Trimming OC
Weight comes to mind, perhaps simplicity as in less parts, less trouble, really don't know, but what would you suggest?
#1 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 5:42am
why would you need adjustable pedals for trim unless one of your cables is stretched from heavy feet (our club oc-1s end up that way from newbies), if it's your own boat, just checked the alignment after every few trips out. just like bicycle cables, they will stretch over time.
#2 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 6:57am
If you own your own boat why do you need adjustable pedals? Unless you're going through a masive growth spurt there is no need to change the pedals. Plus adjustable pedal systems suck. They ALL SUCK. More stuff to break, hard to align right. Gross gross
Poops
#4 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 9:41am
Heavywater I understand where you are coming from. In the sprint kayak world boats are designed so that the pedal assembly and seat are adjustable so as to 'TRIM' out the boat for a specific paddlers weight - to set the center of gravity with the center of buoyancy so the boat runs level with the waterline. OCs have adjustable seats but not peddles currently, likely because foot wells and cockpits would need to be larger to accommodate more trim adjustment. I guess builders currently want to keep their designs and builds simpler and size their boats for set weights/heights. I know that is not 'perfect' for each paddler but it is the current compromise. Adjustable peddles would be a very good thing as in use in Surfski designs, but look at Surfskis and you have another problem. A fixed seat position and adjustable peddles. Again a trade off for sit-on top paddle boats.
Good point though Heavywater......Aloha all!
#6 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 3:27pm
Interestingly my Oc1, many years old now, has an adjustable pedal box and it's never given me an ounce (or 28 grams) of trouble. I adjusted it once, at purchase time, so my legs are in a comfortable position when paddling and haven't touched it since. Means my backside is where the builder intended it to be rather than fore or aft. So if my 8 year old waka can do, so should modern ones. If it's your own canoe, just like a bike it needs to be adjusted once for your hieght and weight. Then it should stay like that without requiring constant readjustment and fixing.
#7 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 4:27pm
not sure who does it or if they still do, but it used to be you would order a boat and it would be sized to your leg length. The paddler's body was always kept centered in the boat. I believe that the waveblade used to be made like that. So the mold would be adjusted to pop out a boat to your dimensions...
#8 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 8:17pm
so your point is that a canoe with a movable foot pedal is going to be cheaper than a boat with fixed wells? Not sure I get the $3000 compromise thing. Almost any new boat worth a damn is going to cost 3000 dollars. So why not get it tailored to yourself? Screw everyone else, let them get their own. You pay the money, as long as it fits you then great. If you're still growing, then i guess you'd be out of luck. If you're planning on sharing with every damn Dick and Jane, then knock yourself out and get the darn adjustable foot pedals. If everyone else in the whole world has gotten things wrong up to this point. Maybe you should make the new canoe that will revolutionize the paddling world forever.
#10 Thu, 02/08/2007 - 11:18pm
wow, jc9, how did Heavywater figger out you were celibate and unmarried just from a few posts? Sounds like you need to treat yourself to some poontang! Don't worry, chick-magnet Goto is on the way...
#12 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 6:21am
As far as I know Tiger still sizes the cockpit position on his OC1s by leg inseam/weight. Someone here can correct me if I am wrong.
Cheers :-)
#13 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 7:38am
Heavywater why the hate man? Jim, dude, you're in love with goto aren't you?
I have 2 comments about this issue.
- First of all all adjustable systems suck! Have you seen the designs? I've worked with 2 and they suck. More part to break when your 5 miles off shore. Its more expensive, difficult to use, so if I had my choice I would buy a custom boat to fit my size. Until there is a reliable easy to use system I'll stick with custom boat. Heavywater, its your choice what you want, if you want to deal with the mess of adjustability then do it, but don't go bad-mouthing people that disagree with you. This is america man.
- I think focusing on training hard will make you way faster than a worrying about a seat that's a half inch forward or back.
Dats it
Poops out
#14 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 10:56am
I think it's the way he plays hard to get during paddling season, poops.
#15 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 12:15pm
always interesting when soneone turns a discussion into a round of insults. but hey that's your perrogative. you have now angered all the celibate preists who frequent this site. after all celibacy is a choice, not a fault. Not to mention you are now single handedly ridiculing every unmarried user of OCpaddler, way to go. perhaps heavywater should return to Bizzaro universe where everything is backwards. Then his evaluation would be dead on. Especially since i am both married and certainly not celibate.
Please, do not tell me however many longjohns you have at your house. Your longjohn and your sons' collection of longjohns are none of my business. I have only had one longjohn my whole life and it has worked for me.
I echo what poops was saying. more moving parts, more to break, more liability. if you are just paddling on closed water like a lake or river, then much less chance of breakage being a major concern. but if you are paddling in open ocean conditions long distances from shore, then reliability is KEY.
word to your mother.
#16 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 12:31pm
sorry about your english. i will never be offended. i am after all, a bastard at heart.
and remember, keep those longjohn remarks under wraps. pun intended.
#18 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 2:52pm
I got a question, does anyone ever move their seat depending on the conditions?
#20 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 3:02pm
I think the original question had to do with peddle trim as opposed to adjusting the peddles for the paddler's size or adjusting the seat position.
People automatically trim their boat without thinking by offsetting their peddles with their own feet. The amount of trim required depends on a number of factors including, without limitation, cross currents and wind. I can only think of 2 situations where you would want to be able to adjust the trim on your canoe:
- Your canoe does not travel in a straight line when the peddles are even and it really bugs the crap out of you. I recently restrung the cables on a hurricane and despite my best efforts to line the peddles up evenly before I set the cable, now have this problem. I don't lose sleep over it. I just add the problem to the list of excuses for doing a slow run ----"Darn it! My boat kept turning circles!" (see post of excuses on this forum);
- the peddles are set too high (i.e., where the top of the peddles are pointing more toward the paddler as opposed to pointing away from the paddler). The boat that I restrung also has this problem on the left side. The problem caught up to me after about an hour into paddling when the muscle on my shin cramped up because the height of the left peddle put my shin muscle (sorry, i don't know the proper term) in a contracted position--like trying to point your big toe to your shin. Try doing that for an hour! Adjusting the seat back made no noticeable change in the position of my foot and ankle.
Its easy to make an adjustable trim with stainless steel linkages and clamps. It just messes up the looks of the canoe.
#21 Fri, 02/09/2007 - 3:05pm
...not to mention Extensor hallucis longus and/or extensor digitorum longus...
#24 Sat, 02/10/2007 - 4:13am
Hi guys,
I am new to OC and see many shiny Canoes around here. I see also every constructors nightmare, you do not use adjustable rudder pedals for correct trimming . Why ??
Submitted by Heavywater on