In an earlier post Mauitim said that Mike Giblin is not working on an updated Hurricane, but on a surf canoe prototype. Is that canoe the Storm? Just wondering if the Storm is intended for surf or flatwater.
Submitted by zebignu on Tue, 02/08/2011 - 7:41am
#71 Tue, 03/27/2012 - 3:41pm
Thats the guy I was telling you about... He's from Kitsilano!
#72 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 5:22am
if a surf canoe,at 15 lbs weight,I would think too light ,no more momentum to catch waves,just like a heavier fiberglass surfboard catches waves easier than a light epoxy one.looks killer though.Saw one on a truck this morning here on Maui,was in a bag with Storm written on it,so someone has one here.
#73 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 2:54pm
kava brings up a point I've experienced personally but I have yet to see much talk on here about it. So much emphasis being put on how light canoes can be made now, I would honestly take a a heavier canoe in certain conditions over some crazy sub 20 pounder. Here's my reason:
My first canoe was an old 25 foot surfrigger, thing must weigh 50 pounds rigged but was actually 24 feet long because someone broke off the last foot and epoxied it shut before I came across it. I kid you not, when I paddled that in small/medium size bumps, (not too often, it liked to leak) we're talking like 10-15 knot winds in the ocean, it would carry so much momentum that I could easily plow over the next bump without even having to paddle.
When I bought my Hurricane, I missed having that momentum in certain situations when I was trying to link a run and couldn't find a gap to shoot into because I knew I could have blasted over the top of the wave in front of me with 30 more pounds of canoe running at 10 mph.
Flat water makes sense for a light canoe obviously (think road bike and how obsessed dudes are with shaving off grams) but they could be faster downhill if they weren't on 12 pound setups.
Just like a nice heavily glassed single fin longboard soaks up a lot of little bumps on a wave, I would argue someone could make a seriously sick big water canoe utilizing more weight in strategically placed positions. I would only want the weight for a purely downwind run though.
I think there is a harmony between weight and glide as well. Two identical boats, one 40 pounds one 15 pounds, require different stroke types to maximize glide and efficiency.
There are many design improvements I foresee in regards to amas though. Right now they aren't "enhancing" any aspects of a canoe, only slowing it down.
#74 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 4:16pm
Okay, I've paddled one. I don't have much data to share. I only paddled it for a short time during cool down after a practice. And that's one of the challenges I think we all face - how do you decide if a canoe is good for you with a short test drive, likely in only one set of conditions. I've been waiting for the Storm to arrive, as I think I'm too long in the legs for a Hurricane.
My conditions were flat. I had been paddling a borrowed Scorpius before the switch. I'm 6'4", 204 pounds. First thing I noticed was I was sitting up way higher than the Scorpius. I found that hard to get used to, but perhaps in time it would feel natural. I don't normally paddle a Scorpius, but I do prefer the feeling of being "in" the seat, with the boat around me. The increase in volume over a Hurricane is noticeable as you look forward, sitting on the boat. The footwell is a single footwell, which seemed odd only because it's different than what I'm used to. I don't see it being a bad thing. The venturi sucked (which is what they're supposed to do) very well, and there was an audible sucking noise as it drained the footwell dry (same as when I test paddled a Scorpius XM). The boat is very light, as noticed when handling it on and off racks, etc. I saw several paddlers picking the boat up and holding it with one hand, trying to gauge the weight. It's shiny, and black, and looks fast (I know that doesn't really help. There's a space behind the seat, with bungies across it, which is the panel where it looks like they install the "insides" of the boat.
I don't know if that helps, or adds to the boat's mystery. The talk during practice (which is almost always flat) is the boat really needs to be tested on a downwind. Everybody is excited to see what it does then.
donM
#75 Thu, 03/29/2012 - 6:03pm
How did it feel on the flats? Was there a good glide to the boat? Was there wind, and if so how did it affect the handling being that the canoe is so light?
Steering? How responsive was it? Was the cockpit comfortable to sit in? How did the canoe handle your weight? (I'm 195lb myself)
Thanks for any additional info.
#76 Wed, 04/04/2012 - 4:31am
Is the mystery of the seamless Storm already solved ?
#77 Wed, 05/02/2012 - 7:25am
Heavywater,
Actually I think why no one answered is that it is and always was a monocoque construction, Ama as well.
The Ehukai (Johnny Puakea's new design) will be built the same way and is coming out very soon.
WEH
#78 Fri, 04/05/2013 - 3:28pm
I was told these boats do actually have a seam... just that it is sealed by a strip of composite laminated on the inside where different parts meet and then the boats are finished (painted/gel coated/etc) after coming out of the mold for a seamless look. I have no idea if this is true so I figure best to post it on here and let the builders clear up the potential misinformation. Sorry, I dunno what monoque (sp?) construction is. Gonna do some googling.
Edit: just looked it up. Seams like the term monocoque could apply to any of today's oc-1, v-1. surfski, or even a koa canoe. It sounds like monocoque means an object who's main structural strength is derived from its external shell like a a carbon fiber bike frame, egg or ping pong ball.
Wiki link here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocoque
Pun intended
#79 Fri, 04/05/2013 - 5:55pm
I believe its molded one piece, not faired over like the old Hypr. Openings under the front and rear bungees allow for the internal cabling to be done. Then thin "hatches" are bonded to close the openings. Some inspired thinking on Giblin's (or whoever's) part.
#80 Sat, 04/06/2013 - 4:04pm
The carbon used on these boats already has the reisen built into it. It is very expensive stuff, but the idea is that you place the carbon in strips on the inside of the mold, heat up and they stick. Less risen and no seam needed. Makes the boat lighter weight.
Seen a lot of these boats on Maui appearing now, Maliko runs, Kihei runs, all over. The black ones are sick looking, but I saw a white one with blue lettering... beautiful.
Its my next boat for sure. Also single foot well is good for keeping you knees closer together as well as cutting down on unnecessary weight...win win.
Joel
#81 Mon, 04/08/2013 - 10:01am