C-Forum

Where are you?

Maybe you'll be surprised and find some local. Won't know unless you ask!

There's a Redline in Winnipeg that I'd be happy to have someone try (or buy).

P.

I've suffered in some C-1s that were too small for me (or else I just don't like C-1ing, that could be it too!). So, my advice/bias is to go bigger.

Personally, I'd take a look at that width of the 8.5, I'd consider 25.5" to be too narrow, and I'd quickly move on.

P.

As appealing as the 20/20 looks, and as much as I'd enjoy flying around in a 27 lbs hull, the shipping logistics & costs put me back to what I could demo and what I could buy locally. Ultimately I went with the Esquif L'Edge Lite. I feel like the Lite was a fair bit more responsive to paddle than th...

The details will depend on what you want it to do, and how often you paddle. If you stick with it, especially if you paddle it lots, you'll undoutedly get a better feel for it and swim less. Maybe you can play with the outfitting too, but the solution is likely lots of time on the water, and a good ...

With the rivers now thawed, I'm getting back to this. Thanks for all the posts/updates. I just had a chance to see a Covert 9.3 and Condor in-person. Covert appealed to me more than expected. Condor looked surprisingly Octane-like. Didn't get the chance to get them on water, just grass. Considering ...

Maybe not ideal in terms of boats or locations, but close enough?

https://www.mec.ca/en/gearswap/post/634934

If you can find an Old Town H2Pro, that seems to make a nice little tandem for use with a kid!

Pat.

Good luck Rick. If I was still on the coast you could have my Redline, but that doesn't help you now. Cool to hear you're active in instruction and out there building community as always!

Cheers, Pat.

Thanks for the reply. Makes sense. If I was still in a place that was a little more gravity-assisted (BC), and paddling more often, the Agent 88 would be of interest, but back in the pool-and-drop prairies, a longer boat probably makes sense. Anyway, very nice for heavier paddlers to now have a hand...

Thanks Wendy. Ah ha, that's some width! That would explain how it can carry a larger paddler than the Option! (Not that you can judge all boats by their length and width, but if you're 230 lbs with no chance to test paddle, it's something to compare. And width is harder to see than length and rocker...

Filling the gap between the Octane 91 and the smaller, slower boats is a good way to describe what I'm looking for. Condor & 20/20 are clearly in that ballpark. Does anyone have the specs for Agent 88? It's not on Silverbirch's website. I thought it looked smallish and Option-like, so I'm surprised ...

Hi Doug, Thanks for the comment. It helps to hear from others in the same weight class who are actually paddling one of the boats. I do consider the L'Edge a possibility, but also checking around to see what's new since where I am I've never laid eyes on a Silverbirch or Millbrook, and the Condor is...

Thanks Kaz. Composite Vipers are pretty common in Western Canada, so I'm not too scared of the abuse composites can take - most of the composite boats are still trucking along long after the Royalex boats have got beaten up and gone soft. The durability of HDPE boats is appealing, but the weight is ...

Originally I was assuming I'd have to go Covert 10.5 (though it sounds less playful than the Condor, so drops down my considerations). But now I'm wondering how the 9.3 (or Agent 88) handles higher weight? Reality it is I'd probably have to buy any of these boats without being able to try them first...

Wendy, I haven't seen specs, but the Agent 88 looks along the lines of something like an Option? I never felt I could get an Option to settle down quite right for me, always seemed to be fighting it a bit (perhaps because I didn't fit in other people's outfitting), like "paddling a cork" as they say...

Agent 88? Oh my, another one to think about?! Hadn't even heard of that one. Without the chance to try any of these boats, I'd be shy about trusting the Rebel because it's quite narrow, so I don't know how stable it would be at my weight. Covert 10.5 and Condor seem like safe bets for a comfy, stabl...