Hey everyone,
I've had an AE convertible for over a year. I bought the backbone when I first got the kayak. Since then I've used the kayak in the Pacific ocean, Colorado river, AZ lakes and Sea of Cortez.
I love the boat and use it often for paddling and fishing.
I've used the boat with and without the backbone, and now am a believer that it's really not necessary. If the boat is properly inflated, I see almost no difference in performance on the water - flat or ocean!
Other problems with the backbone:
> Setup/teardown takes twice as long.
> The backbone has to be aligned perfectly, or the kayak tracking is off to one side or the other, usually to the right for me.
I think early on I was a little too nervous to fully inflate the main tubes. Now I pump them up firm and don't use my backbone any more.
Regards,
Jim
Not sure backbone is worth it...
Moderator: JCOOLEY
