i need help from you guys,
after long time it looks like finally i found a v1, problem now is that i have to choose between 3 different kind of canoe.
I'm talking of v1 from Va'a Factory , Romeo and Tehuritaua these are all infos i have.....tips and suggestion are more than welcome.
I'm a 95Kg guy 1mt 92cm tall.
Submitted by gio on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 8:38pm
if you can try one then it doesnt matter what anyone else says. just pick the one that works for you... or the one you feel most comfortable in. just make sure the hull is rigid, no point having a light canoe but flimsy hull, i dont know if you can feel the hull. i ride AhMin A2. I'm 90kg. i havent tried a romeo or tehuritaua, sorry. vaa factory wasnt for me, but a friend loves it, he has a completely different style than me and is equally as fast. all depends on what you prefer and how your style fits the vaa.
Kingi
#1 Thu, 08/19/2010 - 12:44am
K,
Thank you for your tips, well i know i should try the canoe but i can't i mean i live in Italy canoes are coming from Tahiti in a container that will arrive in France.
So i have never see a tehuaritaua or a va'a factory the only think i can do is ask infos to somebody who saw it or paddles it.
#2 Fri, 08/20/2010 - 8:23am
Hi Gio.
I understand the hassle of choosing the right Tahitian canoe when you live on the other side of the world! I myself dealt with this not so long ago. I live in California and really wanted a Tahitian Va'a ever since I rode them during my trip there. I fortunately got to try out different canoes before I left which gave me an idea on what I prefered. I personally did not like the Va'a Factory. On top of my personal experience I heard some things that made my decision easy. I have not tried a Tehuaritaua nor have heard of them before. From the results of all the races I would recommend sticking with Fai, Are and Timi. They snatched the podium at every races.
Anyhow, I am 6'2'' (about 1m90) and weight 220 lbs (about 100 kgs). My preference was for the Fai, the Are and the Timi.
I personally bought the Fai just because I like the canoe very much and the builder was very easy to work with as far as customizing (colors, seat, foot rests, foot pump...). He also dealt with the shipping which made it very easy on me. Nice guy I would say. Definitely recommend them. They also are some of the only ones that have a double carbon layup with foamcore. They build them with a vaccum infusion process, making them stronger and lighter. Yes, I got sold on the high tech stuff...
They also have the standard fiberglass layup with foamcore but since I do not buy a canoe very often I got the good stuff.
I also got to ride a Timi which I think was more fit for a smaller (and lighter) paddler. The Fai was much faster for me. The Are was goo too but I really preferred the line of the Fai. My friend just ordered the new Fai model (a hybrid of the Fai and Are models) and I cannot wait till he receives it so I can try it out.
If you would like to get in contact with the builder, let me know and I can foward you their contact phone number in Tahiti. Their email is iatovaatahiti@gmail.com
Hope my personal experience helps a little.
#3 Wed, 08/25/2010 - 12:07am
First of all, thank you for your patronage "Aito" Adam. I am glad you are enjoying your va'a. We love to hear that our customers are happy with their purchase.
I was just told I should join this community and found 2 people endorsing our va'a (1 of them kinda took a username I would have like to have, lol).
Anyhow, to get back to what you are looking for Gio, I assume you are speking with "Te Va'a" shop in Toulon who carries these 2 brands of va'a (or at least orders them from Tahiti when a customer wants one). I am actually in talks with the owner of that shop as he would like to represent our models so if you are interested in getting a Fai 3, Are or Hybrid F/A shaped by us (Joe and Yvon from Tahiti), let us or him know and I am sure we can make it happen for you. If you need any additional information, feel free to email me @ iatovaatahiti@gmail.com or by phone @ +689 77 07 08.
You should know that our V1 canoes have done very well during the last 2 race seasons and that if you are committed to getting a very high quality outrigger you can trust us to deliver. You can check the palmares of the Heiva 2010, Te Aito 2010, Mata ARE 2010 and Super Aito 2010 and will notice that our team has been on the podium very consistently.
You can see us on facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taravao-French-Polynesia/Fai-Vaa/113464402...
or
http://www.facebook.com/faivaa
Have a great day!
Joe B.
#4 Fri, 08/27/2010 - 3:13pm
I am leaving to go to Tahiti for one month at end of October/early November. I will be shipping back a container of new Tahitian V1's. Fai3 and Are are the models ill be bringing back. If anyone interested in more details please give me a call or email: tim Lara. 808-283-2470 hawaiianpaddlesports@gmail.com
#5 Fri, 10/01/2010 - 8:25pm
Does anyone know where I could try such a canoe in or near Los Angeles?
Also, does the design of these canoes allow the paddler to use his/her legs to derotate?
Thanks for your help!
#6 Wed, 12/22/2010 - 2:35pm