i built a pax20 a few years back and im almost done with a shearwater s&g 17 im just curius to hear opinions about the differences between the two . i paddled the pax for about 3 years but found it was really too much of a racing boat for my usual type of paddling
looks like i get to answer my own question.took the shearwater 17 out today for the first time and i loved it.so heres my 2cents lots of cockpit room .creature comfort seat was VERY comforatable . boat has excellent speed and takes very little effort to move along. if i was on flat water and paddling at a sprint pace the pax would be a little faster but for me i think any other situation i’ll make better time in the shearwater.the shearwater feels very stable to me not at all"twitchy" ive only ever owned the pax and a couple SOTs none of those ever responded to edging but this boat really does its a nice feature and reallyu aids in steering a course .i was out in about 25mph winds in a small bay and while i didnt need it for those conditions im glad i put a skeg in it i think under worse conditions it would come in handy
Greg, I’ve been curious about seaworthiness of kayaks similar to that of the shearwater. I too have a Pax-20. In rough waters or just large wakes it tends to take water into the cockpit from the sides. I prefer not to wear a spray skirt in the warmer months because they are just too warm. I have a Georgian Bay by Laughing Loon with a 25" beam. It does great, but I want something in between the Pax and the really wide beam boats. I’m seriously considering a Spring Run or Return by Redfish. They are about the same as the Shearwater in size. You said you paddled in 25 knts winds. How did it do?
the boat did great in a cross wind i had it out in the ocean in about 3 foot chop and it handles great ive got a light nylon skirt thats fine .in boat wakes and breaking waves youll need a spray skirt in any kayak this one does have about double the free board of the pax so it wont be as necessary you could try to get a nylon spray skirt with a zipper i had one for the pax and it worked pretty good in the florida heat. im really STOKED about this boat and would highly recomend it !