Skerray RM vs. RMX
The older RM’s had ocean cockpits. The current RMX has a keyhole. You may be able to custom order an RM from Valley.
Others
The Nigel Foster Rumour from Current Design has the same size cockpits as BBK boats. It’s not really an ocean cockpit - unless you play in the NBA - but it’s smaller than keyholes.
The Kajak Sport Viking used to be available with an OC, but I’m not sure if it still is.
viking cockpit
the current boat has a “short keyhole” 28" or so. at 5’ 9", i can just barely get in butt first.
i guess you could also start an arguement…er…discussion about what defines a OC in terms of size, too.
Really? the Rumour is OC?
– Last Updated: Mar-15-06 10:31 AM EST –
That's funny to me as I sat in one this past weekend at Canoecopia and it didn't occur to me that the cockpit wasn't a keyhole. I guess since I own Riot cockpit, OC and keyhole cockpit boats and I used to have a Betsie Bay, I don't think about it and just slide in. I was a little dissapointed that the back deck on the Rumour wasn't lower. I thought it would be pretty radical but it was the same height as my Silhouette. From just sitting in the boat, I would guess that it might roll slightly better than the Silhouette due to less volume but not significantly so. I still need to try it out at some point as it seems like it would be a fun boat for day paddling, surfing, etc.
Air bag
Last time I had to fit into a rental WW boat in a hurry, the guide offered an airbag. (since most WW boats don’t have “pegs” but use foams intead, which takes time to put in)
I found the air-bag-as-foot-peg quite comfortable for forward paddling and rolling. It’s almost as solid as foam, definitely better than pegs. It beats pegs by allowing my feet to be placed anywhere.
I think one can do the same for low’ish volume touring boats. Pump up the airbag when day paddling. Take out (or just deflate) the airbag and put in whatever drybag of stuff(clothes/sleeping bag?) you wish in its place. You can then just push your feet against the drybag just like an airbag. No wasted storage space. No cheezy foot pegs. Have your cake and eat it too!
Orion
My Orion isnt really an Ocean Cockpit, course its not as big as most keyholes, its really somewhere in between, but still closer to keyhole
probably
has a slalom cockpit. about halfway between and oval
best wishes
Roy
Rumour Cockpit
There may easily be some confusion about the Rumour cockpit.
I haven’t had the opportunity to sit in one yet, but a while back there was a thread where someone confirmed that the cockpits on the new ones are the same as the original design. The measurements taken from a Rumour put the cockpit extremely close to the size of the cockpit in my Explorer LV. That is a keyhole, but a greatly smaller keyhole cockpit than what is usually out there - both narrower and shorter in distance from the back of the cockpit to where the keyhole cuts in over the thighs.
I tend to describe it as an ocean cockpit with a keyhole shape in front of it. As far as I know, this is a pretty rare accomodation for smaller paddlers. At 5’4", it gives me plenty of purchase well over my thighs, something that I don’t get from most boats including any of the Valley boats, but it is still a lot easier to wet re-enter than a true ocean cockpit.
There are differences
The cockpit is 15" x 25", according to CD’s specs. While it may not have felt like it, the aft deck IS lower than a Silhouette’s. Unfortunately, I don’t have the dimensions handy.
It’s smaller
To be specific, the Rumour cockpit is ~4" shorter than the Explorer LV’s cockpit (25" vs. 29").
Thanks
Easy to see why it may be tough to categorize the Rumour cockpit if it is that much shorter than the Expl LV’s.