What's the most forgiving beginner boat still made?

[Shep]

That's what I'm saying! Don't put brand new paddlers in situations where they need power! Same with rowing a racing-style shell. When you are pulling easy, things go well. When you try to apply power, technique tends to go out the window. Putting people in big massive boats where they have to apply power is distracting from what they should be learning.

Shep

[milkman]

I think there's a common theme amid all the disagreement and that's in teaching beginners it's important to select the right-sized boat for the person, taking into consideration their age, height, weight, experience, level of fitness, and perhaps even their level of enthusiasm and love of adventure. That's a lot to consider when trying to buy a "couple of boats" for teaching--which is what Ohioboater was originally looking for an answer to. Obviously you have to make compromises. I agree with most here that bulkheads make it hard to adjust the outfitting for different sized students, so I'd tend to rule out those boats. Seems like a decent compromise might be buying a Probe 11 and a Probe 12. That allows you to fit smaller and larger students. Or maybe a Probe 11 and a Nitro.

[leclercraven]

According to the Esquif site the Raven is wider than the Vertige. I haven't gotten to paddle a Raven but I did like the Vertige when I got to test paddle it. One thing I didn't see mentioned so far was some students typically are more aggressive than others in a class. If you are able maybe at least one short boat for the more aggressive students to work with. You could also get a BF Octane 92. You could wisper in the ear of the student and tell them what they need to do next.

The Raven is wider just in one area of the boat because of the extreme thumbersome around the seating area. Cab forward design, kind of like a fat Spark. Feels much less wide than the Vertige, anyway... just my two cents!

[Wendy]

I have been prototyping a simple system to help a bulkhead be more adaptable. You leave the bulkhead with ample openings for large thigh paddlers like myself, then carve out some 2 inch piece of minicell for the knees that has velcro attached. This foam is added to the front of the bulkhead where the knees are and can be moved up and down. The airbag helps keep it in place. The velcro will come off when removing it after a few times, but is easily fixed. This set up can allow different paddlers to get in the boat in a bulkhead with a simple cheap adjustment for demo/teaching

[Peter K.]

Our club bought a Raven a couple of years ago for beginners -- but they won't use it so we're going to sell it off. Too slow and unresponsive for most. Zephyrs have been successful and we have held on to our Rivals as well.

There is always the bottom decile of a beginner class (which is where I started) that needs something big and heavy to stay upright in the first couple of days. In my case it was a Mohawk 13. I think that nearly all beginners could easily manage a L'Edge and probably the Option. In short, one size is not going to fit all. I'll be taking my Option to the beginner course this year to see who wants to paddle it and how they make out.

We start teaching paddle from the front right away now and and long and heavy boats respond less well to this making learning harder.

[Longboatin]

PK I find that to be BS. One should always paddle in front no matter the boat, paddle draggin behind is recipe for poor balance and poor stability.

[Shep]

We start teaching paddle from the front right away now and and long and heavy boats respond less well to this making learning harder.

PK I find that to be BS. One should always paddle in front no matter the boat, paddle draggin behind is recipe for poor balance and poor stability.

I would hazard a guess that what Peter K means is bow strokes maneuver a short boat more effectively than in a long boat, so it's easier to see that your boat is doing something, and learn to paddle "in the front". That doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing that in a long boat, just easier to "get-it" in a short boat.

Shep

[jakke]

Our club bought a Raven a couple of years ago for beginners -- but they won't use it so we're going to sell it off. Too slow and unresponsive for most. Zephyrs have been successful and we have held on to our Rivals as well.

Now that's interesting! Slow, hard to accelerate and rater unresponsive is what I thought of it. Basically the bad characteristics of a Vertige in a shorter design, leaving out some of the good was my impression. Except that it's really easy to roll, but that's not argument for real beginners.

Even though I think it's good to start in a stable canoe, in order to allow one to focus on strokes and where to be on the water and not on staying upright. But it's interesting to read that even beginners do'nt really appreciate the unresponsiveness of the Raven (or maybe they are not plain beginners?).

[skos]

This past weekend I let a very experienced butt-boater paddle my ledge in the pool, he had a real hard time making it go straight. As far as stability goes its top notch but a beginner is going to find it almost impossible to go forward in a short boat.

[RobG4]

This past weekend I let a very experienced butt-boater paddle my ledge in the pool, he had a real hard time making it go straight. As far as stability goes its top notch but a beginner is going to find it almost impossible to go forward in a short boat.

I'm a beginner and struggle making a Probe 12 go straight, much less straight with power. I just do my little circles all the way down...

[Todhunter]

I'm a beginner and struggle making a Probe 12 go straight, much less straight with power. I just do my little circles all the way down...

I too started off paddling circles. Just keep paddling...it will get better. The Probe 12 is a good boat to introduce to OC1 with...I had a first timer on flat water yesterday in one.

[avlclimber]

Probe 12 is my go-to "stick a beginner in it" boat. Good success rates, classic design. It responds well and predictably if driven hard, but it aces the river on auto pilot if you just don't grab the gunwales.

When I was between boats, I used it myself for the first time in years. I was pleased at how capable this old hull was in class IV water.

I do wish I had a smaller, shorter boat with similar characteristics. Light beginner paddlers I think would appreciate a craft more proportional to their size.

[TheKrikkitWars]

Except that it's really easy to roll, but that's not argument for real beginners.

See, to me that sounds like a good argument for it being a great beginner boat... Teach em to roll, then learning every other skill is a million times easier; it's a far better way to work so long as they do get taught the other skills.