C-Forum

So, I recently got into a minor tiff with a fellow who was mouthing off about OC1 being the only true canoing (whilst commenting on Craig's FB status no less, sorry Craig).

I realised that for all the times it's said in jest to wind each other up, there are still a fair few people who's melons get severely twisted by the fact that people would choose to paddle a craft that doesn't have a huge hole in the top, even if just for some of the time...

It occured to me that in what is already a minority sport, that kind of bitchy infighting is just downright embarrasing... Not least as generally speaking, as most c-paddlers do both (or do one and dabble at the other).

I have no idea what my original point was going to be, I suddenly had a great idea for my thesis and switched to writing that after the last paragraph, but this is written now; so...

In time honoured fashion: Discuss.

no worries...

for reference what I had posted was...

who says a canoe has to look like a canoe has always looked?

isn't 'canoeing' really just a style of paddling?

why must canoeing be defined by a traditional "look"

I agree with Craig - canoeing is a style of paddling, not a boat....

And if you REALLY want to be "special", squirt

This type of discussion could go on for a while; I'll check back in a month or so to see how it's going

FELLAS!............Really?



Do what you love and don't worry about the the folks that don't see eye to eye with you. You WON'T change their mind anyway!
Personally I came into the paddling sport as OC1 only. I have deversified greatly and own several C-1s and a few K-1s as well as my OC's.

It's all paddling to me and it's all fun!


I'm over it.........

Do what you love and don't worry about the the folks that don't see eye to eye with you. You WON'T change their mind anyway!

Gee ... some reality! Its your boat ... go paddle it! The rest was just weak and worthless! LOL

MrTgrips wrote:
It's all paddling to me and it's all fun!

I agree with that. A boat is a boat.
I've got a couple OC1s, a C1, and am trying to get a K1 playboat. And any day that I can get out and paddle any boat is a very, very good day.


*This post may be influenced by my general lack of boating due to low snow pack and thus very low water this spring.

I agree with the others: Get a boat, paddle, enjoy.
Nothing wrong with celebrating open boating - I was at ALF for all of about ten minutes on Saturday morning (for reasons of marital bliss) - to pick up a viper C1 brought down from Canada (Thanks, Dave Humphrys!), and it seemed like a great group of folks. It seems a little strange to me, though that there's no C1 class in the race (hey - we don't use pumps!). Why not a race with a T-grip unifying theme: two laps, one OC1 and the other C1. Finish the first lap, run back up the road to do the second. You could even include a mandatory swim of the falls as a final "bonding" event (everybody swims!).

I'm with Craig,

who says a canoe has to look like a canoe has always looked?

isn't 'canoeing' really just a style of paddling?

lol some how that response from Craig doesn't surprise me ... it is a style thing but in my opinion having to explain that a C-1 is not a kayak is just easier when you have a giant hole in the top of the boat

a bunch of good guys w/ no bad guys makes for a lame discussion...

Allow me...

a skirt is a skirt is a skirt.

Ahh Conflict.


We all knew this was coming. Here is my take as a strictly OC guy at this point.

Big deal, C1/2 or OC1/2, it's the C not the O that makes us different. If we are going to start on the C vs OC debate then, like with pumps, we need to ask, are the new micro creek boats that can be paddled full of water really true open canoes anymore? Is a decked L'Edge really an OC1? How much flotation is too much? Maybe a true OC needs to be greater than 14' long and not have any floatation, with extra rocks added so that it sinks to the bottom when full of water. Many of the C1's out there are squirrely things to paddle and require more skill than I have to stay upright. Single blade is single blade, there are too few of us to start segregating ourselves into subspecies.

That's just my take.

New Micro creek boats?? What are you talking about? Sub 10ft canoes have been around for years.

I don't understand the confusion about some open canoe designs... Taureau, fly, deck L'edge, etc. They paddle like a canoe, with a canoe paddle, and they have a big hole in the top. If you re objective about it, it s not that difficult.

You can't argue that there is no difference between open boats and C1s. That's nonsense. There are clear differences.

ian123 wrote:New Micro creek boats?? What are you talking about? Sub 10ft canoes have been around for years.

I don't understand the confusion about some open canoe designs... Taureau, fly, deck L'edge, etc. They paddle like a canoe, with a canoe paddle, and they have a big hole in the top. If you re objective about it, it s not that difficult.

You can't argue that there is no difference between open boats and C1s. That's nonsense. There are clear differences.

I can pack an H255 with bag & foam that it takes less water than a taureau, kneel in it sans skirt, and use a canoe paddle... is it a canoe? Am I canoeing? Is it a C1? No, it's man-bear-pig

If all T-grip paddlers are canoers.... than I guess it comes down to this... Some canoers wear skirts. Some dont. Some have decks, some don't. Some use pumps, some dont. All different devises to keep water out of the boat...

I've generally found that the best way to keep water out of the boat... is to keep water out of the boat. You don't need a skirt, you dont need a deck, you dont need a pump... just reasonable skill for the whitewater that you are paddling.

If you feel the need to use skirt, deck, pump - try focusing on your 'canoeing' technique.