough volume you are going to get swamped.
Matt