No experience here whatsoever, other than observing them in the TITS movies. Think I’d like to have one, provided I don’t have to do that silly paddle spin move every time I’m aboard one…
i heard it was a 2hour required class 
with that boat
Paddle Spinning…
Funny you should mention it. Just last week I was trying it in my Nordy, calm water only.
Spinning may become the Brit boat wave…
or Tide Race Kayaks
– Last Updated: Sep-29-07 9:41 AM EST –
I too have been hoping that Rockpool boats, particularly the Alaw Bach, may eventually make to to our shores, but with the exception of one demo boat in North American (at Boat, Body and Blade) and one sponsored paddler (Derek M.), I have seen no evidence that they are ready to enter the U.S. retail market.
You may see Tide Race kayaks in numbers, before Rockpool. Tide Race is a spin-off company founded by ex-Rockpool designer Aled Williams.
BTW, I have no interest in either company. It would be nice to see both here on our side of the pond.
For additional Tide Race info check out:
http://www.kayakwendy.com/2007/09/tiderace-is-cats-meow.html
http://www.tideraceseakayaks.com/
Tide Race boats look very nice!
Thanks for the info!
nothing impressive to me
about Rockpool, but Tiderace is of interest…I think the brains that left to form Tiderace are progressive brains…at least they have grasped the utility of the fourth hatch.
Just curious…
have you paddled one? I’m interested in any impressions.
GASP!!
i need one, now! holy cripes those are some gorgeous kayaks!
and they are made by Plastex according to the site. for those not familiar, Plastex (forgive them the name) make awesome sprint kayaks from Poland. the ones i’ve seen were immaculate layups.
Derrickam has one.
http://www.kayakquixotica.com/blog.html
He;s posted many impressions on his website; scroll through and see even the day he got his, in July or August 2007.
Old school…
Apologies for the paddle spin, I realise now that it was such an “old school” move, best kept tucked away in history…
Aled Williams
TideRace Sea Kayaks
Funny Story
I have a friend who is being courted away from his current job by a new company, and one of the bonuses they are offer is a new kayak for him of any brand, imported from anywhere.
He told them a Tiderace.
I’m trying to talk him into storing it at my place, so he’ll have a kayak when he comes up to visit.
HA HA!
Thanks for reminding the rest of us how much our jobs suck!
Aled any chance of US distribution?
Rockpool boats have yet to make it to these shores for purchase.
Any chance that TideRace boats will?
I already own and paddle one Aled Williams design (Romany)and am anxious to try others.
Was that an ocean cockpit?
It looked as though the Xplore_S has an ocean cockpit much the shape of the Anas Acuta one. True?
What a fine looking design and note that pic of the finished Xcite is georgous.
Just one more choice that will give paddlers another option to Valley/NDK boats.
Scott
Was that an ocean cockpit?
It looked as though the Xplore_S has an ocean cockpit much the shape of the Anas Acuta one. True?
What a fine looking design and note that pic of the finished Xcite is georgous.
Just one more choice that will give paddlers another option to Valley/NDK boats.
Scott
Rockpool in the states
– Last Updated: Oct-03-07 5:18 PM EST –
Well, tossing in my nickel. Rockpool kayaks are produced on a very small scale and customized to each owner's requirements as well. So I think it would be tough to ever see them in shops per se. At least in large numbers.
Of course for those who really want a Rockpool it's possible to get one and have it shipped. But it does add cost. There are a couple shipping companies that can get here fairly reasonably if you aren't in a hurry. for what it's worth i've got a bunch of photos of my Alaw Bach at http://www.flickr.com/photos/derrickam/sets/72157601029515802/
As mentioned above Aled deserves a lot of credit for all his designs through the years and frankly they are all fantastic. oh, and that spin thing is harder than it looks!! :)
regarding Tiderace…
for those who are interested to know, i have heard through the grapevine that Tiderace are in talks to have some boats sent over to North America sometime in summer 2008.
Rockpool does not have the capacity to build boats fast enough for a proper retail environment (2-3 boats per week), whereas with Plastex building boats for Tiderace the production capacity must be substantially greater one would think.
great enough to have enough to satisfy european demand with leftovers to export?
we shall see! i certainly hope that we will end up seeing them on our shores though, because I want one!
TideRace Boats - Xcite_S?
I just looked at the link for the TideRace boats, and the _S versions really caught my eye.
Somewhere down the road I’d like to get a boat that fits in the niche between my Vela and Explorer LV - a boat that is more spritely than the Explorer but still has sufficient deck size and stability that if I do have to pull a paddler out from near rocks in a rescue it is somewhat rather than totally dicy like it would be in the Vela. And that manuvered well in rocks but tracked well enough that you didn’t exhaust yourself getting to the offshore island where they were.
I’ve tried the P&H Capella 161 in conditions and, while it is a good boat and would work, it just didn’t grab me. The CD Rumour isn’t really a turny boat and may be too much of a handful for me in those circumstances anyway. A lot of the “LV” boats, like the Nordkapp LV, aren’t LV enough to really do well for my 5’4" 135 lb size. They are still referenced around guys.
Aled or anyone who knows the TideRace boats - it appears that the Xcite_S might do the trick for me. Anyone know if I am thinking rightly about this?