oc-1 outfitting

colleen · Post by **colleen** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 12:34 am

i'm seeking advice about outfitting my new (still in cheesecloth!) rival.

i currently have a viper 12 with mohawk outfitting. it's all very comfortable and i have no problems with that setup. a few months ago i was paddling an older rival with thigh straps, not mikey but very similar in design. i was only in this boat for 4-5 days, but that, too, was very comfortable, in fact extremely comfortable. it was also very responsive. i felt very connected with the outfitting.

i know we're talking different boat designs, etc, and i'm trying to take that into consideration. but, i am left with the feeling i'm going to be "wearing" my boat better with mikey outfitting.

does anyone have feedback about the mikey outfitting vs mohawk. is it easy to roll with mickey setup? does your rear come up off of the pedestal? is it hard to wet exit? the mohawk is all so simple that i hate to really give it up. but, if the mikey can give me an even better feel for the boat, and safely, i might be heading in that direction.

any feedback is welcome!

thanks,
colleen

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 1:51 am

Colleen,
Your key phrase should be "wearing my boat". Consider what gives you a balance of comfort and responsiveness. Don't get too hung up on who assembles the outfitting. It is more important that the outfitting fits you. Mike Yee's stuff is great, but it still has to fit you.
Have fun.

MotorCityOC-1 · Post by **MotorCityOC-1** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 1:32 pm

All things equal, Mike Yee outfitting is definitely a lot lighter weight.

It may be that I didn't take the time to fully adjust the thigh retainer, but it seemed to keep my knees closer together, which I don't like.

I've never had a problem getting out of the thigh/knee straps.

I've never noticed my butt comming off the pedestal w/ Mike Yee setup. Jamming my knees under the thigh retainer seemed super snug at first, but I think it was some sort of illlusion.

I like the Mohawk outfitting better than single thigh straps, but I like the Mike Yee setup best of all- so far.
K

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Thu Apr 17, 2003 4:12 pm

Colleen,

I've had two boats with Mohawk outfitting and still have two boats with Mikey outfitting. I definitely feel more like I'm "wearing my boat" with the Mikey outfitting. What Andrew said about the outfitting fitting you is very true. Mikey is pretty meticulous about making sure your outfitting will work for you - if you get in touch with him, I'm sure he will suggest saddle heights and positioning for thigh straps. Think about how comfortable you are under water - the position of the thigh straps in Mikey outfitting has a lot to do with how snug you are in the boat. It is possible to set up the Mikey outfitting so that you have to unbuckle it to get out - I'm happy with that on my boats now, but I liked the fact tht I could get out of the Mohawk outfitting when I was learning to paddle. There is definitely a trade-off. The more you are "wearing your boat", the more control you will have, the more likely you are to have a succesful roll becaue you haven't slid out of the outfitting, but the harder it will be to wet exit.

Hope you have fun with your new boat.I found going from a Viper to a Rival I was working on my roll a lot more

Martyn

sean · Post by **sean** » Fri Apr 18, 2003 8:41 pm

I would definetly go with mikes stuff. The key is a good installation. He has a very good website and install intro. I installed my own mikey stuff and it worked out great. I'm not to keen on the mohawk. As for getting out, you can get out of mikes stuff pretty easy either with relaxing your legs, if your pegs aren't way way forward or by pushing the buttons on the fastex buckles. The coolest thing about his system is that it is only one pull to cinch the knee and thigh strap.

OC · Post by OC » Sat Apr 19, 2003 6:37 pm

If you really want to wear your boat you can put in a Beluga
apoloosa saddle- no straps, thighs are held by a M shaped block of foam. Never have to worry about losing a strap when rolling. It may be necessary to lower the thigh holders for smaller paddlers (by sawing them and re-gluing with contact cement, etc..). Have 2 boats with them and really like this type of outfitting.

