Finkenmeister for an OC boater

[Marc Evans]

I'm in need of some informed comment from the Finky crowd. I'm a 6'4", 190 lb intermediate level open boater interested in trying/buying a C1, specifically a Finkenmeister. There are few open boaters in my area (Washington/Idaho border) and virtually no C1'ers, so getting to demo a C1's is unlikely. Most of my experience and enjoyment is river running, with the occasional surf and swim. Unfortunately, my knees do not like being on a pedestal for an extended period of time and I would imagine the low pedestals of most C1's will be a problem. So, here are my questions:

1) Does anyone know the standard pedestal height on the Finkenmeister?

2) What is the hull speed on the Finkenmeister compared to a 12' open boat (MR Outrage, Mohawk Probe)?

3) How maneuverable is the Finkenmeister and compared to a 12' open boat?

4) How easy/hard is it to roll a Finkenmeister compared to an open boat.

Any other comparisons are welcome.

Marc

[chuck naill]

You will be a lot of person sticking out of any boat. My seat height is 6 inches in one boat and 5" in the slalom boats.

Another question would be to ask yourself, how flexible are you. If your ankles can lie flat while you are watching TV for say 30 minutes, this will tell you something of the transition that you will make to a c boat.

If you have diabetes or other circulatory issues, consider that as well.

Chuck/Knoxville

[bearboater]

for records, im 6'2.5" and about 205.

like chuck, i have a 6 inch saddle in mine, and it is ok, i go numb after abour 30-45 minutes. i had an esquif vertige, so i can only compare it to that, its way more maneuverable, its a very fast boat, and its so much easier to manipulate to get around a rock. as far as rolling, its easier than my old open boat was, but its still no cake walk for me. but it is super stable once its going, so i have only had a couple of swims. on some class 3 stuff. (thats about my level, III to low low IV.) and its just a really fun boat to go eddy hopping in, its super great for surfing, its just fast enough to be very fun. if you had a few more pounds on you you could stern squirt the boat as i have (accidently).

all i can say is i really like mine.
cheers
-isaac

[Larry Horne]

the finky boys all had to lower their saddles from the factory settings to get some stability, so you might be in trouble there. i'd say get one (or an h3-255) and spend a lot of time in it. ride a bike to get those knees fixed up and do some yoga.

[johnd]

Just measured the saddle on my Finkenmeister and it's 9.5 inches. Haven't had it on the river yet, so it may have to be lowered. Don't know the height of the Finkenmeister I demoed, but it was surprisingly stable. I didn't flip on several miles of Class 2+. It also seemed pretty fast and pretty maneuverable. I usually paddle a Viper 12.

Paddling a C1 is a lot different than an open boat, but you might like it. You've really got to try it to find out though.

[fez]

Hi ,

I´m a small intermediate OC-paddler from Germany and I´m also thinking about buying the Finkenmeister for a first C-1.

Your inches-and-things-measuring is really complicated for us european guys - but I think I should measure something about 5"9`(?.. 1,73 m).

Do you think the Finki could be outfitted (and driven! ) with lots of foam for a dwarf like me - or is it much to big for someone my size and I should better converse a boat that is not the big e.g a Pyranha H:3 245 (I was sitting in one last week - very nice boat) or a Wavesport Diesel 65.

Greetings and thanks

Frank

[the great gonzo]

Mark,

1) my Finkenmeister (an early one, judging by the pictures on the Robson website they modified the saddle in the meantime) oribinally had a saddle height of just under 9", I lowered it to ~7.5 "since at this level comfort for my leg is still great (I can say in there for 2-3 hours before my legs start to fall asleep) and since it seems to ba about the lowest level I can go to before my ellbows start to hit the hullwhen I edge the boat to my offside.

2) it will be somewhat slower than a 12' open boat, but I can easliy keep up with my friend who paddles an Ocoee

3)It is way more maneuvrable than a 12' open boat, it is similar in maneuvrability to the short open boats like a Prelude, Zoom, Quake or such.

4)it is easier to roll than virtually every open boat I ever paddled, provided you modify the outfitting and add thigh straps. I tried for almost 2 years without straps and finally came to the conclusion that they are necessary to really get the proper amount of boat control and to keep yourself from falling out.


Frank,

Height is not the only issue with the Finkenmeister, wheight is another one. I wheigh ~185 lbs (~85 kg), and I think that is close to the lower limit for the boat. When we did a multiday trip this sprin I had ~40 to 50 lbs of gear in my boat, and it was definitely way more stable.

Just my 02 cents

martin a.k.a. The Great Gonzo!

[Bruce Farrenkopf]

Hello Mark & Frank,

I have been paddling my Fink for about a year - and just got back from an 18 day trip down the Grand Canyon with the Fink. I am 5'9" and 155 lbs. I don't think my weight is a problem in the Fink. As a matter of fact, the designer and C1 creeker, Thomas Fink is about my size as I recollect.

My Fink pedestal height is about 6.5. I would recommend stretching to get those knees in shape and think about ankle blocks. Ankle blocks are key for my comfort. the Fink comes initially with an 8.5 inch pedestal and this definitely needs to be cut down.

The boat is highly manuverable and is fairly fast, but not as fast as a 12 foot OC1. I found that out chasing Jim Michaud down the Grand Canyon in his Outrage.

The boat is somewhat difficult to roll as a C1, but must be easier than an OC1 (see Martin's comments). I had one swim in the Canyon that I attributed to the Fink's rolling characteristics. Could it have been me ? Sure. I am currently going to pool sessions to modify my roll slightly and so far things are mucho better.

The Fink was remarkably stable in the big water of the Grand Canyon. I had 3 or 4 rolls total - much less than last time in my Extrabat. It was also a very comfortable boat and had good carrying capacity for my extra gear (the rafts carried most of my stuff).

Put in thigh straps!

SYOTR,

Bruce

[billcanoes]

Hi Frank,

I tried Martin's Fink a few months ago, and I fit in it and I'm only 5'6" so you should fit in it fine-

Personally I think its better to buy a c1 design than convert a kayak. It promotes new c1 design.

Bill