• Happy International Mermaid Day! 🧜🏼‍♀️

I hate articles like this

I skimmed the first little bit and I agree with you about "articles" like that. I think all they do is look at the number of reviews and ratings. Lots of similar articles for all sorts of things and it never sounds like the people who wrote it actually know about the subject or tried any of the products. Lots of sound bytes from manufacturers and "users" (reviewers).

Alan
 
th
 
I had something entirely different before this post but I figured i could be taking jabs at someone or anyone.

I think “high end” gear shops get a bad rap for selling too expensive of equipment. And yeah, there’s some truth to that. And especially true when comparing a leinenkugel promo plastic canoe with a Kevlar Swift canoe. Or the Wilderness Pungo and a Sun dolphin. I get it. Some of those people will go through a few boats before a nice canoe. And there’s many factors to that.

But these articles are Wack! I just read “The Best gifts for your paddler of 2021” at dinner and it was pretty weak.

I think if the Best canoes for 2021 we’re only about canoes $1,500-$4,200 they’d be overlooked faster than core enthusiasts reading about something they can get at their local Walgreens.

It reminds me of the saying by my old boss/paddle friend …

“I’m too broke to buy cheap”
-SG
 
Anyone can write an article or a blog these days. And they do.
This is exactly why I need to visit a site like this one, to talk canoes with people that know what the heck they are doing.
 
Anyone can write an article or a blog these days. And they do.
This is exactly why I need to visit a site like this one, to talk canoes with people that know what the heck they are doing.
I remember when Google had the "Search Forums/Discussion Groups" option. A very useful tool that probably lost them money. Now, when researching something, I always append "discussion," "forum," or "reddit" to my search terms. Pinterest is another bane - not one useful scrap of information comes from that media pit. I often add "-site: pinterest.com" to my searches, too - but invariably I'll always get some non-.com pinterest results.
 
I have to admit, I kind of get a laugh out of those click-bait “Best of” or “Top Ten” reviews written by someone with little experience or expertise in the area.

But, on honest reflection, even “reviewers” of long experience, with well recognizable names, will gush over some canoe or gear they had some hand in designing, or even when they have a relationship with the manufacturer.

Take everything with a grain of salt; we are all paddling our own canoe on our own trip.
 
A daily dose of salt is required for all articles on the world wide web. And then of course context and perspective is everything. You only have to peruse these CT threads to see there is a spread of interests paddle related despite our commonality. Some of you push my buttons on a regular basis and I hate you for it (lol), but hate is too strong a word cause I'd buy any and all of you a beer, or tea or soda or coffee no feathers ruffled and no questions asked. We all have our biases and foibles, even me (so she tells me). Just this summer I was chillaxing sitting in my old man lawn chair sipping fortified coffee watching my gkids engineering some sand castle projects on a northern beach when a couple of gangly teens ambled into the water to goof off on their paddleboard. My knee jerk thoughts were that they'd be much better off in a nice paddle craft, say a reliable cottage type canoe or a pair of plastic play yaks rather than on a cheap Styrofoam slab. "What's the matter with kids these days?" But that's just my bias showing I guess. At that precise moment a fellow grandparent sidled up to me in her lawn chair and gave me a friendly smile. I thought "keep a safe distance from my fortified coffee and things will be just fine". She did and they were. We chatted and compared our colliding worlds. She from her high-end urban condo, me from my bare bones bungalow, but oh the shared gripes of this world. Ha. Next thing I see those 2 goofy girls are having a whale of a time on their plastic garbage scow. No need for carbon fibre blades and composite hulls, nor ash gunnels and trad designs. Reminded me of the kids having a hoot on Christmas morning with empty cardboard boxes. GT racers and video game consoles lost amid the wrapping paper. Go figure.
There must be happy Sun Dolphin paddlers out there somewhere I swear but I'll never be one of them. That NC prospector is nice but a bit "too much canoe" for me. I've been pondering the NC Fox for awhile.
Each to their own.
 
but hate is too strong a word
I'll tell you right now that I don't "hate" garbage like this, I abhor it because the majority of those boats are unmitigated crap, and I know some newbies will buy them based on this article. Most of them will not enjoy that purchase at all and may give up paddling altogether if they believe they're the best out there, there's also the risk of injury of even death because anything other than cottage use may exceed those boats safe operation.
This one especially concerns me "
Best Three-Person: Pelican 15.5
"Hitting the sweet spot between tracking and maneuverability, the Pelican 15.5 is a dream to paddle."
NO canoe is safe or manoeuvrable for 3 adults at that length and width!
And a $3000, a blow-molded 13ft poly boat is "Best for Beginners"? Only if they want to drive people away from the sport, rip them off, or drown them.
 
Back
Top