Here it is, my feeble attempt at marketing, this is simply a cut and paste of a bunch of emails I've gotten from people over the years. For what it's worth...
Love the boats Brian!! I'm really excited to have a ouple of F1's in the fleet,
also I came in 2nd place behind Nick at the surf Jam this past weekend surfing the F1
Zach
hey Brian -
I love your "Farewell September" update on the website. Sometimes, life
feels like such a rat race; it's good to know (when I'm scrambling around
losing my mind) that someone is out there living purposefully.
Orion and I have been having a lovefest in
Gloucester, MA and out on Walden Pond since the end of August. The F1 is
seductive in every possible way, there's no other way to say it.
Chris
Hey Brian!
That LPB that I built during the June 6-12 class continues to amaze me
with its incredible abilities! I have now
logged about 300 nautical miles in it, including a trip from Long
Beach, CA to Two Harbors on Catalina Island and back, and about 5 hours
of surfing at Sunset Beach in Hunting Beach, CA during a 2 week stay
down there at the end of september. 20
knot winds and the resultant chop, along with 3-5 foot swells coming in
on the starboard front quarter during the last two hours of the trip to
Catalina had no effect on this boat's tracking! It tracks like it's on
rails, yet a lean and a paddle stroke and it turns extremely fast for a
16 foot boat! I was able to maintain a Velocity made good of 4 knots on
the way out (against the swells), and on the return trip the next day
it was 4.5 knots!
The surfing abilities of this boat are amazing when you consider that :
1. It's a sea kayak.
2. it's a 16 foot long sea kayak w/o a rudder.
This is the first sea kayak I've ever paddled that didn't immediately
broach and start side surfing. Once you get on the wave, you can pretty
much sit back and it will track along the wave face. Once the wave
closes out and you do find yourself side surfing, lean back and the bow
gets pushed around and you're surfing the soup with the bow pointed at
the shore! Not once did I have to muscle the boat to stay where I
wanted to on the wave. The only downside to surfing this kayak is
turning it around once you decide which wave you want, so I have to
line the boat up so that I am looking over my shoulder a bit. Then it's
just a lean turn and an extended paddle stroke and I'm ready to go. It
punches out through the surf w/o getting knocked sideways, too.Once
again, thanks for designing such an amazing boat!
Dan
Brian,
you the man ! this boat is sooooo comfortable, just love it
Allan
You built an F1 for me back in Aug
2008. Great kayak. I
was
at the beach in Galveston Saturday paddling in the surge from the
storm that just hit New Orleans and the 25+ mph winds. There are
3 bar breaks off the beach, and between the second and third breaks
really disorganized water. Great rough water practice for here,
and the F1 handled like a dream. Fairly neutral to the wind, good
tracking, edging turns for course corrections, good at handling breaks
on the beam whenever wandered into a breaking wave. Great
kayak. Keeping my fingers crossed this skin will last another
season or two. I am just amazed at how many beach launches and
landings this kayak skin has endured.
Karl
Dear Brian:
Anna
Hi Brian ~ plain & simple: I love this
boat lots of fun w/ Chaquita so far on a few
outings in local waters, & launching is now a cinch due to the
light weight (getting on & off the car & carrying it down to a
cove or onto the beach) two
things
impress me as outstanding : 1.) I am so comfortable
in this kayak I have to remind myself it's time to get out and take a
stretch - it's great I found my good old blue foam
camping pad in the basement (1/4") and it fits in there like an Italian
glove - & it's comfy on the tooshie too 2.) this
thing has the best edge stability I've ever experienced -
makes handling on the water a joy haven't taken her into the surf
yet, but stay tuned, I plan on doing that - &
then we'll see if I can hit my layback roll in the waves !
totally enjoying the new paddle as well, may do a little
tweeking on the loom to round it just a bit more I'm
noticing
that the rounded blade tips produce less bubbles on the
forward stroke - cool !
