Submitted: 03-07-2003 by detjen
Okay - go ahead and call me crazy... I took the Excursion through the Upper Guadalupe (Berghiem to the State Park) at about 550cfs (class II to low III). I was the only one in the group not in a whitewater boat - but this thing handled it really well. At 17 feet long don't expect it to be catching micro eddies and surfing in holes (although I got big smiles when I got it to surf). The point is that handled rough water exceptionally well. I've also paddled it tandem on flat water now - it's stable, fast, and easy to rudder steer (you don't need to worry about controlling the strokes).I'm still not crazy about the 36x18 cockpits - 34x20 would be more to my liking. The rivers around here have lots of strainers, so I removed the safety deck line - if/when I go in the ocean I'll put it back on. I'm still interested in getting a Prijon Yukon Expedition (it's what I was looking for when I found this). If it's basically a solo version of this boat then I'm sure I'll like it. If you're paddling solo without a bunch of gear then the Excursion is overkill - plus it's 85lbs are a real bear to carry after a long day paddling! |