Bruce,
I have heard that Snap Dragon will do custom akirt orders. Bernie from Whitewater Warehouse is a dealer in Ohio is a dealer form them. He posts on this forum. His email is wwwh@erinet.com.
I have a Mounatin Surf kevlar, and it is stupid tight. I keep it stored stretched over the boat. When I first got it, I needed some help getting it on the cockpit.
Also, there is a Robison dealer in Tennesee named Hiwassee Outfitters. They stocked kayaks and CUFLYS last year. I emailed them about the Finkenmeister, but I have not heard back.
From the photos of the Finkenmeister I've seen it looks like it doesn't use any thigh straps. Is that correct? If so does the bulkhead/beavertail system hold you in securely enough? How hard would it be to add thighstraps if desired?
Last I heard from the new distributers is that it will probably be around the end of April before the boats arrive. Price is $949 with $99 shipping to New England.
The Finkenmeister does not use thighstraps.
The bulkhead/beavertail outfitting holds you in really solid, at least as good as the thighstrap outfitting in my Atom, once it is properly adjusted to your body.
The key is to be really careful when you trim back the foam on the beavertails. It has to be very snug, I have to work way into it, but if you have to getting out is really easy. You may also have to debpending on how big your thighs are add some foam to the biulkhead, as the holes for your lknees are fairly big. Make them snug enough that you don't slide around any more.
As far as I can tell from my boat, it would require a fair amount of work to get thigh straps in, since there is no attachment point for straps in the crotch area.
I do not feel the need to add any belts to keep me in more solidly to my Finkenmeister, but it would be easy to install a lap belt.
martin
Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing - Henry David Thoreau
Pretty much through lucky timing !
Last summer and fall I tried to get a hold of Extreme Gear for a while, but did not get a response. So in October I finally sent an e-mail off to Robson in Germany to check out if they had changed distributor in North America and to get some info about the Finkenmeister. A few hours later I got a reply from Robson that Robert was gonna be in Toronto the next day for some business meetings (that was the time when they terminated the business relationship with Extreme Gear), and that he could bring one over for me if I was interested. So after a quick check of my financial situation I gave him a call told him to bring one over for me.
The next day I met him at the airport in Toronto and got my Finkenmeister !
martin
Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing - Henry David Thoreau
Thanks for the info, glad to know the system keeps you in solidly even without straps. I think I'll skip the lap belt, they still make me nervous, especially in a creek boat. How far out does the bulkhead position your knees? My personal preference is to have them as far out as possible.
alden,
I paddle the WB a lot, first back in the late 80's in a Gyramax. It is still probably my favorite river, certainly my favorite in New England. I've never run Tunnel Vision, probably because I've seen it too often without water (very sharp rocks). Of course, since TV has been run in an open boat it can't be all that hard, right?
Creek season shouldn't too much further off, Roaring Brook in CT is usually the first to clear of ice. If you haven't run it yet it is easier than the WB but still nice. In addition, the takeout parking lot belongs to a bar/restaurant so you can walk to a beer and a meal.
cool don, yeah I think that's my favorite run in New England. Well, it's close. I think "Low Chair" is one of the coolest rapids I've ever done. I just remember that whole stretch: from the tunnel down through Readsboro, and then through the boogie water to the end -- that was some really quality stuff. Just dropping and boofing the whole way down. I ran that for the first time in December and I had a REALLY good time! Can't wait to go back, maybe we'll run into each other!
Alden
