SCUD = FUN

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

That's the easiest way for me to say I like the SCUD, it's fun to paddle. More fun than any other boat I've had. I'm just a Class II boater who likes to surf and catch eddies, not a skilled play boater or hairy creeker. The SCUD is so forgiving that I have been able to play harder in it than any other boat. It's so stable when it's leaned over on edge that it feels like it has training wheels out there to keep you from messing up. Don't get the wrong idea, I've been for a lot of swims out of it, but it gives me the confidence to try stuff I wouldn't in other boats. The high volume keeps the bow from being forced down much when surfing, something that used to put me upsidedown often. The short length allows the boat to maneuver easily on a wave, including spinning. The bottom is flat and the edges are sharp, something that can cause average boaters like me to turn over frequently. Not so for the SCUD because of the deep, flat sides. They act like training wheels and pause the tipping long enough for you to brace yourself back up. You can use those sharp edges to catch small eddies in fast current, a maneuver that may also be helped by the secondary stability training wheel effect if you tip. Those same edges let you hold a ferry angle to carve across current. Average paddlers can even drop into waves sideways with the leading edge down, smack the wave with the deep side of the boat, and stop in the trough to surf. The skill required for that is much lower in a SCUD than any other boat I've paddled. If you like to paddle small creeks, you'll find the SCUD is short enough to maneuver through the squeaky spots. Cost is reasonable; my boat is holding up well after 18 months of fun. I have paddled it without incident on runs I really am not comfortable on, upper Richland Creek and the Cossatot between Ed Banks and the Falls, and on lots of Class II rivers and creeks that provided lots of grins. Now, the bad news: the SCUD is slow. The mile and a half of lake at the end of the Hill Creek run almost killed me. All the other boats walked away from me and I had to paddle HARD to stay near them. You will have to work hard in pools to keep up with your buddies in longer boats. That is not ususally a big problem unless you paddle rivers with long pools and your buddies are impatient. The fun I have in the rapids more than makes up for the work I have to put out in the pools.

Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan