ccarlson

Brenda, Not sure I can exactly visualize the problem but I've used Aquaseal for pretty much all neoprene-related repairs. All repairs have held up well so far.

The rachets are quite corroded. I have not been good about flushing them after salt water use. Fortunately, I don't need to adjust them anymore. I think NSI has now gone to stainless but it would be worth confirming.

I replaced the backband in my Ellesmere with an NSI backband. I think it is the "micro" anatomic version. Mine does not have the adjustable lumbar support as I don't think it's needed. Very comfortable once you get it in the right position. Haven't had any problems with it. The rachet adjustment is nice but, once I got it positioned right, I never adjusted it again. Got mine at NESC. Good Luck!

Glenn... I, an avowed non-purist-lunatic-fringer, ended up with an ocean cockpit boat by virtue of getting a really good deal on it. With a 35 inch inseam, you can understand why this might seem a foolhardy choice for me. However, I will have to admit that, once in the cockpit, the boat is very comfortable and offers significantly better control than does a keyhole cockpit. The rub (literally, for me) is the entry and exit, which does require some finesse for those of us who are long of leg. This becomes problematic for me primarily in surf launching and landing where the additional time required to enter or exit can result in lots of water in the cockpit and/or being unceremoniously dumped out of the boat by a wave. But, hey, that's fun, right? So, I'm considering going to a boat with keyhole cockpit but I'm a bit torn as the ocean cockpit is really great once in the boat and paddling. You are, of course, welcome to give the boat a try sometime!

Demo days are coming up and they're a great opportunity to actually get a feel for how a boat fits and handles. A few others in the general category of the Avocet you may want to check out include the Wilderness Systems Tempest 165, the new P&H Capellas, Necky Chatham 16, etc. Also, used glass boats can often be had for the price of new plastics ones so demo some glass boats as well then patrol the classified boards for deals. Have fun!

I recall that, some time ago, Ken Fink wrote an article on paddle length for either "Sea Kayaker" or ACK. His bottom line, based upon actual paddle trials with dozens of paddlers of various sizes, was that a 220 cm paddle feels "right" and produces the best performance for 90% of paddlers, almost regardless of their height. So, there's one person's opinion. If I can find the article, I'll post the link or a scan. OK, I'm still paddling with a 230 but may have to see the light this season!

So, you did knock out a few rolls, right?

Yeah, many of the more esoteric boats have escaped reviews by SK :-) Anyway, if you have some time on your hands, Matt Broze's spreadsheet that calculates all this stuff is available on their website. You'll just need to do a lot of measuring of your hulls in order to use it! http://www.marinerkayaks.com/mkhtml/downloads.htm Have fun!

Found this on another forum... appears to be a compendium of Water Resistance vs. Speed data from past "Seakayaker" boat reviews. http://www.unold.dk/paddling/articles/kayakvelocity.html

Hey Jed... waaaayyy cool!! Congrats!

Yup, time for some fresh flares! Count me in. Thanks, Carl

click "refresh" on your browser and the other replies should come up.

Hmmm... seems to be a bunch of counterfeit Ellesmeres out there :-)Mine has the serial number where they claim it should be. It is an older boat though so perhaps something has changed with the newer ones and whoever does the email support at Boreal hasn't been told yet! Good luck!

Boreal Ellesmere: Front hatch dry, day hatch dry, rear hatch dry except on the occasion that I don't seat the cover properly. I did have to fit a bungie ring on the rear oval hatch to keep it consistently dry... I think the cover may be slightly distorted (used boat). All Kajaksport. CD Solstice ST: Front hatch dry (VCP 7" round). Rear hatch occasional minor leakage (maybe a quarter cup) during lots of reentry practice where the somehwhat flexible plastic hatch cover (CD proprietary design) oilcans a little and distorts the seal a bit. In normal use, rear hatch dry. So, have never experienced the dreaded flooded hatch syndrome... not complaining!

I'm in... possibly with a friend along as well. Thanks!

Sounds great... will be there. Thanks, Adam!

Sounds like it's going to be a great day so will sea you there. Thanks!

Thanks to all the instructors (and participants too) who made this a great learning experience. Feeling pretty warm now ;-)

Great report, thanks Bob! One minor correction... the organization that owns Cow Island is Rippleffect (rather than riptide but I do like the latter name better ;-)) and their website is www.rippleffect.net And, yes, we all definitely had FUN! Carl