Stiring the QCC Pot
Finally someone who writes a sensible accurate opinion on the characteristics of QCC 700. I realize the knumbness is my problem, no fault of the boat, and the boat I would have to say is designed for inland paddling and racing not as a seakayak. Boat is great in the conditions I believe it was designed for but can’t believe so many people swear by it and defend it as a seakayak. As far as my personal balance abilites, never had a problem riding my bike home from a day and evening at the local beach bar with no hands.
Thank you
Brian
QCC 700
Thanks I agree with you, I have had it for about 10 months now and certainly have gotten more stable by 100,000,000 times since my first test drive. I just find its characteristic unseaworthy even in glassy calms seas paddling parallel with the ever so slight roll of the ocean, any other boat I have paddled tended to rise up when the swell would go under the hull, with the QCC 700 it tends to roll the boat under towards the swell, something Im not use to experiencing.
Thanks and enjoy
Brian
so sell it
or learn to paddle it
QCC 700
Good Morning Kris
Yep still struggling, one day its the numbness and next the hamstrings or both, but certainly not blaming the boat for it, but gotta cuss somebody or something. Numbness has gotten much worse since our trip at Oleta a few weeks ago, actually had to return to the launch after about 20 minutes a week later, legs literally started to
twitch or quiver from the pain and nerve issue. Considered swimming back. No doubt paddled to much in the past month, sit around the office on paddling.net to much and spent to much time sitting in the car going from place to place, tensing up my muscles and nerves. Quitting my job and stretching 8 hours a day may be the key.
Brian
Probably,
you suffer from Vertigo, or some other disbalance ailment.
HEX
Have you tried adding some ballast
Not sure what the boat is like but all boats vary the sability with the wieght. My Looksa Sport is more tippy with me in it than my wife. My Sealution is more tippy with my wife than with me. If you can look for a review in Sea Kayaer Magazine or try adding balast to see how it affects the stability.
Good news is if the baot needs more ballast then you can always add some cookies and desserts to your diet. It will lower you center of gravity and the boat will become more stable.
Happy eating, no I mean paddling, whatever!
Mick
QCC 700 Poor use of words
Since have never capsized or dumped while paddling, I should have desribed the feeling as more wanting to roll under and over in the glassiest of ocean swell.
Brian
Ballast for QCC 700
I happen to be 240 pounds of ballast, and believe a good weight for this size of boat but typically use something in a barley pop as additional ballast. Camping gear definately helps the situation.
Thanks
Brian
Dude
– Last Updated: Jul-06-04 3:29 PM EST –
I am 6'3" 245 and find the QCC rock steady even bouncing off the occasional Cyprus knob. Try the inflatable seal line thigh brace for the numbness. As for the other problem keep using it. I keep looking forward to paddling my Qcc into even more rough conditions just to see what it and I can do. So far its passed with flying colors. BTW if you want a boat that can store a ton of stuff that even more stable then a QCC get a Tarpon 160, I will trade you for your boat, my daughter will be needing a Qcc soon.. I took my wife out a couple months ago, first time in the 700 after about 15 minutes of practice she loved it, and she had NEVER been in a Sink before. Granted the lake wasn’t a rough place to paddle but she was/ is pretty much an armature. BTW I think it’s a blast crashing through/over waves when the wave explodes on your chest that is so cool… (When its warm out *L*)I know other QCC drivers that have really pushed the limits of sanity and i look foward to doing even more with it in the future.
Swells and twists
Surfskis will pick up the same little twist at the top of a swell. Just adjust to it.
6 years!
You’ve been paddling for 6years and can’t handle a QCC in a little chop? You might want to consider another sport or go see a doctor for that inner ear problem. There are definitely much better rough water boats than QCC’s but lack of stability is not one of QCCs weaknesses.
Maybe you are too tense
In serious following seas, 20 MPH winds, rough chop and some scarey swells, I find myself vacillating bewteen nervous tension and exhilaration. Those times produce some adrenalin (that may be one of the reasons I do this) but during those times, my toes get numb.A quick wiggle and they’re OK again. This happens when the water is disturbed and I am pushing hard on the foot pegs and thigh braces to keep balance. I remind myself to loosen up and there are always a few seconds to break and wiggle toes and stretch legs.
