south oregon
while the canoe more so than kayaks, especially certain models, are hard to find in this area there are places to paddle. there are a few small stream flowing thru the valley’s and as the rivers get closer to the coast they widen and make fine places to paddle. though probably not as plentiful as other areas of the country, especially for tripping, there are plenty of coastal lakes and the cascade lakes. but, as much of the west a lot depends on the season…summer can bring mid day high winds and low water on the smaller streams.
i also think the mentality is different out here in smaller towns…most people have their drift boats and sled boats for salmon/steelhead fishing. it’s easier [and more manly?] to fire up ones 200hp and fly up the river or along the coast.
kayaks are more popular than canoes i think for other reasons…the coastline and the influence from seattle and to a degree portland where the sea kayaking industry originally exploded, and less influence from the canoeing regions of the northwoods.
don’t buy that
i can’t see a small rec kayak being more seaworthy than a nice canoe in skilled hands. i personally can’t think of one situation where a small rec. kayak would perform better than a well-designed canoe.
You are forgetting the Edistoe…
…race.
Anyone who showed up with a yak could place, but there were a bunch of canoes.
Cheers,
JackL
Are you kidding? Long, straight shaft
paddles (58 to 61 inch) with curved blades dominate in both decked C-1 slalom and open canoe slalom. It’s not old school, it’s what works for the best paddlers.
how bout 15-20 kn
and some wind driven chop. and if youre including the skill level of the paddler then please allow that the rec yak is also paddled by an equally skilled paddler.
Canoes/Kayaks
With the a serious rain deficit we’ve been facing this summer in SE Ohio our rivers are pretty darn dry, so we’ve been paddling at state park lakes more than usual this year. What I see most often on these lakes are inexpensive solo rec yaks. These days they outnumber canoes by a fairly wide margin. Most of the canoes I see (again on state park lakes) are tandem canoes. Rec yaks and many tandem canoes are inexpensive to buy and easy to learn how to paddle. On the other hand on the rivers and creeks in our area (mostly Class I & II) we seldom see any other paddlers at all, the few we do see are mostly in tandem canoes. For what it’s worth the members of our family and some of our paddling friends paddle solo canoes. In our “family fleet” there are now 5 solo canoes and 3 tandem canoes (one’s still in the shop), but no kayaks. I’m not ruling out a nice sleek sea kayak in my future, there are times when I think I’d like to have one just to blow off some steam on evening lake paddles… But it’s not high on the list of boats I lust after. If I lived near a large bay or the ocean I can well imagine that a swift and seaworthy solo sea kayak would already be in my boatshed. It’s hard for me to imagine ever wanting a rec yak though… Still, lots of people get a kick out of them… so I’m trying to be a bit more open minded these days. (Well, truth be told I’m not trying VERY hard) ;^) Randall
the "rec yak"
The rec yak is a flat bottomed tub with an open cockpit. I’d rather have a skinny solo canoe or a tandem with a competent partner. I get the feeling that you are picturing paddling a Grumman out in the low country marshes on a windy day without a partner and that is definitely not a pretty picture. I’ll definitely grant that wind is an issue in a broad salt marsh. There are canoes that are swift and managable in wind solo. And there are tandems that are a bear to paddle solo that work fine with a competent crew and a load.
I’ve paddled a Mad River Exlporer 17 on the Eastern Shore of VA in winter picking oysters. The Duck Hunter is a flat out P.O.S. solo and even a bit squirelly tandem unloaded but with a 120qt cooler full of oysters and clams it handled the bleak January winds of the Delmarva just fine. Can’t carry that load or work out of a rec kayak either.
I’ve got three kayaks sitting on my deck and one here in the living room with me but I can’t write off canoes. There are certainly situations where are canoe is more useful than a kayak.
Long or short paddles
g2d wrote:
[…]
Long, straight shaft paddles (58 to 61 inch) with curved blades
dominate in both decked C-1 slalom and open canoe slalom. It’s not
old school, it’s what works for the best paddlers.
Exactly, long lengths like that (58 to 61 inch) work well for some
kind of paddlers (and boats and paddle styles), but I am convinced
that for lots of other paddlers and paddle styles, shorter paddles
are easier to paddle. And in this respect, I see (too long) paddle
length choice indeed as a plausible reason why many people do not
like canoeing.
People should choose a paddle length according to their strength,
stamina and skills instead of those illogical ‘dry’ rules,
like those where you measure paddle length from the ground…
with a cover
i'd still take the canoe. kneel in the boat with float bags and a cover and it's not that big a deal. rec. kayaks, for the most part, are terrible designs that quickly capsize at a certain healing moment.
also, a major factor is learning how to paddle each craft. just about anyone can get in a rec. kayak and make it go forward. getting the basic strokes of a solo canoe down is much more difficult. so paddlers with equal skill may be better off in the rec. just because they are novices.
good analysis
i wouldn’t paddle any gruman solo unless my life depended on it. i’ll have to admit that comparing a rec. kayak to a well-designed solo canoe is apples to oranges. one’s a crappy hull and the other is quite capable of handling a variety of conditions. for myself, i’d MUCH rather go with a covered canoe than a rec kayak on ANY water or with wind conditions. that’s me, and i’m no expert.
kayaks/canoes
Kayaks are a good boat for someone who doesn’t want to take the time to learn how to paddle a good boat…and that’s a CANOE!
Here’s an oldie but a goodie, “Canoe Kind of Guy”:
http://tinyurl.com/aql6j
Northeast Louisiana
When I was a teenager, all my dad’s friends had canoes. I don’t know where they scattered off to, but now I’m the only person I know in my area with a canoe. I never see any other canoes or kayaks on the water. The local state park lakes rent tandem canoes, but I hardly ever see anyone renting them. Sad to say, I have’t even been out in my canoe in the past month. The lack of water (lack of current) and overabundance of snakes are freaking me out. They’re getting more agressive now in their feeding time before hibernation. I’m ready for some cooler weather and higher water levels!
If there is anybody else in North LA reading this, holler at me. Tell me you’re out there and let’s plan a trip!
Canoes and paddling
"Canoes are on the way out" was my way of thought when I first got into kayaking…and,if you do ‘recreational kayaking’ (nice,calm waters where to car top your craft to the waterand home)you might get the same impression.
BUT…IF you paddle away from civilization (even places like Conewango and Cassadaga Creeks in southwestern NY)you all of a sudden discover Canoes rule…Why? Simply put a canoe is a more versatile vehicle…and; IF you go with the solo kevlers, they’re just as easy to portage (even more so with a cradle)and maneuver.
I often find it ammusing that canoes are sort of the ugly sister on paddles…UNTILL all the kayakers need someone to carry all their stuff.
Canoe
"I often find it amusing that canoes are sort of the ugly sister on paddles…UNTILL all the kayakers need someone to carry all their stuff."
Amen ta dat. Ye hit de nail right in de noggin’ wit dat statement. How true!
Fat Elmo