Submitted: 03-05-2007 by cecil
I ended buying a used Epic 16 -2006 model due to its’ light weight….39 lbs. My Nordkapp HMC is 58 lbs. and paddling once a week single handed was not fun for a guy who is not that strong. What I mean is the loading and unloading it from my van. I sold my NS Fuego due to the small cockpit opening (my idiosyncrasy) and kept my Nordkapp HMC. The Epic 16 I did not quite understand at the beginning. With the rudder up it is very nimble which is excellent but on the down side it does not track straight. I figured that this kayak was made to use a rudder.
Initially I had problems using the rudder pedal. No matter what I do, my toes invariably push the pedal. So the kayak goes zig zag. A guy at the CCK store (Oakland CA) by the name of Socrates advised me on how to adjust the height of the rudder pedal. And boom……problem solved.
I also did some minor modifications. The plastic fittings that hold the perimeter lines were giving me problems. The 3/16” cord slips out when I pull hard on it after a wet exit re-entry maneuver. I replaced the said fittings with the better ones from Necky? The people at CCK ordered it for me.
Now that I have been paddling Epic 16 for awhile, I must say that I’m beginning to really like this kayak. It is fast……6.7 mph w/ current assist (GPS) on a sprint using a wing paddle. Easy to load on my van due to its’ light weight. It is straight tracking with the rudder. And if I have to maneuver a lot like in a corkscrew slough, the rudder goes up. And did I say it looks like a red Ferrari?
The Epic Touring 16 has been replaced by Epic 16X in 2007. |