Hey Greyak,
Have you started paddling the UX?
Regards,
Iceman
Still looking for the right
sponsons for it L!
Bruce did a couple little touch ups on it and just got it back last night. May get a chance to try a couple more swiws this weekend. Don’t plan to really work on paddling it that much until we have longer daylight so I can get in more frequent shorter paddles. Usually get out of work too late now.
Some folks who actually tried them
I noticed there were replies from folks who actually tried them. The results from the inexperienced person who took them out in breaking waves was pretty much what I expected, they tipped over they fell out of the boat they lost the boat in the rough conditions and could not re-enter.
UX,
I paddled the UX for about 5 to 10 minutes, and it was not enough to get used to the boat, of course! However, with a couples of (50% power) strokes, I was able to feel the potential speed this boat has. WOW!
I think that well worth to master this kind of kayak to feel what a human powered craft can do.
Regards,
Iceman
RACK
Thanks, Greyak
I already bought the Yakima saddles and have the Yakima rack as well. It works on the Tarpon too.
By the way, I listened to your advice about color and reconsidered.I ordered the Q700 in white…red would be too hot.
Thats a good read on sponsons
Thanks for posting it.
John Winters
Thanks, Greyak. The John Winters read was interesting. Apparently, the designer of the QCC line has a generally favourable opinion of sponsons. QCC has installed them on some of their customers boats per thier requests as well. I won’t be deciding on them till I paddle my QCC a while. I love the water and am looking forward to spilling. The SOT was getting a little boring.
His comments can "generally"
be read any way you want to. I’d say he was being open minded and giving them the benefit of the doubt.
If you re-read - I think you’ll see what he really favors is people paddling boats with stability built in - that matches their needs/abilities. Not add ons.
Winters clearly expressed the most serious limits: The difficulties/complexities/unlikelihood of having them on before it’s too late.
Another key point was how they actually make it easier to flip in steep waves, as others here have pointed out.
Down here, we don’t get big waves very often - but nearly everything we do get is steep and short period. The handling advantage of a narrow hull in this stuff is something you won’t fully grasp until the first time your new boat becomes “fun” in waves and you are no longer tense and fighting to stay up, but are riding over and around it all more like on a mountain bike/skateboard in a skate park. Then the concept of active secondary stability is no longer just a concept.
Right now - you have only experience primary stability - and lots of it - and will naturally want the same in the new boat at first. The best reason to do what you are doing though is that you will be able to break out of this into another level of performance.
As for QCC adding sponsons on request - they’d put on a motor mount too if you wanted one! They aim to please (might have been differnetially abled paddlers requesting them too - another issue in those posts). Accomodating customer wishes is not the same as an endorsement of the customers choices. If they openly endorsed sponsons and recommended them to all I think it would indicate lack of faith in their designs. It’s not about money as Timmy claims - as they’d charge more to install them and make a little more doing it.
Not reading between the lines
His take on them was very nuetral from his choice of words. Very good information. They are probably great for some things but not for others. Pretty simple. Very common sense.
Thanks again.