C-Forum

I didn't design the boat or build the mold I only built the table that the mold bolt on too that the rams come up through and pushes the hot Plastic up into the mold ( top half of the table). No if I had designed the thing I dam sure wouldn't tell anyone about it.

So Louie,

You walk up to this river, it's a narrow, low-volume class III. You want to catch some little eddies, surf some waves, play in some holes.

Sitting there at the put-in for your use are 2 boats to chose from:

XL13 or Ovation


How do you get down the river?

Pat.

He swims

Yes, but out of which boat did he swim??

Pat.

Well personaly I have never meet a boat I couldn't swim out of.

Too slow Louie

The OP (CJT) has grabbed the Ovation and is having a great time surfing some waves

Looks like you are stuck with the XL13

CJT, My opinion is that the probe 12 will bee a little to big for you.
I dont think I have ever paddled a Ovation, but I paddled a probe 11 and I was right around your weight at the time, and I tried a probe 12, the 11 was much easier to control (you are taller than I am, so take that into account). Dont worry about trying to get a little peewee boat right now, because if you get into boating, you will wear out which ever boat you buy in a year or two anyway,
then you can get something short, and new. I paddeled steep creeks, big water, and even in Mexico in my probe 11 and it handeld it all with fine. My point is, it aint the boat so much as it is the person holding the stick. Buy one and use it while you can!!I now have a viper 11 and love it!
Just my .02

I would take a Frankie XL13 over an Ovulation anyway.

Hmm, that makes 3 of you: you, Longboatin' and Lengthy.

I forgot to mention, at the put-in with those 2 boats to choose from, there was only bent-shaft paddles. Sorry.

Pat.

Are you saying Frankie designed the XL13? I thought it was Nolan Whitesell.

duh I guess i was thinkin Viper, truth be told I would rather just swim and about the bent shaft paddle if it was bent one way couldn't it be bend back the other way.

Louie wrote:duh I guess i was thinkin Viper, truth be told I would rather just swim and about the bent shaft paddle if it was bent one way couldn't it be bend back the other way.

No, no Viper there, some ex-competition paddler elbowed you out of the way in his haste to get to it and has already shot the first drop having grabbed the only straight shaft paddle

ELGOTTO wrote:Are you saying Frankie designed the XL13? I thought it was Nolan Whitesell.

don't believe that was a Nolan...

... think that was a Daryl, Charlie, and George job, as well as all the XL series.

CJT, after all the advice, what did you finally decide to buy?

As someone who cut his solo teeth on an Ovation, I'd recommend going with that. It's a great beginner canoe and an excellent surf machine. It's slow, but that only makes you strong and forces you to improve your paddling technique.