Here are some emails that customers have sent me. There are many more but honestly, who needs to read more than 100 customer testimonials!
“Brian! I’ve alreadyhad the boat out for about ten miles of paddling and some playing around with self rescues in shallowwater. Love it!The stability while edging is impressive and the boat is incredibly nimble without sacrificing speed or glide.It’s handling in small wind waves and chop was excellent and I felt extremely secure in it. I’m looking forward to trying some sculling and two-person rescues with a buddy.” — Nick
“Hi Brian, I spent 3 hours in the kayak today and it was a dream! Very quick and turned like a dream when I put it over on it’s edge! I had been thinking that this was a myth as my Dagger Sitka simply would not do this. This is like a little sports car! It truly feels like an extension of my body.” — David
“Hi Brian, Okay, I’m smitten with my f1. I love this boat. I’ve gone out several times in fairly calm conditions and things went very well. It is so comfortable and responsive, and it tracks like an arrow. Then I went out yesterday on a more remote part of the ConnecticutRiver and paddled upstream against a strong current with my Greenland paddle. My shoulders were screaming with joy–what a difference from a Euro paddle! It was a workout, but my f1 did everything I needed it to do very responsively and easily. I kept thinking I’d have a fast trip downstream when I turned around. But when I circled an island and headed downstream, the wind had picked up and the river was churning–white caps everywhere. But I figured–well, this is NOTHING compared to the sea and my f1 will love this…and it did. I felt no tension because the boat just took the waves and heavy gusts beautifully. I could not be happier withthis boat.With many thanks” —Nancy
“Hello Brian, Today I finished work (working from home), walked to my garage, picked up my PFD, a single bladed paddle and my lately finished skin on frame pack canoe (11’8″). I walked 15 minutes to the river with the canoe/yoke on my shoulders – no stopping to rest, no pain, just an easy walk – this canoe is sooooo light (~7.5kg). I then proceeded to paddle up and down, round and round, in and out of the bridge piers, lay on my back and watched the sky through the branches while drifting downstream, paddle right handed, paddled left handed, backwards, tried J stroke, indianstroke, etc. You get the picture! After an hour I put the canoe on my shoulders and walked back home – grinning so wide! (and then cooked dinner for the family). I am so living the dream!!! Thanks so much for giving me the means to do it.” —Richy
“Good afternoon Brian – Back in June 2005 you had a kayak class in Vermont which I attended and built an amazing kayak. I still paddle my kayak and get the blank stare and all kinds of questions and comments from people everywhere I go. Since then two kids and a busy life. 15 years and still the same kayak. Amazing.” — Geoff
“Hi Brian. Approaching the 1-1/2 yr mark, approximately 100 days on the water. The longer I own the boat the more impressed I am as when Tom delivered it to your back yard where I exclaimed, “Oh, my god, it’s beautiful!”.Improvedskills, along withpaddling with owners of high tech boats have increased my feeling of appreciation for the simplistic beauty, performance, weight,as well asfor the heart, soul, and intellect you have put into this boat. You done good, Laddie!” — Tom
“It’s been a while I wanted to e-mail you. Last summer I enjoyed the two F1 a lot!Everybody loves them.No matters where I go, many people stops me and ask me for the boat.You know what? One day I went alone to a place called Lesterel (Saint Raphael) in the South coast in France. I found casually a kayak, paddle board, and surfboard concentration and they invited me for the dinner party on Saturday night.Sunday it was a kind of race, and it was a pretty strong windy day, so they decided to reduce the itinerary to 3 rounds around the bay. So, my F1 with my Greenland paddle got the 3rd position of about 50 kayaks! And many of them were super modern carbon fiber pointy kayaks..I felt quite proud that day. It was a nice and funny experience, specially because I had no idea and didn’t care about the position I was during the race. I had never push that hard before for about 1 hour, cause I had never had the need.” — Jordi
“Today, I went for my 1st short ride in the afternoon with the kayak at a small lake for 3KM. I felt comfortable from the very first moment I sit. My bigggest concern was if the Kajak will go straight or not and I may need to trim it. Well, it runs dead straightthe boat ain’t shaky or hard to paddle at all. I’ve had the chance trying Franz‘s F1, before I started my build. I liked the F1 very much, however I felt so comfy that I thought I’m gonna be happy with the LPB, too and having a little longer, faster boat + a little more storage for trips. The LPB totally fulfills my expectations! Thank you very much to put so much effort and passion into this.”— Thorsten
“Brian,I trust this finds you well. Just wanted to report back to you to let you know how much I love paddling the F1. It really is quite amazing. An experienced paddling friend gave the F1 a try and he said that it’s one of the best boats he’s ever paddled. On a given day, I find myself rather taking the F1 than my Petrel – THAT I had not expected.” — Chris
