Anyone know anything about a Seda Shogun? I found one for sale, but can't find any information about them. I'm 6' and weigh 200 pounds, wondering if it will fit. Unfortunatly it's too cold to do a test paddle (not to mention that everything is frozen here). Seller claims it is a mild whitewater boat, but it sounds like it is too long for whitewater.
Jeff
Comparable to a Perception Dancer,
and OK on any whitewater except steep creeks, if you don’t mind the “tubular” handling of a displacement boat. Your 200 lbs would be pushing the upper limits of the Shogun. For very little money (under $400), there are much more modern and able whitewater kayaks available.
tubular handling?
Not sure what you mean by this (I'm pretty new to the sport, only have flatwater experience). I'm just looking for something for some mild whitewater trips (I don't think my 15' boats would work too well). If I like whitwater, then I'll look for a better boat. The price on ths one seems right (less than the $400 you say I would spend on a used Perception).
Jeff
The Dancer and many other kayaks from
that era had relatively tubular hulls. They had decent forward speed, but side currents tended to grab at their hullforms. Thus when ferrying, for example, one often had to keep the bow pointed upstream, or the current would either flip the boat, or drag it downstream. Later designs have flatter bottoms, and sometimes sharper chines and flattish sides. These might be a disadvantage to a passive paddler, but when used actively, they allow better boat control. Some flattish boats, when ferried across a strong current, can sail or plane up on the current and cross at a steep angle. They can carve more sharply in and out of eddies. There are circumstances where flat surfaces can be “worked” by strong currents, but on the whole, flatter can be much better.
Boats like the Dancer and Shogun were predictable and, in some ways, forgiving, although their rounder hulls feel tippier than properly designed modern boats.
A few “old school” rounder hulls are still offered as new boats. One example is the Prijon Chopper. Compare it to the Prijon Athlete on the wildnet.com website. You can also google to Pryranha and see the H3s and the G3, modern general purpose river running boats. Or go to dagger.com and compare the GT 8.1, a modern semi-planing river runner, with the Dagger RPM, one of the last “displacement” boats still made by Dagger. The RPM is much flatter than the Dancer or Shogun, but is still rather elliptical.
If that Shogun is in very good condition, and it fits you well without re-outfitting, and the guy isn’t asking more than $250, maybe its worth it, but I would rather see you wait a bit. There are so many good used boats for under $400. Even an Animas or a Pirouette, old as they are, would run rings around a Shogun or Dancer.
Thanks,
G2D,
That’s what I wanted to know. The boat is only $200, but I would rather spend a little more, and get a better boat.
Jeff