: Certainly no offense taken! I just wish I had the experience to lean my boat
: like you & many others. I agree,this thing tracks GREAT, but again,
: I'm not very good (confident) at turning/leaning. I do some recreational
: racing here (on lakes) that involve alot of sharp turns so I opted for a
: rudder to help! Maybe someday when I'm a much better paddler, I'll pull it
: off!
Thanks! Now you have to make some fun experiences next time out paddling. Enter the kayak and fasten the spraydeck. Take a good hold on the bridge or any other solid thing, a log, a stone or something. Make sure you have atleast a foot of water underneath you. Press down your hip towards your anchor side. Press down until water reaches the cockpitcoaming. Sit there and find the balance, still a firm hold with your hands. Release the press and find that your kayak find it´s way up. Make this exercise several times on both sides. Try to press so far that you feel the edge when she wants to turn over. Don´t be afraid you can easy with a light press with your hands straighten her up again. Now you can go out paddling as before. Next time do this exercise again and get the feeling in your hips and back that you can handle this. When paddling you don´t have the firm grip to the bridge, stone, log. But you have a paddle. The paddle will give you support and that firm solid grip. Try to do small leans and extend them as you feel more sure. Small steps all the time. And one day you find yourself leaning and bracing and turning without thinking of it. Then you can dismount the rudder. Do not rely on the rudder or make yourself depending on it. The time you need it most, Mr Murphy has done something to it and it will not do what you want.
Things that doesn´t exist, weights nothing, does never break and this at no cost.
Paddle on, lean and be happy. One of these days you lean so much that you must start making rolls. Make that time in controlled environments, in a warm pool with not so deep water.

Richard Kohlström