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Dragon Boat Canada


IDBF


Canoe Kayak Canada

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[tiger]

Millenium's are nice boats besides being not IDBF certified they way overpriced, all in around $17-18K.  They priced themselves out of every market, the market speaketh 

[zephyrantes]

if we end up getting some more stupid GEMINI boats, I think a protest should be in full order.. at least from the large sized paddlers.   

Those foot braces look really bad.   "German Engineering".. they can't even build good cars, what makes them think they can build boats.

Did anyone catch one of their selling features for these 2006 models?  - No bulkheads, a lot of room for the Paddlers. 

[DuckMan]

Let's get some thoughts from people who have had the opportunity to practice in the new beasts.
We did last night and while it has it's problems, i much prefer it over the original setup.

That damn bar along the edge feels like it's keeping me off the gunnel though.

[BernMan]

Let's get some thoughts from people who have had the opportunity to practice in the new beasts.
We did last night and while it has it's problems, i much prefer it over the original setup.

That damn bar along the edge feels like it's keeping me off the gunnel though.

I am going to assume the "new beasts" you're talking about are the BUK's? Should this be discussed under this topic or under the BUK topic? Please see http://www.dragonboatwest.net/forum/index.php?topic=3250.msg33026#msg33026

Anyway the BUK's are fantastic. Can be a bit different with steering but overall very comfy as far as getting leg and shoulder room.

[BlueStreak]

I am going to assume the "new beasts" you're talking about are the BUK's? Should this be discussed under this topic or under the BUK topic? Please see http://www.dragonboatwest.net/forum/index.php?topic=3250.msg33026#msg33026

Anyway the BUK's are fantastic. Can be a bit different with steering but overall very comfy as far as getting leg and shoulder room.

Nope... these are really the long rumored retrofitted Geminis. From the outside they look like the same old Geminis, but take a look inside and you will find that the all of the benches have been hacked away and replaced with 10 rows of (wooden?) benches. In a way, they resemble the 2006 Gemini models (pictured here) except that the retrofitted Geminis look like they've been ... well, retrofitted.

Impressions from paddlers on my team are that the extra room is great but the foot braces seem to be a little too far forward now, the seats are grippier and, yes, that metal pipe/bar along the gunnel is annoying. From a steering prespective, it seems to behave about the same but there is (obviously) alot less space in the back for the steer's person to stand.

[Colossus]

that foot brace thing is only really a problem for shorter people.   oh wait, thats most people who paddle.  kinda sucks then, eh? 

[rightarm]

Impressions from paddlers on my team are that the extra room is great but the foot braces seem to be a little too far forward now, the seats are grippier and, yes, that metal pipe/bar along the gunnel is annoying. From a steering prespective, it seems to behave about the same but there is (obviously) alot less space in the back for the steer's person to stand.

the footbrace is only an issue for the shorter people. so in essence, all we've done by retrofitting the gem's is reversing the older problem... used to be big people couldn't fit, now the seats are too big and the little people have no where to brace!

oh well, i'm tall, so i love it! freakin amazing. other than the fat metal bar running along side my outside leg/arse, i would say that i officiall ylove the gem's above and beyond the 6/16.

[Colossus]

i like the leg room in the 6-16s, but i really hate the leg angle/position of them!  because of my insanely long legs and the angle of the floor, my outside leg is at such an awkward angle that longer pieces during practice put a lot of strain on my knee and hip.   so, BOO to the 6-16s

[rightarm]

i like the leg room in the 6-16s, but i really hate the leg angle/position of them!  because of my insanely long legs and the angle of the floor, my outside leg is at such an awkward angle that longer pieces during practice put a lot of strain on my knee and hip.   so, BOO to the 6-16s

EXACTLY!!! I'm glad someone else get's that.  there's been a few times that i've gotten out of a 6/16 and cuz of hte ridiculous angle my leg/knee have been at for over an hour, it feels like my leg is almost stuck that way.  hate it! but still, they were better than the old gem's.  the gem 2.0 rocks!


 8)

[Colossus]

i got used to/prefered the older gems over the 6-16s.....   

[Lethal Weapon]

OK...here's a review from a poor soul who has to sit at the front of these new babies.
I got my first look tonight at the new retro-geminis and here are a few observations.

1. The front of the boat sits reaaaally low in the water compared to the old model
2. the gunnel bars look weird but seem to do the trick in holding the seats
3. It feels less tippier
4. The paddlers seem to have more leg space and it is quite noticable in the front as the shorter paddlers have more leg room (which is a bad thing if they can't brace so boat seating may have to be rearranged)
5, Boat integrity does not seem to be affected that badly (yet) so it was a decent retrofit
6. Seats look kind of "uncomfortable for the full figured paddler...(I have my mothe'rs hips....)

NOW comes the other observation from a "coach" (i use the quotes to protect myself from Guido)

Where the heck does he/she stand in front with a full boat? we had 18 paddlers so there was an empty seat at the front for me to stand/sit
If the boat was full I would have had to do stand on the front of the gunnel?!?!?!
They better get more coach boats cause there is no way in heck I am standing at the front. (unless my swimming lessons really work...)

[Colossus]

you mean you dont' like swimming in false creek? 

[Lethal Weapon]

Swimming .
I like my genetic makeup thanks....

[DBC]

Gemini is from Poland.  BuK from Germany.  It's pretty standard over the past decade that BuK comes out with the best product and then everybody else copies it.  As we like to say, often imitated, never duplicated!  You can bet other manufacturers will simply attempt to copy the designs coming out of the BuK factory.  When I say copy I don't necessarily mean splashing the hull.  That's only happened twice, once in Euorpe and once in NorAm.  At least these shallow thinkers are always a year behind.  But this means that alll the R&D and deep thinking (and Euros spent) is done by BuK and then they end up competing with those who simply measure up and copy their boat.  Most of you probably don't know that BuK is the original designer for the IDBF International Standard Racing boat.  The IDBF provided a copy of an original teak HK boat.  Then the IDBF said, "that's our boat, we adopt it as our standard hull."  Back in 2001 it was a 12 bench boat.  When GWN brought the BuK to NorAm in 2000 we, along with BuK, designed the 10 bench interior (after all 20 / 2 = 10... duh).  I recall IDBF lecturing me at the dock in Philly on how we messed with "their" design.  Of course all the athletes loved racing in them and two years later the 10 bench IDBF (BuK/GWN) boat was the new standard.  In fact, some of you will recall we also introduced a new carbon shaft Grey Owl paddle in Philly that optimized surface area permitted by the IDBF specification 101 (but stayed within it).  Again it caused a minor uproar but a year later... imagine that!  The new IDBF paddle spec... looks just like the paddle Grey Owl intorduced in Philly.

There are 10 BuK's in B.C. at the moment with more coming in May/June.  But you'd need to deal with CanoeKayak BC if there is to be any hope of assembling them for Alcan.  If anyone wants a new BuK, let me know.  Mike K, GWN. 416-962-8899.

[paddling is life]

Its a hundai mentality out there, cheap wins. It beats safety out ever time, look at this weekend cant keep the buggers floating. The IDBF standard is a purchased piece of paper, not relating to the hull. It has no specs that a manufacturer needs to meet, simply fly the officials in from the federation and show them a good time, they approve the boat. See. If your theories are correct all boats should feel the same if they are certified. Why dont they?