Zoom Vs Holmes?

Kelvin · Post by **Kelvin** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:58 pm

Hi,
Has anyone paddled any or both of these boats? I'm Looking for an OC1, I'm 5'8''/70kg. I'll be paddling grade 3/4 mainly lower volume runs, (UK) but will take it to France/Austria etc. I owned a Savage Skeeter for 2 years and currently play in a Full Tilt C1, I'm not afraid of a boat that's quick from edge to edge! I've tracked down a Robson at a reasonable price, that's what started the curiosity! Please bear in mind I'm in the UK and these two or a Prelude are my only choice, (don't want to go as big as an Ocoee.) I would like the boat to be quick for its size, dry and not hold too mutch water after a roll.
Cheers for any info.
Cannot wait to have an OC1 again!!!!!!!!!

fez · Post by **fez** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:27 am

Hi Kelvin,

I had the Homes for a while when I was a beginner and drove lately the Zoom for 2 hours on an easy grade II river. So my judgement may be not the profoundest.

I liked the Zooms precision and fun because of its sharp rails and for its dryness more than the Homes.
Both felt surprisingly fast to me (but I never drove longer boats..)
The weak primary but strong secondary stability are maybe the same.
The Homes seems to me more forgiving but also a lot less precise.

The Homes had this very strong material - till it cracked in the bow

But the hull of NZMatts Zoom also is looking horrible - maybe this is not the right boat for bony creeks.

NZMatt can tell you for shure a lot more about these boats.

Cheers Frank

Taniwha · Post by **Taniwha** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:59 am

For a drier, nimbler and more fun boat I'd choose the Zoom.

For a sturdier boat with abrasure resistant outer hull I'd choose the Homes. Although I've heard that Armerlite/TwinTex tends to crack on really hard blows, the performance in sliding over rocks is awesome.

Both boats need to get used to. I liked the Homes on tight, technical, low volume runs. The Zoom is great for steeper stuff and more water, I'd say.

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:58 pm

Kelvin, just based on the rivers you intend on running (low volume class 3-4), I would, no matter whether or not you like the handling, stay away from the Zoom, or any other royalex boart for that matter. The durability of these things has gotten appallingly bad in recent years, tue to thinnin out of the material. I know several paddlers who pretty much wrecked their boats in one season of paddling creeky low volume stuff. I can't talk about the Holmes, I have never even seen one over here, but I have seen and paddled a Zephyr, which is made from the same or a very similar material as the Homes, on a low volume creeky run and was impressed with how little scratches the hull showed and how well it coped with the abuse I threw at it. Based on that I would think that material wise a Homes would last longer.
The best choice for that kind of river however is IMHO a rotomolded PE boat like a Prelude or a Spanish Fly. Both handle low volume rocky stuff really well. I have done stuff in my Pelude that would have wrecked any royalex boat in no time, and it's still going strong after 5 seasons.

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!