What are your experiences, opinions, wild guesses or prejudices about the relative merits of a symmetrical hull vs. an asymmetrical hull. You can be as technical or subjective as you like.
Remember that hull asymmetry can be designed not only into the waterline, creating swedeform and fishform waterlines, but can be additionally or alternatively designed into the rocker line, the sheer line, and/or the plan view gunwale line. As examples, the Yost Wildfire, Flashfire and Starfire have symmetrical waterlines and rocker lines, but asymmetrical sheer lines; and some of Pat Moore's canoes were deceptive because they had fishform plan view gunwale lines but swedeform waterlines.
Re waterlines, some say swedeform asymmetry has greater efficiency and maybe less drag than fishform asymmetry or a symmetrical hull, thereby resulting in greater speed, all other dimensions being relatively equal. Others may disagree or find the handling characteristics of a symmetrical or fishform hull to be preferable in certain conditions such as wind, waves or whitewater.
How much if any of this is important to a recreational canoeist vs. a specialized canoeist such as a flat water racer, a whitewater playboater, or a high capacity wilderness tripper on lakes vs. rivers?
Remember that hull asymmetry can be designed not only into the waterline, creating swedeform and fishform waterlines, but can be additionally or alternatively designed into the rocker line, the sheer line, and/or the plan view gunwale line. As examples, the Yost Wildfire, Flashfire and Starfire have symmetrical waterlines and rocker lines, but asymmetrical sheer lines; and some of Pat Moore's canoes were deceptive because they had fishform plan view gunwale lines but swedeform waterlines.
Re waterlines, some say swedeform asymmetry has greater efficiency and maybe less drag than fishform asymmetry or a symmetrical hull, thereby resulting in greater speed, all other dimensions being relatively equal. Others may disagree or find the handling characteristics of a symmetrical or fishform hull to be preferable in certain conditions such as wind, waves or whitewater.
How much if any of this is important to a recreational canoeist vs. a specialized canoeist such as a flat water racer, a whitewater playboater, or a high capacity wilderness tripper on lakes vs. rivers?