QCC 700X - Too Much Boat for Me?

Hello there, my name is Brian and I need some advice. I’m 6’2", 185lbs, and a novice paddler with some rec kayak experience. I also own a SOT (Ocean Kayak Scrambler) that I paddle in the surf in the Outer Banks and also on some flatwater for fishing. Decent forward stroke and draws, taking a class in a couple weeks for bracing and basic sea kayak essentials (recovery, etc.)



I have the itch to get my own boat, and there is a guy near me who is selling a Kevlar QCC 700X for a very very good price and it’s in great shape.



He mentioned that it might be too tippy for me at this point in my paddling life, and he could very well be right about that… but I’m wondering… is that boat truly an advanced level kayak or something I could feel good about “growing into”?



I’m so new at this point that any boat might feel tippy at first until my skills develop further.



All advice welcome.

Take it for a paddle

You will quickly adjust to it.
It will feel tippy at first because it does not have a lot of initial stability. But it has great secondary stability. You can put it on edge and feel like it was made to be there (which it was). If you test paddle it take it to a shallow area where you can right the boat easily if you tip over and try rotating it from edge to edge and holding it on one edge. Once you are convinced that the tippy motion is not going to turn you upside down you will begin to relax and before you know you won’t notice it. And you will have a great boat.

Yeah… but…
I appreciate the advice to take it for a spin, but I guess the root of my question is that given I’m a newb… my thought is that ANY boat might feel too tippy.



What I’m wondering is if this is the right boat to try to grow into, or is this one of those super sleek boats made for someone with years of experience?

Thanks Doc

You’ll save money and time
By buying a very good boat that you can grow into and possibly not outgrow, you will save the time and expense of working your way through lesser boats in order to get to a really good one.

it’s fine,but
Displacement wise it’s a big touring boat at your weight and if it feels too rolly just put in a couple gallons of water bottles for ballast. It’ll make a HUGE difference for balance comfort at first.



I’m under the impression there’s been three variations with seat/cockpit placement shifting fore/aft accordingly. I’d check around more to see if this one is one that will require a weight at one end or the other as I’ve heard some folks a bit bothered by the experimentation in production.

Learning curve

– Last Updated: Sep-07-05 12:09 PM EST –

I went from a 28" wide WS Tarpon 160 SOT to a Q700.

You'll adjust. It will come in phases. Tippy maybe, but paddleable from day one. At first you'll feel every wiggle from even tiny chop and wakes and over react - relying heavily on the paddle for support. After bit you'll realize it's you, not the boat, and stop over reacting. Then you'll begin to trust it and push it more and begin to get pretty comfortable. At some point you'll realize that same chop that had you tense does nothing now and you can bob around in it and eat, fuss with gear, whatever. Your stability is not so dependent on the paddle anymore - but lower body action - and these have become independent of each other (giving you two kinds of stability vs. one). Then you find yourself laughing as you find that you can completely ignore wakes from all angles and seek them out. Then you get out in some wind/wave and see how great it punched upwind, takes beam with grace, and gives an amazing and addictive feeling running downwind.

Learning to roll and other messing about will accelerate all this (as will frequent seat time - obviously). Basic rescue stuff up (paddle float and other rescues) from will alleviate most of not all of the early jitters.

Just going out about once a week I was getting settled in a month, pretty comfortable in 3, rock solid in a year. After 2 years it's too stable! Like sitting on a dock. I was offshore in 3' for a 15 mile paddle on my third outing and survived OK. Had my only unplanned capsize - more due to fatigue and lazy paddle stroke - and my only "real" paddle float recovery. All easy and basically a non-event. I did back off a hair next few times out though.

Anyway, the 700 is a super hull. Super stable for 21" beam. The more you paddle it, the more you'll appreciate it. I seriously doubt you'll be sorry. If you are, a used 700 should be easy to resell at no loss.

I Rented Several Boats Over A
period of about a year. The sum of my paddles was somewhere about 15 outings. I purchased a QCC700 earlier this year. I found the boat just as Greyak and others have said, a bit wobbly. But, I found out that the boat was just looking for me to move with it. I am still learning but I love the boat, and laugh at the water that used to intimidate me.



BTW- Im 6’0" and 180lbs.



happy paddling,



Mark

I agree with previous post
Im not going to preach the amazing wonders and glorify the 700 but from my accounts with mine your gettin good accurate replies.



If its a real good buy, go for it, absolutely nothing to loose, resale if necessary shouldn’t be a problem.



Yes you will be wobbly with every breath in flat calm water, then you will be rock solid in flat calm water, then you will adjust to wind and chop and then swell and boat wake etc. Your paddling and confidence in yourself and boat will definately improve relatively quickly. The boat is fast, the boat stows great with its big hatches and holds for camping trips, the cockpit fit is nice with the leg overlapping coaming, I have not used any ballast water or other forms but loaded with camping gear the tendency to roll from the initial stability to the secondary is slowed greatly. I do find the ocean far more challenging than other bodies of water but practice makes perfect. I have also learned using a greenland paddle with its buoncy can offer an outrigger effect when sitting idle. I believe a good snug fit in the hip and thigh area is key to controlling the boats tendency to want to roll- under, not roll-over, but roll-under.





