No problemo…
I speak with them weekly, they are recipients of tons of my business, and yes of course I told them I was passing on it.
I guess you could say they are more than a “retailer” in my estimate - more like a “partner” in my favorite hobby/activity/paddling passion!!
good on ya
Hi Falcon…
…If I do manage to trash my Alaw I would just go out and buy another one. Love the way the boat fits me and the way it handles rougher conditions.
I tend to be hard on stuff like this and the Alaw is holding up nicely.
Hope RP keeps a toe hold in the US market.
Rockpool
Hi Byron,
I am doing a road trip down the west coast next week demoing the new Rockpool Taran. Glad you like your Alaw Bach TCC.
Falcon
Has anyone noted the absence of
thermoformed kayaks for whitewater use? Poly reigns on whitewater, but certain composite layups can come very close to poly, both in impact resistance and for scratch resistance. S-glass and epoxy will deal with scratches just fine.
Thermoform is seen in whitewater canoes. The ABS layers in Royalex are thermoform. But if not stiffened and supported by the foam interlayer, ABS will not withstand whitewater hammering as well as poly.
Correct me if I misunderstood, but ABS in thermoformed kayaks is often protected by a surface layer of acrylic. If that wears through, won’t the ABS yield to UV quickly? That’s what happens when the vinyl protection wears off Royalex.
I am confident that thermoform cracks and holes can be patched about as easily as cracks and holes in composite boats.
If an old thermoformed kayak has taken a lot of surface wear, Daggermat can tell you how to dissolve ABS in acetone and paint it on. Hard to make it pretty, though.
If I were shopping for a sea kayak, I would seriously consider any thermoform kayak that was well-designed. But I’d rather have an S-glass outside/ Kevlar inside kayak. Maybe replace the second layer of S-glass with carbon cloth.
Thermoform looks really good for mid-priced sea kayaks. But it can be beat by throwing money at the problem.