“Brian, The F1 did great in today’s conditions. I did not tire paddling out and it moved into the stiff wind fairly quickly, around 3.3. With the Necky it was exhausting going out, moving at 2.4. I moved out faster than Thomas in the F1, but he left my well behind when I was in the Necky. One thing I forgot to mention yesterday is how I can move the bow left or right just as the kayak is coming into a wave so as to hit the wave front at the lowest point – or between two crossing waves, with the Anas Acuta, you cannot do that – you just have to plunge ahead (literally). Reflecting on it, nothing else I have paddled allowed that last second movement of the bow sideways to place it just where you want it in oncoming waves. Despite the wind and my trying out all angles, I never had to do a serious brace in then F1. The F1 just looks after me. I could be a little ole lady. So, what do conditions have to be like for it to get challenging in the F1?” — George
“Hi Brian, Link below has a couple videos of the LPB I completed in early January. The LPB performed great in the pool , rolling a breeze and tracking unbelievable. A kayaker friend at the pool session is considering building the F1 at test drove my boat. He couldn’t believe how stable it was and steering was more than he ever expected. Lean and you turn on a dime. Very impressive. I love this boat! Great engineering! I can’t wait to get it on Lake Michigan.Thanks for all your help!” — Kevin
“Brian, You recently built an F1 for George down here. I got to try it out yesterday in some small wind chop. Really nice build, and it is true. The F1, which I’ve followed your development of all these years, it just scoots along, it feels effortless. I guess that’s the reduced drag. I was paddling my Pintail, which as you know needs to be paddled, weatherco*cks terrible with no skeg etc. The F1 was unflappable. You’d sit still beam onto the wind and chop, and it just sits there. I could paddle it across the wind, 45 degrees, etc, no weatherco*cking. I’m 180lbs, 5-11. Very cool.” — Thomas
“Hi Brian, Did that 5k again last night. Clocked in at ~37min which is OVER 5mph! The paddling was just as you described; quick easy acceleration, good tracking, good secondary stability. I could always edge in my rotomold yak, but it never felt like a natural way to make subtle changes in direction. In the hard chined F1, edging is a much more natural & useful tool.The SOF is starting to feel more comfortable. Even the guys in the high end Epic were commenting on how the F1 seems to glide effortlessly.” — Jay
“Hi Brian, Yesterday I was able to sneak out the office in the afternoon and take the F1 to the lake for the first time. The ice finally melted last week so I had clear water and some sun and wind. When I first got into the boat I was surprised how tippy it felt initially in comparison to my 20” wide Petrel – evidence of the narrow waterline. Of course, secondary stability was as expected. As I started to paddle I was totally amazed and delighted. You certainly did not oversell the F1 in your video. I only had about 90 minutes on the water and only did a couple of rolls (which were a piece of cake despite the shockingly cold water). I cannot wait to get more water-time with this wonderful and versatile design. Thank you for such a cool design: Even if you wanna call it an “Ugly Duckling” – it paddles like a swan.” — Chris
“What a brilliant little kayak!!! I love my little F1, thanks so much for all the care you put into it. It is so light & easy to maneuver.Really like its secondary stability. With a bit of practice, I will know how to use it. And I am determined to learn how to roll….Thanks for a great little craft!” — Steve
“I finished the first F1 a couple weeks ago, and it is amazing! I am so pleased with how it turned out.Thanks so much for all your help on this one, and for your clear and thorough instructions.I took it on a camping trip up Indian Arm and then up to the Indian River estuary. It was a beautiful spot, and the kayak did really well. I felt guilty for how little effort it took to paddle, compared to the plastic boat my friend rented.The greenland paddles were also really nice to use.They just make sense to my body somehow.” — Luke
“I thought you might want to know about some F-1 fun I had.I competed in the tenth annual Blackfoot River Challenge Race an 11-mile down-river race event.I used a wood Greenland paddle and placed third over-all.I was beat only by one of the 2-person Olympic-style racing canoes and the 23-foot ocean racing kayak. The race ran through mostly class I and some not-quite class II whitewater including some fun head-high wave trains and lots of rocky poor-overs. As usual the F-1 performed like a magic boat.It bashed through all dynamic water effortlessly and with no drama whatsoever. The flexible frame felt like it was acting like a shock absorber, giving me lots of time to feel and react to the forces of waves and currents when they acted on the boat.Mostly it just ran straight and true through anything I pointed it at. In the last half of the race, the 23-foot boat (I didn’t even know they made 23-foot kayaks) had me in its sights (he had started at a later time with the faster boat classes), but I easily prevented him from overtaking me as I think he was running out of juice in the second half of the race.I finished ahead of him though his actual time was faster. The paddler of that long boat with his wing paddle expressed his frustration to me that he couldn’t catch up to someone paddling with that skinny Greenland paddle.Needless to say, I laughed under my breath. The biggest win of the day for me though was just how much fun I had discovering the F-1’s magic river running skills.” —David
