08-09-2004, 11:18 AM
[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url][#0000ff]I think that having the ability to see the craft (and to try before you buy) would help solve your uncertainty. Unfortunately, that is not always possible.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I debated a long time before I bought my Kennebecs, and thought they would be ideal. Then I found out I didn't like the small pockets, the way it handled in the wind and the valves on the air chambers. Also, even though the stabilizer bars helped keep the two chambers apart well, they are a pain to set up and take down every time you launch or beach the craft.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Similarly, I lusted after the Super Fat Cat for a long time before I popped for the $369 to get one. I loved the big pockets, the pointed bow for handling waves and wind, the storage area, the PVC coating on the bottom, etc. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]From my first trip, I fought with the wimpy apron and getting the seat adjusted right. The SFC has an inflatable seat, so if it is not properly aired up, it does not provide good stability to hold the two sides apart, and it lets you slide forward. Two hard and it is a pain in the backside after a few hours on the water. I am tall, at 6' 3", and the seat does not come up very high on the back, so it is not nearly as comfortable as many other craft. In fact, there have been trips when I have had a backache for a couple of days afterward.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We got the regular Fat Cat for my wife. It has the hard foam seats, like the Fish Cat, and she likes it fine. I have tried it on a couple of trips and I think I prefer the foam seats to the inflated...especially for a hundred dollars more for the inflated.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So, even thinking that you know what you are getting is no guarantee that you will be deliriously happy with your final choice. Just make the best informed decision that you can, based upon what you know and what you think you want most, and then make the best of it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Over the last 40 plus years, I have either owned or tried countless different makes and models of float tubes, Uboats and Vboats. I will soon be adding a pontoon to my "stable". I doubt I will do any kayaking. Too old and inflexible for that stuff anymore.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My point? I should have some idea about how to select the perfect craft for me. The good news is that I make fewer mistakes these days. The bad news is that I still miss some things that turn out to be less than I had hoped they would be.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I wish I had had a forum like this to play on about 40 years ago. But then, my stone computer wasn't hooked up to the tin can and string internet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I debated a long time before I bought my Kennebecs, and thought they would be ideal. Then I found out I didn't like the small pockets, the way it handled in the wind and the valves on the air chambers. Also, even though the stabilizer bars helped keep the two chambers apart well, they are a pain to set up and take down every time you launch or beach the craft.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Similarly, I lusted after the Super Fat Cat for a long time before I popped for the $369 to get one. I loved the big pockets, the pointed bow for handling waves and wind, the storage area, the PVC coating on the bottom, etc. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]From my first trip, I fought with the wimpy apron and getting the seat adjusted right. The SFC has an inflatable seat, so if it is not properly aired up, it does not provide good stability to hold the two sides apart, and it lets you slide forward. Two hard and it is a pain in the backside after a few hours on the water. I am tall, at 6' 3", and the seat does not come up very high on the back, so it is not nearly as comfortable as many other craft. In fact, there have been trips when I have had a backache for a couple of days afterward.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We got the regular Fat Cat for my wife. It has the hard foam seats, like the Fish Cat, and she likes it fine. I have tried it on a couple of trips and I think I prefer the foam seats to the inflated...especially for a hundred dollars more for the inflated.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]So, even thinking that you know what you are getting is no guarantee that you will be deliriously happy with your final choice. Just make the best informed decision that you can, based upon what you know and what you think you want most, and then make the best of it.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Over the last 40 plus years, I have either owned or tried countless different makes and models of float tubes, Uboats and Vboats. I will soon be adding a pontoon to my "stable". I doubt I will do any kayaking. Too old and inflexible for that stuff anymore.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My point? I should have some idea about how to select the perfect craft for me. The good news is that I make fewer mistakes these days. The bad news is that I still miss some things that turn out to be less than I had hoped they would be.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I wish I had had a forum like this to play on about 40 years ago. But then, my stone computer wasn't hooked up to the tin can and string internet.[/#0000ff]
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