Well, if I ignore the size of my car then I guess I can get a longer yak…
What do folks think of this yak in terms of speed, rolling, etc.?
Many thanks.
fast for a brit boat
handles rough water well tracks a touch stiff a bit lacking in primary for me at 220 decent secondary and rolls easy
ok
I like other designs but it’s in the category of good to excellent for rough water,
fast for a brit boat?
…a greenlander pro and the new greenlander race are rather fast boats, yeah? that quest you had was a pretty slick boat as well on the ocean.
the sirius too is pretty fast.
i am not presuming your experience but it has been mine that the sirius is not an ideal beginner boat - bit twitchy and you can’t really ever relax and veg out or in you go. suppose that would vary depending on paddler weight/height, yeah?
it does track but will turn well with a committed lean. it has been my experience that it surfs well and you can hold a line very nicely.
it is a fun and fairly stable boat in rougher water although the best one i’ve experienced has been an explorer (ndk)
the finish on ph boats is generally excellent and the seats/back bands very comfortable and very functional for whatever you’re up for doing.
i’ve never camped out of one and wonder if you might run into storage issues?
concuring advise
i don’t believe that edseas2 indicated that he was a beginner, but maybe upgrading - however, if a beginner, which i’m not too far from being, i’ve received much the same advise over the past number of days - a fine boat, but not for my skill levels - you’re comments are generally what have been told to me.
sirius not a beginners boat
– Last Updated: Jul-09-04 12:21 AM EST –
no, not at all for 99% of beginners. He was talking aobut rolling, if he is serious then the sirius will work. Some folks just want to push the learning curve, have the time to learn, want to get instruction, and do not mind capsizing; the sirius might work for that beginner. If not, and you are buying a used one it's only a minor loss to resell. That quest had too much windage for me unless it was loaded. Other than that and some gel coat issues it was a fine boat. the odds of me going out for a weeklong trip on the ocean are just about nill for the next few years so it went.
The speed comparison is based on things like the explorer etc. medium size rough water specialty boats. I do not know if the sirius m is close to the quest in speed, I do not have a lot of time in the sirius. I could not have the paddle out ot the water in more than a ripple and I mean a ripple.
sirius again
Wow - so many nice folks on this board!
This is my third season paddling - we’ve hired a guide and paddled for several days in Maine the last 2 seasons - last weekend I was told by a guide that my level was that of a strong intermediate - we do sea kayaking almost exclusively - some open ocean and Island hopping.
I like to paddle quickly and am usually the fastest or top two in the group.
So far we’ve avoided purchasing oour own Yaks although I’ve probably tried at least 20-30 different kinds .
I want to learn to roll this season and I will probably buy my own Yak this season too - hence my need for advice.
Thanks again.
I don’t know much about kayaks, but
I know what I like, and I like my Sirius hf.
In case you missed these links I posted earlier, here’s some Sirius kayaking:
http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/tsarchives8/index.cgi?read=340267
http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/trailersailor/index.cgi/read/343156
http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/trailersailor/index.cgi/read/343164
The thing must roll pretty easy, cause I can roll it. I’ve only dumped it by accident once, when I was trying out a new paddle, but soon as I get my offside roll down, I’m gonna be dumping all the time, learning more stuff. Note that the pics in the links were mostly taken by a guy in a Sirius (me) who got his kayak 8 months ago, and doesn’t have too much trouble putting down the paddle to take pics in a rather busy harbor with a bit of waves and wakes all around. Yeah, the boat felt a bit squirrely when I first got it, but I thought I’d learn faster with it than with something wider, and without a fairly fast boat I’d never have a chance keeping up with other folks till I got in shape. As it is, I can go pretty well for a little while, until age and fat catch up with me and slow me down again (59 yr/200 lb).
Love my Sirius
the sirius does all things well. great in rough water, fast, tracks very well. Does not turn as quickly as my Legend but does turn well.
I don’t generally like second handing
info, but I’ve heard the Sirius tends to want to broach in following seas, more so than some other comparable designs. You just need good stern control technique to conteract it.
sirius (again), stats and a Romany 16 vs
Somemone kindly mentioned that I should post my stats so here they are: at 44 y.o. I weigh 180lbs and I’m 5’9" tall.
I want to thank everyone for their awesome advice and, by-the-way, I know that intermediate paddlers stay intermediate for years before becoming advanced paddlers.
But, at more than $2,500 for a yak I truly value everyone’s advice so…
What do you all think of the Romany 16 vs Chatham 16?
Many thanks.
romany
i have not paddled the chatham but it does seem to be the necky answer to the romany 16 and avocet, eh?
own an avocet and have paddled a romany and love both of these boats for what they can do.
the romany (like her larger explorer brother) is in my experience (such as it is…) simply the best overall and rough water boat you can buy. others have had different experiences and surely have feelings…this is just my opinion and not a factual statement do please, no one get too bent outta shape!
the rougher the conditions, the more you apreciate this boat. it isn’t the fastest and you certainly can’t pack a ton of gear in em, but minimalist you can do and if you can manage to keep the speed up, this would be a great all around boat that you would paddle almost exclusively.
the avocet is plastic and heavier but no slower and sheesh, same thing…ain’t it fun? haven’t had her out in real conditions yet so can’t comment on her relative rough water performance but so far she is a doll to paddle as well.
the thing i have begun to realize about the avocet though is that dang, if she isn’t just attracted to rocks and other such things? you can be just playing around in the break along anything rocky and “bang” don’t you just surf right on up there and then wonder why you didn’t pack your rapelling gear? the first boat i have owned with a penchant for rock climbing…huh, go figure!
Avocet and rocks…
My son paddles an Avocet RM — on the last river trip he was given the nickname ‘Thumper’ for obvious reasons.