Need help choosing a kayak to convert!!!

[Skip On Ocoee]

Hey there,

this is my first post here. So here it goes. I'm kind of desperate to get a new kayak to convert to a c-1.

me- 6'(1.83m?) 165(74kilos?)

Do i want a shorter boat with lots of volume? I'm worried if it has too much volume it's going to be impossible to do ANYTHING on flatwater. But i want enough volume to get some BIG air. And I'm still not sure if length will have any effect on how I perform on a wave or a hole.

i was thinking about these choices( WS Project 52, WS ZG 48, Dagger Crazy 88 6.2). Feel free to give any suggestions.

Cheers,
Skip on Ocoee

[Sir Adam]

Depends on what you mean by 'new' - if you're talking about a new boat to you, I'll let other's who are far more knowledgeable answer.

If you're talking about a truely NEW boat, I'd say consider a true C1, such as a Wheelboy (check with Millbrook boats, and a few folks who have them in your area) or Shaggy Pagan (glass, but a NICE boat, or check with Scott Barnes on a Dragorossi with no outfitting....

[CrazyRiver]

i just converted a WS zg54 and im 6'3" 180# and it is super easy to throw around and surfs very easily as well. It is also very nice to run downriver to all your favorite playspots.

[mshelton]

See if you can find a used Wheelboy for sale, I know there have been a few floating around in the states recently and one over in Great Brittan on E-Bay.

At your height and weight it would make a pretty fun boat for you for both river running and play. One thing that you'll want to look at when choosing a boat is width and width distribution. Boats that are wide up front and narrow out under the saddle area don't make especially good conversions. boats with a the width distributed evenly will make better C1s. Take a look at the bottom of the Fluid Flirt series and the 07 Jackson Superstars, 2 boats that have nice width distribution.

Doing a first time conversion you really don't know where you will end up liking certain things, such as hip grabber location and height, saddle height, boat trim, backrest height, strap angle, bulkhead or no bulkhead, bulkhead setup, etc. So if you do a conversion, try and make it not super permanent in case you want to change things around later. I've found that you can get a boat set up to feel really, really well if your patient and spend time thinking about the setup and try different things.

just my 2 cents.

[msims]

Hey Sir Adam, PAC:

This is a great question that comes up fairly often; what about a "poll" post that's either sticky or easily accessible, that shows the popularity of conversions? Granted most folks likely have more than one but they could always clear their cache and vote again.

It would give people a sense of what are popular conversions with folks (not necessarily the "best" model, but at least popular)...

Might want to have different categories, eg, play, river runner, creeker..

POLL: What C1 do you own?

River Runner:
list of boats
Play Boat:
list of boats
Creeker:
etc.
Pure C1 (non-conversion)
etc..

Would be a hassle to setup, but if you want to give me temporary "poll posting" access I'd be happy to set it up...

Mike.

[Sir Adam]

Nice idea, but there are SO many boats and different conversions out there, what we really need is a new database for them. It is almost done (2 years in the works...we'd hoped to have it live by now), hopefully by the end of the year (won't be before October, that's for sure

If you still want to try a poll, everyone should be able to do them - just scroll down when you're starting a new post to see the different options.

[cbcboat]

Don't buy a boat that does tricks well in flatwater, you will end up regretting buying a boat that does flatwater tricks easily as when you actually paddle it in current or in a hole or wave you won't have the bouyancy/volume to get that 'huge air'. It's nice for learning but I think you will want a larger boat in the end. As most people will probably agree the extra leverage gained in a C-1 Conversion makes it best to go with a little more volume. Just my opinion. I agree that the FLirt is agood conversion. I would like to get my hands on a large Nemesis when they are available, maybe next year.
Good Luck,
B

[sbroam]

I don't know if this is as common as it was, but folks seem to find the smallest kayak they will fit in. I find that for a K to C conversion to work better, take the size up from what you would pick for a K if you are near the middle of the weight range or higher - think "these shoes run small, half sizes round up". You need a little more stability because of the height and a little more length will help with the speed.

[Skip On Ocoee]

Thanks for all the responses guys, theyre greatly appreciated.

What would you guys think of a Project 52 as a conversion, i found a pretty great deal for one, but i'm still curious to know if they make good conversions.

Are they too short? Will i have to sacrifice speed? Is it possibly too short for a little river running? PLEASE help.

thanks all.

Cheers,
Skip On Ocoee

[Kev]

Project 52 makes a pretty good conversion. One of the better wave sport boats in a while.

I'm in a Nemesis and love it. There are a lot of good boats, but if you can line up a good deal, the P52 is a decent boat.

[Skip On Ocoee]

so nothing to worry about in terms of speed or carvability due to its short/stubbiness? If not, what WOULD i be sacrificing with such a short boat, if i was risking anything at all.

[Kev]

so nothing to worry about in terms of speed or carvability due to its short/stubbiness? If not, what WOULD i be sacrificing with such a short boat, if i was risking anything at all.

The P52 is a great Playboat, it has the capability to do any move. If you are just doing river running get a different boat, if your paddling from one playspot to the other downstream most of the time your in the right boat.