gnarlydog
You are so right. I just couldn’t help myself! If there was a perfect way for everybody, we’d all be doing it, and we’d all be paddling the same boats (with the same skeg or rudder). Thank God that is not the case, it would be very boring. Our differences are the “spice in life”! All we have to do is look around at all the different boats and the people enjoying them. There is no right or wrong. God made us all wonderfully different and everybody may have a DIFFERENT perfect boat for themselves.
I just knew this would be a fun topic.
Tough to be human!
Franklin
To settle this, I bought a custom
Pamlico 14 with a skeg at one end, and a rudder at the other. By going back-and-forth like we all do on paddling.net, I will acquire irrefutable data on skewing and whethercocking.
…
Genius! I bet she spins like a top! 
If yourgoal is to move into the wind
you can raise your rudder. This usually provokes weathercocking in many kayaks and thus cannot trip you up.
Dogmaticus
I agree with that.
skeg and rudder
I’ve owned kayaks with skegs and with rudders, but have sold the ones with skegs. We kept the kayaks that tracked straight and also happened to be equipped with a rudder, though it is seldom used. My Explorer’s skeg was difficult to repair in the field, much more than field repairs I’ve made on boats with rudders over the years.
Another issue for us, as touring kayakers, is we need boats that have enough space to allow us to be self-contained for 14-25 days. The skeg box in my Romany Explorer and my wife’s Boreal Design Elsmere took up too much room in the rear hatch.
The lines drawn between skegs and rudders amuse me. It is almost as silly as the BCU vs ACA debate that rages here on occasion.
In the end, paddling is about how well one can handle a kayak with our without assistance from an add-on.
Skeg, Michelins, Hybrids
Tastes Good, Less Filling.
That said, the next boat(s) I am looking at (when I win the lottery), comes with a rudder.
I am just not coordinated enough to use a rudder and haven’t encountered any conditions where the skeg was sufficient. The best argument is that a rudder to turn is more efficient than manipulating the kayak through stroke/edge.
Bill
Mt. Pleasant, SC
No, it’s a terrible analogy
It maybe works if you spend all your paddling time on ponds, but used right on open water a good rudder setup lets you kick your tail back in line while using your paddle to do something else that needs to be done, like accelerating onto a wave. Doesn’t mean rudders are the be-all and end-all; they’re just one way of doing things. But you’re not going to mistake a surfski on a nice downwind run for your father’s Oldsmobile.
WOW!
Sorry I opened the proverbial can of worms. I needed some opinions and I certainly got them…in spades! I guess it all boils down to trying many boats until you find the one that suits your needs. I’m looking for a boat that I don’t have to rely on either skeg or rudder. I want to be able to control my boat not have the boat control me. I’ve tried about ten different boats all supposedly for my size (5’2" 112 lbs) and with all but the Suka and Andromeda I needed to use skeg or rudder to track straight. I’ve decided on the Andromeda(with skeg). Just felt right in all aspects. Will let you know how I make out.
Thanks for all your responses. It was eye opening.
I think a Mustang or a Corvette
comes in auto as well.
So do BMW and so on.
Just makes me wonder why racing cars are usually not automatic…
Ask a sporty driver and see what his prefrence is.
BTW I’m not into cars at all but so many people are.
The analogy was to explain the difference in layman terms
Huh!
Only 50 replies! We’re slipping!
It depends on the hull…
– Last Updated: Sep-19-08 1:11 AM EST –
... and what you plan to do with it.
Super short - nuthin's probably OK.
Super long - gotta say rudder.
In between (like most sea/touring kayaks) - see first sentence. Some are designed for neither, some for one or the other, some for either (and few offer both).
(I'm really talking about waterline lengths, not overall lengths).
This question should only really apply to the few kayaks that offer a choice - and only as a secondary or lower consideration*. It should never be used to pick a hull, and the secondary considerations depend 100% on the paddler.
* - Waterline lengths matter. Kayaks that are optimal with one or the other, generally come with one or the other. So it's very rare to have someone make a truly wrong choice.
FWIW - I've had 5 with nothing, 3 with rudders, 2 with skegs. Currently have one with skeg, two with nothing. I have far more miles in a skegged kayak (but it's only deployed less than 10% of the time, and rarely fully). I might convert the skegged one to a custom rudder (it's one of those few that come all three ways)- or build one designed for a rudder (because there are things I want to do/explore that require a rudder - not because I'm having some change of heart about any option being "better".
yes.
and the poster is intermediate.
she will be advanced soon enough.
i don’t think there is much arguable material in my post.
rudders can be raised in foul weather (if they work and you can free yourself up) i have had one stuck down due to a hitch.
I preffer a skeg, beginners will like rudders and some boats have none of it.
Suka may be better
– Last Updated: Sep-19-08 11:45 AM EST –
Or the Slipstream, intended for paddlers under 170 pounds. I've seen medium sized guys fit quite comfortably into the Andromeda, which at 5'2" and 119 pounds you are not, and take advantage of the added volume for camping gear. You haven't indicated that you'll need the latter.
The boat going straight is a matter of how straight you can paddle - and like most newer paddlers you probably need a little instruction to paddle correctly. And, paddling wrong will eventually create injuries. So getting it correct from the outset is a happier choice all around.
I thought Ben was an Aussie?
“Hey mate! That’s not how it’s done!”
Ben is one of the most direct and concise coaches with whom I’ve worked.
Hardware on the Stern
Just a note that most rudders on sea kayaks involve an amount of hardware on and hanging off the stern.
This can make some towing, re-entries, and rescues difficult.
Willow?
Did you get a chance to try a CD Willow? Or an Impex Force 3? A Valley Avocet LV or NDK Romany LV might also suit.
The Andromeda seems an awfully big boat for someone your size.