“After a reasonable bit of flat water paddling and paddling in strong winds I finally got [the F1] out into some rough water, well rough enough for me at this stage. Swell was about 1.2 to 1.5 meters wind around 15-20knots gusting to 25 knots and about a 2′ wave breaking on shore. Once I got out passed the small shore break I encountered a real sloppy section of water that was created by a channel running through the Port Noarlunga. Interesting to say the least. Found the F1 a little bit tippy at first, took me about 20 minutes to settle in and relax myself. Once feeling good the F1 came into its own.Secondary stability is amazing, the kayak felt right at home in those conditions, it was only me that took awhile. It didn’t matter where you pointed it, it handled the conditions superbly.In the heavy swell, whether going into, running parallel, or going with it, there was never a moment that I thought I would be dumped in the water, the secondary stability just works( what more can you say). I was with 7 other paddlers from my canoe club on a training day. One of the training exercise was to paddle in and around the jetty pilings by using a forward and revers sweep stroke and edging the kayaks. They were amazed at how well and how quickly the F1 could perform this manoeuvre in very strong winds and about 18″ to 2′ of wind waves in the shelter of the reef.So all in all I couldn’t be happier with the F1, it performed well beyond my expectations….A FANTASTIC KAYAK BRIAN WELL DONE.” — Peter
“This weekend we went to my home town, Pacific City, and I got to put in a few more paddles on the river there. The highlight was today’s excursion. Wind had picked up, there was a little chop, but the air temps were still warm (ish). I had next to nothing in the boat but me, a hammock, water, snacks, and a nip of scotch. I really hit my stride with getting a feel for the F1 and the new paddle, and it felt GREAT. So smooth and responsive in a headwind, so easy to hold on a point, so effortless to move through the water. I went from PC’s bridge down to the mouth and set up my hammock across the estuary from a big herd of seals. Had a smile on my face the whole 7 mile trip. No hyperbole – paddling your boat in that beautiful place was one of the best times I’ve had in recent memory.Just had to share!” — Jon
“I got the Greenland Paddle I ordered from you and its beautiful! I took it out on an evening paddle in the Oakland estuary last night and it was lovely. Plan to paddle under the full moon tonight! PS I watched your new Greenland Paddle video you recommended and it gave me some great tips.”
Take care — Laurette
“Just a quick note from here in the UK to tell you how much I am enjoying my F1. The boat exceeded all expectations. I love it, paddle it every week in challenging conditions on the surf beaches in South Wales, UK. It’s amazing. Thank you so much for designing such a fantastic sea kayak.” — Paul
“At 32 pounds, this kayak was easy to port the 1/2 mile to the lake. 12 mph wind and heavy chop did not stop me. What a great feeling it was to have the kayak slip through the water. It handled like no other kayak I’ve ever ridden in. Perfectly comfortable and so stable.” — John
“I was able to get out on the water for a little while today. The water and the air temp are both in the 30’s, cloudy with no wind. Just perfect.The Greenland Paddle is fantastic! I almost feel like this was the first time I ever kayaked (although I’ve been kayaking for five or six years).It just felt so natural. And I actually liked the size a lot.” — Paul
“It was great to see you last week and pick up those beautiful boats. I took the East Greenland out twice in the Napa river and then I took it to the beach yesterday, just for fun. At first my feet were falling asleep after 30 min, but I might have compressed the thermarest enough or stretched my hamstrings enough so that doesn’t happen now. Taking it out in the surf was fun; I knew it would be ill suited for the task but it was fun to punch through the soup in the skinny pointy boat. Coming back to the beach was a little dicey though, as I knew this was a pearling machine, and I couldn’t steer at all once I got a little speed on any little hump!My favorite moments in this boat are upstream in the Napa river; away from town, quiet and fast and meditative. It does feel great, which is why this impractical boat is the one I will paddle the most. Thanks again!” — Colin
“Just thought I’d let you know that I finished my F1 and send this pic of her first few seconds afloat yesterday. Went out for a 2 hour paddle and love the boat. Everything is perfect. Your video course is fantastic – you did a tremendous job on both the design and the pedagogy. I’m looking forward to many hours of paddling. Also looking forward to making more boats.” — Paul
“Got to take the boat out yesterday for the first time! Very Very happy with it! Paddles great, tracks very well even in cross winds and waves, very light too (love that part!). Still need to add deck lines, but may do that when we get back to Monterey.Thanks for all of your extra help too!! It was a great project and I got to learn a few new skills and hopefully perfect others.” — Dan
“Just wanted to tell you I finally got my boat into the water a couple weekends ago, down at Meares Lake near Tillamook. It is watertight, accelerates well, paddles straight, and catches the wind waves very easily making paddling a real pleasure!…And I found out how quiet a skin boat can be, I drifted down on a herd of elk browsing, they didn’t spook until I was close enough to be looking up at them and get nervous myself. Thanks for mentioning that the boat wants to drain out of the sewing holes in the foredeck, I left a few unsealed and sure enough, that’s where the water drains when I put it back on the rack!Thanks again for helping me make it happen.” — Jim