My concern is not falling over. My main concern is that I will not have the energy to make my destination. The Q700 is so efficient that I am willing to forgo a sometimes tender ride in order to make the distance. It’s also the prettiest damn kayak out there.
what are the QCC weaknesses?
you may be right
Your analysis of the QCC may be correct. I have limited experience with other SINK’s so I cannot compare. But I believe the designer of the 700 may have had one priority in mind…a fast kayak. He may not have concerned himself too much with rough condition handling. I suspect most of us pretty much stay in good conditions and when we find ourselves in challenging conditions, tend to blame any negative handling aspects on our own inexperience. It may be the kayak.
Experienced paddlers seem to choose British kayaks like the Romany for rough conditions. I have yet to read an account by an experienced sea kayaker where a challenging expedition was undertaken in a QCC 700. Don’t get me wrong, I love my 700 but I don’t have another composite kayak and as Chris Rock said, “a man is only as faithful as his options”.
this is silliness
what do you want the boat to do? paddle for you? it’s a relatively conventional sea kayak design with a bit longer waterline than other boats of its length. it is a fast boat, but by no means is it some sort of design entirely optimized for speed (see K1’s and skis for these sorts of design features).
the problem as i see it, is that the “buzz” around these boats on this site and others has led to inexperienced paddlers buying more boat than they can handle. long and narrow boats are never going to behave identically to boats whose design intent was decent speed but exceptional predictablity in very confused rough water (british expedition boats, mariners, etc). but let’s be honest here- the extreme conditions that we are talking about here, and which we all fantasize about as we read expedition reports in sea kayaker, are NOT what is encountered by the overwhelming majority of us (even the experienced few who do cold water/ rough water paddling). the people who paddle around tierra del fuego, for example, probably have the skills to do it in just about any boat. and most of us probably don’t have the skill to do it in anything short of a coast guard cutter.
the initiator of this post is describing difficulty handling an excellent boat in very minor chop, in florida (for crying out loud). that isn’t a problem with the boat…
andrew
Thank you
Thank you for making a sensible, educated and I believe accurate judgment of the vessel and its characteristics. Seems many out there can’t see the forest for all the QCC’s in the way and can only think ooooooo QCC they are the best all around boat in the world not knowing there is aboat made for every occasion and condition.
Enjoy
Brian
Very Good Excellent
Very good and educated reply and agree with you 100%. I believe my initial writing was twisted or misunderstood. I said or I believe the QCC 700 performs very well in a 6" chop and I beleive in chop larger, my intention wasn’t to say I capsize in 6" chop, I have never capsized the QCC or any other boat.
Brian
I agree with you also
I do believe I get tenser under bumpier conditions and forget to relax at times of which certainly doesn’t help the numbness and aching, I don’t blame the boat for this, Im sure its just the way it fits me, somewhere a pressure point is being created and I haven’t been able to correct it. Iv’e tried padded seat, no seat, no padding, padded floor, longer seat with padding, padding under thighs etc, hard to believe I have the problem considering its so comfy and seemingly well fitting for the first 15-30-45 minutes.
Brian
Prior Poster…
had it right by saying that this boat is what it is. For 21" beams, I can’t imagine a more stable craft. It’s no Brit design in terms of rough water handling, but you want length and speed too, right? To experiment, took it out in the Hudson River on Saturday and went after every boat and jetski wake I could find. Refracting waves off the piers and cliff faces, incoming/outgoing tide against wind…no problems. Dropped rudder to ride the wakes. Favorite part-surfing in on crest of massive wake by cigarette boat, into Bannerman’s Island. Group of kayakers on island whooped and gave thumbs ups all around. One suggestion: if you’re feeling unstable in a wave set, try keeping the power on. Article by J. Glickman has this recommended to him by Oscar Chalupsky-it works.
BINGO