On 5-Aug-2003, John Fereira wrote:

A kayak that is just over 9' long and almost 30" wide with a nearly flat
hull is *not* going to be a stiff tracking kayak.

It doesn't sound like an easy to control kayak either. There's no mention
on the Perception web site of such features as thigh hooks etc. That's a
pretty basic requirement for controlling edging in any kind of WW.
That's fine if his intent is to swim through the WW.

Even someone with minimal
skills should have little trouble manoevering it whitewater up to class II.
The orignal author asked about paddling it in whitewater, not class IV-V
whitewater. I've taken much stiffer tracking kayaks (a 16'6" sea kayak)
through class II whitewater several times.

Is that class II because of relatively low water levels running through lots of windy
paths through rocks or because of scary but straight running wave trains?
Running a sea kayak through a bunch of haystacks in a straight line is nowhere
near as difficult as turning on a dime amid the rocks. No one has defined the
conditions other than just WW - pretty vague.

" Not looking to buy another kayak, gonna take her there no matter
what, looking for some, fearless advice!!!!!


This attitude says it all - he's going to do it regardless of what anyone says, so why
bother with advice? What he really wants, I suspect, is to hear someone tell him
he's doing something cool. He's cranky because people are pointing out that
he's doing something that sounds stupid.

IMNSHO, the best advice he's received is to notify his next of kin. Maybe a deposit
for the rescue to unburden taxpayers.

Mike