distinguish Noah AQII from Noah Aeroquatic
EE ABC
like Dagger does. Does anybody know how to distinguish and AQII from it's
predecessor the Aeorquatic?
Steve Cramer 542-5589
: When Vladimir Vanha was making the AQII he didn't print the big "AQII" on it
: like Dagger does. Does anybody know how to distinguish and AQII from it's
: predecessor the Aeorquatic?
I may be wrong (so what else is new), but I think that Vanha made the _AQ_,
not the AQII, which is what Dagger calls the boat they make to the same
design. In other words, if it has an "AQII" printed on it, it's an AQII; if
it's old, well-worn, and has a Noah emblem, it's an AQ.
Please feel free to set me straight.
Steve
john a. mcclenny
: When Vladimir Vanha was making the AQII he didn't print the big "AQII" on it
: like Dagger does. Does anybody know how to distinguish and AQII from it's
: predecessor the Aeorquatic?
The scoops on the front of the AQ II are more pronounced and the front
is a little pointier.
john mc
Pat Thoyts
>From: ee...@aol.com (EE ABC)
>Subject: distinguish Noah AQII from Noah Aeroquatic
>Date: 5 May 1994 08:36:01 -0400
>When Vladimir Vanha was making the AQII he didn't print the big "AQII" on it
>like Dagger does. Does anybody know how to distinguish and AQII from it's
>predecessor the Aeorquatic?
hehe the plastic in the Aeroquatic had poor uv protection properties or
whatever. There arn't very many surviving so you don't really need to tell!! :)
Three friends of mine had 'AQI' 's and all three had bad cracking and
splitting about 2 years ago. Only one is still beiing used and that bloke uses
a LOT of canoe tape :)
Pat Thoyts
John Arthur
boat designs, I need to set the record straight about Noah and Dagger AQ's.
When Vladimir Vanha first started producing the Aeroquatic (AQ) in
plastic, they came only in "Ferrari Red" color. The boat was instantly
popular at the Ocoee, but soon it became clear that the boats were being
made with too little plastic; they cracked easily. So Vladimir started
making them with more plastic, and in a variety of solid or blended colors.
This was the height of the first AQ era. The AQ's were famous for being
comfortable, great for playing in holes, and easy to roll (compared to the
primary competition at the time, the Perception Dancer). Then the Noah
headquarters (Vladimir's barn) burned down, destroying a huge inventory of
boats. Vladimir went bankrupt.
A year or so later, Vladimir was back with a new boat, the AQ2. This
boat had a redesigned bow which helped to improve the biggest drawbacks of
the original design, the slow hull speed and tendency to perl under when bow
surfing. The AQ2 will still not win awards for speed, and it's no longer
the best playboat around, but it remains the most comfortable boat on the
river, and really shines as an expedition boat since it handles very well
when loaded down with gear.
Vladimir was having his boats made at Dagger's factory, so when he
decided to move back to Eastern Europe to find artistic freedom, he sold the
design to Dagger. Dagger cleaned up the mold, changed the seat a bit, and
started using wild colors, but the boat they sell is still basically
Vladimir's design.
Distinguishing between an AQ and an AQ2 made by Noah is easily done by
examining the grab loops. The grab loops on an AQ are each made of a closed
loop passing through a single hole in the end of the boat. Each end of each
grab loop on an AQ2 passes through its own hole and is tied off (two holes
per grab loop). All the boats made by Dagger are AQ2's.
John Arthur
Stanford, CA
BRIAN MICHAEL LUCY
This is only partially true. The last few years that AQ's were made they
were roto-molded, which prevents cracking and the sort. These boats are
MUCH stronger than the original AQ's. I have paddled these boats for the
last 4 years on all kind of water and find them a great all-around boat.
I haven't gotten the chance to paddle an AQII yet but I have seen them and
there are some design differences. First of all, on the bottom of the
boat Dagger cut deeper and broader lines (gouges, I don't know what to
call them, I guess they help in tracking) whereas the original only had 2
which ran straight along the bottom. Secondly, the cockpit is much more
keyhole and the AQII has a standard Dagger seat with better knee bracers.
You can't go wrong with a II but if you can find an original roto-molded
AQ I'm sure it would be a better deal $ wise.
brian
>
>
scott....@att.net
> When Vladimir Vanha was making the AQII he didn't print the big "AQII" on it
> like Dagger does. Does anybody know how to distinguish and AQII from it's
Good information for the most part on the AQ but in fact after Vladimir's original place burnt down or possibly before he had found a plastic manufacturer up North that made blow-molded containers. It is this company that he used to make most of the AQ's and they were blow molded just like Prijon's process albiet without as much quality. Blow molding did and still does produce a stronger bond of material and thus a stronger boat if done correctly than rotational molding. The latter AQ II's were roto molded and beefed up in areas where needed so they did tend to be stronger than the thin skinned blow molded AQ's. Most of his final boats were marketed and sold by Ken Kastorff at Endless River Adventures on the Nantahala River to my recollection and I guess these were the ones Dagger was molding for him before he moved back overseas. All his designs were ahead of their time and great boats for paddlers big and small. My toes are still damaged from all the enders in the surf I used to do with my AQ.