Option compared to the L'edge?

kanur · Post by **kanur** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:59 pm

Helen since you have a L'Edge you know how it is. Sandy has an Option and I'm sure he would be happy to let you try it if it ever rains here again.

You know what kind of boats I like, edgey, and while the Option is a fine boat it is no where near as crisp as the L'Edge in that department.

Also you know what kind of boats Sandy likes and he feels more comfortable in the Option. That should pretty much tell you what to expect. Give the Option a demo, it may be just what you are looking for. Though not really the same I think it will be closer to the Detonator than the L"Edge is.

Now if we are lucky, Sandy has picked up an Ion over the summer so we can give it a whirl.

Smurfwarrior · Post by **Smurfwarrior** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:04 pm

Big water??? Get a spark. IMHO, the low water / big water statement is just plain silly Shep. Sorry bro.

What we have here is an debate about apple and apples, not apples and oranges. Its simply about what type of apple you like personally. Don't let anyone tell you what tastes better, only YOU will know after you taste it. If you can't taste before you buy, you'll eventually end up going through boats till you find what you are looking for, but that's not entirely a bad thing. Anyone who's been on this site for more than a month will recognize the 'usual suspects' bashing one boat over the other. To me, they are both good boats with a different 'feel'... how does someone explain 'feel' to another when everyone feels things differently? Heck, we got someone saying they felt the L'Edge was more stable than the Option. Please refer to my first post.

DEMO DEMO DEMO... then pick a boat, go paddle it and try hard not to act like its your first girlfriend who you gotta talk up to your buddies and needlessly defend, when no one is trying to offend.

Helly · Post by **Helly** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 12:19 am

you are correct on all counts, including that 'if we ever get water again!' part......when?

What I don't get is that Sandy likes pretty much riverrunning, catching eddies, etc, and the crispness of an outrage.......also, he's had a L'edge and sold it, now an Option......I'm scratching my head over this one.....though he says it is crisp on eddie turns.....and weighs less than the l'edge he had.

Can't wait to try one out for myself.
(I shuda known you were out there lurking, ha! thanks for weighing in)

Shep · Post by **Shep** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 1:25 am

Smurf, gimme a break. For me, the L'Edge wanted to go in straight line and was noticeably drier. The Option wanted to turn aggressively and wasn't as dry. I've said here that I think paddler weight probably makes a difference in how both boats paddle, and I've said elsewhere that I might not have the right style to get the most out of the L'Edge. But, my choices for big water vs. smaller water? I'll stick to my guns. I haven't had the pleasure of paddling a Spark yet, so I can't speak to that.

Since we've learned that Helly is in Central MO, we know a demo of each is a possibility, and no one has argued against that. (Oh, looks like he/she already owns a L'Edge...)

Helly, I am in Fayetteville, so if you make it down this way to paddle, give me a shout. It will be tough for me to paddle from Oct. 1 till the holidays due to my school work, but the climate forecast suggests we may not be much wetter than last fall, so who knows when we will paddle.

Shep

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 5:58 am

Smurf, I see this less about boat bashing and more about people expressing what they like it a boat. Take notes if you're a rep. Consider it a poll.

FullGnarlzOC · Post by **FullGnarlzOC** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:49 am

Option more responsive. Quicker than ledge. Not as dry. Ledge more stable.

paddling physicist · Post by **paddling physicist** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:10 pm

The Option is lighter and out performs the L'Edge by orders of magnitude.

sandyos · Post by **sandyos** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:26 pm

I have owned both boats, but like the Option better. Mainly because I do mostly Class 3 water and I like the fact that the Option is a bit quicker and lighter than the Ledge. But the Ledge is a good boat and if I did harder, steeper stuff the Ledge would be my pick.

Helen we will work something out so you can demo my Option soon.

Kanur I am still thinking about the ION.

Sandy

craig · Post by **craig** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:43 am

Helly, as one who has paddled a Det for a few years then into an Option; The Option seems to me like a smaller Detonator. Shorter, not any faster, a bit drier and a little more nimble and stable. It does handle very well when full of water. I did this intentially when demo-ing. I have only paddled a L'Edge briefly and it was modified so I can't do an accurate comparison, however I felt quite comfortable in it and it was quite stable even though it was tweeked to be narrower. It handled quite well, even though it is a bigger/heavier boat than the Option. Neither one is what I would consider a lightweight boat

paddling physicist · Post by **paddling physicist** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:06 pm

Either boat. It is great to see more open boats on the rivers these days and L'Edge and Option have influenced this higher flux. The true measure will be, who has the higher percentage of used/sold in about 2 years.

Big Al · Post by **Big Al** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:59 pm

Both great boats. The only feature I do not care for in L'Edge is the weight, whether decked or with wooden gunnels. Of course, it will likely last longer for those using it creekin.

Big Al

Post by **sbroam** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:17 pm

What's the L'Edge weigh? 56# on the website. My SF is 48# and I've decided that is about as much as I want to carry any distance. I'm really interested to hear what a Force weighs...

eddyhops · Post by **eddyhops** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:36 pm

sbroam wrote:What's the L'Edge weigh? 56# on the website.

Mine weighed ~63# before cutting the decks off & trimming, resulting in ~56#. It's still heavy, but doesn't carry as heavy as one would imagine. The weight seems to occur to me most when lifting it or pulling it over a rock/log.

Todhunter · Post by **Todhunter** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:15 pm

sbroam wrote:What's the L'Edge weigh? 56# on the website. My SF is 48# and I've decided that is about as much as I want to carry any distance. I'm really interested to hear what a Force weighs...

Mine is decked and weighs 68.5 lbs with bags, saddle, and pump in it. I hope to cut the decks off this fall. Mine is serial # 19 for the 2010 year, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

TNbound · Post by **TNbound** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:31 pm

Big Al wrote:Of course, it [the L'edge] will likely last longer for those using it creekin.
Big Al

Only Time will tell.