AE convertible for ANWR trip?

cottrelt · Post by **cottrelt** » Mon May 31, 2010 4:42 pm

My wife and I are planning a 10 - 14 day trip in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, maybe the Canning River, for next summer. We're deciding on the best kayak and are thinking about the AE convertable. We have had little experience in whitewater, but have kayaked a lot with sit-on-top Ocean Kayaks. I think the whitewater on the Canning is Class 2 max. , most of it is much less wild than that. The river will probably be shallow and braided in places meaning we'll scrape bottom a bit. Does the convertible with a backbone and spray skirt make sense here?

thanks!

Post by **JCOOLEY** » Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:26 pm

Spray Skirt yes, Backbone no. The backbone is meant to improve tracking yet you will be paddling down a river where you want more maneuverability in a kayak. You want to be able to turn quickly to avoid rocks and other hazards. The Backbone will make it harder to turn fast. Depending on water levels and intensity of some rapids, you may have to portage around.

Jeremy