I probably should go straight to Eddyline and ask them my question, but I thought maybe someone who posts here might have a less biased experience. That in no way is meant to be critical of Eddyline, but after all they are in the business of selling plastic boats, so I'm looking for a completely objective opinion.

Okay, the question is, how do you deal with cosmetic scratches in the finish. Can they be polished out with polishing compound, or some other product? What about deeper scratches?

I don't have an Eddyline, but they do make a boat that looks kind of interesting and I think their Carbonlite 2000 seems to be a great material.

Hi magooch! Finally a topic where I have a little bit of experience. I paddle a CD Kestrel 140 TCS. I'm pretty sure that the TCS will be simular to the Carbonlite.

1) It is very tough material. Some scratchs and scrapes, but after everything I've put my little bird through, everything has been minor. The durability is exceptional.
2)I've heard and read all the stuff about using wax or wax-like stuff (technical talk here)vs just a good cleaning and using like 303. So, I'm going to "come out of the closet" and admit...I POLISH MY BOAT! There I said it! Here are my reasons:
a)The polish does seem to fill the little scratches and the boat looks better
b)She comes out with a killer mirror like finish and the boat looks better
c) After polishing the hull, she will literally slide down the bank (grass, soft sand, slanted deck planking, etc) towards the water. With the hull so slick, I believe this makes her glide through the water easier,over logs easier and then the paddler looks better(?)
d) Since I do polish her, if I have a little scrape, doesn't it make sense that the polish will take the little scrapes and less of the boat? So....you guessed it...the boat looks better.

I use something simple like the wipe on and buff off polishers with silicone in them. It's easy and in my mind helps protect the boat. Mind you this is only my humble, misguided, women's way of thinking, opinion.

I don't think that you can beat the thermoformed composites for a great combination of durability, weight and an easy to maintain finish at a reasonable price.

I hope somewhere in thhis rambling I have answered your question. Tom & I just got back from a nice paddle on the Fl Gulf coast. Beautiful paddle but got a little warm. So if I'm way off base, I'll blame it on the heat.

Have a great day!

Thanks for the reply, Happy. Heck, I use wax on my roto kayaks. It does seem to make them slide through the water easier, but I assume it's much the same as how waxing the car makes it seem to run better.

Am I wrong, or weren't you looking at getting a sea kayak a few months back? You were asking for suggestions and I said you should take a look at NCs offerings. I think you were possibly considering CDs Cypress.

I got the chance to try out the NC 17 footer and the 19 foot Expedition. I still think these are some of the best built and best looking boats that I've ever seen, but I was less than impressed with the handling. These boats want to go straight--turning is a major event that takes an equal effort. I admit that being used to my CD Sirocco probably disqualifies me from critiquing boats that are designed to travel in a straight line, but it did cause me to reevaluate what appeals to me when it comes to boat design.

That said, the NC Expedition is still very high on my list of boats I would like to have, but it is by no means a replacement for the Sirocco. In fact, it made me appreciate the Sirocco so much that I can't see ever replacing it.

From what I've read about the Cypress, that might be a great boat, but I'm probably going to watch for the chance to get an Expedition when NC has a good special going.

Hi!

I've got the new boat on hold for now.:( Unless I win the lottery or something. We are really close to being totally out of debt and my husband has put a hold on purchasing toys until we reach that goal.

So I have to get by with my Kestrel for now. And that is not necessarily a bad thing...I really do enjoy paddling it.

Once the toy purchasing ban is lifted...I will resume the quest. Maybe within the next year there will be a thermoform sea kayak along the same lines as the Cypress.

A little disappointed that there have not been any other post re: your subject. It would be nice to hear what some other folks have to say.

Have a great day!

Hey Happy, yeah, I agree that maybe waiting for that new boat might be a good thing. One thing I've learned about kayaks is that picking that perfect boat gets harder and harder the more you look. I think I've been very lucky in my choices so far; I kind of lucked out and got boats that are better than I could have done if I knew what I was doing. By the way, if you've never tried a Sirocco, or a Gulf Stream, you really should if you get the chance. As you probably know, first impressions aren't always the last word, but it has a lot to do with what you're used to.

I happen to love the style of the Sirocco/Gulf Stream; it just turns out that the boat is an unbelievably capable boat that never ceases to amaze me at what it can do. The handling and maneuverability has to be experienced to be believed.

I've also learned that speed is not necessarily directly proportional to length, width and weight and in any case, the cruising speed of most sea kayaks is generally about the same and has a lot more to do with the skill and to some degree, the power of the paddler and his weapon of choice (the paddle).

I am also very particular about how well constucted a boat is. I don't like boats that are flimsy; I like em rigid enough to sit on the deck anywhere and not bend. I realize that most kevlar boats and a lot of fiberglass boats are kind of bendy in certain areas and that doesn't mean they are poorly built, but I still prefer rigid.

I think my next boat will be fiberglass, but I wouldn't rule out thermoplastic. So far though, Eddylines are the only thermo boats that meet the rigid test. I wouldn't rule out polyethylene either, except that my next boat will probably be in excess of 18 feet and poly boats get kind of heavy in those lengths.

Yep, I agree on all counts. Will also try a Sirocco, but am trying to steer away from rotomold. I believe the thermoformed to be a superior material as durablity goes. And so much lighter.

