I’ve always picked boats
based upon the performance without. And I suppose you could call me one of those people who refuses to use rudder or skeg regardless of whether it would make getting from here to there easier. If you put two boats in front of me, the existence of one or the other would not make the decision. They are both arguably crutches, and both arguably wonderful tools (like a pair of crutches are when you need them), and they are both instant options to utilize or not.
As a sidenote, if I were using one, I personally would never think to use either in tight maneouvering situations or in the surf zone. I like the hull freed up in those situations. Both would be retracted.
Most paddlers I encounter never learn to edge their boat to turn, even those with really nice equipment. If a person will be happy at the level of a half dozen sweep strokes in a skegged boat to turn, or using a rudder in a ruddered boat to turn, I’ll recommend whatever they like best. If they want better skills, they will learn them with either.
Many insist that a rudder is not intended to aid in turning, but this much is hard to ignore. The only contact points I can make to the kayak using my paddle to turn are within the cockpit. I only wish I could get the leverage a rudder has on the end of the stern. For a device not intended to aid in turning, it sure can make easy work of it. I think that contributes to some folks viewing rudders as a disease that will prevent a person from better skills. In the end, everyone gets to earn their skill set, and rudders and skegs aren’t what’s interfering if a person decides they’re content with a different standard. The same person that would consider me an idiot for not dropping my skeg or rudder over a longer crossing to assist in tracking, could very well accuse me of wrongdoing for using my rudder to round a corner. I recommend going for best fit and feel of a kayak without using either. Then you still have a safety crutch to use when conditions have you feeling a little lame.
more fuel
The faster boats have rudders!! L
most people
don’t need one… it will probably inhibit learning corrective strokes and edging, the foot pegs are not as secure, and will catch wind and waves with extra cables that you don’t need…
There are people who like rudders and I respect that…
I also liked my hard chined hull that was like built in rudder… just lean the boat a little and it turns…
Strang!
You know I got a rudder on my bike. No way could I control that thing with just pedal strokes.
Now Now
I’m not sure I agree with your statement:
“not necessarily limiting myself if i don’t have one.”
There may be some boats that handle wind beautifully with no rudder and no skeg. I don’t think your tsunami is one. If you find yourself way out on the water in strong winds in your skegless; rudderless boat, I think your boat control and boat enjoyment will be “limited”.
More info
I really don't care one way or another as long as it's an informed decision.
1) I suspect that many manufacturers provide rudders because inexperienced people think they are necessary (and it allows a more expensive boat to be sold). (Some boats are designed with rudders in mind.)
2) People should realize that a rudder isn't necessary to turn a (typical) boat.
3) Ideally, people should be able to turn the boat without the rudder. Relying on the rudder might keep people from learning boat control (and it's possible that the rudder might get broken).
4) The basic purpose (as others have said) of a rudder is keep the boat going straight. Certainly, they can be used to turn the boat (but the boat needs to be moving).
5) The reason rudders are used on surf skis (long racing boats) is because these boats are really long and rudders allow racers to avoid using less-efficient turning strokes. Unless you are interested in buying a surf ski, I don't think the fact that these boats always come with rudders is relevant to people buying more-typical boats. (That is, surf skis are an exception.)
6) Rudders and wires make the boat somewhat less easy to enter on the water.
7) Paul Caffyn (a legendary tourer) likes rudders (but I'd suspect he is also an expert in boat control!).
I heard you took up "wheel sucking"
just so you didn’t need the rudder.
Cheers,
JackL
when this topic was again posted
I was ready to crouch down behind my monitor and await the incoming.
For me the answer is no. It destroys the
paddling experience for me. Bill
no, no
it’s the RED ones that are faster…now a red boat w. a red rudder would be sizzlin’… ;D
why do short boats…
let’s say 14 feet or less - need rudders at all? As said above, it’s not like they’re surfskis or other breeds of long narrow racing kayaks.
Could it be that some very popular recreational or daytouring designs - the mass market boats - need rudders to compensate for design? Which is conveniently “explained” by some dealers telling customers they (the customers) need a rudder? when it is actually the kayak that does?
More on wind neutral kayaks
In my previous post I recited that a necessary design feature for me when I was first buying was a wind neutral hull design.
This feature is not usually discussed on forums or by boat dealers – mainly because the vast majority of kayaks weathercock like crazy (and heaven forbid you unwittingly buy one that leecocks) – so I’d like to go into it a bit more in the context of the purpose of a rudder.
