I recently purchased a Pyranha Acrobat 275 and it seemed to be a little unstable, i.e. ‘Tippy’. I think maybe the problem is I haven’t adjusted the bulkhead to fit my leg length exactly and it appears to need some hip padding to make it a tighter fit when I’m sitting in the boat. Am i on the right track?? or does this kayak just feel ‘tippy’ due to the length (9’-2")and a more rounded hull design? I had a O.T. l0’ Loon prior to this one.
Not regarded as a tippy boat
Pyranha bills it as a boat appropriate for paddling schools and rental fleets. We have one we use in pool classes for bigger people and we have never had anyone say it was tippy. Padding and adjustment will probably help. But seat time is more likely all you need. You will quickly find that it is harder to tip it over than you think.
Acrobat 270
had that boat - semi planing hull. Not tippy. It’s a matter of butt time, after being used to the wider Loon.
Go to a pond. Keep you body straight and push knee up on one side and then the other. Do it until you flip over. You’ll figure it’s tipping point. Probably not as tippy as you think initially.
sing
compared to a Loon
Any thing will feel more “tippy”
Don’t think tippy
think “active”.
Keep your hips loose, relax, and take some time to get used to it. Also you may feel more stable with a blade in the water so keep moving.
I find the…
best way to stop a kayak from being tippy is cut off its alcojhol supply.
“…cut off its alcojhol supply”…
…how has your kayak been acting!
Most of the kayakers…
…I know aren’t all that stable.
To get the most stability
from a kayak I find that if I have contact with my feet, knees or thighs, lower back and hips it helps a lot. Don’t get yourself wedged in tight but good body contact goes a long ways.
Stability ball
When learning tippy kayaks my coach recommended a “Stability Ball” or “Balance Ball.” You can get them at any mart-type store for about 10 bucks. I use it when I’m sitting at the computer or watching tv. It helps to get used to the motion.
The other thing that helps a lot is what others have said, more “butt time” in the boat. Get in a shallow area and tip the boat over until you find its edges. You will find that they are farther up than you think. Once you know where the line is, you’ll be more comfortable as the boat tips back and forth.
Susan
http://pennkayaker.com/wiki/members/members.asp?db=MemberPages&o=Lady%20Justice