C-Forum

I don't know if anyone of you has undergone the same way of thinking has I did, but it tortured me for a while I would like to have some of your stories of how you came about making your decision to C-boating or OC-1 boating.

I started kayaking 13 years ago and always felt different so 2 years ago i got myself a OC-1. Now i know I can't manage to do all those fancy moves kayakers do, the learing curve is steeper and all my friends just don't understand why in the world i would want to paddle down the river with such a big boat compare to all those short kayaks nowadays. I got so sick of trying to learn to canoe down steep rivers and always getting swamped that this year I told myself that it was it, I was going back to kayaking. But after much thinking I decided to keep my open canoe I don't know why but I know that I'll probably regret selling my boat and getting a kayak if i do.

Is there anyone else out there who feels or felt the same way I did? Am I only torturing myself. Is there a special gene in most French Canadians that makes them want to canoe instead of kayak?

I just read the post in Class V and even if it mostly about C-1 and I OC-1 it was helpful and encouraging. I think must of us new one bladed paddlers who just switched from kayaking feel the frustration of not beeing able to run some of the stuff we used too in a kayak. But we love the feel of the single blade and love the challenge.

I guess we just need some encouragement from veterant single bladers to keep up, because we are a diffrent breed... I sure feel like that on the river.

I am a CBoater. And, knees willing, always will be. I, like you, enjoy the challenge, and, when I pull a nice move off, the feeling of grace (versus when my stern catches and I ungracefully flop into an eddy...thankfully that happens less than it used to ).

That said, after you boat for many years, I really think that it matters just to BE on the river, no matter how you're there. So, if your knees act up, you kayak, or raft, or ducky...at that point it's not about the boat, it's about the boating. You feel at home on the water, and wish to be there without too much discomfort (fyi right now I actually find kayaking more uncomfortable! (my legs fall asleep...really!))

Regardless, enjoy the challenge, and try and make it to an armada. You'll find the trip well worth it, even before we hit the water I suspect

Thanks for your reply.
It's funny I also found kayaking uncomfortable as strange as it might seems my hips always had bad cramps after a day of paddling.

I understand what you mean about what really matters is being on the river. But at one point all of us C-boaters had to make a decision and what interests me is what was that trigger. Because let's face it, to the general public we are somewhat strange and outcast. But I like that

I think I will make it to an armada it sure sounds fun and will give me some encouragement to keep going. I guess I won't feel like a freak there.

Thanks

I would like to have some of your stories of how you came about making your decision to C-boating or OC-1 boating.

I switched from an Old Town Tripper to a kayak in 1976. Two years later I found that I could side surf a hole much easier in a C-1 because of the strong low brace so I switched to a C-1. Eight years later I was getting bored paddling a C-1 so I switched back to an OC-1. I've never been bored since.

Jim M

Jim-

Are you not bored because of the boat (OC)? Or because of the rivers (you tend to hang around on some pretty wild rivers)?

Re:
Because let's face it, to the general public we are somewhat strange and outcast.

Hey, we may be strange, (any group that has AB in it has to be a little strange) but it is a good strange! And I have never felt outcast on a river- as posted above, just being there is great.

Like you said Jim it's a good strange. I'm French Canadian so i guess outcast wasn't the right choice of word because I didn't meen anything negative by it. I've never felt like i was some kind of idiot on the river from any yakers what i meant is most of the time you feel that '' Why in the world would you want to paddle something like that? '' from yakers. I don't know if I'm any clearer. If you want i can write it in french.

I paddle OC for the same reasons I skied telemark/free heel....

challenge and the desire to be different.

i have been the only free heeler on a piste of thousands in France....man that feels good!

I know that for any given water I have to use more skills than a kayaker to get down in one piece. I used to kayak but got bored, and the only way out of that was to move on to class V or VI which I was not prepared to do.

I do not feel an outcast on the river............I feel proud to be either the only OC1er about, or one of an elite group.

The fact that I broke my back kayaking has nothing to do with it!!

You,ve got the right word ELITE.

That's really strange Choire you should mention that you telemark, because I'm also a telemarker and like yourself I love the challenge it brings me I skied 11 years got bored than snowboarded 16 years and really got bored.

I guess telemarking and OC-1 has a lot in common because most of my buddies who oc-1 telemark.

I wonder how many OC-1 telemark? That should be a post

En passant Choire, es-tu Français ? Je pose la question parce que tu mentionnais que tu étais parmis un des seuls télémarkeurs en France.

go with your first instinct, SELL THE OC NOW !!!!

that being said i could be persuaded to buy it off you for cheap

Here's my story about why I paddle C1.

My first loves and main intersts are flatwater marathon canoe racing and cross-country skiing.

In both paddling and skiing, I like to occasionally dabble in the thrill-seeker side of the sports for a fun break from intense training and also for a different type of technical challenge. This leads me to whitewater boating and telemark skiing.

However, I have a stong sense of fear and have no interest in class V rivers or double-black ski runs. Limiting my equipment to a single-blade paddle and free-heel skis allows me to challenge myself without feeling like I'm constantly on the verge of death.

I'm quite happy on class II and III rivers and "single black" ski runs.

Kevin[/quote]