Help me pick a tandem

[tketcham]

The damage on my Moccasin was right on the edge of the core. Didn't seem to me like a difficult repair.

Good to know! Did the foam actually get damaged?

What I wonder about is damage that is under the core where the inside of the outer shell is inaccessible.

That's what I wonder about.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Good to know! Did the foam actually get damaged?

No. The crack was where one might expect it - right at the edge of but not overlapping the foam core. That's where flexible meets inflexible. Same as described in that Northstar video.

Edit: should have said cracks, plural.

 

[lowangle al]

I've noticed that the bottom of my Seliga, under where the foam core is, gets permanent dents where I've hit or slid over pointier rocks or sticks. I've always assumed the foam core is there for stiffening, and I'm sure it does that, but I also think it adds strength that could limit damage in a mishap.

 

[Punkinhead]

Old thread, but I finally bought a tandem. My wife and I were having lunch with some friends on Saturday and they mentioned wanting to paddle a local river later this week. My wife said she wouldn't be coming because she's had a couple swims that have her spooked away from paddling her kayak in moving water. So I hopped in my car and drove 6 hours to Rutabaga to buy a tandem. Interestingly, I didn't see any Swift tandems, just solos. They claim they've got some on the way. I test paddled a Northstar Opal and B16. I really liked the Opal because it turned better, is shorter, and was just livelier. It would have been better than my Phoenix as a solo with our 60 lb dog. But I had to remind myself that this boat isn't for me - its sole purpose is so my wife will come along when paddling moving water. So I bought the B16. It has better initial stability than the Opal which I think will help my wife's comfort level. The Opal wasn't unstable by any means - the B16 was just a bit better. They only had it in IXP and the new Blacklight HD. At over 60 lbs the IXP was out of the question. Northstar claims the Blacklight HD is 45 lbs but it felt more like 50 to me. Maybe I'll measure it. I would have bought the plain Blacklight if they'd have had it in stock but I'll probably be glad I got the HD since we tend to run shallow, rocky rivers that can be tough on boats.

I didn't test paddle the Pearl because with them sitting side by side on the shop floor it seemed clear that the Opal would have more initial stability. I thought the Opal was just a shorter Pearl but the Pearl seemed to have a rounder bottom. I could feel it when rocking both boats on the carpet.

Truth be told, I find the B16 kinda boring but I think she'll love it. We're going to take it to a nearby pond tomorrow so I can teach her some basics like a draw stroke then hopefully we'll hit the river with friends later this week. She's also excited to be able to bring the dog along which I think will actually improve the boat's handling - I'm about 175 lbs and the salesman I tested it with was about 150 (my wife is lighter than that) and it felt to me like the boat would be better served with a heavier load. I don't know why I think that, but it was my gut feel. It was a bit windy during the test paddle and it felt like we were getting pushed more than I'd expect. I'll still paddle my Phoenix when I'm solo unless I want to bring the dog along.

One thing I noticed about both canoes I test paddled and the one I eventually bought is that the interiors were smooth, unlike my Phoenix. My Phoenix interior is like sandpaper. In fact, they were so smooth I was sliding around when kneeling so a pad is in order. The aesthetics of the interiors were also nicer - no unsightly folds in the cloth like I saw in some of the Northstars back when I bought my Phoenix. Maybe Northstar has upped their game.

 

[dutchlennart]

Have A great time with your wife. Hope togetehr you can have many trips.
Looking forward to some pics.