Frank Hagan wrote:
On Sun, 01 May 2005 18:21:54 GMT, Brian Nystrom
wrote:


BTW, if you want to read something funny, check out all the
pseudo-science, incorrect assumptions and misleading comparisons in his
"speed" section. Amoung other things, he assumes that all kayaks need
rudders and compares his boat to 13' recreational kayaks, which are
known to be slow. If he compared it to a 17' sea kayak (a more typical
length) without a rudder, his boat would not fare well.


I usually am not too critical of marketing messages. Otherwise, a
trip to the grocery store would prove to put me into an impossible
ethical dilemma: How can I choose the right soap when they all are
"better", "fresher" and "improved"?

On speed comparisons, the W Boat is less than 13' long, so the "speed"
comparisons make sense. I wouldn't compare a boat 70% longer (there's
that whole "theoretical hull speed" issue).

Designers are usually very proud of thier designs, and tend to think
they are better than other people's designs. I think that's
appropriate; I wouldn't want to buy a design from someone who thinks
his is inferior. Discussion of why they are right or wrong is
appropriate also, but I'm not sure the ad hominem attacks bring more
light to the issue.

The issue isn't one of pride, it's one of honesty. Misleading people by
telling them that the W boat is a better performer than a sea kayak,
then comparing to recreational "tubs" is simply wrong. If he wants to
bill it as better than recreational kayaks, there may be something to
that claim, but it's not a substitute for a true sea kayak.