Gforce or S6f as a C1?

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MArko

testboat

Post by MArko »

the testboat is at hurley at Dominics. look for details to contact at drakkar forum ...

marko
Boise Bob
Pain Boater
Posts: 51
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 10:51 pm
Location: Boise, Idaho

Different playboat options

Post by Boise Bob »

Slick Stick,

I've paddled a Robson NRG all of 2004 here in Idaho. As converted kayaks go, it's pretty good. My stats 6' 185lbs.

When the NRG is in a hole, it's very playful, has a loose hull, and is a real crowd pleaser to watch. It's almost 26" wide, so stability is good. The ends are slicy and the lower volume stern can bring an early end to a ride.

On a big wave hole (or wave), it is SLOW. I find this characteristic a problem for myself. The Twin Tip has a ver similar hull shape with only the ends being different, but you get an extra 6" of boat length for some extra speed. I love the big wave holes and would choose the Twin Tip over the NRG for a Robson kayak.

As for the Flirt, it's ends are less slicy than the Twin Tip and the kayak design seems very good. I have not tried one.

What do I paddle now? a WheelBoy. I've been keeping track of marko's WB design since March'04 and I placed my order intent in May'04.

If you look at the two Robson boat hulls (NRG, Twin Tip), they have an excellent 2-hull transition that gives them their stability and playability. The problem is the 3rd transition is a hard 90 degree kayaker-style transtion.

The WB has a 3-hull transition (floating hull ideology) that I knew would be very good in its looseness and performance. Taken by itself, this 3-hull design is a big deal. The WB length is perfect for the big wave-holes I play in. The extra 2" in width adds to its stability. Now, lets add the fact that it was designed for kneeling (not sitting) and you get a very different volume distribution and balance point.

I have only used my WB in the pool, but I can tell you the design aspects make a huge difference. It has speed, primary/secondary stability, and the volume distribution is important.

If its purely a money issue and you must convert a used kayak to keep the cost down, the Robson Twin Tip is a good choice. Otherwise, I recommend the WheelBoy by a factor of 10.

Boise Bob
C1 Throwdown--Ride'm Cowboy!
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