brad ) writes:

He did mention why he thought the 14 handled better but I'm having
trouble recalling. I think he was implying that the Osprey 13 would
"slide" around more and be harder to turn. He also mentioned
something about one of them having more "rocker" (I think that was the
term he used), but I am not sure which one or even what it means
(something to do with the "upsweep" of the sides???).

the shorter kayaks have a small keel or "skeg" at the back to make them go
straight. the skeg adds more "wetted surface" friction and will slow the
boat down by some small amount.

I'm not a kayak paddler but I've spent some time paddling canoes and small
wierd boats I've made myself. Last summer while hanging around a public
beach for three weeks I had the opportinituy to try and compare 30
different models of kayaks from half a dozen manufacturers. All but a
couple paddled straight even under full power paddling. I thought the
shorter boats would yaw (turn from side to side with each stroke) but they
tracked (kept a stright course) fine. (This opportunity occured because 4
local sporting goods stores were bringing trilers full of canoes and kayaks
to the beach each evening for the general public try out.)

I discussed my impressions on the rec.boats.paddle newsgroup and was
informed by kayak fanatics that the longer narrower boats are more
satisfying to paddle after you learn to balance them.

Every boat is designed with a purpose in mind. For the boating I now do,
exploring small local waterways, a long narrow kayak would not be
appropriate. (the wierd little boats I built are)

If your family is not paddling narrow winding creeks full of obstructions
or running white water rapids then a longer more narrow kayak would be
a good choice.


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