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Has anyone around 190-200 lbs paddled a Fanatic 2? Did yours have any volume added? Wings to bow or whole boat? Thanks

Greetings...

I paddle a Fanatic 2 without any volume added and it's just about right (I'm 165lbs or so). I suspect if I was a bit heavier I'd be able to pivot a bit easier, and I might trim the boat a bit more stern-heavy.

I'm about 185 and my F-2 has 1/2 of extra volume in the bow. The volume tapers away at the wings.

It's important to remember that the original cut boat was designed by and for Jon and Davey. Davey weighs about 165. I think I recal Davey saying Jon was a little heavier.

I was interested in buying an F2 and weigh 190 lbs. So I asked around. Here are some answers I got.


"The builder of the boat says the optimal weight for that boat is
> > 175-180 lbs. This is a little lighter than you but I don't think 15
> > lbs is a big issue. The fanatic isn't like a playboat that turns
> > into a squirt boat w/ a heavy paddler."

"> Handling...Heres the scoop on big guys in race boats.
> It will be faster in a straight line but slower ro turn. At 190 it s
> about 10 lbs over on this boat. 180 is
> upper limit really. It does have 3/4 inchs added at the seam line. That will help...It will be edge'er of course.
> If you have large thighs or hips, you might not fit in the Fanatic. It is my opnion on the Ocoee course ...you will be sinking it somewhat but it will work...... A Maverick+( paddled by 205 lb olympic paddler Mike Corcaran of Ireland) or Z-2 ( Modified Zealot) would fit you better . Dagger's original Zealot version was used by 185lb Adam Clawson in the 96 olympics.
> A SuperGlide Designed by Davey Hearn is a good big guy boat too. These Boats are very "roomy".
> Which ever boat you purcahse..it is very important that your legs fit under the cockpit rim so that your knees got all
> the way the the chines with out hitting the rim and stopping ."

"paddled the fanatic but didn't like the way it drove, was hard to get a pivot over 45degree and it paddled more like the feel of a kayak. the pivot turn doesn't need to be high but for fun it looks good, and the boat drove more off the bow that off the stern."

Hope this helps.

Not sure I agree with everything in Quico's post.

The F-2 was designed by David Hearn and Jon Lugbill. The original boat (No volume inflation) was designed for someone weighing about 165 lbs. (per David Hearn). If you weigh more, you should add volume. Bob Robison told me that for most of his career he paddled boats that were too small for him and it wasn't until his last come back that he finally had a boat that's volume fit his weight (He's a bigger person than Davey or Jon)

Race boats are like all displacement boats, the more you weigh, the more water they will displace (read sit lower in the water). Therefore, the more you weigh the easier they will perform pivots etc. (read the easier the stern sinks)

I disagree that the bigger you are the faster the boat will be in a straight line and the worse it will turn...It's just the opposite. Race boats are displacement hulls, the more you weigh, the more they displace. There is an optimal weight for forward hull speed. This has been tested in the model basin.

There is almost no difference in the volume of an F-1 versus an F-2. The difference in the boats is in the hull. The F-2 has softer chines in the bow and the stern than the F-1 (looser boat). These softer chines were a design theme carried over from the Stealth which was a smaller boat designed in between the F-1 and F-2 for the '91 worlds. Jon didn't like the Stealth, so he paddled a Fanatic in '91

Andy Bridge started making F-2's with extra volume in the bow and therefore some people think the F-2 was a bigger boat, but the original was not. Mike Corcoran had almost 3/4 of an inch added to his purple F-2.

The Maverick was not a very impressive boat and therefore I would not recomend it. Garath Marriot designed it and the Maverick II, but they never really caught on. They turned horribly, but were pretty straigh line fast.

The Zealot is a great boat for bigger folks. Although finding one may prove a little challenging as a lot of racers didn't like the boat because of they felt it didn't turn well...probably because most didn't weigh enough. A lot of folks cut the stern down to make the boat pivot better. As such there are probably more cut down Zealots on the market than full cut boats. The Zealot coined the nickname the "Sell it".

I personally like the Zealot, it is a very forgiving "loose" hull which allows you to correct on the fly. Many newer designs pivot better and track better....which is great if you are on-lline, but tougher if your off line ...which I am more than often than not. You may find one of the first three Zealots made...These boats are easy to spot. There will be a patch all the way around the boat just behind the cockpit. Jon, Adam and Bob thought the original design had too much flip in the tail which starved the boat of straight line speed, so they cut their boats and flattenned the stern.

The Dynamic is another good boat for bigger folks, Davey designed this boat for '95 worlds. Some say this boat doesn't turn so great, but for a bigger person, this should not be a problem and will be offset by the gains in volume. A Dynamic will be difficult to find

The Superglide is not as big as either of the above boats. Volume falls off fast behind the cockpit. This boat is bigger than the Fanatic, but a 200lb paddler is too much weight. Remember, Davey designed the boat for himself at 165lbs.

I'm not sure what Quico meant by the Fanatic drove off the bow and not the stern...most people characterize the Bat series of boats as stern steer boats and the newer designed boats as boats you need to stay over the bow.

Good luck and let us know what you choose..or better yet, come up to the Armada and you can probably give all of these boats a try......DM