Taking a test drive in a pretty new flat deck F1 we just finished for a Bay Area customer. This is actually the third time we’ve rebuilt this kayak.
On the first one due to communication issues it had a quarter inch too little rocker in the back and it just didn’t carve an edge turn quite as tightly as I like. I had also just invented the liquid keel strip and I wanted him to have that extra durability.
On the second one I used a plank of oak for the ribs that seemed just a little weaker than it should be. It probably wasn’t a big deal but it was the kind of thing where I felt like seven or eight years down the road I’d be seeing a bit more rib collapse than I want.
On this third one we have a heavy skin and a heavily reinforced frame with lots of extras for rock garden activities. It weighs a horrifying 38 pounds and I can definitely feel that when I’m paddling. Still good just not quite as lively the same kayaks 31 pounds.
I do have some concerns that the extra weight of the skin and the coating is pulling the bow down just a little bit. Seems like it’s sitting about 1/8”-3/16” of an inch deeper in the water at the bow than I like which has the potential to steal some of the F1‘s legendary surf magic. Hard to say without testing it. On the other hand it would probably be a bit faster which is never a bad thing. Dude has been waiting quite a while so I figure I’ll just send it down and if he doesn’t like it I’ll build it again.
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