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kris19
June 21st, 2009, 08:37
hey guys, i live in Perth, Western Australia and spend a lot of time kayaking on the swan river. i used to paddle a ski, however recently i bought a 5.2m K1 fibreglass boat, i have tried it out a few times and it is incredibly 'tippy' to the extent that i will leave the bank and will fall out of it. i am not a massively experienced kayaker but i have spent some time on the water. is this a problem with my technique or as it is a secondhand boat did i buy a dud one?, and if so, what is the correct technique for successfully paddling such a boat? cheers guys
jw7
June 22nd, 2009, 14:12
I don't know enough about your boat. Maybe contact the manufacture and ask who the boat is intended for to see if that matches your intended use?

Most kayaks used for sea kayaking/big rivers may be a bit tippy, but it's not something that takes all that long to get used to. Any good boat would not put you in the water without you making a big mistake, that would be dangerous in a cold water environment.

K1 is a type of whitewater racing, but at over 5 meters (16') you don't have a current racing boat??
Whitewater slalom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slalom_canoeing)

You may have an ultra high performance fitness boat for experienced racers??

Sorry I can't help I'm just a recreational paddler...

Maybe a search of these K1 racing organizations can help answer your questions,
ICF
USA Canoe and Kayak
Canoe Slalom UK
Slalom Technique Videos
KCSO
July 21st, 2009, 17:01
It sounds to me like you have a racing boat. I tried a kayak like this one time and even in dead smooth water you had to stay centered and well balanced, one wrong lean and over you go. This would be a fine rig for flatwater racing but I doubt if you will be app if you are looking for a recreational kayak.
Chauncy
February 18th, 2010, 17:52
Big time racing kayak, I looked into a used one a few years back, called the mfg. He said that it could take a half year to learn how to paddle on of these, and that is with pro teaching you. I have seen these in action and have had them speed by me in races.