Beginner Paddler Has Question

Dear OC Paddler Community-

I know from reading various posts that all here have differing opinions about the proper size, stability, build, etc. of an OC1. As someone who paddled OC6 for a while, I somehow never had the time and money to paddle OC1. Now that I work all the time, I'm never available to paddle with the team but would like to start on my own each early a.m. I can now buy my own OC1!!!! (I guess working all the time paid off somehow?). However, I'm not sure what to get??? I'm 5'3", female and keep looking boats like the Pegasus. Anyone out there have outstanding reasons why they love their OC1 or some advice? Thanks all!

Submitted by BioGeek on Sat, 03/29/2008 - 3:51pm



any kamanu composite boat is good. check the website.
http://kamanucomposites.com/


#1 Sat, 03/29/2008 - 5:25pm


Ah C'mon. You're recommending Kaimana to a 5'3" person? Maybe the smaller one (kainalu?), but you're on the right track w/ pegasus, Biogeek. Take a look at Hurricane, too. a great all-around boat, especially if you're light.


#2 Sat, 03/29/2008 - 6:03pm


Check out the current video clip here
http://www.outriggerchicks.blogspot.com/
If you happen to be from California, give Chris a call. His store is mobile and he will give you an honest assesment with several brands to draw from.

Take Care.
With my schedual I could never have a set practice time and I am having so much fun on my oc-1


#3 Sat, 03/29/2008 - 10:39pm


Assuming you have narrowed your boat search down to the 3 obvious choices , Hurricane , Pegasus and Fuze because of thier relatively low volume compared with the other fine boats on the market.

I would take a look at the differences between these three models and eliminate them one at a time until only one obvious choice was left.

First , consider where you paddle. Hurricane , Pegasus and Fuze all are built to go on the ocean , and they all are fast boats on flatwater. If you are out to win races , you can win on any of these boats , because the motor decides who wins and who doesn`t. If you have done the work , mentally , physically, and technically your new boat will be fast.

Since its a hard decision to make based only on the boats speed potential, you will most likely need to focus your attention on the boats` other qualities.

The boats these days are begining to get pretty sophisticated in design . A new buyer these days needs to understand that a lot of thought and hard work , has gone into the designs of these boats.

When a new paddler takes a look at the current lineup of boats on the market they can clearly see that there are differences in the physical appearance of the boats. A new boat buyer should do thier homework and find out why the boats are shaped differently , one to another. The best way to do this is by contacting the manufacturer directly. They are all very accessible.

Areas of importance to most paddlers are the following:

Paddling Comfort, seat and cockpit.
Durability and strength
Performance , and speed potential
Adjustability , especially the iakos
Asthetics
Resale value

Good luck in your boat search :)

Aloha ,

Fuze

http://maineoutriggerchampionships.blogspot.com/


#4 Sun, 03/30/2008 - 1:43am


Hey BioGeek
OC1's have this inherent problem. Unlike many products, like shoes, bikes or even paddleboards and surfboards, OC1's do not have the capacity to be personally sized/fitted. I've contemplated handshaping OC1's. The problem is the cost and making them light enough but still strong and safe. The process of fitting an OC1 to someone would be somewhat elaborate in that you would need to consider thier size and ergonomics, thier skills, the water conditions the boat will be used in, etc. Sounds daunting but it would be pretty cool, no?
I wonder if it would be of much benefit but when I think of us all having 2 or 3 sizes of shoes to choose from and it pretty much answers that question.


#5 Sun, 03/30/2008 - 9:37am


Hey BioGeek,

I'm 5'4" about 125#, female, and I paddle a Huki V1-X. The hull is fiberglass and it weighs about 30#'s. The boat is very comfy for me to paddle and its fairly robust when I bang it into boats, walls, buildings, or whatever and it doesn't crack or leak.

I've tried Hurricanes but they are very light and fragile for a first boat for me. that's all i have ... good luck

Ender


#6 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 6:10am


.


#7 Sat, 05/10/2008 - 11:29pm


Huki is also a nice boat. Very solid and comfy. They say V1z is for smaller people but at 225 I really enjoy paddling it. It might be a v1x, not too sure what the difference is.


#8 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 7:58am


One thing I'd add to Fuzeriders list is "ease of assembly, disassembly." I've owned both Hurricanes and a Pegasus...both good boats, but Hurricanes RULE when it comes to having fewer parts to lose and speed of assembly. No wing nuts, no detachable seat, no push pins that wear out. Their design is solid.


#9 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 8:11am


Dang it all , I forgot to mention the Chines. One of the most distinctive and innovative features of modern canoe design.

I have my hockey helmet on now so, let the pile on begin....

http://maineoutriggerchampionships.blogspot.com/


#10 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 10:47am


They really come in handy at speeds in excess of 15 kts.


#11 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 2:32pm


One more thing: Whatever you do, please don't buy a HYPR, pretty much the only boats that SUCK. Ask anyone. There, I said it. The boats are lame, and the customer service is....otherworldly.


#12 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 6:29pm


I have to admit that I am really starting to like my chines!


#13 Mon, 03/31/2008 - 9:39pm


jpi92109

I hope for your sake , you own a hockey helmet too for talking like that..... :)

http://maineoutriggerchampionships.blogspot.com/


#14 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 1:45am


No hockey helmet. Just and ultra light hawaiian made Zephyr so bring the hits. Im so stoked on this canoe it doesnt really matter. Maybe you can answer this for me though. I find it harder to "fly" the ama on this canoe than on others ive tried. Althougn im not very experienced the ama seems to be very light in the water anyway. Is this from the chines? It just feels like I have to give it a little extra lean to get it high enough out of the water to hold it, or do I just need more practice? Or maybe even pull the rear iako farther up?


