QCC 700X - Too Much Boat for Me?

Fun boat!
Like the play - love the rear deck - but too short/slow for me. I’m lazy!



All QCCs are not equal. I really only like the 700. 600’s OK. The others are way too wide and deep to be of interest to me - and are older designs that can’t be compared to the 600/700 beyond construction quality. Great kayaks for other’s purposes I’m sure.

What LeeG Said
My buddy bought the 700. Before he got used to it, he’d put a couple gallon jugs of water in the front and rear hatches. Wasn’t long before he didn’t need the water jugs.

Yes, Ive Noted
that the boat is surprizingly, (to me anyway), more stable when loaded. Ive had the boat loaded down with camp and cooking stuff and it realy stabilizes the boat in the water. On the other hand, with a cockpit full of water the boat is not very stable at all.



Mark

Hi Brian…
I’ve tried to read between the lines of your post to see why you would want to buy a 700. If you want to fish, a 700 is not the best choice, stick with your SOT. If you want to play in the surf off the Outer Banks, first choice would not be a 700. BUT, if you want to jump ahead of the usual learning curve & buy a used 700 to be used as a SEA-KAYAK then go ahead. There are many models that a “novice” could buy and spend many seasons learning the limits of. Why buy a 15’, then a 16.5’& then an 18’? Why not get the best all-around kayak now (IMO,sorry to let my feelings get in the way). If you can buy a used 700 for less than $2000 I say go for it, you can always re-sell it.

or so
I assume the Caribou 85-gallon number comes from info on the CD site, it’s at least a bit suspect because SK reported a bigger number, 12.52 cu ft or 93.7 gallons. They report 14.44 cu ft or 108 gallons for the Epic 18, the 700 is likely a few more gallons than that due to slightly higher rear deck and broader hull just forward of the cockpit.



Hopefully however SK comes up with their numbers (anyone know?) they do it consistently.



Mike

It’s very easy to outgrow
any boat. Boats are compromises of the ideal. For that very reason, what may be the right boat now could be obsolete in one year. Try the boat and if you feel comfortable in it, buy it if the price is good. The stability of the QCC comes from its low rocker and long waterline length. The beam is misleading. Sit in it. If you can launch from water, it’s stable enough. In one year I purchased four boats: Feathercraft Kahuna (sold re too slow), Impex Currituck (sold re too much rocker), QCC 700 (returned it because I did not like the fit for me), Boreal Ellesmere (such a sweet boat). I am also looking at an Epic 18 for endurance racing. You see, once you start it never stops.

Fit
I’d echo the fit recommendation. Try the cockpit on for size and test paddle it if you can. If it still has the soggy, wet diaper Rapidpulse seat, know that you can easily take that out and replace it with a backband, or use none at all. I’ve pushed my backband out of the way entirely. The QCC is surprisingly competent across the boards. It’s quite fast, and the amount of rocker it does have is deceptive; it will turn far more quickly than say, an Outer Island. Give it a rudder (best suited for racing, if you paddle areas with strong cross currents, or like to surf swells) and you’ll spin on a dime. Initially, it might feel tender, but as noted, its secondary stability is rock solid. It doesn’t quite build as linearly as say, an Explorer (my last boat), but it’s there-it’s almost like playing the trombone-smile-after some time you learn where the notes are on the slide. Yhat said, I find it to be very user friendly and it will haul the kitchen sink, if you’re into camping. The huge amount of volume, high back deck,and the splayed leg seating position are the only things I don’t like about this boat. Oh, and the hatches leak a bit. Beyond that, it does just about everything else well-handles the rough, surfs wonderfully…a superb all around performer.

I don’t think it will be too tippy,
but I’d at least shop around for other used kayaks before blanketly accepting the first used kayak you come across that is not a rec kayak.

Try the boat.
Take it to a nice calm place and try it out.



If it feels like you can’t keep it up right then don’t get it.



My story: I am 5’-9" and weigh 160.

I had been paddling and racing a heavy 17 plastic Eclipse which is about a inch or so wider than the 700.

I almost always took a trophy home when there was a plastic division in the races, and never when I was against composite boats.

I wanted to enter the Bogey and Bacall race( down in Key Largo) which is one of the biggies on the east coast, but also wanted to move to a faster yak, so I ordered a 700, and at the same time my wife ordered a 600.

QCC said they would try to get it to me several weeks prior to the race, but unfortunately they couldn’t do that, and I picked it up at a trucking terminal in South Florida the day before the first race.

We took the boats on a Friday afternoon to a sheltered bay and you can imagine my apprehenshion when I climbed into it.

I was absolutely astounded. It was more stable than my Eclipse and I just paddled away with it.

The following day the 13 mile race was not too bad, but on Sunday in the six miler, the wind was blowing so bad and the seas were so rough the Coast guard almost stopped the race, and many people either scratched or dropped out.

The 700 paddled like a dream although at the horeshoe bouy turns I must admit I held my breath making the turns with the waves breaking over my side.

Anyway, that day made it a keeper for me.



