Hello,
I'm new in here as well as new to the world of OC paddling. I've paddled other boats. Sprint Canoes and Dragonboat, even a little OC-1 and 2.
I'm interested in buying an OC-1 but don't know much about them.
I'm about 190lbs, 5' 8". Looking for a boat that I can go fast in. Probably won't do to much in the way of waves. I live in Ontario and where I would paddle doesn't get anything too big.
Can any one recommend a boat that might suit my needs. I've been in an Albatros and it seems pretty sluggish.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks
Shane
Submitted by ShaneMorg on Wed, 07/26/2006 - 9:16am
Shane,
There
s lots of good boats to choose from. Seems like alot of folks develope a kind of a bond with their boat as well as a fair amount of loyalty to the builder of their boat.m kind of partial to the Outrigger Connection Fuze, it goes well in a variety of conditions. For paddler over , say, 190 lbs , Fusion might posibly be a better choice . Fuze and Fusion are really the same shape , Fuze basicly is a scaled down Fusion.I
Since you want a boat to go fast, check results from major competitions and see which boats win most of the time.
Fuzerider
#1 Thu, 07/27/2006 - 7:33am
Shane,
I too started with an Albatross and it's a great club boat or beginners boat for Ontario. Very solid and affordable. If you want to race and be competitive in North East waters I suggest you buy a sit-on top boat and the Hurricane is a very good choice. I ordered one myself this year. For the price, you get a boat that is very good for our kind of water. Buying a Fuze is pretty expensive compared to a Hurricane. 3600$-3800$ US vs 2700US$ for a Hurricane which also includes a cover and the Hurricane is a fast boat. Same thing with a Huki, the V1-Z is a fast narrow boat but the cost is much higher in the same layup (full carbon) than a Hurricane.
Based on availability, price and performance it was an easy choice for me to make.
Mahalo,
Pittbrah
#2 Thu, 07/27/2006 - 9:39am
I'd suggest a sit on top as well, either Huki or Hurricane (they cost about the same, if you get them from a Canadian supplier). Another boat that's often overlooked but good for our conditions is C-Lion. Heavier than both Hurricane or Huki V1-Z, but it seems faster on flat water and in very small wind chop.
I don't own an OC1 as I cannot make up my mind what do I want, but I do paddle C-Lion and V1-Z and V1-X quite a bit on Lake Ontario and have tried a Hurricane couple of times...
#3 Fri, 07/28/2006 - 8:17am
A top paddler named Maui Kjeldsen and the shaper for the Fuse and Fusioin is now producing his own boat on Kauai.
In my opinion, it is a Pegasus for a 200lb paddler. It is terrific and some of the best paddlers on Kauai have placed orders.
Tom
tomesq@hawaiiantel.net
#4 Sat, 07/29/2006 - 7:37pm
Surf the Aussie Web. Some great Aussie canoes on the market, Australian dollar exchange rates make it viable to ship them overseas. Zulu Warrior, Bladerunner and MaxKayaks Spyder are two worth looking at.
#5 Sat, 09/09/2006 - 1:45pm
Which TWO Clarkie, you named THREE. Ha-ha. Good to see your doing your bit for the Aussie GDP.
Cheers Rambo
#6 Sat, 09/09/2006 - 5:51pm
Bottom line, buy a boat that works well for your size/weight/comfort and water conditions. If you can't try a boat out or demo a specific boat you are taking other people's opinions and preferences for what works for them and that won't likely work for you. I learned that lesson the hard way. I know that can be tough in Toronto as many of the boats are not here to demo so you will need to ask people who own boats for a ride.
By the way conditions in TO on Lake Ontario can get quite choppy and tough to handle at times. Once you get into a light boat and light Ama you will seriously need to re-adjust especially if all you have done is paddle Dragon boat or in an Albatross. Handling chop in an Albatross which is super stable due to it's size and weight is night and day different from doing so in a Huki/Hurricane etc.
Good luck with your purchase.
#7 Fri, 09/15/2006 - 11:30am
I train in the same type of water and hands down the hurricane .The huki is not as fast and is more expensive with the same options .I have a friend w/ a new v1x and he can't keep with me in my hurricane . We both have done time trials in marathon canoes and we were witin 1 second of each other the majority of the time trails but when it came to the oc's he fell back a few boat lengths in a 300 meter sprint . Even in the small chop is is unable to keep with me and when we change canoes and I take his v1x he is faster on my hurricane
I tried the fuze and the fushion as well and they are slow compared to the huki and hurricane . Spend your monay and get a hurricane ......they are aval in Canada through Pogue Sports and they will ship to Toronto
#8 Fri, 10/13/2006 - 7:43pm
The V1-X is a wider higher volume canoe than a Hurricane so naturally it will be a slower in flat to small conditions so it's a poor comparison to the Hurricane. Compare the Huki V1-Z to a Hurricane, that is a fair comparison. Same thing for the Fusion, it's a surfing higher volume boat and that is why Karel Tresnak Jr. uses it in Hawaii over the Fuze. And hhmm how many races did he win in that boat this year including the Molokai solo? The Fuze is the same size as a Hurricane so in flatwater it should be equally as fast as a Hurricane (remember every boat takes time to get a feel for and develop your comfort on before you can make it go) but in bumps its a better boat because of the hull shape at the bow and stern of the boat and the ama is a better surfing ama. I have a Hurricane on order, but had I not placed my Hurricane order in June (Fuzes were not available where I am then) I would be buying a Fuze for sure. In terms of construction quality, based on what I have heard from current and past Hurricane users (even those who bought boats last spring) they are far more delicate than the boats made by Outrigger Connection and the other Hawaii builders. Yes the Hurricane is less expensive than the other boats, but over time a boat that is equally fast (Fuze), built solid and better in the bumps would be my choice.
Ask me in another year after I spend some time with my new Hurricane and see how it holds up and whether I keep it or trade it for a Fuze ;-)
#9 Sat, 10/14/2006 - 1:34pm