What is the most narrow Kayak hull

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cheajack
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What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by cheajack »

anyone has converted and really liked. I have an old WS Frankenstein that I am thinking about converting just for fun but it is only 23.5" wide.
Silent Bob
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by Silent Bob »

I converted a Perception Pirouette SS, just quickie temporary outfitting to see how it would work. Wasn't too bad, rolled pretty easy. Saddle was about 5" if I recall. I think that boat was in the 23" range.
griffen_williams
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by griffen_williams »

I paddled a converted corsica s down the upper yough 5 or 6 times, great fun. Easy to keep up right really, and rolled really easy. Its 24inches wide and pretty darn fast for plastic. I think my saddle was in the 5-6 inches range.
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Mike W.
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by Mike W. »

A buddy has been paddling a converted Necky Rip for years. It's 9'2" long by 23.6" wide. He does everything in this boat. For me, it's scary in flatwater, but amazing on a surf wave. It'll surf anything.
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kiwic1chick
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by kiwic1chick »

I learnt to paddle c1 in a converted QK Bandit - 24.8 inches wide (but probably quite a lot less in the water as it has a really round hull and I'm too light for it.) I loved it, but everyone else I knew hated it (they were all buttboaters.) For a beginner, probably a really bad choice. For a confident c1er, a skinny boat is a lot of fun and generally really easy to roll. I liked the Bandit a lot better than my wider boats when I was getting a beatdown - it seemed easier to manoeuvre and control (despite the length of the boat and really poor outfitting!)
Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid. I choose to go paddling.
Steve D
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by Steve D »

I have been paddling A wave sport Frankenstein since '97.I like it so much that I own three of them. It is THE boat for me.I use it for most all of my river running/light creeking.
The thing is I am 5'3' and 140 lbs. I think that for anyone much larger than I am the boat may not work as well.
I have converted A few other kayaks and they all were A bit large volume or height wise. The Frank has been the perfect mix of length, volume, deck height, stability and maneuverability for me.
I have been toying with the idea of converting A small Burn but am unsure if I will like the short length/slower hull speed.
cheajack
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by cheajack »

Steve, what is your seat set back in your Frank (from the back of the cockpit rim to the front of the back rest)? At 5'8"; 180# I'm expecting the stern to be a bit twitchy and I'm OK with that, but how does that roundish bow behave?
Steve D
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Re: What is the most narrow Kayak hull

Post by Steve D »

Seat setback is about 9 inches. And like I said in the beginning I really like the Frankenstein hull. I have no issues with the bow. The boat does what I want it to.
Oh, and by the way I have it outfitted with A Gyromax saddle.
Post up how you made out with your project.
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