#15 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 3:22am


remember goodfellas if I was jimmy and big just once and had a wife called Pegasus my girlfriend woud be Zephyr swear to god. your a funny guy.


#16 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 5:01am


I hop this isnt a bad chine to bring this up,but Hrrican is off he hook.


#17 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 5:00am


Mulus, you HAVE to be kidding me...


#18 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 6:01am


All kinds of stuff you can do to the Zephyr to change its` handling :

Shorten iakos down to say 42 to 43 inches center to center.

Raise iako out of ama a liitle more than you usually do.

Grind out the seat to get your butt down lower in the canoe.
( seek help with this if you`ve never done it before)

If it was my boat Id measure the distance , center of hull to center of ama , make sure you are running parallel , and make sure you are not more than 44 or 45 inches center to center. Shortening the iakos makes the boat feel more responsive in roll . Some paddlers like tippy boats , others dont.
This is one of the key reasons I `m nuts about OC canoes , they are completely adjustable and you can make your boat handle just like you like it to.

On Oahu talk to Jr. about this kind of stuff , he`s a walking encyclopedia when it come to rigging and boat knowledge in general.

The rudder you choose changes the way the boat handles too . At OC there are 5 rudder choices .

http://maineoutriggerchampionships.blogspot.com/


#19 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 7:27am


Oh my goodness. What is a chine? And how far should my iakos be set? And 5 different rudders? I live in Southern California, prefer to paddle in slightly crappy water (I know...i have issues, but it is a water sport), and would like to get on the water next week but certain dealers in SoCal have not returned my call yet. How hard is it to ship a boat from HI? Someone wants to sell a Pegasus and this sounds pretty good???
And try a fencing mask instead of a hockey helmet....they still have all their teeth.


#20 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 6:42pm


if you do a search using the ocpaddler search you will find about a thousand hits on chines. most are useless, but some will help you figure that one out.

as for me, i've use one boat with one rudder for my entire one man paddling career. it is a kainalu, the same mold that set the catalina record relay in the sloppy water that you seem to enjoy. unfortunately, it has no chines. but for some reason it is still fast. that is the extent of my one man knowledge. hope that helps.


#21 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 6:56pm


Chris has been crazy with his catalina challenge. If you get a Pegasus be sure it is one that does not have the problems with rigging. My buddy screams curses everytime he tries to get in together, but is otherwise very happy


#22 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 9:42pm


I have only seen a couple from China so far and they rig just fine as long as they are using all the parts they were shipped with. On one the ama was damaged and it was a little tight with someone elses ama but nothing to cry about.


#23 Tue, 04/01/2008 - 9:48pm


Previously posted:

Huki is also a nice boat. Very solid and comfy. They say V1z is for smaller people but at 225 I really enjoy paddling it. It might be a v1x, not too sure what the difference is.

Here is what the Huki web site has to say about the V1-Z:

Optimum weight (in comparison with my other canoes) would be very light paddlers and people up to 240 Lb. Really light paddlers and those under 200 pounds may find nothing faster in any water condition. She's simply unbelievable for paddlers under 190 pounds. Light paddlers under 165 will be able to handle Hawaiian style waters on their roughest day. Moderate sized paddlers between 165-200 pounds will easily handle 4ft wind chop and go zoom-zoom on flats. Paddlers above 200 pounds will race really fast in light to moderate conditions.

And the V1-X (which is a slightly newer design):

Optimum weight range is from very very light up to 215 pounds. She runs fantastic in the big Hawaiian waters for folks under 200.


#24 Fri, 04/04/2008 - 8:06pm


What is the scoop on the Huki OC-1's compared to the often mentioned others, Hurricane, Pegasus, Fuze, etc.?


#25 Sat, 04/05/2008 - 9:53am


Hukis are made in Sacramento. Delivery time is fast. Workmanship is fantastic. You can choose from 10 different layups. Any color, design. Any specific reinforcing. Its truely totally your custom canoe. Prices are competitive. Delivery times smoke anyone else.
If Jude moved his operation to Hawaii, he'd be one of the canoes you always hear about. Or maybe, he'd switch to Hawaiian time, and farm them out to slave labor in China like everyone else.


#26 Sun, 04/06/2008 - 2:47pm


Jibofo,I know most of the builders in Hawaii personally, and you're just plain wrong to criticize their work ethic. I haven't met many people in any profession who work as hard as Karel or John Martin, and judging from the way they're crankin' 'em out, the guys from Kamanu are really busting ass too. That whole "Hawaiian Time" thing is B.S. Do you know how hard you have to work to survive in Hawaii these days? Sure, there's lazy people too, but that's how it is everywhere. Have you ever worked w/ an old carpenter from Hilo? Tell me about "Hawaiian Time" then.


#27 Sun, 04/06/2008 - 3:17pm


.


#28 Sun, 04/20/2008 - 4:36am


Hukis are very well built, though. Maybe not the best designs for large, downwind conditions, but very durable, and comfortable. Very good boats for women and lighter paddlers.


#29 Sun, 04/06/2008 - 3:50pm


Jim
Hawaii is definately more laid back than the mainland. Lowest incidence of stress related conditions in the US is in Hawaii. I built custom windsurf boards there for 7 years. If there was a good swell running, everything slowed down. Shapers, airbrushers, glassers, etc. all dropped everything and paddled out.
I'm not saying that Hawaiian time is bad (unless you're waiting for something) or that it is lazy, its just the way it is (and one of the reasons to live there).
Yeah, Huki is not the hot big downwind brand, but I'm sure that if Jude was there, his canoe designs woud quickly be up to snuff.


#30 Sun, 04/06/2008 - 5:59pm


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