Brian,
Hi Brian, I want to thank you again
for making a long time dream come true for me. The double weighs
43.7 lbs on my digital scale without the seat pads, float bags and rear
backrest. Remarkably close to the weight you came up with of
44-45 lbs. It’s wonderfully easy to carry and impressed the heck
out of some kayak friends. The lift/drive I get off the paddle is
another thing that amazed me. For the last 20 years I’ve been
using wing blades of different styles, ranging from a full racing
type to my current favorite, the SRS X-wing, a modified one that will
actually do a half-way decent sculling brace. I think after I get
the hang out of it my “fat” Brian Shulz Greenland paddle will easily
match it for paddling efficiency and beat it for braces, rolling and
everything else except perhaps upwind work; where the feathered wing
paddle is probably as good as can be done. I borrowed a homemade
Greenland paddle some years ago, but it was a “thin” one and didn’t
work nearly as well as your design. I
was
amazed that you could keep so many different things in your mind
without reference to plans, lists, etc. Amazing. -Joe
Hi Brian,
Cheers,
Paddling Phinny is
WONDERFUL.
Wednesday we were on the water about 3 hours in cold,
windy rain. We put in under the St. John Bridge and paddled
upstream against wind and current to the Swan Island boat ramp.
The wind varied from in the face to fierce sideway gusts. I am
very pleased with that sweet little boat. After the first 5
minutes I was able to maintain a straight course with just a tiny lean
to correct for wind. It was great. It felt like I was just
flying upstream. Next time I go out I shall wear my dry
suit, try my Greenland paddle again and do some serious
edging. It is a lot more fun to be less cautious.
Maxi
The LPB has been out on the Hudson close to 10
times so far. Here's a little feedback.
- Very comfortable
- most stable boat I own
- does not weathercock standing still or cruising at any angle
- lightest boat by a long shot
- despite 20 yet unsealed holes in the gunwale, it it the driest boat I
own!
- handles waves from any angle with
- Quiet ... barely makes a ripple of a wake
- Quick... I calling it's top cruising speed 6mph.. this is not
sprinting!
+ twice I've done a 6 miler ( 3 out, 3 back) in a
1mph tidal current in 61 minutes
.... here's the math 3miles / (6 -1 mph) + 3 miles /
(6+1 mph) = 36 + 25.7 minutes = 61.7 minutes
+ I have also done 12 miles out and back with
similar tidal current + wind in 2h5m
The LPB is like an 18' boat in front of the cockpit and a 14' boat
behind the cockpit. Everyone who has seen
the LPB loves it. I keep noticing people
(mostly college coeds) taking pictures of my while I paddle by with the
sunset shining through my boat. BTW, the
color has deepened to tawny pumpkin color (quite in season)... aka dark
honey (I love it). I'll keep you
posted, John
Hi Brian,
Hung
Brian,
I had the two money
orders sent to you today totaling $1,222.01. They’ve been sent
expedited post and should arrive within four days (or so Canada Post
tells me). The kayak had dried out
sufficiently so that I took it for a test spin and to say the least . .
. WOW!! The kayak is tremendously comfortable, maneuverable and
responsive – an absolute joy to paddle. I can hardly wait for
some rough water to play!! Speaking of paddles, what struck me
immediately is how quiet the paddle is in the water and how easily it
propels the kayak in any direction. So much for those
mass-manufactured sticks they call paddles, in comparison, they’re
nothing but sticks with carbon fry pans on the end. I am a
Greenland paddle convert!! The snapdragon skirt fits like a
charm and kept my lap dry for the first time in many years!! The
attached photos are taken during its maiden voyage and the couple of
ducks that decided to tag along!!
Hi Brian,
Just read your update on using the F-1. Very good info! I
have ordered flotation from Spirit Line before for other boats, but
didn't know the baidarka bags would fit the F-1. I built my F-1
in your class 16 months ago. I have to say it is the kayak I use
the most. It is so lite; it's easy to throw on the truck and go
for a quick work out. I took it to a kayak surfing class last
Oct. (saw Zack there). The waves were pretty big, so when I
managed to get outside and caught one, I pearled. I obviously
need to start small and work my way up. Only problem is I don't
get to the coast very often.I call the F-1 my 4mph boat. I have a
5 mph and a 6 mph boat. They are both strip kayaks I built from
One Ocean Kayak designs. I averaged 6mph for the 5 mile canoe
race at Odell Lake this year in a 16' strip boat. I plan on
building this boat in SOF this winter. I have several friends
that are interested in skin boats. I have also referred several
people to you at Cape Falcon for building classes. Don't have a
clue if they ever contacted you.I keep in touch with Mark Kulhman
regularly and Patrick less often. I practice rolling regularly,
but want to get smoother with the Greenland paddle. I have
managed to do a little over 400 miles paddling this summer and would
like to do more. I saw two F-1's at Sparks Lake this
summer. A couple from Eugene that had attended your class.
