How are the L'edge's holding up?

Mr.DeadLegs · Post by **Mr.DeadLegs** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 2:02 pm

Heard they had a couple of them break down in Mexico

Yukon · Post by **Yukon** » Sat Mar 26, 2011 3:38 pm

I would not put too much stock into broken boats in mexico. Those boats are paddled like everyone stole them and paddled 5-6 days a week all winter but a wide range of boaters. Everyone wants to boof everything and anything...
They are also from the first batches produced. I hear there have been some changes in production made. Mexico is a great testing ground for boats as the boats are used soo hard. Once the manufactures understand the forces being exerted on the boats and were they flex and stress then they can make changes. No computer assisted modelling is gonna help much with predicting where and under what conditions a specific boat my fail.

Only real life testing can do that- and that takes time. I would not be a happy paddler if I had to wait another year of testing boats before I was able to purchase one...

I could see how dealing with broken wire mesh afterwards could be a big pain- but Not if it prevented a crack from ever happening. Or maybe the ledge needs a short pillar behind and in front of the saddle to stop flex. Most kayaks have to use pillars of some sort to distribute stress

tvann · Post by **tvann** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:17 am

Here are a few pictures of my less than 2 month old L'Edge. I paddled it 7 times. Luckily I was on the Tellico, which is all roadside, unlike almost all of my local rivers. Another friend also has a busted L'Edge. He has owned his for about 5 months.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/torrevann/ ... 431949990/

Lappie · Post by **Lappie** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 4:33 am

tvann, is the Telico considered a tough river on boat?? Are other boats come back beat up on that river?

tvann · Post by **tvann** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:11 am

It is Class III with one IV. It busted before Jarred's Knee(IV). It isn't a river that boats should be busting on. Especially at the level it was that day.

Paddle Power · Post by **Paddle Power** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:22 pm

Ouch!

fleckbass · Post by **fleckbass** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:25 pm

Hopefully, esquif is still backing them.

Smurfwarrior · Post by **Smurfwarrior** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 5:38 pm

Vince, from Esquif, looked at the boat and spoke with him in person within minutes of him getting off the river and they worked out a solution right then and there. Not sure why he's not including that in his posts here and on FB. Seems an important fact in regards to customer service.

Lappie · Post by **Lappie** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 8:50 pm

Customer service is great, but it doesn't adress the problems with the plastic, and doesn't tell us why they are breaking up... I used to work in an outdoors store and we use to sale some brands of gear that would not hold up well, and the "brand" would replace the products with the same thing over and over, rather than fixing the problem at the source...
That said, I'm not saying that is what Esquif is doing. just saying that having a great customer service/warenty, is one thing and fixing the problem is an other!

jottsee · Post by **jottsee** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 12:35 am

I've had my L'edge since Christmas, been out around 15 times, and it's holding up great. LOVE it! Paddled it on Tellico ledges and similar, trying to boof everything in sight, no problems. Actually it's holding up better than I am. Swam the bottom of Jerod's Knee at ALF, boat came through fine (even eddied up and self-bailed as I flailed downstream) - my last scabs JUST came off yesterday!

old · Post by **old** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 12:46 am

Jeff,

I am sure Torre will post back about this when he gets off work. Vince's offer a week or so later was a good bit different than what he talked to Torre about at ALF.

Tim

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:07 am

Perhaps composite boats aren't so bad after all. Heck! You can repair a composite boat for 20 years and it would still be going strong, and only be a few lbs heavier.
Please, this is just my opinion.

Jkaz

cheajack · Post by **cheajack** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:24 am

So Kaz, build us a compositie creeker please.

eddyhops · Post by **eddyhops** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:34 am

kaz wrote:Perhaps composite boats aren't so bad after all. Heck! You can repair a composite boat for 20 years and it would still be going strong, and only be a few lbs heavier.
Please, this is just my opinion.

Jkaz

How true! Maybe you could bring some of your boats to ALF next year for everyone to demo!

Sorry John, coudn't resist

Honestly, if you discovered a slippery, ablative type gelcoat a composite boat could be built with I'd be all about it.

Georgia Stu · Post by **Georgia Stu** » Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:38 am

Ummmmm, I posted this but I guess JC had logged in from my computer at ALF!
*****
From Georgia Stu:
I've had my L'edge since Christmas, been out around 15 times, and it's holding up great. LOVE it! Paddled it on Tellico ledges and similar, trying to boof everything in sight, no problems. Actually it's holding up better than I am. Swam the bottom of Jerod's Knee at ALF, boat came through fine (even eddied up and self-bailed as I flailed downstream) - my last scabs JUST came off yesterday!

C-Forum

How are the L'edge's holding up?

Not to good.....