On 30-Aug-2004, No Spam wrote:

I had a very difficult time keeping the kayak tracking straight. It
wanted to turn left.

Just wondering if this is normal or due to bad technique on my part.

Both. WW kayaks are not made to track and they are basically unstable
longitudinally. Once they start to turn, they want to continue. You
have to learn to correct for tracking errors before they start (which
sounds impossible, but once you get the hang of it, you'll know what I
mean).

I am thinking that next time I will rent a longer open kayak that will
hopefully track better.

Better you should learn to handle a regular WW kayak in WW than getting
into a kayak that will be more difficult to handle when conditions
get more serious. Open has nothing to do with your problems.

Mike