Thanks!
Assuming that reply was for me -
Wow, cool article on the Nordy
Thanks for the link!
interesting comparison
Interesting comparison between current Nordkapp and the LV. It looks identical besides the fact the that the foredeck is lower.
i think…
the lv has quite a bit more rocker.Definately more than the RM. PaRT of the idea with a nordkapp LV,i belive, was to get the “nordkapp action” without load.
The nordkapp was originally designed for roughwater performance on long trips.God knows i might end up with the white Nordlite…its propably an exeptionally nice roughwater playboat…Dangerous obsession this kayaking stuff…time to start KA perhaps…might safe a few marriges…kayakers anonymous.
right
I was not talking about the RM. Look at the current Nordkapp and th LV
Take a look. Can you tell which is which?
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5205008746_55315eb988.jpg
Looks like they took a short cut …
… And used the same picture. Look at the skeg and handles.
There’s a picture of the Nordkapp on a flat beach, and another of the LV on a flat beach. To me, there seems to be a noticable differance in the rocker.
The article also notes the greater rocker in the LV. I’ve read this elsewhere too.
But I’ve never seen both boats side by side, which would be a great way to tell for sure.
Let me know when you are ready to sell
Hey Matt,
If you decide to get rid of it, let me know! As I recall, we are pretty close in size other than a couple inches in height. I’m 6’0, 200lbs right now - any thoughts on how the H2O would fit/handle at that weight?
Hope all is well - Jamie
here is…
“the classic text” on the nordkapp LV…
http://seakayakphoto.blogspot.com/2007/01/valley-nordkapp-lv-test.html
Nordkapp vs. Nordlow…
Jim is right in that I did own a Nordlow a few years back. I raved about it at first…until I got it out in some big conditions and decided I didn’t like it. That is part of the reason I want to test the full size version out in similar conditions.
First off it has been a while since I paddled the Nordlow but I will try to share my opionions for why I decided against it…
First I have to mention that the Nordlow and Nordkapp are different hulls. It’s not just a matter of a different deck height. They are actually different boats.
Now…consider that the Nordlow was designed to handle like the full size version without the load…so obviously the weight on board is a factor in the design of the boat.
Part of the reason I may not have cared for it may have been because of my weight of about 200 pounds at the time. I think that may have something to do with it and feel that its handling may not have been optimal for my weight. This is one factor that many people fail to consider in comparing boats…paddler size and weight really matter and what may be a great handling boat for a person who is 165 pounds may not be so great for someone who is 210. It completely changes the characteristics of the boat.
I found the Nordlow to be an unbelieveable boat in most conditions but didn’t like it in really big conditions and surf.
I found that I really did not feel good in the boat due to its stability profile in such conditions and that it really wanted to broach all the time in the surf. That was really annoying to me and was really pretty consistently true for me.
I have not paddled the full sized version a lot in the surf, but the times I have it seems not to have this broaching characteristic at all for me.
The other thing I really didn’t like about the Nordlow was the fit. The boat just didn’t fit me the way I liked at the time.
The full sized version, at least the way I have it set up now with a foam block back rest and foam seat, fits me nicely. It is possible that had I tried the same set up in the LV that I would have liked it, but I can’t comment since I didn’t try it at the time.
As to the search for the perfect kayak…
It is true that I had been on that search; however, ironically I gave up and decided to stick with the Explorer. I was quite happy with it.
But…when I saw the Nordkapp pop up on the classified ads for an insanely low price I had to try it. Why not? And, it was one of the boats out there that I had really wanted to try. One that I had heard so many good things about and that I was intrigued by given my really good experience with the LV model minus it’s rough water characterics which i may attribute to my weight and to the fit of the boat.
So far I find the Nordkapp to be really an awesome handling boat that does things that kind of amaze me in some ways.
I paddled it back to back against my Romany Surf and the Nordkapp was NOTICEABLY more maneuverable than the 16 foot Romany S! Yepppp…noticeably more maneuverable. However, it requires a fair amount of edging in order to achieve this which I am comfortable with but maybe not everyone may be which is why I think that the Nordkappy probalby isn’t a good beginner boat given that it has low stability and really needs a lot of edging to unlock its potential.
If I had to make a negative comment about it, I would probably say that I am not overly thrilled with the way it rolls. To me it doesn’t roll as easily as the Explorer, but I think it is largely a matter of the fact that it just rolls at a different rate that I am just not used to. I probably just need to adjust my sweep a little to be more in tune with the boat. It seems to start to roll a little later in the sweep than the Explorer does and I am just not used to that yet.
