Prijon Embudo questions

Hello I am new to kayaking and purchased a prijon embudo online. Upon buying the kayak I had to fix some oil canning areas but that wasn’t hard. I seem to however have a problem to where I am going fine and then randomly start spinning in circles.

I love kayaking and live in a great area for it. The Pacific Northwest (Oregon)

I think this may have to do with my paddling technique.

Ideas?

Go find an ACA or BCU instructor at a local kayak shop and take a lesson or two. It will jump start your paddling skills and you will probably meet other folks with whom to paddle.

That’s not going to happen as 3 classes would cost as much as a kayak itself. Anyone have any useful information?

I looked into this and the classes are booked for weeks and price is ridiculous.

Perhaps my paddles are too long? Boat is 8ft 3inches long and paddles are 220cm. Is this a problem? I find it very annoying and shocking that there really isn’t any sites that have any input as to what should be done. Most just say it depends on your style and type of kayak and goes into zero detail.

No one? Guess I’m
Back to the drawing board. I will learn by trial and error.

What you have bought is a boat designed for white water, meaning it is meant to twist and turn in tight rapids, not track well for distance paddling. Spinning is what it is designed to do. If you look up reviews of it, it is intended for extreme waters up to Class 5 and going over waterfalls. Is that what you plan to do? It can be made to track straight but would require lessons to refine technique because you need to fight the rocker (curve built into the hull) — if the oil canning is severe that will also impair tracking. As with any sport, you are really not going to learn good form without in person instruction.

If you want a kayak for touring on flatwater (slow rivers, lakes and the ocean) you probably should try to sell it and find a boat designed for those conditions. Such a kayak will be much longer (12’ to 18’) and have a different hull design. Even among touring kayaks there are differences that affect handlng.

There are articles on this site that explain the different types of kayaks and what to look for to choose one that is appropriate to the types of waters you want to explore, your body proportions and skill level. Reading them would help you understand the basics.

No boat is a bargain if it does not suit your intended usage. Unfortunately, many sellers fail to inform buyers what type of boat they are selling — sometimes they don’t even know themselves. There are vast differences in the types of kayaks, so researching a model before you buy it, especially if you are a newcomer to the sport, is very important.

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Do you understand that you have a whitewater boat that is designed to do other things than go straight?

Adding to what Celia and Willowleaf have said - the boat you bought is what is called a creeker style white water kayak. It is made for going down white water rivers with drops. White water boats in general are made to turn very easily, but not go straight well. It can be made to go straight, but will require learning proper paddle form and lots of practice.

If you would like a summary of the different types of boats, you may want to check out an article in Issue #10 of California Kayaker Magazine. Can be read online for free at http://calkayakermag.com/magazine.html

If you are planning to use that kayak for what it is made for (white water rivers), a class is very strongly recommended. In white water, learning to roll is an important safety measure that most learn before doing rivers. If white water rivers are not your plan, then a different boat might be better for you.

YouTube. Classes for those not wanting or able to take classes. I did a bit of that early on. Not saying I wouldn’t benefit from good instruction, but it helped a lot. Right now I’m watching solo canoe trip videos just to watch the paddle styles, which is often different in practice than instruction. Proper paddle technique not only helps with directional control, but it is far less work than fighting it.