@CapeFear, I first want to make sure my questions isnât misunderstood. I realize that coaching isnât mandatory and neither is learning. Gucci boats arenât for everybody. I was at my daughterâs for the holiday and one of the guest asked about using one of my kayaks for fishing (waterfront property). I asked him to take his pick. He mentioned the 125 Tsunsmi, then I offered the 9.5 ft Perception Swifty, my first kayak and the cheapest ($236), least capable boat I own. He picked it, because it was set up with rod holders and a paddle holder. It performed perfectly, because itâs stable and tracks well yet turns easily. Different boats for different needs.
My goal in kayaking is to travel somewhere quickly and efficiently. Since my intention is to maintain a straight track at all times, whether going into, against, or along the crest of waves, others use the opportunity to take advantage of the power and ride them. Still others might decide to avoid waves, wind and current in favor of tranquil coves or protected lakes and ponds to just sit or to explore a natural setting.
While I selected a stable boat that tracks adequately, a wave surfer wants something more agile. The designs are vastly different. As you pointed out, and I agree, a skeg improves trackability for an otherwise skittish boat that can turn on a dime. Placement of the skeg is engineered into the design. Another alternative is a rudder. While placement of a rudder can be engineered to operate virtually anywhere along the length of the boat, the simplest, lightest, most effective and efficient location for the rudder is at the stern. We agree that both serve the same purpose, but the rudder has the advantage of directional control.
So why not equip every boat with a skeg or a rudder. Several reasons come to mind: cost, weight, reduced storage capacity in the hold, complexity, and just another thing that needs maintenance, breaks or gets clogged with debris. Skegs can leak, reduce hold capacity, get jambed, fill with gravel. Rudders can be dangerous when the paddler dismounts in turbulent water and hamper certain remount procedures. Both are useless in shallow water, where the greatest fear is having either device damaged (even though theyâre designed to deflect if hitting a submerged object). Although opinions are divided regarding the effect on speed . . . You can not put anything in the slipstream of water without slowing the boat. The question is a matter of the lesser of two evils: directional control or speed, but what if itâs just a little bit of speed, and what if speed isnât important to the kayaker. Ironically, that actually never occurred to me until I joined a Paddling Forum and realized that kayak speed is less valued than other factors. In reality, both will slow speed to a measurable degree, and both are a nightmare to use in seaweed. There is a saying, âLive and learn.â I get it.
So now to the first question: why even teach technique. If a novice approaches an experienced kayaker and asks whether a kayak should have a skeg or a rudder, the answer will depend on several factors. The first is how much you value the relationship and your compasion toward strangers, whether the person has the aptitude or the attention span to understand, and your actual knowledge about the topic.
The easiest reaction is to just say: I donât know, I havenât used either (if youâre sitting in a kayak with neither), or recommend what you personally have, or offer a treatise on kayak design, or delve into formulas and BS until the person grazes over and excuses themself. Then a few, like yourself, offer the time to explain in detail.
Now to another of my basic question about why would an experienced kayaker ânotâ suggest learning effective technique. There is no question that a skeg helps a boat track. There also is no question that a rudder can make turning easy. That is actually a valid answer. The other details depend on your knowledge and view about the devices, what you thing about the person asking the question, and how much time you want to invest in helping someone.
There is no obligstion to answer questions, nor is there an obligation for a person to learn techniques when there is an easy way to paddle a straight line, especially if the negstive aspects arenât relevant to the person asking the question.
I believe youâre correct about selecting the option that gives you more control with the least effort. I have the 125; two 145s, one with and one without a rudder, and a 175 Tsunamis with rudder. I removed the rudder on the 145 because of the added weight, complications it causes when loading and uploading as I worry about damaging both the rudder and furtlher damage to the vehicle when the boat slips and drops on the stern. The 120 SP and two 140 Tsunamis are rudder equipped and they have never been deployed. My sister bought her 140 rudder equipped and never used it. She wishes she invested that $300 option in a paddle instead. Unfortunately, replacing the foot pegs cost money, while keeping the unwanted equipment is just an inconvenience to deal with, but thatâs just my personal point of view.
You mentioned one obvious point that I havenât taken advantage. While trying to stabilize the boat in front of a wave, I should take more advantage of bracing. I typically expend too much energy trying to stay in front of the wave. That energy might be better applied when paddling into the waves, whole using s brace to help control direction. Thanks for the tip.
