Viper and Session Input

[Sir Adam]

Viper and Session Input
by Randy Randy

Apples and Oranges, as always, but...

I have been paddling a Cascade on II+ to III for about a year - say twenty days total. I like it. But I am starting to want to play more, to start doing some moves. I weigh 170, and am 5'9".

When I look at the Viper, I see it as a great all around boat, and a surfing machine. Is it really a good boat to start learning moves in? Looking for a Viper, should I go full cut, or narrower?

The Session looks like a dedicated play machine to my uninitiated eyes. Will it kick my butt, coming from a Cascade? Is it slower than a Cascade? I have never paddled a short planing hull. Is this a larger step, boat-wise, from a Cascade to a Sesseion, than is ideal?

The Session website indicates my weight exactly in between a Session and a Session +. Any thoughts on going with one vs the other?

For all the paddling that goes on here in western Washington, there really is not much C-1 playboating happening. So, I don't run into boats to try on the river. Kayaks, yes. Open boats, yes. C-1, no.

Any input is welcome.

Thanks,

Randy

Posted on Sep 17, 2002, 7:44 PM

Answers...sort of...(long)
by Sir Adam

Greetings...

You will really have to figure out where you want to boat, and what you want to do whilst boating (or buy both:) ).

The Viper is a great stern-squirting, bow squirting surfing, fast machine. It is glass, which will perform better but will require you to be either a) careful around rocks or b) like slinging resin:) . So, if surfing, squirting, river-running is what you want to do, get a Viper cut for your weight (Full Cut if you only want to stern squirt and surf)

If you want to cartwheel, play in holes, and have a somewhat slower river-runner, get the Session (lower volume is better if you want to cartwheel...). You might want to check out some of the other LL boats too.

Either of these boats will be very different from the Cascade. In my glass-biased opinion I'd say the Viper is the logical next choice, but again, it really depends on what type of boating you want to do. I like the joy of zipping in and out of eddys like a slalom boat, with some great surfs and squirts tossed in for fun...and having the ability to comfortably paddle all day on the Hudson (18 miles) and have a boat fast enough to be able to play at the end of the run still....

For what it's worth, here's my rought boat progression up to when the C addiction hit full force...

-Cascade and Slasher (purchased both for 400 total, with skirt:) )
-Atom (sold Cascade and Slasher to purchase...IMhO a slower, lower performance viperish object)
-Groove
-Fanatic 2 (Slalom boat)
-Acrobat (C-addiction hits...)

As always, check out CBoats (yes, it WILL be updated again eventually) for images, more boat info, etc...

http://www.cboats.net

C-ya IN the Rivah!
Sir Adam

Posted on Sep 19, 2002, 7:10 AM

Thanks
by Randy Randy

Thanks for the input.

Randy

Posted on Sep 19, 2002, 4:06 PM