Can't do this in a tripping boat

[eckilson]

One of the local AMC chapters does Thursday night runs on the Tville section of the Farmington River. I finally made it to a run last night. Tville is a short run with lots of play spots, but the best known in the main play hole. I've seen plenty of kayakers play boating in that hole, but this is the first time I saw a C1.

Pretty amazing to watch.

Few more pictures here:

Tville - June 14, 2024

1.6 feet, 550 cfs.

www.flickr.com

 

[Alan Gage]

Pretty impressive control.

What's the main difference between a K1 and C1? I'm guessing seat height?

Is he kneeling?

Alan

 

[eckilson]

Pretty impressive control.

What's the main difference between a K1 and C1? I'm guessing seat height?

Is he kneeling?

Alan

He is kneeling on a pedestal - probably about 6" tall. He was pretty amazing to watch.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

There was a time when the line of boaters playing in the T'ville Hole every weekend and often during the week included no C1s and only a rare kayak—but just open canoes. It was where I learned to ride surf, side surf, slide surf, spin surf, and use cross strokes for downstream bracing. There were, of course, no three dimensional aquabatics in an open canoe, but some paddlers could and did roll open canoes in the T'ville hole. Sue Burgess used to stand on the gunwales of her Blue Hole OC-A while side surfing in the hole, and then lower herself and rotate her body 180° upside down until she was headstanding on her seat, all while still on a balanced side surf.

 

[eckilson]

I'll be honest - I haven't tried in years - this was the result of my last attempt - lasted about 10 seconds and over I went...

https://flic.kr/p/2hT7hMU

There are plenty other places to surf on that run that are less likely to put me on the water.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

What's the main difference between a K1 and C1? I'm guessing seat height?

They are both decked craft and similar in shape, and sometimes exactly the same shape. Historically, there has been an abundance of kayak hull designs and a dearth of C1 designs. Hence, C1ers sometimes will buy a kayak hull and re-outfit the internals by stripping out the kayak seat and foam thigh braces and replacing them with a kneeling pedestal and thigh straps. It's called a kayak conversion.

So, the only real difference is that kayakers sit and use a double paddle whereas decked canoeists kneel and use a single blade. "Half the paddle, twice the man"—as the sexist kayakists used to say.

 

[Gamma1214]

"Half the paddle, twice the man"

I like that but it's unlikely to be the argument that convinces my diablo-blade paddling daughter to switch to a single blade. (honestly, most times, I'm just happy she's on the water instead of on her phone)

BTW: very impressive boat control. Single, double, magical... there's no paddle on the planet that could allow me to do THAT. (although, my gear won't fit in that thing anyway)