C-Forum

Thus proving, yet again, that in-jokes and subtleties don't do well here on the inter-webz... at least until you've mastered the use of "emoticons" or embedding images.

We all do tend to take ourselves a bit too seriously as CBoaters, it just manifests itself in different ways.

Time to go paddle (flat) water for me. Sure, I'd prefer a nice rapid, but access in front of the house with no drive makes it perfect for this moment.

I get the joke, I just can't call myself a paddler if I didn't have some snark back-talk.

In regards to loss of feeling in a sea kayak, that's likely because you don't do it as much as you C-boat. I canoe, but I mostly kayak, so I can sit in my "butt boat" (to use the preferred nomenclature) for far longer than my whirlwind. It's mostly a matter of your muscles stretching into that position. After I've been canoeing for several days I can last much longer, but if I've been out of it for a few months that kneeling position is harsh on my ankles and knees.

When I first started kayaking numbness was a constant issue, but I can't think of the last time that I went numb in my K-1. But if I haven't been in my open boat in awhile I experience a type of numbness that can only be described as unholy (on several occasions I've had to flip over just to get out of the thing).

Again, I get the joke but there is nothing worse than a conversation that goes in circles with no outside antagonist. Didn't mean to offend... I think.

Mark my words...the future of kayaking is with windshield wipers.

Paddler wrote:... After I've been canoeing for several days I can last much longer...

e'nuff

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ZING!

I hit the first roll i tried. C to C, and can sweep roll too. theres nothing to it. to be honest, i don't think it really should be called a roll, it should be called a 'flip'

and i'll outright say it - canoe is an inferior boat in whitewater. there are several thing that the canoe does better. but for the most part, an inferior boat that requires a superior paddler.

and as for getting splashed in the face... in a canoe, i dont get splashed if i dont want to get splashed, it's all in the control. kayaking its almost like u dont have a choice - it just like...splash in face. splash in face. splash in faceeeeeeee

Why do most people kayak rather than canoe? In no particular order:

1) Canoe is not considered a solo craft, whereas a kayak is
2) Kayaking is easier to learn initially
3) Kayaks are cheaper and easier to obtain
4) There are more kayakers willing to teach new kayakers

There are definitely some things canoes have more difficulty doing than kayaks, i.e. running huge drops or continuous big water, but for what the vast majority of the whitewater community runs, the Class I-III weekend warrior stuff, I'll be damned if I can think of anything a kayak can do that a canoe can't. The reason there are so many kayaks are because of the reasons above.

Though I'm hesitant to toss more fuel on the fire, there are a few more reasons:
- many more folks that kayak, and promote kayaking and share the knowledge
-ease of outfitting. Many boats now are hop in and go... while CBoats of all stripes tend to require modification / personalization (hence all the outfitting threads here). Some folks like that. A lot do not.

Adam -

While I definitely agree that outfitting can be a turn off to some people, I was talking more about why people initially choose a kayak. I actually did some market research on it for a project this winter, and outfitting didn't really factor in. But your first reason is dead on, more people doing it means a bigger market and more people to help first timers break in.

Tenzing wrote:Mark my words...the future of kayaking is with windshield wipers.

yep.

we have a wave here on my home river that, at the right level, is a fast, bouncy, face splashing hoot - in a kayak its like driving in a carwash without a windshield. In a canoe, I'm high enough to actually see

And the "feet falling asleep in a kayak" - of course its because I don't paddle one enough, but aren't kayaks supposed to be *comfortable*?! and canoes *uncomfortable*?! Its probably the outfitting that needs tweaking in my sea kayak, wait, what, tweak *kayak* outfitting?! All i've got in my favorite flat water canoe is a cane seat (back) and a maple slat (when paddling solo). :-O

I think for these cyclical threads we can just numerically code our responses to make these conversations more efficient. Per my records my two replies above should be 63 and 97.

....it's not the person, it's the boat.

I like a lot of kayakers, and they make good girl friends.

I don't paddle with you guys , I paddle with kayakers, and thats not uncommon.
Rand

Wouldn't mind though

I paddle with mostly kayakers too. they are great to have around for all sorts of reasons. I just don't like doing what is called 'kayaking'

i dont like getting splashed when i dont feel like it. Take today for instance... we did Stonycreek River, class III+... I wanted to work on my tan...but not too much. Water might just cause me to get burnt... so I spent most of the day not getting my shoulders wet. Also - there were girls on the water... so I wanted to keep my hair looking GQ under my hockey helmet...all of this stays dry in a canoe if you feel like keeping them dry.... a kayak...not so much. This displeases me.

Ah...hockey helmet and GQ? I think hockey helmet might be more MR