Aloha all,
Just wondering if anyone has had a chance to paddle a Torrent yet by Outrigger connection. It seems the Osprey was sort of a trimmed down Zypher (I have a Zypher and enjoy it in wind, in fact she did great this weekend at Maliko) but didn't get much push. Just wondering what the response to the Torrent is and how people have enjoyed or not enjoyed at this point.
Thanks
Joel
Submitted by joelmkrause on Mon, 02/25/2013 - 4:02pm
It would be nice it they let you take it out for a week or a few days. Going out in it in Kailua for a couple hours isn't enough to sell me on a canoe. All the other builders seem to let people use the canoes a while to get a good feel of them.
I would love to know how well that boat performs also.
#1 Wed, 02/27/2013 - 10:11am
Compared to the Zephyr it performs alot better.
The cockpit moved forward allows the paddler to drop in and get the hull speed up faster.
The increased volume in the rear now lets you feel the lift of a bump coming from behind earlier than you would on the Zephyr. This early feel allows you to get a jump on applying pressure on your stroke to get on the bump vice reacting too late.
Being almost as long as the Zephyr, it is still longer than most of the other canoes on the market. In my experience of paddling it in sloppy, choppy, upwind conditions, it is a lot harder to keep the hull speed up (might be my paddling conditioning in general). In good downwind conditions it's a surfing machine.
I've used both the Torrent and Pueo at the PA'A and Kanaka Ikaika races and have done just about the same placings on either crafts.
#2 Wed, 02/27/2013 - 1:54pm
Yeah its hard to tell how a canoe feels until you have spent some time in it. I took a XM out and enjoyed it for the first run, but after a few I could tell it was not right for me. The XM has great but at 6'5 I think something like the XM extended or the Storm would be a better fit for me.
I like the idea of the Torrent having an increase in volume in the rear to fell the swells a little better. I would be interested feeling how the Torrent drops into the little bumps and moves from one to one. Thats the key and the Zypher struggles at times to get from one bumb to the next in the smaller stuff...okay maybe I struggle with that and shouldn't blame it on the boat.
#3 Thu, 03/07/2013 - 11:53am
I was a long time Fusion owner and tried the Torrent recently. It was very comfortable, terrific in the surf and solid in the smaller stuff. I'm a little big for the boat, but if you're under 210lbs it should be fine.
#4 Thu, 03/07/2013 - 9:14pm
Bigjed just wondering what do you paddle now? I am 6'5 and 190 so long a lean, but have struggled with wide hips. Basically my ass just don't fit in alot of boats. The other issue I have is sitting so far back in the boats, I often end up sitting crunched up in order to get the best drop into waves.
#5 Fri, 03/08/2013 - 8:11am
Joel, I'm 6'7 230 and ended up buying a Pueo w/ extended footwells after trying everything but a Storm. Took some learning in the surf, and despite burying the front of the boat in big surf, it is a fast boat that's amazing in moderate to smaller water. When it's big I just have to angle more. Hope that helps!
#6 Sat, 03/09/2013 - 4:06pm
Another canoe that seems to be worth looking for big guys at is the extended footwell Scorpius (not the XM) Kai is making now. John Deppe, a coach at Long Beach Outrigger would be a good guy to contact. More volume and the forward cockpit allows one to drop in easier on waves. Check it out.
#7 Fri, 03/15/2013 - 8:12pm
Confirmed,
I had a custom Scorpius built with the cockpit forward almost 4 inches, I am 6"5" and 245, and had trouble finding any boat that fit my seating position. Increased my flat water speed by almost 10 sec./mi, and I don't need to talk about how good it performs in any bump. Was paddling a china XM, because of the extended cockpit, but the new boat is far and away better. Thanks Chris......
Coach Huli.
Kahakai OCC
#8 Mon, 03/18/2013 - 8:23pm