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Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
By:Robert Livingston
Date: 5/15/2011, 2:02 am

As the article below shows, it is possible for
: one kayak with a 24" beam to feel about four times as
: stable as another kayak with exactly the same beam.

One thing that stability graphs cannot do is tell you how many more times stable one kayak vs another will "feel". Stability in this context is too subjective.

I make this point because I am familiar with kayaks that have stability curves that are very close to one another but "feel" quite different. Classic stability curves are not that well correlated with how a kayak "feels"

It is also difficult to even define what it means to say that something will feel "four times" as stable as something else.

It is rare to find a 22" non-radical design that will have a stability curve that is not considerable less than a non-radical 24" design. As the article referenced discusses, ends that are "fuller" make the curves more "stable". Waterline width is much more the key than overall width. Waterline width is the measurement that you should consider most important in trying to prejudge a kayaks stability. 24" inch width accomplished by marked flare above the waterline in a boat that is 22" at the waterline will feel much closer to a 22" boat without flare (at least on flat water)/

The fact is that many people find 22" kayaks quite comfortably stable. It is not radically thin. Yet others will find that same kayak to be unstable. In considering yourself, I would recommend paddling a couple of 22" designs to get an understanding of how that "feels" to you before committing to a building such a craft.

Messages In This Thread

Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Eric Bailey -- 5/14/2011, 3:31 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Allan -- 5/14/2011, 5:40 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Robert Livingston -- 5/15/2011, 2:02 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Allan -- 5/15/2011, 2:45 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Eric Bailey -- 5/15/2011, 10:29 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Bill Hamm -- 5/16/2011, 1:38 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Allan -- 5/16/2011, 3:35 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Bill Hamm -- 5/16/2011, 2:10 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Eric Bailey -- 5/14/2011, 6:07 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Eric Bailey -- 5/14/2011, 6:23 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Bill Hamm -- 5/15/2011, 12:20 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Dave Gentry -- 5/15/2011, 12:29 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Picking SOF for lighter paddler
Eric Bailey -- 5/15/2011, 10:49 am