Going back to my first sentence. If after you try it out you feel like you won’t be able to stay upright in it, absolutely don’t buy it.

It could turn you against paddling and none of us want that.



Cheers,

JackL

I disagree on that one
I love nature watching, swamp paddling and meandering river paddling.

My QCC has been in hundreds of tight coves and back creeks and turns with just a subtle lean that comes without even thinking about it.



Cheers,

JackL.



PS: Occasionally I have to back up to make a turn if I am in a ten foot wide feeder creek, but that back paddling is always fun too, since I end up making the gators go below the surface twice!

Yes…

– Last Updated: Sep-08-05 10:56 AM EST –

The Romany has that reputation (of being slow) but in my experience it doesn't matter much. I manage well enough compared to people in longer boats. I think the speed issue is a bit overrated (for non racers).

Again, different boats for different (paddle) strokes.

The problem that the original poster has is not enough experience and not enough time to evaluate a boat.

If the boat won't scare him off of sea kayaking and he can resell it relatively easily and it's being sold at a good price, purchasing the QCC700 makes sense since he'll learn a lot paddling it. This is worth something even if he comes to preferring another boat.

I bought the Romany in part because I needed a boat to get experience to evaluate boats. The choice still holds up (for me) after six years even if I might, now, choose another boat.

I do think being interested in whether a boat carries a lot of stuff is a distraction because, generally, people rarely use a boat this way and, in these cases, one rarely needs to carry that much stuff.

It would be hard to find a bad sea kayak and every boat has its enthusiasts and detractors.




Even 18.5 ft boats…
My friend in his 18.5 ft boat does the same. My little short boat is still more manueverable.



I think there’s more overlap of performance between boats than people realize but the basic properties of a boat places the center of its performance “envelope” in different places in the performance space (even if the envelope partially overlaps the envelope of a significantly different boat).



By suggesting that a particular boat is “perfect” in every situation, people can give the impression (especially, to a novice) that all sea kayaks equally effective in different situations.








I have spent some time in the 600
as you should well know, (well only if you read).



The 600 and 700 are indeed decent boats for many folks. The 6 had a lot of boat slap for me (230 pounds) in small chop. The 500 had immense boat slap in nasty steep three foot stuff. The 6 is too small for me in terms of cockpit size. I am interested in the 7 don’t get me wrong.



I really don’t think the volume of the 7 and the Caribou are anywhere near equivalent. That is my point. we are looking at a 20 gallon difference or so. Say between 93 and 110. That sais if I found a 700 for a good price and was in the market I would go for it. Whatever stability issues our newbie friend has. as long as he gets some time in his new boat, they will go away pretty fast.



So there are my two points. There is a significant amount of volume difference between the "bou and the 7, and that the 7 is a fine boat to try if you get one at a great price. It may even be a fine boat to buy new.

Me experience
It is tippy, you do get used to it. But I wouldn’t want to fish from it much, not unless I didn’t mind a swim more often than not. But it glides so smooth.

how often will you paddle?
we humans are very adaptable. you can learn to feel comfortable in it IF you give it enough time.

I settled into my 700 the first day
I’ve had it in 4’ waves and felt fine (don’t laugh you coastal people I’m and inlander, it’s all I could find). Once I swapped the seat cushion for a gel seat and an IR backband It’d take a lot for me to choose a different long boat. I paddled a Seda Glider for a few minutes last night I thought it was a hair faster, it’s owner thought my 700 was more maneuverable we’re both happy.



Welcome to the cult! I’m sure you’ll make the right choice

Randy

Words of wisdom
Archive back about three months and you’ll find my post about my ‘misadventures’ with the far narrower and tippier artic tern.

Initially, I was rigid …fearing the least movement would put me over (which wasn’t far off LOL).

Two weeks ago we paddled the lower Genesee from Lake Ontario on up toword the lower falls…the 25+ mph land based winds created swells and chop unending.

For 4 miles I had an ear to ear grin that would not quit.

You’ll grow into the boat and out of the fear as you do.

“far narrower and tippier arctic tern”

– Last Updated: Sep-08-05 10:18 PM EST –

Learning curve comments apply of course, but I have to ask: Tern is "narrower and tippier" than what? What you used to paddle? Wasn't clear in your post - and Terns are 2" wider that the subject boat of this thread. Just trying to keep it in context...

PS - I searched the archives for any post on any board by you in the past 6 months to find this archived thread you mentioned (assuming it would answer this) and found nothing. Tried any post on any board containing "tern" for the past year - still nothing.

I have a 600
and it should be tippier…but I was comfortable from the getgo in mine so yours should be fine.

I hope you don’t mind…
but I just looked at your profile to see where you are from.

“Mid-Atlantic” - If you are anywhere near Charlotte, particularly Salisbury, NC give me a shout, and you can try mine.

I’ll use my Eclipse and you can paddle the 700, and we can go for an all day paddle, as long as you don’t mind my better half tagging along in her 600.

There is a good lake about 3/4 of an hour from me.



Cheers,

JackL