The key point for the new buyer is that you have to have some mechanism built into the kayak that enables you to hold angle and paddle with directional control in wind. There are three such mechanisms: a rudder, a drop-down skeg, or a hull integrally designed so as not to weathercock or leecock.
Older kayakers will well remember Matt and Cam Broze, who designed and sold Mariner Kayaks in Seattle for more than 20 years. They made enormous contributions to kayak design, kayak safety, and the sophisticated analysis of hull shapes you see in SK Magazine graphs.
They also became the leading apostles of wind neutral, rudderless kayaks. Their kayaks were swedeform, fairly hard-chined and had a molded-in skeg, but could spin easily when leaned. They also offered a sliding seat to alter trim on the fly. Mariner kayaks became cultish in the northwest, where the OP is from. They are no longer made, but used ones may be available.
As of 2000, the wind neutral kayaks I was aware of were the Mariners, the Surge and some of the Eddylines. I chose the Surge – a one man operation (Kerry King) in Maine – over the Mariner XL as my first kayak, and I still think it is the best kayak I have ever paddled. The Eddyline Merlin (which I own) is wind neutral – at least up to moderate wind forces – and the Eddyline Nighthawk I paddled on Tampa Bay seemed almost so.
Bottom line, whatever you do, don’t get a rudderless, skegless kayak that weathercocks. I once paddled an old Necky that was like that in wind, and it was just as bad as an open canoe.
Probably to make it track straight
As a general design principle, the shorter the boat the more easily it will turn.
This also means the shorter boat will be more responsive to the turning effect of every forward stroke you take. In other words, the boat will yaw left or right every time you take a stroke. This will rob you of forward speed and become very tiring. That is why racers use rudders even on long, skinny boats: they want to eliminate even the slightest yaw and the need for correction strokes.
My third kayak is like that – a Prijon Yukon. I bought it rudderless specifically for its turning ability on rivers. But I found it to be very tiring to paddle on big lakes and long trips. Hence I installed a rudder on it just to help it track straight. I quickly lost interest in the boat after that.
Paul Caffyn
must have felt "lame" on his Australia circumnavigation as must Oscar Chalupski, Greg Barton and thousands of other world class kayakers. Graham Charles and his friends too (Isl of Georgia)
my “hate” on rudders is based
purely on the fact that it hinders good boat control and often does not a beginner to learn the real skills of kayaking. Kayaks are steered with your whole body not just your feet.
From all the expert instructional literature out there I have seen no emphasis on rudders but all on body and blade to control the kayak.
Again, I’m not expert but I watch and learn from experts.
Very reputable instructors will ask you to remove the rudder, if you have one, when being instructed.
To date I haven’t seen any advocating for a rudder to learn kayaking.
Now, if you are racing, that’s a total different ball game.
I don’t think the OP was mentioning racing…
I cherish anybody wise enough to forego the rudder.
He/she will become a better kayaker.
I have seen it too many times to think differently.
Of all the paddlers that I have seen finally give up the rudder the improvement in skills has been tremendous.
Rudder has it’s place but limits your learning.
Nice post Glenn
I would add that some weather cocking on flat water is desirable if it can be corrected by a skeg.
The reason for this is that in rougher water the bow is lifted and the wind blows it downwind (lee cocking)…
so if a kayak is neutral in flat water it will lee cock in any rough water…
My Nord LV has the perfect balance… moderate weather cocking on flat water that is neutralized by the skeg… and in winds up to 30 knots and above it is perfectly neutral with no skeg at all with any beam winds from the front or side…
Maybe too wide to lean turn easily
and too skegged for easy flat turns with sweeps.
My advice for OP
My advice for the OP was not based on my personal preference, but rather on the fact that the OP said he finds using a rudder “distracting and awkward”. It sounded like he was wondering if he was supposed to learn to love a rudder, or whether there were experienced people who didn’t use rudders. Just trying to clear up for him that if a rudder doesn’t work for him, there’s no necessity for him to try to adapt to one.
Weather Neutral Kayaks
Warren Little Wing kayaks also are weather neutral; neither weather-cocking or lee-cocking, and require neither rudder or skeg.
weather and lee cocking
all boats will do it if the conditions are extreme enough–but hull design can minimize the tendancy to do either.