Re: Cool pics!

Posted by Laszlo on Jul 22, 2007

Hey Ken,

That picture suggests elephant seal more than Navy, but at that it's still not as bad as one I posted once where someone was was using a unique grip on a tiller. Note how steady that boat is (small ripples) even with that much unbalanced weight on top of it.

Anyway, as you say, the SIS is great. I was all ready to buy a kit, but then the Ducks came out. You're right, it's incredibly stable. It actually stood up to an unassisted wet exit/re-entry better than the Duck 12 did. I was definitely out of the boat long before it came close to capsizing when I went over the side. What made the re-entry easier in the Duck 12 was having the coaming edge to grip.

The reasons I picked the Duck 12 over the SIS are:

The Duck 12 is is a dry-butt boat, While the cooling pool of water is grand in July and August, I wouldn't want it in February.

I was able to paddle the Duck 12 20% faster than the SIS. The wave in the shopcam picture shows that I was pretty much at hull speed in the Duck. Since there's no equivalent photo for my SIS speed run I don't know if a stronger, lighter paddler might not be able to make the SIS go faster than I did. But for me, the Duck worked better.

The Duck's cockpit is decked while the SIS cockpit is completely open. This reduces the amount of sunscreen needed for legs and increases the easily available storage area. The Duck 12 cockpit is also wider, again helping with the storage of ready water bottles, cameras, binoculars, etc.

Finally, the Duck looks to be a faster and easier build (less complicated shape, no cockpit drain, and easier access to the inside).

None of this is to say that there is anything wrong with the SIS. I was going to buy one, after all. But the Duck 12 suits my needs a bit better. That's the beauty of CLC having so many designs - we can pick one that's exactly what we want.

I hope I haven't caused any sibling rivalry in the Schade family.

Again, it was good finally meeting you,

Laszlo

In Response to: Cool pics! by Ken Leffert on Jul 21, 2007

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