Al K wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
Is this idea commonly accepted?

http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/kayakpro/kayakgrid.htm

hi galt, paddlers,
a 15' narrow beam light kayak can be faster than a beamy 17' heavy
kayak.
1.34 x square root of water line length gives the maximum speed of a
displacement hull boat. so longer boats will be faster than shorter boats of
similar designs and materials.
a great practical way to test this theoretical speed is with a gps. i've
recently been doing this with several kayaks (ww and sea kayaks) available
to me, and have found that the formula holds up quite well. but you must
take current and wind into consideration carefully, even silght winds and
currents, as they can result in differences of 0.5 mph to over 1 mph easily.
true fla****er is the most accurate test envorment, but tests with winds and
currents are quite informative also as you see their effects.
a gps is also a great way to test your paddling efficiency. try various
stroke rates, paddle placements, stroke lenghts and see how your speeds are
affected.
al k


I think you are right, when I borrow someone's kayak I should have my
gps with me. I borrowed a kayak one evening last week and had the
feeling it was slow but the gps would have offered something more than
a vague feeling.