“Our fair assessment is that it is a truly magic boat. We get out in the F1s about every week.I and a few friends were out on Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park a few weeks ago in 30 mph (measure with an anemometer) winds. I had a blast making surfing runs with the F1.Maneuvering in the wind was so easy compared with my 18 foot Impex. Everyone out on the lake with me including myself were stunned that I could paddle at any angle to that raging wind with either zero or a trivial amount of weather co*cking. It balanced perfectly paddling with the category 6 winds right on the beam with no skeg or rudder weight or cables. My buddies in their ND Explorer and Tiderace Excite fought hard for every turn and surfing run while the F1 dance around with ease. My Mom stole my boat for a half hour last weekend. Wouldn’t come back to shore with it. When she did, she said to my Dad as she beached it, ‘Bill, you’ve got to build me one of these.'” — David and Linda
“I want to thank you and compliment you on an excellent design. I enjoy kayaking but I’m no waterman. The F1 makes me feel more comfortable on the water than any other kayak I’ve paddled. And as you know it’s an eye catcher and conversation starter. Anyone who is interested I will send your way.” — Doug
“I bought one of your original guide boats back about 4 years ago. It’s still happy and healthy and provides me with a great deal of joy every year. I recently got married and my wife and I took it with us on our honeymoon to BC, we got to do some amazing boat camping in the Copeland Islands, near where Desolation Sound meets the Strait of Georgia, along with a lot of other day trips along the way. I stopped at the maritime center in Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island where your boat was greatly admired. They let me take out the fiberglass whitehall they had there, and it felt like rowing a bathtub by comparison. I took it out for an hour to be polite, and told them it was a lovely boat, but really I had spent most of my time cursing and couldn’t wait to get back in my own boat! Thanks again for building such a beautiful craft, I truly have had some of the best days of my life because of it.” — Alan
“I built my F1 4 years ago. In the next two years, I paddled it every couple of weeks. I had a freaking awesome paddle with and almost atop the humpbacks in Monterey Bay last fall…. Dude, you design the most amazing boats! I know things have been rough for you for the past couple of years. I don’t know if this helps in any way, but my F1 makes me grin from ear to ear every time I throw it into the water.” — Ken
“I made it back to Ketchikan this past week. The trip was great, even if the route was not what I had planned….The boat did marvelously in all conditions, especially considering I had it overloaded, including in some nasty wind vs. current weather on the longer crossings.” — Zach
“I built the LPB in your June 2011 class. I’ve now logged over 1000 nautical miles in this boat and still can’t believe how amazing this boat is!! It is now due for a re-skin and repair. One of my friends drove my car (with boat in some J cradles) under an awning at a drive through fast food place, and in doing so, cracked the first two deck beams (the one supporting the front of the co*ckpit coming and the next one). Despite the fact that this also TORE THE AWNING COMPLETELY OFF THE DRIVE THROUGH AREA, this is the only damage that happened to the boat! I repaired the beam supporting the co*ckpit by laminating two more strips of cedar to the underside, but the next one further forward I can’t reach to repair. The skin is still mostly good, but it’s close enough to needing to be re-skinned that I’m just going to do it early and fix the damage while the skin is off. The fact that this boat lives on top of my car year round and gets paddled 2 to 3 times a week year round really is a testament to how durable these boats are!” — Dan
“I surfed the boat for the first time… I loved it, everyone who tried it loved it…3-6 waves…Cresent Breach, Washington.” — Bill
“I stopped for a short but excellent paddle on my way back to Canada. I LOVE the kayak.As you will see from the photos my granddaughter is pretty impressed too!Thanks so much.” — Melinda
“3 hour paddle on Lake Whatcom today. Perfect weather for getting comfortable. About a hundred low braces and lots of time way up on the edges.Comfort level with the boat is about as good as anything I have ever paddled. Physical comfort in the boat is as good as it ever gets, I could spend the day in this boat.And, hell yeah it’s so light!” — Scott
“We are truly enjoying our kayaks, we have been going to pool sessions in the freezing cold weather.We both learned how to roll and we are so happy that our kayaks hardly weigh anything.” — Lucy
“I was paddling on the lower Columbia last Sunday with some pals from eastern Washington. When the wind came up in the afternoon they were messing with their rudders and skegs and feathering paddles etc. to stay on course.We then got into some taller wind waves up to 3 and 4 ft at times at a close set, about a boat length apart. Rodeo time.Around the fire that night with full bellies and a Scotch glow they wondered how I made it through all the confused conditions we had experienced with so little drama.Very simple – the F1 and a Greenland stick – The right tools for the job.” — Curt
“We had a lot of fun building kayaks with you and the gang. Well done! …Fantastic class, dude! This afternoon, I launched at Pacific City to paddle out thru the surf around the rock and then caught a few 4 footers to the beach. The F1 is so buoyant and even though I screwed up both waves (broached), the F1 side surfed incredibly well with a high brace jammed into the top of the wave. Awesome! Thanks again!” — Keith
“Just got back from my first day out. Fast, quiet, tracks beautifully,just stable enough, beautiful, a work of art. You’re a magician, Brian” — Seth
