Prodigy X vs. Esquif Vertige ....

[Daf]

I am looking for a very tame OC 1 that I can paddle (200lbs) and that my wife and son can tandem (with strap in outfitting). There combined weight is 185. We would be paddling relatively easy class 2 plus / 3 minus.

Would either of these boats work? And are they comparable. My experience paddling has been in a Sunburst for tripping and an Ovation.

Daf

[Wendy]

Handled 400# tandem team really well

[bushpaddler]

Do you mean Vertige or Vertige X?

Florian

[epatt250]

I tried a Vertige X a few weeks ago. While ferrying solo to pickup my tandem partner I had high hopes for this boat. Then when I added a tandem partner and the boat was trimmed out properly I started not to care for it much.

Coming from a Caption it just felt very sluggish. I will say that it certainly has more initial stability than the caption. That might be good for a brand new boater but I like to lean boats, the Vertige was very slow edge to edge, it felt like a wide 16' rental boat. It was very hard to turn, I tried to put it on edge to make it turn but the boat wanted to be flat, it did not feel well on its edge. Coming from a Caption that feels just as well leaned to the gunwale as it does when flat. I did not care for it. The Caption turns way better, gets up to speed more quickly with less effort, and it has superb secondary stability.

The Vertige X did seem to have pretty decent top speed and it was certainly more initially stable than the Caption. I am sure it is a nice boat and has its place. For me it felt like going from a Dodge Viper to a Charger. It would certainly be better if you were going to paddle alot of flatwater as it tracked much better. It feels too much like a tweener boat to me. If you are only going to run class I-II stuff then it would be great. I assume Esquif made the Blast for the tandem folks who really want to run some hard stuff, or the solo paddler who likes a little more boat than 12', and the Vertige X is for those who want a very stable boat with good hull speed and dont intend to take on tougher class III+ water on the smaller volume rivers and creeks that have tighter lines and small eddies.

[Wendy]

we got second racing against much more experienced tandem paddlers in Captions. Now if our combined weight was less we would have tried the Blast. I agree about tight technical stuff and >class 3, but look at the initial question was about his wife and daughter paddling.

[billcanoes]

I've tried the Vertige and liked it- it was nice and fast- I'm 195 I'm surprised the Vertige X had such different characteristics- One of the probles I experience trying to set up a blast with removeable seats was I couldn't get the straps as secure as I'd like if I were to set up for solo or tandem only- BUT I didn't use a triple saddle.

I'd recommend getting two boats even if you're getting to older ones as opposed to one new one- your son is going to grow and you can have a tandem thats designed as one as a solo boat that will be better suited for the rivers you will run alone

Bill

[epatt250]

we got second racing against much more experienced tandem paddlers in Captions. Now if our combined weight was less we would have tried the Blast. I agree about tight technical stuff and >class 3, but look at the initial question was about his wife and daughter paddling.

I never assume female paddlers mean "less skilled". There are female boaters that paddle circles around me.

He did not say what kind of water he wanted to use it on. He may want to run big water stuff solo in it but want something his wife and daughter can learn on and grow their skills.. or it could be that his wife is hardcore and wants to teach the daughter how to run hair

Grats on your 2nd place! I know next to nothing about racing unless we are talking motorcycles :p

[Daf]

I meant a Vertige not a Vertige X ... and a Prodigy X ... as these are the available boats to me right now.... I am looking for a larger OC1 for myself that I can get my wife and son to use to help develop their skills by outfitting it with removable saddles. As they are light even together and would be practicing on relativelyeasy water I thought this may work.
Daf

[Oci-One Kanubi]

I demoed a Vertige on the Nantahala. Ran the whole river in it and never learned to like it. I felt like I was driving a dump truck.

I have had a Prodegy X for three years now. My weight during that time varied from 215# throughout most of 2006 down to #185 now (plus up to 20# of crap in my drybag), and it has handled great. Fast, maneuverable, and very, very stable.

To give you a sense of my pre-existing preferences, before the Prodigy X I paddled a Dagger Rival for big water and a Dagger Ocoee for technical water.