Whitewater Kayak Plowing???

Hi,

I am mostly a sea kayaker and canoeist these days but recently decided to pick up a ww kayak. Had done a couple of summers of ww a few years ago and have been doing some ww canoeing but had not been out on river in a kayak in a few years.



Found a good deal on a Pyranah inazone 230. I weigh 200 pounds so am on upper end of its advertised weight scale but figured would be okay.



This is the fist boat I have ever paddled with a low volume / duck bill type bow. Assume this is more of a playboat feature to allow bow squirts, etc.



Just paddling slowly on the flats I found that the bow would dig in and plow under the water. Would do as soon as you started to paddle.



Also found that on the river it plowed badly. Dug in to every wave etc. Also made ferrying harder for me for same reason as well as surfing. AS soon as I got on a wave bow would dig, slow boat down, and push me off it.



So…



Is this how the boat is supposed to handle? What is the purpose of a bow that digs so much?



Or am I too heavy for this boat?



I can’t imagine that the boat is designed to have the bow dig in THAT much…???



Needless to say I don’t care for it and am selling the boat but just am curious for my own knowledge to know about this boat design and to know if maybe I was just too heavy for the boat.



thakns





Matt

Not the boat for you
You’re just too heavy for the boat.



I have the same boat, and at 170 ish pounds I can control the way the bow grabs simply by leaning forward or backward, but I think the boat would behave a bit better if I were 15 or 20 pounds lighter.



I can’t imagine the boat handling worth a damn with another 60 pounds in it.

Inazone Bow

– Last Updated: Nov-11-09 9:19 AM EST –

The Inazones can take some attention, front and back, if you are at the upper end of their weight range. You really have to watch your balance and stay in the middle of the boat, and be ready to shed water here and there.

I have noticed this in the used 220 I picked up - truth be told I should probably be in a 222 for the extra gallon of volume. I am carrying a few more pounds than when I got it, and that has put me right at the edge.

It's not been a critical problem in the class 2 with so far one drop over Zoar Gap stuff that I've done, and I love how it feels like I am in a very responsive tea cup. I certainly have no problem rolling it. But if I wanted to get more serious about WW and move up in class, I'd probably have to get a boat with a smidge more volume.

The Pyrhanna I-series may do you (it's based on the Inazone, slightly tweaked to deal with the slicy stern), or the correctly sized Jackson Fun series, for a river runner that'd play in surf and be around used.

BTW, have you tried moving the seat back? It may add a little excitement to managing the stern if you are heavier but helps with the bow bury thing. Mine is fully back, and I can't say it has made the stern a problem.

(PS later - Seanote mentions something that I tend to forget I do. If you live a bit on the edge for a boat like this, you can be at the upper end of the weight allowance and get by. That said, you probably are still too heavy for the Inazone 230.)

Playing
The ends are taped down to slice when you want to cartwheel, squirt and make other moves. Edge the boat when you’re going straight and it won’t dive.

You really need the 240
if you want to do down river paddling. I am 190 and would never think of taking a 230 down river and I have been in both. However, if you want to do park and play, the 230 is better.

InaZones…

– Last Updated: Nov-11-09 11:19 PM EST –

I think of InaZones as among the best all round and schooling boats for ww available.

At 185, I had to move the seat back all the way and not lean forward for the bow not to bury in my InaZone 230. The 242 worked a lot better for me. I ended up replacing my InaZone with an I3. I find the I3 much more fun and responsive than the InaZone - though slower downriver and less forgiving. When I need more hull speed or forgiveness, I use my Diesel;)

That boat advertised at 49 gallons
which is good and bad for you. Good for play boat moves but at your weight, yea it might plough. Other boats out there you might be happier with.