Gulfstream is a fine boat too. And I have not ruled this one out either. I do like that it is a little roomier than the Cypress. Athough the Cypress seemed to fit very well (once I got in the boat).

Anyway its a moot point for now. Eddyline has a pretty good reputation in our area. Reasonably priced as well. Seaward has a nice line as well. Been looking at the Chilco online. Have not paddled it, Tom says to wait until we are ready to buy before we bother private owners and he is right.

Have you paddled any of the Eddyline boats? Night Hawk and Fathom both look good.

Catch ya later.

I talked to a man at Seawrd about two weeks ago and he told me that about one third of there sales is thermoform boats. He and alot of there staff have gone with the termoform boats because they are a good compromise been fiberglass and poly.

My wife and I paddled both the nighthawk and fathom and we're very impressed with them. Each boat had it's own special thing as far as performance but even more, the construction was excellent. I noticed little details like the slot for the skeg being rounded off and cleanly finished. The hull had some flex but I found it quite acceptable and compared to rotomold there was no comparison. Eddyline has impressed me to the point of future purchase. I can't wait :-)

I have paddled a 17 foot Eddyline and wasn't that impressed. However, I would like to take a real good look at the 18 foot Falcon.

My dilemma is that I am totally enamored of the looks, quality and competitive pricing of the NC boats. Everything else I've looked at just doesn't stack up, except in maneuverability. But even on that count I've just about convinced myself that the purpose I have in mind for my next boat (long distance cruising), the propensity of the boat to want to track like it's on a rail would be a good thing. In any case, I have no plan to ever be without my faithful, fabulous Sirocco--unless I might trade it for a Gulf Stream.

I paddled the 17 Nighthawk and found it was just too much boat for me. The cockpit was loose and the boat felt lazy in turning. The 16 was a different animal, more responsive with a better fit. I prefer good tracking so this boat really called to me. I'll be bringing one home soon.

Hey Magooch, I've been looking online at the Sirocco, anything stand out about it that makes you so found of it? Did you have to get some padding for the seat? I've been using a Hurricane Tracer 165 and I really like it, the only problem is its a little to sleek, not much room for hauling gear, how does the Sirocco do in that area? The Tracer is fast though and does handle very well in rough waters which is mostly what we seem to be having lately.

Well Paddler, I could write more about the Sirocco than there is room here to write. I guess the short version is that the boat just does everything I want it to do and never gives me any reason to doubt it.

When I got the boat, I was mostly taken by its style and looks, but now that I've had it for a while, I'm just so impressed with how the boat handles and it's comfort.

The seat comes with a pad and I can't tell you much about its ability to carry gear. I don't camp, so I don't carry much stuff.

I haven't paddled that many sea kayaks, but I have demoed enough and looked at a lot of boats and I've not found one yet that even approaches the comfort and fit. That's just me though, as I'm aware that all of us have different definitions of comfort and fit.

I've paddled longer, lighter boats and I'll be darned if I could tell if they were any faster. My theory is that once you get past 16 feet, there isn't a whole lot of difference until you get into the really skinny boats. I paddled one boat that is over 19 feet and is said to be very, very fast, but I came away thinking there wasn't enough difference that I could tell. In fact, I actually believe that I can sprint my Sirocco faster than I could that larger boat.

The bottom line is that you have to experience any boat in a lot of different conditions to really know what it's all about. The Sirocco has taken me through some very daunting conditions and never, never let me down. It seems like the rougher things get the more the Sirocco likes it.

I've been looking for another sea kayak--not to replace the Sirocco, but to be my long distance ego show boat. While the Sirocco is a very nice looking kayak, there simply isn't any way that polyethylene can compete with a flashy composite. I'm leaning very much toward the NC Expedition, but I'm still looking.

Magooch, you mentioned you were drawn to your boat by its looks, thats one of the things I like about them too. If you're looking for a shinny boat at a low price, maybe you might want to look at the Tracer 165 (Thermoform). Everywhere I go I get comments on it. It really is a great looking kayak and I think it could hold up to some of the worst weather conditions. I had it out the other day when the wind was blowing so hard the water was foaming and we had to get close and yell to hear each other, the Tracer was amazing, the weather didn't phase it at all. I've paddled 7 different boats and the Tracer is one of my favorite composites. As far as plastic goes, the Prijon Kodiak. I don't know if you have ever got a chance to try that one but it is really a nice ride. Very comfortable fast and has a lot of room for gear, if you should decied you need the room. I haven't got to try a fiberglass one yet but I'd like to. I like a boat with some speed, I had one once that handled well, was roomy and comfortable but was amazingly slow. I didn't realize how slow until going out with a thermoform. The Expedition is a good looking boat and I'm sure it will do a lot.

Paddler, I've seen the Tracer and I agree it is a nice looking boat. However, if and when I get another sea kayak, I think it will be something between 18 and 19 feet. If I were looking for another boat in the 16 to 17 foot range, again I would have to be comparing to the NC Kayaks offerings.

I may have to go back to the NC shop and ask for another demo, but first I'd like to take another look at the Eddyline Falcon. I don't like the shape of the stern, but a demo might convince me that the stern is not a big deal. My experience is that pictures often don;t do justice to the actual boat, or somtimes the pictures are better than the actual boat.

Magooch, please excuse my ignorance, I still have a lot to learn but why a 18 or 19 foot boat? Stability or just your type of preference, or?
As far as the picture go, you’re so right.