Boat Ranking...by fun through performance

There are only a couple things that I know, and one of those things got me thinking.....the dollar will continue to get weaker and OIL is going to sky rocket. Eventually I won't be able to afford to drive cause gas prices are so high. Since I won't be driving and I'll spend more time in the ocean I focused on which canoes offer me the most fun on the water. Here are a list of the boats that I have used extensively and my ranking of them by fun and performance on the water. All these are with the element of surf in the picture.

1. Polaris
2. Fusion
3. Traditional 400lb canoe - The good thing about these boats is that it is what got most people started in paddling. They deserve more credit than being number 8 on my list. But as a fun factor they just don't perform like these other boats on the list. Maybe there new light weight cousins will. But, that is to be determined...
4. Xm- I've used this boat with the extended foot wells and It is with out a doubt the most nimble boat in the surf. You can turn on a dime without losing much speed and catch any little bump or big bump out there. In the Oahu champs race I was actually getting cold because I was just surfing everything and not paddling much at all.
   6.5 Fuze - This boat by far is the most underrated of boats out there. The fuze is quite nimble in the surf, not up on par of the xm, but still very nimble. I actually only put this ahead of the xm because it is cheaper, very accessible, very well built and customer service at Outrigger Connection is unmatched by any builder that I've dealt with.
5. Pueo - What else needs to be said that hasn't been said by most of our friends. This boat isn't as nimble as the xm ( though I haven't tried the ext foot well version of this boat which might help it some). Once you get used to how this boat steers you are able to make up for it's lack of nimbleness that it lacks to the xm. If you don't learn the subtleties the rudder will come out of the water. I believe the new xm has a rudder a little further forward and that is why the rudder NEVER doesn't grab water. For me this boat surfs better than any boat I've been on because of its ability to maintain speed which enable me to get to waves I see up ahead. I am able to keep the hull speed up to pull into much bigger stuff or to just maintain a speed without getting stuck behind a wave.
6. Outrigger Connection 4 man- This boat I kind of cheated by putting it way up here. I've only been on this particular boat once. But in this particular case the steersmen was exceptional, Novice C took me out on this boat and jeez what it a very fun time. He was able to cut back and forth on the lip and then drop down at speeds that made the it hard to breathe because to the amount of water being shot all around you and in your face......ah then back on the lip again. Hey......still smiling after that experience over a year ago.
7. 200lb open design canoe (Kapa'a)- Once again....Kamanu throws cold water on our face and wakes us all up with a radical new design that performs. If I considered the friendship sharing factor more on this list then this would be higher up.....but as we all know sometimes it's hard to organize 6 guys to spend 3-4 hours towing a boat to do a downwind run. So it gets number 3. But going down wind catching waves like you on a one man with 5 of your buds is awesome. Then sharing that time over some beers at the bh is almost as good. In capable hands this boat offers a time you won't soon forget.
8. Surfski- It does everything a one man does but faster. Going over waves, going through waves, catching big rollers longer.....that is what this boat does. And if it's flat you still can find waves to get on, if your going up wind there are still waves to get on. Maybe it just has less drag and that makes every wave easier to find and hop on. Even when this ski is buried it still pushes through waves and throws you out on front of another wave so that you can start reading and connecting waves again. If you haven't taken the time to learn this boat you .....could be missing out.
9. Tempest- Little has been said about this boat. It combines a great friendship factor. Whether you with your ex, your current gf, your ex's current bf, your ex's ex, or even someone that didn't previously like you, you both at the end of the paddle share good smiles and hugs afterward and stories how someone mysteriously fell off and sounded like they were an Ahi flopping around before they fell off (in flat water mind you). One particular reason I like this boat is that you can take others out on it that don't know how to surf that well and teach them what to look for. Many times I've taken people out on this that don't surf that great and all times they say one of a number of phrases that basically communicate ..... so that is how that is done or didn't know these waves were an option. This boat is fun on all conditions. Downhill, uphill, flat, side, rainy, dark, cold mornings; I always say at the end....damn that was fun. This boat gives you the power to get in any wave and at the same time you are working on timing and all the other team work activities. Anyways, if you haven't been on this boat borrow one, rent one, buy one, buy shares in one, borrow from someone that has shares in one, borrow one without asking and bring it back before anyone notices. Whatever you do just experience it. Also, it is very reasonably priced. So if I had to buy one boat based on value, social value, friendship, practice, ability to learn from others, 6 man timing practice and surfing. This is the boat to get. Oh and did I say it's ........really fun no matter what!!

Submitted by healthyearth on Tue, 04/05/2011 - 10:08pm