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Mon Apr 21, 2003 1:06 pm

If it were my Rival, I think I would go with Mikey outfitting. The foam block system works really well on smaller boats like the Prelude. I think the volume of foam you would need to do a good job on a Rival would add significantly to the weight of the boat. My experience with the bulkehead style outfitting was that ti took me a couple of years to tune it up to the point where it held me in as solidly as the Mike Yee outfitting. Another point to consider is that if anyone else is paddling your boat, the Mike Yee system offers more flexibility

Space Canoe · Post by **Space Canoe** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 6:52 am

Hey, OC, is Beluga appaloosa a brand name or a type of saddle? I Googled "Beluga Appaloosa" and got 3 billion referrals to BEANS.
Thanks in advance,
RT

Paddle Power · Post by **Paddle Power** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 6:23 pm

Great question, I too would love to learn more about the " Beluga
apoloosa saddle."

Plus, don't forget that North Water in Canada makes excellent canoe outfitting. Top of the line stuff. I use it my boats and I love it. I have also used Mike's outfitting and North Water's is just as good and even better in some cases.

Check out http://www.northwater.com/Paddling_Equi ... oeing.html

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:33 pm

Colleen
I would go with Mikey. I purchased a Detonator by Esquif that had the Bugalu Bulkhead outfitting in it. Granted I was used to Mikey from my Outrage. But I found the Bulkhead terrible and very heavy.
I eventually cut the bulkhead down to a small saddle and installed the Mikey Double thigh straps and the Detonator handled great after that and I was able to roll it. I felt like I had no control with the bulkhead outfitting. I know others realling like the bulkhead.
I did find not having straps a plus though.
But for the size of the Rival - go light with MikeYee.
Have fun -
Dale

Dave_M · Post by **Dave_M** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 8:26 pm

I thought I'd add my "endorsement" for Northwater stuff. I've been using it for ~8 years in many of the boats I've had. Great stuff. I've never had problems with any of it.

ohc1 · Post by **ohc1** » Fri Apr 25, 2003 3:21 am

I'd like to throw in my vote for the Mohawk double thigh retainer system. Wet exits are easy, even if you're cranked in tight. Rolling is a breeze and the cockpit seems less crowded and confusing with only one piece across your lap. Though the retainer does work by pulling your knees toward the center, adequate knee wedges should keep you balanced and in control. Initially, I found that my rear end would come up off the saddle, especially when doing an ender. I remedied this by gluing in new D-rings that are slightly (~3") farther back, which placed the thigh retainer slightly higher up on my lap. Seems to be working find so far, without sacrificing ease of exit.

dixie boater · Post by **dixie boater** » Fri Apr 25, 2003 7:01 pm

Are these the saddles Esquif provides with their factory outfitting? I have never seen an Esquif with the foam bulkhead saddle in person, only on their website. I prefer a bulkhead saddle over thigh straps. I've tried Mike Yee's set-up in my open boat and did not care for it. I sold the straps to a friend who put them in his Ocoee and really likes them. Just goes to show that what works for someone else may not suit you.

Where can you buy Beluga saddle direct? Do they have a website or are they a featured product on a retailers site? Thanks in advance for your repiles.

Mike W. · Post by **Mike W.** » Sat Apr 26, 2003 12:39 am

I have a Mohawk Probe 11 with the factory installed Mohawk outfitting. I found my knee kept slipping out when I attempted to roll. The remedy was to glue in a little foam ~1-1.5" on the backrest to move me just that far forward. This locks me in a little better. My knees don't slip out & I don't miss rolls anymore. My boat has the old single thigh retainer. The new double retainer is better.
Mike W.

OC · Post by OC » Tue Apr 29, 2003 7:52 pm

Sorry I misspelled the name of the Beluga Appaloosa.

Goes for around 250 bucks Canadian. The company has a web address but doesn't sell direct.

(For smaller paddlers and boats, you can cut the lateral 'wings' and lower them and re-glue with contact cement., you can also round off and lower with dragon-skin)

Apparently they don't sell in the US yet. However you may be able to order from:

Bushtukah: http://www.bushtukah.com (Ottawa)

La Cordée: http://lacordee.com (Montreal)

Or Camp de Base- Montreal (usually cheaper): 514 630 6717

[img]http://www.canotslegare.com/img/photo_item/mc9.jpg[/img]

OC

C-Forum

oc-1 outfitting

oc-1 outfitting

OC-1 outfitting

Mikey

mikey stuff

Beluga foam saddles

??

outfitting

Outfitting

Beluga Foam Saddles

Easy Mohawk mod.

Beluga Appaloosa