C-Forum

I've recently picked up an old New Wave Acrobat and want to know who has chopped the daylights out of one.
Just how low can you get and still fit "inside"?
If I want a submarine am I barking up the wrong tree? I just can't pull the trigger on a Ceemweaver right now.
How much does Paul at PS charge for a chop job?

I know that's a lot of questions, but I just can't help my self. I've been bitten by the Squirt bug baaaaad.

Oh yeah, when's Cquirt this year?

Mick

The Acro can be severely chopped. Depending on your weight in may be a good mystery machine- it is a nice boat. If you weigh less than, say, 170 lbs it may be tough getting a chop low enough to sit under water all the time. NZ Matt had a pretty low cut boat, and there is a fellow (Brian) out there with a REALLY low chopped Acro (ugly at that point, but low volume).

You may need to have the cockpit opened up, depending on your inseam / thigh size as the cut gets more aggressive.

I would expect a chop by PS to be several hundred dollars - and worth every single penny.

Depending on your weight, and interest, there is a brand new Mentor up for sale too...last price I asked for it was less than i have in to it for materials ($800).

Squirt boats are like potato chips

I don't know what you weigh, but seriously consider the Mentor. It's tiny & should be a real sinker. That's a brand new boat at an awesome price.

I have (it's sold, but not delivered) a "master cut" Acro. At 200lbs. I managed to get my shoulders wet at the Alley last Cquirt. Huge's boat seamed to be about the same cut as mine. He's taller & lighter. I think he went ~chin deep the same day. If he had my balast & lack of height, he'd have been head under.

My problem w/ the Acrobat is the tiny cockpit openning. I can't get the knee spread that I want. I was planning to open mine up when I bought the Woodie. The level was a little above optimum today & I was only getting belly deep.

Inseam is the critical point with the Acrobat. With myu inseam (36"), mine is about as small eas I can get into, and it's althougt a fun one, not a comfortable boat. I tried to get into MikeW and SirAdam's master cut Acrobats once, tyhere was no way for me to fit.
Enlarging the cockpit might be an option.

TGG!

Mick I think Paul S said a good chop goes for $400-500. Well worth it to get the boat right for you! I'm assuming a new cockpit wouldn't be that much more on top (okay bad pun) of that. Not to mention a class fix / reseam (since its there).
You can do both yourself but it takes some guts for the cut / chop (they are different) and knowledge. The cockpit on the other hand is not too difficult (yep even I can do that).
How does the current cut float for you? Do you have any photos of you in it on the water? That would be helpful! Also do you plan to paddle to spots or park & play? That can be a big difference in what you do with it.
Suggest you call Paul first and chat with him (he's really good about taking the time) and come down over M-Day to stop in. We'll be stopping by his shop - a must on any Cquirters list of "to do"s! Paul C.

Thanks for all the replies guys!
I haven't even put the boat into the water yet so I have no idea how it floats me. It is rumored it is a full volume boat - no chop. Another curious thing about this one is that it has wings like a race boat. Can't say I've seen another Acrobat like it.
I am trying to get the time off to come to the Armada/Cquirt. I keep missing it every year and I really need to attend. I would like to paddle a chopped down or Master Cut Acro before I defile mine. And yes Paul, I am looking for a submarine. Park and Play. Or river running for idiots.

By the way, all the talk of weight and inseam.....I'm 5'10-3/4" and 170lbs after breakfast with my paddling gear on and have a short inseam 29-30".

Mick

Mick, if your boats has the wings then it's a full cut. As far as I know any chopping will result in removing the wings.
I think PAC's new (formerly MikeW) and SirAdam's master cut Acrobats are about as low cut as it get's, there is not much volume in those puppies left at all.

You should seriously try out the Mantor Adam is sellin, too.
I was , once again due to my 36" inseam, too far back and unbalanced in it, but with your inseam your position and thus trim would be perfect. and the boat is low enough in volume that you should be able to sink it, too!

TGG!

At 170, a full cut Acro will be a nice cruiser for you. Come to Cquirt & try PAC's master cut. You'll want something smaller like the Mentor.

Some one wanted photos?
As you can see.......... full volume.


Still fun though. Snaps into eddys and carves well on green waves.
The saddle is only 5.5 inches high and I was numb after 45 minuets! I can't see chopping anything out of it if it means loosing saddle height. Hades, there's only 6.5 inches under the deck at the highest point. I think I bruised mt tail bone on the stern deck too. OUCH

Mick

I wonder if the volume can be removed just from the ends, say starting a foor forward and behind the cockpit? 45 minutes?! Good grief! I thought you had something to complain about and here you are bragging!

I think Scott is correct. A "Chop" = lenght cut, might be in order!
You might also need to get a different skirt.
There is no rule that says "X" amount of your body is required under the deck. The more like a potato chip the more likely you're gona "get down".
You can get an expert's input (Paul S. & / or Jimi S.) if you bring it to Cquirt.
Heck you could even get an expert cut / chop & reseam while we all watched at PS Composites.
By the way, you are floating a tad higher than I do in my full cut - but I don't want to hear any weight comments!
Nice looking boat too! Paul C.

Here is my Acrobat, I was about 170 then so it should give you a starting idea of what is possible.



A couple of my thoughts as well as a couple of points that bear repeating.

Seat height is very important in a squirt boat. I think mine is in the 5 to 6 inch range. The lower you can get the more stable you are.
Knee spread, also very important in a squirt boat.
Opening up the cockpit rim is key for the long legged like Martin (ahem.. Gonzo) and I. It is also a great way to gain comfort and not worry so much about where the deck will hit your body. This allows you to tweak your seat height and knee spread to make it more stable. My feelings are that Jimi proved this with the Ceemweaver by making the cockpit "footprint" the size of where your body sits in the boat.

If you can make it to the Armada, I would recommend trying out every boat you can. Squirt boats are highly personalized and figuring out what you want out of a boat can take some time on the water. Without a doubt, the Cquirt event is the largest concentration of C-squirt boats on the planet and there is likely to be at least one of every type of Cquirt boat ever made, in addition to the usual fleet of Acrobats.
FWIW, I have paddled (um, swam) the boat above down the LY loop at 5+ feet. Idiot river running at it's best.

huge

I never got lower than 4 inches when I was young, slim, and flexible, but most of the young turks paddling C-1 slalom competitively nowadays are going for lower and lower seats. Around 2-3 inches appears to be the popular target, so it can be done. It's more of what your particular body is capable of, and your tolerance for pain and discomfort.

John

huge wrote:FWIW, I have paddled (um, swam) the boat above down the LY loop at 5+ feet. Idiot river running at it's best.

huge

Woohoohoo! That was an adventure unto itself. 'Specially the hike-out/climb-out. Don't forget that your name nearly started a fight and you weren't even around. Still laughing over that one!

Hope to "C" ya at the armada, Mr. T-grips.

KNeal

that's right, the seats get lower and lower, but it does really hurt - even to us young turks

a friend of mine and I paddle both very low seats, and we both can't tolerate this for 1 1/2 hours at a time - I have to relax my legs every 30 minutes