“Three years ago I learned about your kayaks and classes. My work doesn’t allow long enough absences to attend one of your classes and I didn’t want to just buy a boat. I own a Mariner Express and have always wanted a boat like the Coaster. For many strange reasons, the process of building a wood strip boat from your drawings appealed to me. Three years later, the boat is done. It handles just like others have said. It easily navigates the mangrove trails and narrow flat water streams here in Florida. Plus it is like an ocean-going mountain goat in rough water and surf.I’d like to make a donation as a way of saying thank you. Can I send a check?” — Steve
Forwarded to me: “I just came back from a lovely paddle today up in Washington.I LOVE my kayak.It is an “F1″, Brian’s design which you can see on the website along with information about all the other styles.I know people who have chosen a different style, perhaps something more streamlined, but for an all-around, great-paddling, tough-as-nails, light-as-feather sweet kayak, you can’t match the F1!!! Since you’re going to see Brian, I need say no more, unless you have specific questions…he says he has a class going on this week, so it’s probably the perfect time to get a good idea of what you’d be in for: the time of your lives! Hard work, fascinating work and the most rewarding project I can imagine. Too many superlatives? Sorry. It’s just that the boat-building course has been a life-changing experience for me…sense of accomplishment, extreme pride, astonishment, etc.And, as Brian says, ‘you get a kick-ass kayak at the end’.” — Diana
“I have also gotten out in my beautiful F1. A long paddle down the Hanford Reach on the Columbia River started as a float, and turned dicey when the wind came up from the opposite direction to the current. Boy, I loved how secure I felt in that boat. Have continued to master the turning maneuver you showed us. It astonishes me how well she turns. Also,it is always the envy of any and all other paddlers…though they haven’t seen Caitlin’s….which is crazy beautiful. I have it hanging on my living room ceiling like a work of art…which it is I guess.” — Annie
“I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your class and bring home such an amazing boat. The day after I got back I split up some nice beach cedar I had and built a second paddle. After a few trips out I am quite comfortable in it (it was much tippier than my plastic barge style kayak I have been using) and I love how it carves turns and glides along.I was coming back across from Canoe island the other day and some native crabbers slowed down, kindly, to make it easier for me to reach the point I was crossing too, and as they passed I waived thanks and they just stared, slowly, until they were out of sight distance.They were obviously taken by the sight of the setting sun glowing through my skin boat.I couldn’t help but wonder if they thought they were dreaming or something, cause other than my red pfd, I could’ve looked like I was paddling right out of the past.Anyway its been lots of fun.” — Charlie
“Just finished my 3rd summer with my F1 on Lake Erie in Canada. I am now in FL Panhandle for winter paddling. Taking your class and building the F1 was one of the best things I have ever done.Thank You so much.” — Fred
“My primary and preferred means of kayak transport here is a bike and trailer. Our driveway is slightly elevated at the street and with my fiberglass boat, I have to walk the bike up the incline. Not today!! I made it to the launch in record time, too, without having that extra 25 or 30 lbs. We left from the Back River and followed the course of the Little Tybee Challenge (an annual kayak race for the local marine science center); it’s about a 7.5 mile course that, as described in the race literature, passes “through narrow tidal creeks, broad tidal rivers, open coastal areas, and two surf zones”. The kayak handled remarkably well in all areas. I stayed warm, comfortable, and dry the whole time. As we entered the first surf zone, I took a couple of big waves; I’m not used to seeing the deck so easily washed over. Once, I was picked up and unexpectedly capsized by a large wave (large by Tybee standards…). Rolling was a breeze and felt completely natural and much to my relief, my spare paddle stayed secure in the deck lines. The spray skirt stayed tight and there was no water in the boat when we arrived back at the launch. We didn’t have to fight a lot of current or wind on this trip, but I felt that the boat handled very well and was responsive to correction. I was able to keep pace with my companions (in a Valley Nordkapp LV and NDK Explorer) who assured me they were paddling at their normal speed (though not their race speed). It was just a beautiful morning and I couldn’t be happier with the boat.” — Kathryn
“I couldn’t wait to take my brand new F1 out this morning. I absolutely LOVE it!It is so stable and comfortable, yet light, fast, and nimble.I had no problems keeping up with Steve in his Valley Aquanaut.It is really quite effortless to paddle.I love how it turns so easily. You did a great job with the kayak.Thank you so much!I know that as I gain more skill in kayaking that I will grow into the F1 and be able to use it to its full potential.” — Virginia
“The boat is awesome.I’ve been paddling all over the lakes near Seattle and a bit up in the mountains too.A lot of people ask about the kayak and a bunch of them know about you – they only have good things to say about your designs.I took a skills course this weekend from George and Barb at Kayak Academy before I head out to Puget Sound and the islands, and the kayak rolls super easy!Barb also said the fit of the boat is the best she’s ever seen, so good job you and lucky me :]” — Jenny
“I just wanted to shoot off a quick email to show my appreciation. I thought your class was awesome and in my opinionraised the bar for all the other companies that do similar classes inthe shop. ——- and ——- could take a few notes from you that might benefit their operations. Let’s keep in touch about future classes.” — Scott
