Hi all,
Can people who have paddled or own a Tiger Pahoa give me some feedback on the boat. From what I hear the boat volume and lines are similar to a Hurricane using a new upswept Ama (correct me if I am wrong). I want to get a sense of what the boat is like in the flats and surf. If the cockpit is comfortable and the footwell is not too narrow? What is the beam at the waterline also? I know on Tiger's web site it's 15 inches but is that waterline beam? I hear Tiger's boat are constructed very well.
Mahalo
Submitted by Pittbrah on Sat, 10/08/2005 - 9:45am
Sorry forgot one thing. Is the seat spacing adjustable? (I am assuming yes :-)) I can't see that too well from pictures I have seen so far.
#1 Sat, 10/08/2005 - 9:47am
Aloha Pittbra,
In my opinion, Tiger is one of the top canoe craftmen in the trade, and his canoes are generally well made. Unlike the Makia, the Pahoa's seating is not adjustable. The footwells come in "sizes" and are molded into the deck at a location dependant on the size/length of the paddler.
The comparison of the Pahoe to the Hurricane is interesting. I recently heard the same comparison made between the Hurricane and Pegesus. However, I think the Hurricane and Pahoa are two completely different canoes. Just look at the difference in the rocker between the two. The Pahoa is an excellent surfing canoe. If I was doing a down-wind run, the Pahoa would be a blast to paddle. However, in my opinion, the things that make the Pahoa an excellent surfing canoe also somewhat inhibits its ability to go against the conditions, which is a consideration paddling here in the Pacific NW.
If you paddle in the flat to mild chop, there might be other canoes that would better suit your paddling conditions. As a point of reference, let me relay a canoe shopping experience of a paddler I know. He paddled a Fusion (another good surfing canoe) in Hawaii and loved it. He ordered one. When he got it to NW waters, he found that he could not effectively move the canoe in the waters he paddled due the canoe's volume mixed with the colder waters and flatter conditions. He ended up getting a Hurricane and loves it. If you're looking for your first canoe, then the best advice is to test as many as you can in the conditions you normally paddle. Buy the one that feels the most comfortable to you. That's the canoe that will keep you on the water.
My $.02.
#2 Sun, 10/09/2005 - 5:42am
Thanks Hawk. Good Info
#3 Sun, 10/09/2005 - 2:26pm
Hawk...have you paddled the Makia before I noticed it is narrower at 14" beam?. I live in the North East so our conditions out here also range from flat to choppy to small surf.
#4 Tue, 10/11/2005 - 4:44am
Yes, I've paddled the Makia, as a couple of my club members own one. The Makia is a very responsive canoe and performs well in the conditions you paddle in. Well worth considering. There are other canoes that perform well in those type of conditions too - the Kaimana, Hurricane, and Pegasus to name a few. However, each of these canoes feel quite a bit different, which is why I suggest you try out as many as you can, then pick the one most comfortable to you.
#5 Wed, 10/12/2005 - 4:50pm
Hi people,
Noticed the TIGER talk and wanted to know what you think about these kanu's in OZ? I will be moving back to the Gold Coast in the next few weeks and we have similar conditions to Hawaii but not as big waves etc. If you where going to pick a type of condidtion I waould say half way between Hawaii AND Cali....... Thats a rough estamate......
Whats kanu's go well ??????
Mahalo,
KOKA
#6 Thu, 10/13/2005 - 1:29am