With this new boat, does this mean there will be a new Dragon Boat Category??

http://www.huki.com/store/index.php?main_page=d1x&zenid=ca0786832817c4e5e0777fcb12ca2aa5

Hilarious!!! This is just an OC-1 with two amas. It's clearly being marketed to anyone who is too scared to get on an OC-1 because it might flip.

It's NOT a dragon boat in any way because the paddler is seated way too low (note how his knees are higher than his hips).

"She goes just as fast as the V1-X Outrigger Canoe." That would be something interesting to test out...

This boat is actually fine.

If you've done OC this looks retarded, but if you'd never seen an OC-1 or this DB-1 and put them side by side then you'd probably think the OC-1 looked funny.

Certain to upset the Outrigger purists, and converted C-1 types, but what's wrong with a little inovation? I'm not sure I would buy one just yet, but I would love to try it out.

No forward ama. That's an interesting idea. Nothing to interfere with a long catch.

They mention that it's a flatwater craft. So I guess the stability in waves isn't up to full outrigger capability.

Could be an interesting "personal training" or testing boat.

It's actually a surf-ski adaption that Jude designed for novice paddlers, exactly like training wheels but on water, the float part anyway. Looks like a V1-X hull.

Meant "no forward aku", not ama.

Anyhow, this would be fun to try.

Anyone bringing one around Toronto this spring?

I think it looks pretty cool....screw the purists.

Some of us dragonboaters have no desire to use our OC-1s in huge waves. It's a training tool for us, so this would be awesome. Is Pogue going to be selling these?

The second poster has a valid point about the seating. Rather than having the wings on a V1-X hull, put it on a C-lion hull. I think that set up simulate a dragonboat better.

very cool

It's so not "very cool"! All they did was slap the words "dragon boat" on the wings. And voila -- it's a dragon boat!!?? So tacky.

Check that. It says "Dragon Wing" on the wings. OMG. How silly.

Look. If you can't balance yourself in an OC-1, you shouldn't be seriously competing in a boat to begin with.

I suspect all the cheerleaders posting here for this silly boat are from Huki.

And yes, its like clock work, once the rats smell cheese they pounce

If you look closely enough it says "Dragon Huki".

I for one think that the owner of this company is very innovative. Here, with this new boat design he has found a way to help improve the sport of dragon boating by introducing a new training tool, but also a simple way to introduce new paddlers to the sport without being intimidated by learning how to balance a sometimes tricky OC-1.

An OC-1 is not a tippy boat, especially if rigger with the alma fully extended. If the goal was to make OC's accessable to dragon boat paddlers I can't see this being a big improvement.

What is neat, is having no alma in front of you and symetry in weight on both sides when you paddle. I could see this as a really nice flat water boat for touring around, particularly if you enjoy the paddling motoin over kayaking.

I think a clever design for this boat would have been to make the alma or "Dragon alma" options that could be interchanged. Thus you have the OC stability for big chop, and can play around with the "Dragon alma" if you like the feel.

Saw one in San Fran this year. Looked kind of cool. I wish I could have tried it.

It's clearly nothing like a dragon boat. I think the "dragon" name says more about the intended market than the boat.

It's an interesting idea regardless.

Innovative design I guess...

My question is how do you launch it? OC's you've got an ama on one side only, so the opposite side is against the dock? What do you do with this thing? I'd think you'd have a good chance of snapping something off just by getting in the thing.

Having said that I'd love to try this thing out and see if you can huli. All boat can go over, I just wonder what it would take to send this over?

I guess you have to launch it from the corner of a dock based on the other photos...

The concept for this is too allow paddlers that ability to train and do time trails on an even playing field. DB paddlers that do not outrigger, time trail poorly due to confidence with the ama.

The wing can be added to any model Huki, and is a great training aid as the canoe can be used with a standard ama or the wing.

Huki canoes have the lowest foot wells out of any manufacture and would simulate a dragon boat seating position closer than any other canoe. It is not perfect, but I think it is a great tool and DB paddlers should be happy that boat builders are trying to help them develope and train. This will allow DB paddlers the skill to devlope a catch and effect stroke, some thing that is rarely done on a full DB team practice.

The wing does slow the hull speed down slightly so it will not be as fast as a regular OC 1. This will help increase DB paddlers core strength and balance as there will be a point where neither wing is in the water, and the canoe will be the fastest.

I will be getting a sample of this product in the spring and would incourage paddlers to try it when it does arrive.

