I am an experienced OC-6 paddler (12 plus years) and looking for a new OC-1. I weigh 140 lbs, height 5'6", inseam 30". Paddle mostly Lake Washington and a little bit at the Gorge... so mostly smooth or short and bumpy water (motorboat wakes). Would like to get imput on which OC-1 would serve me well given my weight and height. My old OC-1 is like an old Naia and at least 40 lbs... so anything will be better. Have not seen many comments from women paddlers out there....Thanks in advance for your advise.
Submitted by fishhead on Tue, 01/09/2007 - 10:06am
Fuze
#1 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 10:15am
fishhead,
I'm 5'3" and I will not disclose my post holiday weight but it is less than 140 and I love my Hurricane. I've seen complaints about the seat posted but it seems to fit my backside fine. Haven't tried the Fuze or Hypr yet but probably will soon. Hated the seat on my old Stingray and the boat had too much volume for a small fry like me. Unfortunately I'm not fast enough to do any boat justice but just try some out and find out what you are most comfortable paddling. A cycling friend of mine once told me "you can't buy speed"....of course that was right before she spent $3000 on a Litespeed frame!
frosso
www.mapa1.org
#2 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 11:12am
Fishhead,
Given you are light a small volume OC-1 is what would suit you best. A Fuze or Hurricane is a good choice. I suggest you try both and see what you like. For me some key things I look for are construction quality (ask people how the boat brands hold up over years), comfortable seating, speed and boat design. For me the boat that did it all was a Fuze from Outrigger Connection. I am not brand loyal, I also own a Kaimana (love that boat too) and have paddled a Hurricane which is a fast boat. Buy what suits you best.
Good luck with your boat shopping.
Aloha
#3 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 11:55am
I'm 5' 5" and 134#. I just got the Nai'a Iki from John Martin. Eventhough it's all fiberglass, I love it. It's responsive in the flat and the bumps. I haven't tried the Fuze yet, but did try the hurricane and wasn't fond of it. Good luck.
#4 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 1:26pm
First, I'd like to express amazement that Goto hasn't chimed in with an appropriate, yet slightly offensive, comment about yet another debate about which canoe is better. Can someone check and make sure he's okay?
Secondly, I'd like to further the relentless string of phrases such as "responsive in the fill in the blank" and "try a few out to see which one you like!" As a smaller paddler, you'll want as little volume as possible. Paddling in a lake, you'll want less rocker. In my opinion, the best boat for those two criteria is the Hurricane.
#5 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 1:38pm
Huki V1-X
Both my wife and myself have Huki V1-Xs. She is 105 lbs and I'm 145lbs. We're both super happy with them. Hand made in California with the layup you want, graphics you want, options you want, quick delivery time, competitive pricing, and you can talk to the guy who actually makes them.
#6 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 2:54pm
If I was considering buying a Huki, for a lightweight paddler a Huki V1-Z is a faster smaller volume boat than the V1-X. If I was under 170lbs I would not be picking a Huki V1-X for smaller lake conditions. The V1-Z is the better boat for that.
#7 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 4:41pm
Aloha fishhead,
Do you paddle with one of the Seattle clubs? There are plenty of folks that have OC-1s in your area. It would be good to check out the canoes they are paddling and talk to them about what they like and don't about the various canoes. The first OC-1 race of the PNW-ORCA winter series is this weekend (13th) on Lake Union. You might want to run by there. If your lucky, someone might let you demo a canoe.
#8 Tue, 01/09/2007 - 6:14pm
Well, the Lake Union race has been posponed due to the weather forcast. If interested, the race has been rescheduled for February 3rd.
#9 Wed, 01/10/2007 - 6:44pm
Wassup, dncndlfn! Yes, I know you love your John Martin. For me...I have a hurricane. When I looked into getting and oc-1, I tried a few different types of oc-1 through friends. I love my hurricane. It really depends what you feel comfortable with and what works for you as well as height and weight. I weigh more then dncndlfn, but she knows I make it work for me on my hurricane. The more comfortable you are with your canoe on the ocean, the better you will be..Good luck in finding your soul mate in the water. The important thing is that you have fun.
#10 Wed, 01/10/2007 - 10:30pm
exuse me while i carve my eyes out of my head.......
ARRRRRRGGHHH!!!!!!
#11 Thu, 01/11/2007 - 12:11am
I'm in Vancouver ,BC and may be selling my 1 1/2 yrs old hurricane shortly if your interested ........pm me or e-mail me at mcqwik@hotmail.com and I can give you some info .
#12 Thu, 01/11/2007 - 8:55am
Fishhead, I heard you might be selling your OC1. If you are, I'm interested. Contact me though Rocky. Thanks
#13 Sun, 01/28/2007 - 7:17am