: Sounds like comments by this guy are from a persective of someone who can not
: tolerate anything that does not have his input, or is a disgruntled
: ex-employee whose credibility wanes with every shot he takes at a leader
: in the industry. Can Nick put up with all this "grand-standing"
: on forum with such a good reputation? Maybe Nick should read all Leeg
: posts.

This forum is about kayaks, I'm talking about kayaks, please join in with your experience about kayaks. As Nick would say,,"there are a lot of ways to waste time,,this is a good one",,let's waste time talking about kayaks. CLC has had enough experience to know better than to send out an "enthusiast" kayak with a forming bulkhead left in. It certainly should have integrated the experience of the Sass16 or NBxl to actually develop a protocol for testing new kayaks. Get your WR18, line up gear for 5 days camping, put it in the kayak and use it. Tell me that you won't need 3' of the forward compartment. And while you're at it how do you like putting a rolled up camp pad or tent poles through the flush hatch kit that makes the front hatch less accessible than a 7" VCP hatch. Now that's disgruntling.
Where would movie critics or consumers reports be without busybodies on the edge of an "industry"? I'm an equal opportunity crab,when a "former leader of the industry" like Perception remakes old models and screws up should we stand up and cheer "good show, your new plastic rudders chip when they're deployed into a soft rudder block! and those chromed steel ratchet adjustments can almost last an entire season before rusting out!" Or when the older thick plastic seat backs on the Shadow actually prevented someone from getting back into the cockpit during a rescue and Perception DENIES the reality where the folks on these forums agree that it's a bum seat back should we be grateful they're a leader in the industry? Hey, Cadillac dressed up a Cavalier once and called it a Cadillac.
Or when Wilderness Systems spends an entire year buying full page ads for the NEW TEMPEST,,without pictures,,,then the NEW TEMPEST has some fundamental booboos you think someone shouldn't say something because WS spent $200,000 on marketing? Isaiah,,some folks actually use these boats,,If something as fundamental as a rear hatch failing catastrophically in a standard rescue that shouldn't be an experience the customer prototypes for the manufacturer or designer. When WS makes a new design aft hatch that has that potential people tell each other about it VERY QUICKLY. These aren't one-off designs requiring a shake down cruise by the customer like a new yacht. I think it's great that CLC reinforced their hatches three yrs ago. But that's with a 4yr old design. Wilderness Systems recognized the problem and addressed it in a few months. I can call Wilderness Systems and have them send me a new hatch,,do you expect the customer of CLC to reach into that compartment and cut the bulkhead out to use that space?
Come on, this isn't rocket science. Your leader grew at a particular time where internet feedback didn't exist and the competition really didn't exist, look at how many composite manufacturers of sea kayaks there were 15yrs ago and how many kayak kit makers there were 10yrs ago.

Do you want to tell the folks why the NBxl weathercocks horribly in winds above 10mph?
I know enough to know how much I don't know,,and I don't know a lot, being in the company of folks that don't know much but say let's make it, is great. That's why CLC is great,,it's that "let's make it" energy. Except it really matters to some folks that what they've been sold really will do what it they've been told.

You don't get it,,the leaders of "this industry" are on this board.
Hey, the Pram is neat, the Mill Creek 13,16 are good. The Chesapeakes are ok. But with a hell of a history of sending out totally untested kayaks in the "enthusiast" models where folks get pretty picky about HOW it handles the forming bulkheads are left in and rationalized away that the space isn't used???