Matt
Difference in capsizes…
…the Explorer flips over and “settles” upside down immediately. Nord H20 actually “wallows” side to side about three times before settling…one can either wait for it to settle, or make the boat correction as it wallows up. Each have different rolls they do better than the other…laybacks for the Explorer, and forward finishing for the Nord.
surfing LV
– Last Updated: Nov-24-10 9:47 PM EST –
I'm between 200-215 and like the way the Nord LV surfs. The rockered ends don't pearl in 5-6' surf where the rockered ends are a real plus. Not sure how a longer and less rockered hull is going to help you in the surf given the same conditions? I don't notice a problem with broaching. It's also great for catching the wave. It's a challenging kayak for sure but very good all around design for covering open water.
Here my LV catching a wave and most kayaks will broach just before the wave breaks
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm242/islanders66/kayaking/PA240109-2.jpg
and this NordLV of Bob here at Pnet from my LV.. notice we were so used to the conditions that he didn't even bother to brace..
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm242/islanders66/kayaking/PC090209-1.jpg
Not saying your evaluation is not valid, I just find it very good at surfing with an almost playboat responsiveness in a lot of situations. Hardly a deal breaker for what it's capable of in covering distance in open water.
Edit: For more on the NordLV just google "Nordkapp LV review" and Bowlers' is at the top of the page, which is true for about any kayak or canoe out there.
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=781094
this
just shows how subjective things are. I liked the way the little nordkapp rolled. The high front deck makes it almost semiselfrighting. But unlike the tempest/explorer its less stable
when the roll is in the finishing stage, due to the chines i suppose.
I cannot lay back in my Nordkapp.
My sit bones on on the hull (good stability), but the reck deck height combined with my being “packed” in the boat do not allow for a full layback roll. In my Romany S, Aquanaut, and skin boat my shoulders are on the deck. I don’t spend alot of time rolling in the Nordkapp, and I use more of a C to C instead.
Bill
subjective yes
it is very subjective… After padding the little Nordkapp I sometimes use an Explorer and put the paddle in the water and the kayak just sits there like a suborn old mule. It’s no surprise to me that Mat would warm up to the Nordkapp. It’s fun, responsive to static strokes and feels great to paddle. It being 18 feet the baby Nordkapp will be more playfull in the surf but that’s just my way of looking at things, and someone who paddles an Explorer dosen’t care much for static turns or getting from point A to B. Everyone I can think of who doesn’t like the Nordkapp based on it’s rocker or whatnot hasn’t paddled them and I often notice them in their own kayaks pinned by current, clapodis or small waves.
i would.
– Last Updated: Nov-25-10 12:44 PM EST –
really have liked to try the nordlow in the conditions i tried the RM in. that was a good f7 but in semisheltered coditions.Rolling breaking chop. The RM nordy felt very good in these conditions,just padling into the wind , working on the waves. It definately is not as easy to turn as the avocet in this stuff. And surfing back, felt not as reasuring as the avocet.also an RM. So i feel the Nordkapp LV would have been perfect in this kind of stuff.I have yet to paddle the pintail in strong wind...
and once more..im in the midst of this learning process,im no expert.
greenland layback
I pretty much always use the greenland layback roll with my Nordkapp H2O and the back deck suits me just fine.
Not sure what you mean
"and someone who paddles an Explorer dosen’t care much for static turns or getting from point A to B"
Don’t understand the first at all, and re the second do you mean that someone in an Explorer is less concerned about sprint speed? Since the Explorers have gotten many people on expeditions from point A to point B… or is there a pronoun missing?
hehe…
– Last Updated: Nov-27-10 7:32 AM EST –
im just sitting here now, thinking about how great the tempests are in rough conditions..
this summer we had a lot of wind here. I live in a kind o end of a valley, with quite steep hills on one side going about 400m up from water level. here high wind often appear on certain parts of the lake.
im sure we had 35-40 knots many times this summer,on parts of the lake in periods. juding from the feel and look on the seastated, trees etc..I have a lindisfarne voyager kayak that somewhat have a valley like hull.
i found it a bit more diffioult to control in such a seastate, tight rolling breakers. The tempest 165 is faboulus in this kind of stuff. i love that kayak!yellow 2010 model.i use a 240 greenlandpaddle, with extra narrow blade. killer combination. great rear hatch. Very nicely made.robust as hell.
Downright beautiful when its paddled. best allround kayak?
actually
– Last Updated: Nov-28-10 9:18 AM EST –
your sentence is the one missing a pronoun, so your question makes no sense to me at all.