Prelude?? Is it worth it??

Kanukid · Post by **Kanukid** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:27 pm

I was wondering if I could get some feed back on the paddling characteristics of the Prelude? I getting tired of the short life of Royalex OC's. Just can't seem to make the transition to a Taureau or the like. Want to stay with a true Open Boat!! I imagine I'll give in one day!!

Thanks

Justin

greybear · Post by **greybear** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:36 pm

Justin:
If your an aggresive paddler and have a good roll (unlike me without one) I believe you'll be fine. I saw a guy with one on the Ocoee in hades hole tearing it up. Just don't let your guard down when paddling.

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:34 pm

Awesome boat. My favorite OC1. It's an excellent creeker, and a good riverrunner, too. Even fares surprisingly well in big water. Give it a try!

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!

philcanoe · Post by **philcanoe** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:58 pm

it is durable ... this is of utmost importance to me ... I've got a Spanish Fly (same company, same plastic?) with several hundred trips on ClassIII-V... never patched, however it can be welded ... there's a reason kayaks are HDPE, too bad there's not more options for it in canoes

it is reponsive, you will not outgrow it quickly ... caution, may come with a learning curve, but that's part of the fun ... while it is quick, it's not squirrelly ... has good stability, considering it's length and rocker ... not real edgy

it is relatively dry ... however some mammoth 15 footer would be drier

it still looks like a traditional canoe ... sounds like that concerns you

will not require maintenance ... you can put it up wet, and it'll show no wear ... and Pyranha has always stood behind their boats

mshelton · Post by **mshelton** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:36 pm

It has a cool fish logo too.

Detonator Function · Post by **Detonator Function** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:52 pm

I think the Prelude is the boat of choice for many world-class paddlers. Seems like an excellent boat for pushing your limits. I've never tried one, but it is on my list.

oc1paddlr · Post by **oc1paddlr** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:30 am

this is a boat I want to try. I hear it's hard to keep under you and hard to roll off of you. Do a search. Love to have this boat in my quiver also bath tub boy u tube is awsome

bathtuboy · Post by **bathtuboy** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 8:04 am

The company are English as well so got to be good. My favourate boat, I will be buying another one, when and if I manage to irrepairably break mine.

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:58 am

Detonator Function wrote:I think the Prelude is the boat of choice for many world-class paddlers. Seems like an excellent boat for pushing your limits. I've never tried one, but it is on my list.

You don't hae to be a world class paddler (would be nice to be one

) to paddle and like a Prelude, I am nowhere near world class (unfourtunately, and I never will

) and I love mine

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!

Dooleyoc-1 · Post by **Dooleyoc-1** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:35 pm

Justin:

You would like the prelude, but it will take some getting used to in Colorado. It is a great boat for the southeast becasue it boofs so well and is highly rockered which makes it great for tight turns on rocky low volume steep creeks.

It will seem a little unstable and slow at first compared to an Ocoee if you're running pushy western water in CO ie Arkansas Numbers at 1200 cfs or Roaring Fork in Aspen at 1000 cfs or Clear Creek, Poudre, etc...

Having said that the prelude can paddle big water too. Try one out. It would be a sweet boat for shallow rocky CO runs like OBJ.

Kanukid · Post by **Kanukid** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:04 pm

Thanks for the input ya'll. I imagined it would be a slow boat. Can't be much slower than the Detonator that I'm runnin right now! My interest in this boat is for creek'n. So, I need that durability. How does it huck in comparison to the Detonator?

bamaboater · Post by **bamaboater** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:34 pm

better try to get your hands on one, cuz I heard the aren't in production anymore.

it's a sick boat. I'm probably not going out of my way anytime soon to paddle something else. maybe a demo for the hades of it, but I'm not going to look for a new boat because I haven't even come close to maxing out my skills in this boat.

I can't compare how it boofs to a detonator because I haven't paddled one. But it's plastic!!!