Brian

SoFlo








I’m glad they tweaked
Mine is a second generation with the cockpit 8" aft of center. The original was centered and designed to be paddle loaded. The shift aft was in recognition that most were using the boat to day paddle with lighter loads. Works great for me as I have a skeg and need to use it less. It also let me move my seat 3" forward for easier layback and better contact with thigh braces. The new seat position is exactly where it is on the curent 3rd generation production - which moved the cockpit back 3" forward and has got to be about perfect.



What’s all this mean? Original is best for heavy hauling (and some prefer it racing) and best with rudder. Second generation is perfect for skeg (rudder will of course be OK too) - and super easy to roll with a somewhat radical seat move. Third (current) is probably optimal for most general uses and fine with skeg or rudder.



Skip the ballast - it will only slow down the learning curve. Many paddlers much lighter than you are fine in them. Ask JackL!

roll-under
Well - it is made for that you know! Kayaks get bored when forced to stay flat on the surface all the time. Mine been much happier and hasn’t wobbled or even threatened to since I started letting it roll at least a few time each paddle.

Yes
Kris,

That may have been the turning point for me also. Mine seems to be having a good time since she rolled a few times. BTW, still working on what I now understand is a combat roll. Have taken it through the breakers a couple of days, (calm days) and haveing differant kinds of fun.



Mark

Boats


The QCC boats have more volume than I like. The QCC 700 is quite long and should be well suited to long, fast, and straight trips. A shorter, lower volume boat will likely be preferable if you like to follow the shore line.



You’d get more useful advice if you indicated the kind of paddling you like to do.



As long as you are comfortable wet exiting, you should get used to the “tippyness”. (Not that you will wet exit but that wet exiting is only “cost” in getting used to a boat.)



If it’s truely a “good deal”, you should be able to resell it. Even if you decide to resell it, the experience you gain might make it worthwhile. (I think it’s a pain to sell stuff.)

my wonderful QCC
I’ve bought eight boats over the last two plus years. This is the best all around boat I’ve paddled todate. A few boats may be slightly faster and some may carry more but none does everything as good as the 700. My boat is the third generation boat with I think more weather tight hatches. I tore out my seat and moved my closed cell seat three inches forward. As you are tall (I’m 5’10") that may not be practical for you as it would make getting your legs in and out much more difficult. You’ll get used to the boat. GET THE BOAT. It’s amazing what you can get used to and how quickly that will happen. Soon you’ll be in your QCC and you’ll think you are sitting on your sofa at home. Good luck. Franklin

Curious njkayaker - what do you paddle?
Have you actually paddled a 700? (I’ve learned not to assume this, as many here like to comment on them that never have - or have paddled fat deep 400/500s - and are just regurgitating misconceptions from others who also haven’t. Not saying you are doing that, but curious…).



It’s a very good all around boat. Some are better at specific tasks - but I’ve tried a lot of boats and found many others I like - but nothing good enough overall to make me want to swap. I have modified out most of the small shortcomings and am quite spoiled now.



Only thing probably I’d choose a different sea/touring kayak for would be dedicated surf zone play or rock garden stuff (beyond that I’d be in more specialized kayaks (race, surf Greenland SOF, whatever). Otherwise it likes textured water fine. Most susceptible to fairly light winds between 1O-15 knots, but easily managed. Above that that wave begin to shield the hull from the wind and it loosens up again (this is a pleasant surprise when you find it).



It’s quite maneuverable for a 17 1/2’ waterline - but with that much hull in the water you do work it differently than a shorter LWL hull. I don’t have a rudder and it maneuvers fine. Slow maneuvering is great. Can spin it in place with just a few strokes. At speed it’s responsive but naturally carves a bigger arc than say a Pintail. It’s one of those boats you just don’t have to think about much.



Volume? Yeah, quite a bit and much of it naturally above water so it catches some wind as already noted above. It is not as high volume as many seem to think though. Comparable to something like a Caribou which I never hear referred to as high volume (though it is both deeper and wider than the Q700). It has a nice low foredeck in line with all the higher end Brit boats, and lower than several. Rear deck is high and that can alter roll finish position and some rescues work better with modifications - but no big deal. all kayaks are a bit different. After the seat move I find the layback more comfortable that the Pintail - but before it was pretty much not going to happen as more than an arched back - but there are lots of ways to roll a kayak and layback are not required (do make it easy though!).



PS - Added info here is for original poster’s benefit - not intended as pro/anti QCC debate.

volume of caribou 85 gallons
volume of 700 about 120 or so. (QCC does not seem to publish any more.)

Thats about a 40% increase pretty sizeable. Volumes are close to the opposite ends of the spectrum for North american made true sea kayaks

A Romany
I’d be hard pressed to get into a pro/anti debate about any boat! Fortunately, there are many, very different, good boats (things would be boring otherwise).



I paddle a 16ft Romany (and camp with it). I’ve tried a QCC600 briefly. I think the Caribou is a fairly high volume boat (I still like it).



Given the numerous positive comments about the QCC boats, I’m pretty much convinced they are good boats.






Get the boat!!
You won’t regret it, they are incredibly stable for 21" beam boats, and if you get something “wider” thinking about more stability you will out grow it quickly.



Get the boat!!



HEX

“or so"
I’ve never seen a number. Could be, but hard to believe it’s that much more. It is a little longer - and has more in the ends - but is also lower and narrower.



Where the volume is makes more difference in use than the number. I don’t care if someone considers it “high volume” - I just don’t like the way that’s tossed out there to imply it’s much different from other 21” x close to 18’ sea kayaks. It’s not.



The 500 however is huge (BTW - is this still the only QCC you have actually paddled Peter?).