“Hi Brian, wanted to tell you that the F1 is great. I use it as much or more than my Grand Illusion. The Grand Illusion is 17 feet, with lots of rocker…The F1 is as fast or faster, according to my GPS.I have been using the F1 for crab fishing.I use a CrabHawk.I can comfortable carry 3 of them on the front deck. Set them out with buoys, wait about 10 minutes, then start hauling them in, like running a trap line.I usually manage 9 to 10 keeperr Dungeness in less than an hour. I learned to use your technique of stowing them inside, this is after attempting to put three in a large onion sack…not great idea. We have a Black mouth fishery (small Chinook Salmon), here in the islands, I want to troll with the F1.” — Larry
“Love the boats Brian!! I’m really excited to have a couple of F1’s in the fleet,also I came in 2nd place behind Nick at the surf Jam this past weekend surfing the F1” — Zach
“The F1 is seductive in every possible way, there’s no other way to say it.” — Chris
“That LPB that I built during the June 6-12 class continues to amaze me with its incredible abilities! I have now logged about 300 nautical miles in it, including a trip from Long Beach, CA to Two Harbors on Catalina Island and back, and about 5 hours of surfing at Sunset Beach in Hunting Beach, CA during a 2 week stay down there at the end of September.20 knot winds and the resultant chop, along with 3-5 foot swells coming in on the starboard front quarter during the last two hours of the trip to Catalina had no effect on this boat’s tracking! It tracks like it’s on rails, yet a lean and a paddle stroke and it turns extremely fast for a 16 foot boat! I was able to maintain a Velocity made good of 4 knots on the way out (against the swells), and on the return trip the next day it was 4.5 knots! The surfing abilities of this boat are amazing when you consider that :1. It’s a sea kayak.2. it’s a 16 foot long sea kayak w/o a rudder. This is the first sea kayak I’ve ever paddled that didn’t immediately broach and start side surfing. Once you get on the wave, you can pretty much sit back and it will track along the wave face. Once the wave closes out and you do find yourself side surfing, lean back and the bow gets pushed around and you’re surfing the soup with the bow pointed at the shore! Not once did I have to muscle the boat to stay where I wanted to on the wave.The only downside to surfing this kayak is turning it around once you decide which wave you want, so I have to line the boat up so that I am looking over my shoulder a bit. Then it’s just a lean turn and an extended paddle stroke and I’m ready to go. It punches out through the surf w/o getting knocked sideways, too. Once again, thanks for designing such an amazing boat!” — Dan
“Brian, you the man! This boat is sooooo comfortable, just love it” – Allan
“You built an F1 for me back in Aug 2008.Great kayak. I was at the beach in Galveston Saturday paddling in the surge from the storm that just hit New Orleans and the 25+ mph winds. There are 3 bar breaks off the beach, and between the second and third breaks really disorganized water. Great rough water practice for here, and the F1 handled like a dream. Fairly neutral to the wind, good tracking, edging turns for course corrections, good at handling breaks on the beam whenever wandered into a breaking wave.Great kayak. Keeping my fingers crossed this skin will last another season or two.I am just amazed at how many beach launches and landings this kayak skin has endured.” — Karl
“I built an F1 with you in June 2010.I know you are too busy to read e-mails, but I am so bloody pleased with my F1 that I wanted to share my pleasure with you. The F1 fulfills all of my criteria for a good kayak. It is light, easy to handle, comfortable for day-long journeys, behaves well “in conditions”, carries stuff (like lunch, camera, charts and foul weather gear), pops on top of the car like a dream.It is just plain USEFUL! The F1 occasions comment from boaters everywhere….. Did YOU build THAT!?What’s it made of? I want to do that! (Then I get to explain about Cape Falcon.) Yes, I have a splendid fiberglass boat for longer trips or trips where I anticipate conditions that might be unkind to the F1’s skin (like barnacles).And, yes, I have built a Greenland boat which is fine for straight line purposeful paddling without any baggage and which would be fine for rolling, if I were a “roller”.But it is the F1 that provides the ideal platform for a day’s exploring new territory, carrying sampling equipment for the monthly water tests on my River,or an evening’s vigorous exercise starting at the end of my dock. As I begin to build my own boats, my appreciation of the breadth and depth of the design expertise embodied in the F1 increases! Bravo and thanks!” — Anna
“Plain & simple: I love this boat. Lots of fun w/ Chaquita so far on a few outings in local waters, & launching is now a cinch due to the light weight (getting on & off the car & carrying it down to a cove or onto the beach) Two things impress me as outstanding: 1.) I am so comfortable in this kayak I have to remind myself it’s time to get out and take a stretch– it’s great.I found my good old blue foam camping pad in the basem*nt (1/4″) and it fits in there like an Italian glove –& it’s comfy on the tooshie too. 2.)this thing has the best edge stability I’ve ever experienced – makes handling on the water a joy haven’t taken her into the surf yet, but stay tuned, I plan on doing that – & then we’ll see if I can hit my layback roll in the waves! Totally enjoying the new paddle as well, may do a little tweeking on the loom to round it just a bit more.I’m noticing that the rounded blade tips produce less bubbles on the forward stroke – cool !”
“Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know how much we are enjoying our red F1. I attended your workshop last fall (late Aug/ early Sept) with my son Alex.Not only did Alex really get a big kick out of the class, but the F1 is great. Alex loves to watch our Wednesday night practice sessions (“Wet Wednesdays”) at the lake, and I’m having fun with the F1.(I like the redcolor too, even though it sounds silly.)I’m really impressed by how comfortable it is and how easy it is to maneuver.I’m now successfully rolling on both sides too. My poor Baidarka has remained parked in the garage most of the time since the F1 came home. The only time that I’ve used the Baidarka is at SSTIKS when my husband used the F1. He also found it to be very comfortable. It increased his confidence a lot!Take care and keep up the great work.”
“I want to thank you again for making a long time dream come true for me.The double weighs 43.7 lbs on my digital scale without the seat pads, float bags and rear backrest. Remarkably close to the weight you came up with of 44-45 lbs.It’s wonderfully easy to carry and impressed the heck out of some kayak friends. The lift/drive I get off the paddle is another thing that amazed me.For the last 20 years I’ve been using wing blades of different styles, ranging from a full racing type to my current favorite, the SRS X-wing, a modified one that will actually do a half-way decent sculling brace.I think after I get the hang out of it my “fat” Brian Shulz Greenland paddle will easily match it for paddling efficiency and beat it for braces, rolling and everything else except perhaps upwind work; where the feathered wing paddle is probably as good as can be done.I borrowed a homemade Greenland paddle some years ago, but it was a “thin” one and didn’t work nearly as well as your design. I was amazed that you could keep so many different things in your mind without reference to plans, lists, etc.Amazing.” — Joe
“The F1 is performing like a true champion and I am truly amazed how well it tracks and surfs on the smallest waves. The weight is amazing and I am getting outmore because it’s no effort to load.I had a great time and appreciated your teaching style.” — Ted
“Paddling Phinnyis WONDERFUL.Wednesday we were on the water about 3 hours in cold, windy rain.We put in under the St. Johns Bridge and paddled upstream against wind and current to the Swan Island boat ramp.The wind varied from in the face to fierce sideway gusts.I am very pleased with that sweet little boat. After the first 5 minutes I was able to maintain a straight course with just a tiny lean to correct for wind.It was great.It felt like I was just flying upstream. Next time I go out I shall wear my dry suit, try my Greenland paddle again and do some serious edging. It is a lot more fun to be less cautious.Anyway, I want to give you a big THANK YOU for building my boat for me.It is great to have a boat that doesn’t take much effort to handle… on and off the water.” — Maxi
“The LPB has been out on the Hudson close to 10 times so far. Here’s a little feedback.- Very comfortable- most stable boat I own – does not weatherco*ck standing still or cruising at any angle- lightest boat by a long shot- despite 20 yet unsealed holes in the gunwale, it it the driest boat I own!- handles waves from any angle with – Quiet … barely makes a ripple of a wake- Quick… I’m calling its top cruising speed 6mph.. this is not sprinting! + twice I’ve done a 6 miler ( 3 out, 3 back) in a 1mph tidal current in 61 minutes …. here’s the math 3miles / (6 -1 mph) + 3 miles / (6+1 mph) = 36 + 25.7 minutes = 61.7 minutes + I have also done 12 miles out and back with similar tidal current + wind in 2h5m The LPB is like an 18′ boat in front of the co*ckpit and a 14′ boat behind the co*ckpit.Everyone who has seen the LPB loves it.I keep noticing people (mostly college coeds) taking pictures of my while I paddle by with the sunset shining through my boat.BTW, the color has deepened to tawny pumpkin color (quite in season)… aka dark honey (I love it).” — John
“The kayak had dried out sufficiently so that I took it for a test spin and to say the least …WOW!!The kayak is tremendously comfortable, maneuverable and responsive – an absolute joy to paddle.I can hardly wait for some rough water to play!!Speaking of paddles, what struck me immediately is how quiet the paddle is in the water and how easily it propels the kayak in any direction. So much for those mass-manufactured sticks they call paddles, in comparison, they’re nothing but sticks with carbon fry pans on the end. I am a Greenland paddle convert!! The snapdragon skirt fits like a charm and kept my lap dry for the first time in many years!!The attached photos are taken during its maiden voyage and the couple of ducks that decided to tag along!!”
