My Oc1 canoe of choice is the Mike Giblin Hawaiian designed "Hurricane". This Carbon composite sandwich Oc1 is now made in China and is the most popular canoe here in Australia and available from importer Chris Maynard of "Paddling Promotions" on the Gold Coast Qld.
This canoe suits me as i am 70 kgs and the conditions here "Down Under" are very similar to the waters the Hurricane was designed for in Hawai'i ..... very fast in flat water and upwind, but still able to surf downwind in seas up to 3 meters. Having said that i have found that there is an extended learning curve with the Hurricane, as any one canoe cannot be designed to do all things equally well. If you put in the water time on this canoe and learn how to make it "sing", it will reward you with an exceptional ride.
In longer races over the 2hrs mark, the seat on the Hurricane can get a little uncomfortable with pressure on the Sciatic nerve, so i have modified the original seat to suit my butt and now have no problems in 4hr+ iron races. The modification still allows hip twist. Those with wider butts may need to carve out the sides of the foam to suit. Try it for a while first though, as the foam does conform to your shape after a few long paddles.
Seat Mod (click to enlarge)
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