Submitted: 05-24-2006 by Paddlejunky
This is my first Kayak so I have nothing with which to compare. I've been out almost every weekend since ice-out and have taken the boat out in lots of different conditions. I am 6'3" with size 12 feet. I wish the rudder pedals had another notch of travel, I have them all the way extended and still have to wiggle, squirm, and sometimes partly lift myself out of the cockpit to get my feet on the pedals. Once seated in the boat it is impossible to move my feet to the pedals if I fail to place them while entering. (I wear Chotas while paddling) As the spring has progressed, I've left the rudder up most days, only when experiencing strong crosswinds and waves do I deploy, and then generally when I am heading back to the barn and worn out. Waves around a foot make for a wet ride, but I haven't felt "over my head" in any conditions yet. The boat feels stable, and compared to my Grumman canoe, quite fast. I guess it helps to not be spoiled eh? Workmanship on the boat is questionable at best. I should have rejected it at delivery as there was an obvious, although admittedly only cosmetic, blemish where the hull didn't separate cleanly from the mold. But I had waited weeks and wanted to paddle. I also found the bulkheads leaked like a sieve. The rudder sticks, I need to diagnose where the hangup is, somewhere on the cable. I purchased some 3M Marine Caulk, redid the bulkheads and the compartments are now dry. I am an easy to please individual so I have to say I am happy with the boat, and have had lots of fun this spring. But I am already looking to my next, not Perception, kayak. |