“I built my F-1 in your class 16 months ago. I have to say it is the kayak I use the most. It is so lite; it’s easy to throw on the truck and go for a quick work out.I took it to a kayak surfing class last Oct. (saw Zack there).The waves were pretty big, so when I managed to get outside and caught one, I pearled.I obviously need to start small and work my way up.Only problem is I don’t get to the coast very often. I call the F-1 my 4mph boat. I have a 5 mph and a 6 mph boat.They are both strip kayaks I built from One Ocean Kayak designs.I averaged 6mph for the 5 mile canoe race at Odell Lake this year in a 16′ strip boat.I plan on building this boat in SOF this winter.I have several friends that are interested in skin boats.I have also referred several people to you at Cape Falcon for building classes. Don’t have a clue if they ever contacted you.I keep in touch with Mark Kulhman regularly and Patrick less often.I practice rolling regularly, but want to get smoother with the Greenland paddle.I have managed to do a little over 400 miles paddling this summer and would like to do more. I saw two F-1’s at Sparks Lake this summer. A couple from Eugene that had attended your class.By the way I did manage to snag my boat on lava rock this summer and put a hole in it.It was small and the Aqua Seal patched it up. I really enjoy reading your updates.Keep up the good work!” — Chuck
“Brian, I wanted to sent you a note to let you know how much we enjoyed your class.It worked out even better than I expected. The synergy of the group working together was exciting.I think that we all learned a lot. I know that I did. It was also wonderful to take home a kayak that is ready to paddle.I already love my new red F1! We took it to the lake this morning and I paddled it around and rolled it successfully. It handles really nice! I especially enjoy how stable it is on edge and how responsive it is. Thanks again.” — Barb
“Hey Brian, just wanted to let you know that my boat is wonderful! Took it outtoday in high windsand lotsof small white capsand the boat handled beautifully and turned likea dream.While other folks were being blown into debris and bushes I was tracking like a star! …Thanks again for a memorable week and for all the help and goodadvice.Happy paddling!!!” — Nicole
“Just got the paddle when I got home today. Man is it fun. It seems to make the boat much more responsive than my Swift paddle. Amazingly easy on the shoulders. I really do appreciate you building it for me.” — Ray
“The boat arrived safe and sound and I picked it up in Toronto yesterday. Got some seat padding today and tried it out this evening. It is perfect in design! Lively, tracks well (at least on a still evening), turns on a dime and is comfortable….Thanks again for the marvelous class – and for the boat resulting from it!” — Anna
“I launched my boat today.It got named The Floater by Karla, cause of the brown colour and ordinary finish. (some crystals in the goop, and drips on the decks, with a touch of hazing…) It floats and doesn’t leak, as well as looks like a turd, so its all apt.But crikey it paddles!! It turns and tracks all in one boat.Lean turns carve sooo well.It surfs little swell a boat just shouldn’t… I fitted one of micks sails and it sails nicely too. I’m pretty sure I got the design right, cause it just handles soooo well. I spent a good while surfing with it.It was really the first time I have enjoyed surfing a kayak. Most kayaks surf a bit, and then broach. This thing I can turn on the wave and carve!Amazing! So a HUGE THANKS for the excellent design and skills to build it!It certainly my first boat to be selected off the ever expanding rack of boats. (Now its time to get to the backlog of paddles to earn some money to pay for my next boat…)” — Tom
“Last Wed fortnight I took along my F1 for the usual night paddle to Taroona-15km return, only small 9″ waves & <10kt headwind.Geoff has a new Explorer & decided he would put the pace on & it developed into the usual race, so I dug in & beat them all down the river, average 8.6kph or 4.68knots, I was impressed.” — Tim
“I thought I’d report in after paddling my F1 for a while now. I’m really liking it. Honestly, I didn’t expect to, but I do. A lot. Which is saying a lot since my other boat is a beloved Romany. I paddled it over 25 miles this last weekend in wind, current, and some messy stuff that was continuously breaking over the boat off Point Blunt on Angel Island. It handled itself just fine. It tracks fine, edges fine, turns fine… I can’t roll it because I sit too low in it. ( and my roll is really rusty) I’ve put a couple more layers of foam under my butt to make a total of 3, not counting the ones that are below the ribs, and that has improved my paddling position greatly. …Everyone wants to paddle my boat, and I’m happy to let them. They are all amazed by its light weight (27.5 lbs without the float bags) and how comfortable it is. Hopefully, they will come build one with you, especially when I tell them how easy it really is because you’ve made all the decisions and all we have to do is cut, saw, hammer, lash and sew. …and I’m loving my Greenland stick, to my great surprise. I haven’t used my euro paddle since I made the GP. Gordon says that makes me a convert. Yup, I guess so.” — Lahree
“Love the kayak, it’s everything you said it was. My last time out we went about 3 hours down the coast with a big swell running surfed breakers into the mouth of the little river, fall colours were great saw fishing Kingfishers and about 12 blue heron a couple of hawks etc….nice trip coming back out through the waves (breaking) was great fun I couldn’t stop smiling..Your boat kept up just fine with a 17 foot impex which is a pretty nice looking kayak….Thanks again.” — Eric
“Took the Greenland paddle out for a spin yesterday-it was fabulous! Fit perfectly, light as a feather. I paddled about one zillion miles. Thanks a ton-can’t wait to take a roll class.” — Chuck
