Avocet for all around use...?

[Brad Fournier]

Hi all, I've read the reviews on the Avocet,and me being a one boat owner who likes to paddle all around cape Ann,cranes beach, and the tidal areas out behind it (8-15 mile days) and maybe an overnight trip occasionally, I am wondering how the Avocet will be for an all around boat, anyone have any helpful insight? p.s. I am 5-9 170 lbs.

Thank you Brad.

[Kevin B (RPS Coach)]

Brad,

I have an Avocet RM, and although not my only boat, I've used it for just about everything. Great all around boat but not one for speed. Also, if you like kayak camping, it might not have as much room as one would like. That being said, the best person to ask would be Bill Gwynn, as I think he has the most experience with this boat.

[Bill Gwynn]

Personally, I think the Avocet is one of the best choices for a garage with only one boat. It tracks fairly well for a 16' boat, It is very well mannered for edging and practicing those 3* strokes. When it comes to fun in the surf, it is extremely responsive and controllable. For camping, you can talk to my brother Brad, he has camped for 3 or 4 days in his Avocet. To summarize..every boat has some compromises, but the Avocet seems to meet those compromises with a good balance.

[Brad Fournier]

Thank you so much for your input Bill and Kevin, I appreciate it.

Brad.

[bethany]

I have enjoyed my Avocet RM -- I'm a fairly mellow paddler but am hard on things and appreciate the plastic as a result. It has lived outside for two or three winters now. The squirrels ate the seat out of it one year, but other than that it's been fine. I sometimes wish it was lighter. I have camped in it, but not for a long trip, and I'm 5'3" so I end up with a little more storage by my feet than you would, but it was fine.

--b

[PeterB]

Regarding the Avocet, and previous queries re: its larger cousin, the Aquanaut.:

A fair number of paddlers who have both a longer (e.g.)Aquanaut/Explorer etc) and a shorter (e.g. Avocet, Romany, Capella, Tempest 165 ) boat find themselves going to the shorter boat more and more often and the longer one sits on the rack. A longer boat comes into its own on expeditions , camping trips (carrying stuff) and on outings with long crossings or generally covering lots of miles. , An 18 foot boat is faster, but only when up to speed, say 3-3.5 mph and above. Below that (0-3 mph) the differences in speed are small, and the shorter boat may accelerate quicker and so be more handy, fun, faster for the paddling that many people are really doing much of the time. A question to answer for yourself is: How often do you really do trips where you’re paddling long distances? Another thing, If you’;re only going on one or two expeditions/camping trips a year, you can always rent.

Some people get an 18 foot boat because they think they’ll be faster, but taking a forward paddling course with Ben Lawry or one the of the forward stroke gurus will increase your speed and “smiles per miles” more than a longer boat. Recently I took a class with John Carmody; he was in a Capella 163 and I was in an Explorer; on crossings in wind and current he whipped me so bad I’d rather not talk about it.

If you can own both a long and a shorter boat, then this is mostly moot, just some thoughts to consider if you’re planning on getting one boat. …

[DanR]

Just to add a little to Peter's comments don't worry about the speed of the shorter boat. Speed is mostly technique and unless you are racing you only need to keep up with the group with which you paddle. I was on the trip with Peter and John and I hung out with John for most of the time in my avocet, and I felt that most of the longer boats were a little slow.

As for carrying capacity, for anything other than expeditioning the avocet should do fine.

Dan

Once more upon the waters! yet once more!

And the waves bound beneath me as a steed

That knows his rider.

Lord Byron

[bob budd]

Having recently transitioned from a somewhat longer boat to a somewhat shorter boat (due to unfortunate events reported elsewhere), the former being a bit of a dog, I can say that there is a clear difference in effort making a trip with a shorter boat. There was no racing involved, and I was not sore or tired afterwards but I have paddled the shorter boats several times. It's clearly more difficult to keep the pace our informal group became accustomed to.

[traction]

Having spent the last few years paddling and camping outta a Avocet

I gotta say, i think it's a great boat.

Although it's a short, somewhat low volume boat it has plenty of room to carry more stuff than you need for a few days outing, with room to spare. 2 man tent, hammock, three legged chair, 2 stoves, thermarest, fly, food, water, clothes, electronics, books, whiskey and all kinds of stuff.

The oval bow hatch helps a bunch, as opposed to other smaller boats that Valley makes like the Pintail or the Anas Acuta .

It's even bigger than the bow hatch on a NDK Explorer.