: Will
: There are a lot of kayak designs out there and I have paddled just a few. And
: it is hard to really to evaluate a kayak justly without taking it out
: several times in varying conditions. So the couple kayaks I have paddled
: regularly I have trimmed to be wind neutral. They seem to be quite
: manageable in varying conditions without mid-channel adjustment. However
: wind and waves do not always add up the same and the amount of edging and
: sweeps can vary with conditions. Especially rear quartering white caps
: that like to shove the stern sideways. I have discovered in quartering
: conditions when kayaks like to wallow around, I can anticipate corrections
: on each swell. By starting the edging a second early the amount correction
: is greatly reduced. When doing a 6-hour crossing on one heading there is a
: lot of opportunity to try different techniques to offset the wind and wave
: combination efficiently. Packing cargo is always a concern. Before
: launching I pick up the loaded kayak by the coaming to check the balance
: point.

No boat I've seen will handle every wind/wave condition with perfect balance every time. Expecting that is expecting alot. Doesn't make the boat less safe, just means you can't always paddle the most direct route, no biggy.

Bill H.