By the way I did manage to snag my boat on lava rock this summer and
put a hole in it. It was small and the Aqua Seal patched it
up. I really enjoy reading your updates. Keep up the good
work! Regards, Chuck Tucker
Brian, I
wanted to sent you a note to let you know how much we enjoyed your
class. It worked out even better than I expected. The
synergy of the
group working together was exciting. I think that we all learned
a lot.
I know that I did. It was also wonderful to take home a kayak
that is
ready to paddle. I already love my new red
F1! We took it to the lake this
morning and I paddled it around and rolled it successfully. It
handles really nice!
I especially enjoy how stable it is on edge and how responsive it is. Thanks again.
Barb
Hey Brian,
just wanted to let you know that my boat is wonderful !
Took it out today in high winds and lots of
small white caps and the boat handled beautifully and
turned like a dream. While other folks were
being blown into debris and bushes I was tracking like a star !
I paddled with Jeff Putterman ( you sold him the long
boat that " the Boston fellow " was
making . Forgot his name ! ) Anyways,
small world and all that jazz. Thanks again for
a memorable week and for all the help and good
advice. Happy paddling !!! NIcole
Hi Brian, just got the
paddle when I got home today. Man is it fun. It seems to make the boat
much more responsive than my Swift paddle. Amazingly easy on the
shoulders. I really do appreciate you building it for me. I think I owe
you another $85.00. is that right, a total of $170.00? Let me
know and I will send it out. Thanks again it is very
cool,
Ray
Dear Brian:
Anna
Brian,
I fitted one
of micks sails and it sails nicely too. I'm
pretty
sure I got the design right, cause it just handles soooo
well. Pics at
Tom
G'day Brian, got the drysuit thanks,
phew, its hot, took about 1/2 hr to get used to the neck gasket. Thought it might not fit,
it came with Medium feet but is OK. You'll like this, last
Wed fortnight I took along my F1 for the usual night paddle to
Taroona-15km return, only small 9" waves & <10kt headwind. Geoff has a new Explorer
& decided he would put the pace on & it developed into the
usual race, so I dug in & beat them all down the river, average
8.6kph or 4.68knots, I was impressed. Also impressed with your
F2 & story on your website, bad luck you didnt get better weather. Glad you have found a new woman to keep you
busy. Whats happening with the
yacht
Regards
Tim
I thought I'd
report in after paddling my F! for a while now.
I'm really liking it. Honestly, I didn't expect to, but I do. A
lot. Which is saying a lot since my other boat is a beloved Romany. I paddled it over 25 miles this last weekend
in wind, current, and some messy stuff that was continuously breaking
over the boat off Point Blunt on Angel Island. It handled itself just
fine. It tracks fine, edges fine, turns fine... I can't roll it because
I sit too low in it. ( and my roll is really rusty) I've put a couple
more layers of foam under my butt to make a total of 3, not counting
the ones that are below the ribs, and that has improved my paddling
position greatly. Brian...everyone
wants to paddle my boat, and I'm happy to let them. They are all amazed
by its light weight (27.5 lbs without the float bags) and how
comfortable it is. Hopefully, they will come build one with you,
especially when I tell them how easy it really is because you've made
all the decisions and all we have to do is cut, saw, hammer, lash and
sew. ...and I'm loving my Greenland stick, to my great surprise. I
haven't used my euro paddle since I made the GP. Gordon says that makes
me a convert. Yup, I guess so.
Lahree
Hey Brian! Love the
kayak it's everything you said it was.. My last time out we went about
3 hours down the coast with a big swell running surfed breakers into
the mouth of the little river, fall colours were great saw fishing
Kingfishers and about 12 blue heron a couple of hawks etc....nice trip
coming back out through the waves (breaking) was great fun I couldn't
stop smiling..Your boat kept up just fine with a 17 foot impex which is
a pretty nice looking kayak....Thanks again, Eric...
Took the Greenland paddle out for a spin yesterday-it was
fabulous! Fit perfectly, light as a
feather. I paddled about one zillion miles. Thanks a ton-can't wait to
take a roll class. Chuck