The Esquif Lèdge

[ncdavid]

It is true, Matt. Engaging the downstream edge will produce a snap turn. Try it in really mild water at first.

[Todhunter]

Cool, thanks, I will try it. I guess if you try in fast water and aren't ready for it, it's the ejection button?

[Smurfwarrior]

Yeah, trying that for the first time in a Zoom, aggressively, in quick water = eject!

At least it gives the butt boaters something to giggle about.

[Craig Smerda]

Cool, thanks, I will try it. I guess if you try in fast water and aren't ready for it, it's the ejection button?

A bright red Ocoee once bucked me on really fast water when I slammed into an eddy while trying to learn "the ways of the outside edge"... literally tossed me right out of the boat.

My buddy had a good laugh at least.

[Shep]

It's not something I have practiced much... Frankly it scares me a little when I do it on accident. But if one were to be trying to do this, I guess it would be best to do a high-brace/static draw on the inside of the turn, lean to the inside just a touch, and push down on that outside knee?

Shep

[Craig Smerda]

It's not something I have practiced much... Frankly it scares me a little when I do it on accident. But if one were to be trying to do this, I guess it would be best to do a high-brace/static draw on the inside of the turn, lean to the inside just a touch, and push down on that outside knee?

Shep

I typically start by leaning into the turn (or come in dead flat), then progressively engage the outside (downstream) edge to make the boat carve the turn and then bring it back to the nuetral position. Generally the boat will pivot right around the paddle if you get it right. It's not necessarily faster or even better to do this... but it is a heckuva' lotta fun when you get it to really *snap*

In the video clip I didn't have my t-grip up very high or did I put much effort into it at all... the boat just whipped around by using the fast moving dowstream water and engaging the edge in the calmer eddy water.



Edit... At the 1:24 and again at the 2:04 marks of this you can see Teal use an outside edge to turn while testing the prototype.
http://vimeo.com/5213136

[karstmaninaboat]

I have found engaging the outside edge is useful for catching real small eddies.

[Smurfwarrior]

Guess who got their L'Edge a day earlier than planned and just got off the river after paddling it? You get one guess... hint, look left.

[philcanoe]

It's not something I have practiced much... Frankly it scares me a little when I do it on accident. But if one were to be trying to do this, I guess it would be best to do a high-brace/static draw on the inside of the turn, lean to the inside just a touch, and push down on that outside knee?

Shep

I typically start by leaning into the turn (or come in dead flat), then progressively engage the outside (downstream) edge to make the boat carve the turn and then bring it back to the nuetral position. Generally the boat will pivot right around the paddle if you get it right. It's not necessarily faster or even better to do this... but it is a heckuva' lotta fun when you get it to really *snap*

In the video clip I didn't have my t-grip up very high or did I put much effort into it at all... the boat just whipped around by using the fast moving dowstream water and engaging the edge in the calmer eddy water.



Edit... At the 1:24 and again at the 2:04 marks of this you can see Teal use an outside edge to turn while testing the prototype.
http://vimeo.com/5213136

Well, been saying just that - for about 1036 posts... all the girls from boater chick class picked it up in about 15 minutes.

[Craig Smerda]

Phil... we shan't discuss using upstream edges when making a hard ferry yet... right?

[philcanoe]

No, guess not after all - why shouldn't we start off going downstream, when we want to stay upstream?

[Smurfwarrior]

General question- What saddle height are most people running in their Ledges? I raised it an inch and widened mine last night and today it was mucho more comfy and felt like I was sitting better in it. I'm 5'6" so that helped give me some more reach I think. Whats everyone else doing and how tall are you?

Really like the design of the saddle/bulkhead. The two rules of gear; its gotta work and its gotta look cool, and not necessarily in that order. This bulkhead does both.

[Louie]

I raised the seat an inch so far, but still feel like my arm pits are on the gunnels, it is so dam stable I am goin at least another inch higher.

[Sir Adam]

Ahem....

[Craig Smerda]