I do not understand the attraction to crossover kayaks. It appears these boats are sold to "handle" the white water in local rivers, but they are supposed to be good for everything else too. The oddest thing to me is that they are most often seen in sporting goods stores like REI. The folks I have seen who bought them were not offered float bags which are standard equipment needed for most white water boats.
So what I see these crossover paddlers doing is having a really hard time keeping up with their friends who paddle rec boats or canoes on the same class 1 - 2 rivers. Then when their friends go to the lake or the bay, the crossover paddlers really become disadvantaged because of the slower speed of their boats.
In fact, the only place I can see where a crossover boat is better than an open cockpit rec boat is in the surf. Still a rec boat with a standard cockpit like a Dagger Alchemy would be a wonderful alternative and do most everything better than a crossover boat.
If you can think of a place where a crossover is a good choice, I'd love to hear about it. I'd also like to add to my list of favorite rec boats so please send your favorite rec boat model to me.
So far mine are:
Dagger Alchemy
Current Designs Kestral
Wilderness Systems Pungo 140
Current Designs Vision
Hurricane Phoenix
Wilderness Systems Tarpon
Wilderness Systems Cape Horn
Walden Passage
RTM Disco
There are so many more boats to try!
It's when you want to start on more challenging ww grade III +, a crossover like the pyranha fusion c30 or new wavesport ethos really come into their own. can you roll a canoe? fusion is no problem.
ReplyDeleteBasically they allow you to do what a rec boat does with more emphasis on ww, the trade off being the speed on lakes you mentioned, the fusion is fast enough to keep up.
It's when you want to start on more challenging ww grade III +, a crossover like the pyranha fusion c30 or new wavesport ethos really come into their own. can you roll a canoe? fusion is no problem.
ReplyDeleteBasically they allow you to do what a rec boat does with more emphasis on ww, the trade off being the speed on lakes you mentioned, the fusion is fast enough to keep up.
We like kayak camping down a river with a mix of flat water and rapid sections then. What else but a crossover can hold your kit dry and handle both types? . No better way to have a trip fully immersed in the wild for a few days.
ReplyDelete