C-Forum

aqua-bound edge. If you want a cheap tough beater paddle to get you through until your other one is ready, you would be hard pushed to do better than one of these, but do try first if you can, some people won't like the apparent blade flex and prefer a stiffer blade on a more flexible shaft. I keep...

Never actually seen a Cascade in the UK (did see an Atom last year) so I'm remembering from brochure images etc. I did used to paddle kayaks with similar big flat sterns back in the day, and I still run relatively hard whitwater in playboat kayaks that will squirt easily. One technique I worked out ...

Aluminium mould, the first final production boat went to the expo this weekend. They will ship to the US or Canada, but they aren't going to come in cheap which is a shame because I suspect it would find its niche over there more easily than in Europe. I would still consider one to compliment my Opt...

We don't have open canoe slalom here in the UK, but on Saturday there happened to be 3 of us present with canoes and the organisers were running around trying to get more teams to enter, so we did. Option, Supernova and Big Dog Force..... "Dream Team" It was a division 3 and 4 event on a small river...

If you're going to pull off an existing boat I'd suggest you go for an Ocoee. Apparently it's open season on previously Bell owned designs with the company folded, so if someone from Bell finally does catch wind of things at least you'll be in good company. This kind of advice is bad! For a start t...

Gwyn, Apologies for not reading the question properly! Composite OC1 playboat, er, yes please! I know I could get a composite Kaos and I really should try one, but I know yours will be built from a canoeists perspective :) Otherwise most of my C1 requirements are equally valid, and if you could have...

Well done to Andy for the win! The big question is, can you cut one large enough for my lard-ass? I've tried converting my Session+ but I don't have the balance for it or flexibility to go lower than 6" seat, but usually I can get into my slalom boat with 4" seat because the hull is wider and I can ...

Quite tight enough without hip pads, I think. The reason the boat is slightly edged to my offside is because that's how I've been taught to paddle it.... Had quite a long sprint (200 yards +) between gates 14 and 15 last weekend, and with slight offside edge I was able to go the whole way without a ...

No more photos, but I have been out a couple more times. Wednesday at club night on the artificial course - much much easier to paddle in the outflow than the small boat I have been borrowing, working pretty well through the gates on the moving but relatively flat water. Then took it up onto the cou...

Cheers Mike - the stern looks lower in some other photos I didn't post, but that's probably because my body position was all wrong, and/or Phil was trying to take interesting shots rather than the boat just cruising level.... I'll be trying it in a bit more flow tomorrow night, and then my first rac...

This may or may not help, but a mate who has recently started kayaking because the rest of his family do it, decided on the basis of trying a very limited range of boats, that he preferred the burn (mk II) because it felt most like his ledge, kind of extrapolated from canoeing to kayaking.... I have...

Phil Miller took some photos of me, I've tried to pick a few that show the boat off well - it does look like the stern is low even though it felt fine: http://blog.jim-wallis.co.uk/wp-uploads/2015/08/DSC_9748-W.jpg http://blog.jim-wallis.co.uk/wp-uploads/2015/08/DSC_9757-W.jpg http://blog.jim-wallis...

So far so good! Much less twitchy than my Maverick or other boats I've tried before (all of which are too small for me). Not sure about the trim, the stern does seem low, but it doesn't feel like the stern is down when paddling - I have only been on very easy water so far though. I can turn it flat ...

I'm picking up my XXL iScream on Saturday so I'll find out soon enough!

I'll report back, well probably after the weekend because I'll be buzzing, but in a couple of weeks after I properly get the hang of it I'll report back more objectively....

Yep, you want your legs to be able to go down on the deck (oops, meant hull obviously) where the seat was so it needs to come right out. If you use straps, the seat bolts make convenient mounting points.