tonystott wrote:
Peter, while I appreciate that you are only putting things up for discussion, I hope you aren't talking yourself into being unhappy with your purchase. Perhaps you need to either buy an earlier AI, and/or pick up a super lightweight kevlar surf ski which will blow all rotomolded kayaks into the weeds.
Actually, that's what I've been paddling for 10+ years - maybe not "Super" light... but carbon/fiber and quick enough for Yours Truly without being too tippy.
This is the one I've had for the past 5 years or so:
http://www.huki.com/index.php?page=S1-RQuote:
The cheapest alternative is to instead seek out the positives of your AI2, and appreciate that you have bought an all-rounder offering a combination of capabilities unmatched by any other vessel (with the possible exception of the TI LOL).
Believe-it-or-not, that's what I have been doing. Started out assigning sailing the AI a Fun Factor of 2-3 (windsurfing being 9-10 and paddling a surf ski downwind in a swell being 8-9).
I've already promoted the AI to 4-5... and hope to get it higher. The secret being, as you say, to focus on the capabilities of the AI.
In spite of my rants about "K Factor", I am finding that raw speed is really a non issue most of the time when under sail....... Paddling, yes, sailing no..... What counts is being able to match the speed of the swell and/or chop - and the Mirage Drive enables that if/when sail size is inadequate for the wind.
I guess the one place where raw speed under sail could be important would be tidal situations where the tide is running really fast and one has to fight it to get home.... but those situations can be avoided by planning and judgement.
One thing I focus on is the Mirage Drive...... Beats Hell out of sitting on my butt essentially doing nothing for 2-3 hours at a time.... and it gives impressive maneuverability options.... it also enables me to out-sail faster boats and better sailors by heading directly into the wind and peddling like crazy during the lulls.
There is also a strong "Go Anywhere" aspect to the AI...... Try hitting a crab trap at speed in a WETA and you will appreciate the AI's folding dag..... and I'll run the AI up on "beaches" (quotes because of the rocks and other stuff) that I wouldn't even *think* of pulling my fancy-schamcy surfski up on..... (OTOH, I can carry the ski.... ). Polyethelene may be heavy... but it sure is tough....
Another aspect is "Mods".... maybe "Enjoy" isn't quite the right word, but reading about what people do to enhance the AI's functionality for them and working out things that do the same for me has - and continues to - satisfy some sort of compulsion in me...... I am already on my second iteration of a trampoline...... and not *that* far away from attempting a 7-meter sail to be made out of some TyVec I have laying around.
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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
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