Ryan

Pogue Sports,
Canadian Huki Dealer

Since when is the ama a drawback in time trials? Those who are balance challenged just switch the ama to their preferred side. Interesting design for a flatwater craft but the dragon boat aspect? I think this manufacturer is just exploiting the dragon boaters well-known desire to be separated from their cash.

"The concept for this is too allow paddlers that ability to train and do time trails on an even playing field. DB paddlers that do not outrigger, time trail poorly due to confidence with the ama."

Why not simply have all paddlers doing the time trial paddle inside the alma?

"Those who are balance challenged just switch the ama to their preferred side."

For fairness, you should do the above. You will be faster when paddling away from the alma.

<< It is not perfect, but I think it is a great tool and DB paddlers should be happy that boat builders are trying to help them develope and train.>>

Ryan, spare us the marketing BS. We paddlers "should be happy"?? The "boat builders" aren't doing us any favors; they are just trying to sell another version of an OC-1 by capitalizing on the fear of tipping that many novice paddlers have.

Ryan, thanks for posting the information here. Please ignore the negative feedback... if people don't like the new boat, no one is forcing them to buy it.

Personally I agree with the suggestion that there shouldn't be a big learning curve for a dragon boat paddler who wants to try a normal OC-1, but if the new boat helps expose more dragon boat paddlers to small boats, then I think it is great.

If any of you think that this contraption will take away the advantage that an experienced OC-1 paddler has in an OC-1 time trial, guess again. In fact, an experienced OC-1 paddler will likely have more of an advantage in this new boat.

The wings on this new boat work like "training wheels" for a bicycle; that means that the optimum way to move this new boat it to balance it so that the wings barely (or don't) touch the water. An experienced OC-1 paddler will do this easily.

I don't understand the negativity in this thread.
Huki has come up with an interesting new training device and a lot of folks (outrigger purists?) are somehow against this?
How can it possibly be a bad development for the sport? If you don't like it, don't buy it. My team will certainly be checking out the prices, at least.
I have a lot of outrigger experience, too, but I am not afraid to test out new technology...

You can't "test out" this technology unless Huki sends you a loaner. Someone has to buy it.

And it looks silly. It's an OC-1 with training wheels!

I'm far from an OC-1 purist. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of using the OC-1 for individual DB testing because the seat positioning in an OC-1 is quite different. The hull of this new boat is really the same as an OC-1 anyway, so it's not any better of a testing/training device than an OC-1.

Ryan,
If you are interested in bringing it to Ottawa this year give us a call. We have a new set of docks off the beach and we could run free demos off it all day and let folks give it a go. If you are interested fire me an email at jbrooman@dragonboat.net and we can work out the logistics.
John

And John Brooman can get to paddle it for free...

It makes sense two scammers getting together, Ryan and John. Finally they meet

Imagine how bad it would be if people behaved in person the way they behave on this forum under their cloak of anonymity.

" In fact, I'm not a huge fan of using the OC-1 for individual DB testing because the seat positioning in an OC-1 is quite different."

For most of the "sit on tops" I would agree but the Albetros sitting position is very similar to a Dragon Boat.

What's an Albetros?

It's a sit in OC used by GWN at the Florida Camp available from http://www.kayaksport.net/boats/index-boats.htm
Not the fastest racing boat but durable and excellent cross trainer for dragon boat athletes.

There are pics here which show the seat position:
http://www.kayaksport.net/boats/index-boats.htm

As the poster above said, great for cross training, built to last, not competative in OC races.

That boat is garbage. Ask anyone that has one and get their opinion. Everyone I know that had one got rid of it or is upset that they were mislead

<<That boat is garbage. Ask anyone that has one and get their opinion. Everyone I know that had one got rid of it or is upset that they were mislead>>

Are you a Huki rep?

No I am not Huki rep and if you would know anything about outrigger you would know there is 1 Huki rep in Canada Ryan. So you are an idiot

Oh ya I was referring to the Albatross pile of ****

<< <br> No I am not Huki rep and if you would know anything about outrigger you would know there is 1 Huki rep in Canada Ryan. So you are an idiot>>

Maybe you're the U.S. Huki rep? : )

Did the drummer fall off the boat?

"That boat is garbage. Ask anyone that has one and get their opinion. Everyone I know that had one got rid of it or is upset that they were mislead"

Ok. I'll ask myself since I own one. Yup, good cross training boat, built to last, not useful for racing.