I “third” the Rapidfire
Read the Pnet reviews of the Rapidfire (including mine) and you read input from a number of very satisfied owners.
Dave
How does your wonky knee hinder
your getting in and out of your kayak?
Would a sit on the bottom pack canoe be that much easier on your knees for getting in and out of? You’d still be sitting on the bottom and have to raise yourself all the way up and down using your knees.
If your main problem is maneuvering around the cockpit rim and not the raising and lowering, then a sit on the bottom pack canoe may indeed make your paddling life easier.
Otherwise, a smallish solo canoe with a standard hung seat or sliding seat (Wenonah) and foot braces may give you all the sitting stability you need and be easier to enter and exit. I sit mostly in my solo canoes and have foot braces installed in most of them.
A lovely sit on top kayak, such as the Epic V6 may be another good option. My wife is quite stiff, but thinks it’s the easiest to get on and off of if she’s standing in water about calf deep and drops her butt into the seat and then brings her legs in. You don’t have to raise and lower yourself as much to the seat, but your feet always get get.
Good luck in your search.
one can also pick up or make an OC-1
– Last Updated: Aug-16-13 11:57 PM EST –
type pedestal high enough for comfort in a standard canoe. Putting a foam base and either glueing or using velcro to attach the pedestal to base, offering you any type of knee and ankle padding/blocks for comfort when you apply any type of lean with a little knee pressure. Sitting on the custom foam pedestal is comfy if you get the tilt right. One can glue a back rest onto the rear of it....
Just another choice.....
$.01
SteveD
Made up my mind
kind of…
I tried out the 13.6 Pack, the Osprey, and the Keewaydin 15. The Pack was very roomy, comfortable and easy to paddle. The Osprey is a very nice boat but I couldn’t get it to track well for me at all, single or double bladed. I think If I could have knelt I would have liked it more. I liked the Keewaydin a lot but it just wasn’t set up for double blade paddling, which I am partial to in a solo. We also tested out tandem canoes for family outings.
I ended up buying 2 boats. The Pack 13.6 with an upgraded seat and an Algonquin 16 is on order.
Osprey tracks well
sounds like your technique requires work. The Kee does work with a double for solo even set up with a high seat but single blading with it is more precise of course.
Are you bringing your blade past your hip? I always end double blade strokes about mid thigh…yes that far forward.
Congrats on the purchases!
I hope they serve you well for a long time.
Update
So, I bought the ADK Pack 13.6. I put it in the garage and immediately started having second thoughts/buyers remorse. After a couple of weeks, I loaded the pack on the the car and brought it back. It never went in the water.
I returned it and ordered a Keewaydin 15. It was the choice I should have made in the first place.
I’m going to probably paddle it with a double blade primarily, but I’m also going to buy a canoe paddle and work on my j-stroke.
Thank you for all the comments and perspective. They gave me a lot to think about and ultimately helped me make what I’m sure was the right decision in the end.
Congrats! I hope the Keewaydin works
for you.