Carbonology Pulse

Any feedback from paddlers who have tried the Pulse?

Thanks!

I have one on order & it should arrive in the next couple of weeks so I'll write my highly subjective review on it after a few paddles if no other reviews are forthcoming in the meantime.
Waiting for a new boat is not easy!

What are the specs ? Nothing on the Carbonology websites (AU or international). Any pics ? Beginner, intermediate or elite ski ? Low volume ?

I have not paddled one, but what I've been told is that it's a scaled down version of the Flash, for smaller/lighter paddlers. Supposed to be somewhat more stable than the Flash, but not Vault stable. Sounds interesting . . .

Thanks. Looking for a low volume intermediate ski for my wife (<60kg).

She's tried new and old 10L, Spark and SES, just a little beyond her at this stage.

Look forward to the review and any info whether a demo boat is available in Sydney.

Length-6.1 width-44.5 low volume, more stable than the Atom less stable than Vault and lower sides, lower hump and narrower at the catch than the others. Given that it's just under 45 width would be classed as an elite I suppose.

Hi Portmanm, if it's any help, an upgraded Vault with the same cockpit as the pulse is due for release sometime 2015 so I've been told. Malcolm Hall in Sydney should know more and would be able to arrange a go in a Pulse. (0414491460)

I picked up a Pulse a bit over a month ago and have been enjoying getting to grips with it. I bought it primarily as a K1 replacement that I could take on the sea on small days.

Not sure I have the the experience to call this a review (been paddling a V8 for just under a year and stable K1s for a few months longer)...just some observations really.

I demo'ed the Spark, SES and V10L so I'll try and give a bit of comparison.

Stability

I'd put the primary stability at just less than something like a Kirton Tor, so maybe stability 5. Gets noticeably twitchier with the weedless rudder fitted (especially if you paddle at night with no moon...). Secondary definitely gets you out of trouble and I've been able to take it out in small chop and surf close to shore, without falling out.

I think it has a similar feel to the Spark, and noticeably tippier than the V10L.

Steering

I love the wire + rope setup. Much more direct. No spongy feeling like the V8 tends to have. Easier to adjust than the all wire system on the Spark. Not sure why SA boats always have a rudder cover that needs tools though (flat bladed screwdriver in this case)?

Both rudders seem to work well. The surf rudder is responsive in the bump and the weedless rudder sheds plantlife just as it should, and still turns the boat well enough to get round in a narrow canal.

Speed & Handling

I'm still not completely stable in the boat, so I'm nowhere near getting the full performance. Highest peak speed on the flat is 14.8kph, with 14kph easily reached in a sprint.

Over distance on the flat I'm presently getting around 10.7 - 11kph and took around a minute off my best K1 (stability 8) time trial over a 3 mile course, despite a lot of bracing and wobbling.

The narrow catch is just like the Spark and the Tor. At about 75kg I find the boat much less affected by strong sidewinds compared to paddling in the V8, suggesting the bow is sunk sufficiently into the water.

Remount

Definitely challenging, I maybe manage one successful remount in 5 still. No doubt I need a lot more practice but the cockpit is very deep and the final 'getting the bum down' part is where it usually fails.

I'm not sure the cockpit sides need to be so high? Comparatively, I managed to remount the Spark after a couple of attempts on only the first paddle. The V10L had much much lower sides and I would guess would be much simpler to remount.

Comfort

With a 30in waist, I fit the cockpit comfortably, with just a few mm of play. If you're much larger you might struggle. Possibly slightly larger than the Spark (which was very snug), while the V10L was a fair bit wider. The SES (old version) was snug at the hips but a I had little contact with the sides of my calves.

Leg length is better than on most skis for a short arse (5'6" with short legs), but it's still on the closest adjustment. So this is more a lightweight's boat rather than for short people.

The hump is also fairly high and does slightly restrict leg drive, but not to the degree that I found in the Spark, where my calves were immobile against the hump at all times. Again the V10L & SES are much more short persons boats in this regard - I had a few more notches on the length range and the hump felt almost non-existent in both.

Build Quality

Build quality seems good throughout and I haven't had any cause to worry so far.

I would say that cosmetically it maybe a small step down from the Epic & Stellar boats, and better than the Fenn - there are a few rough edges around through skin fittings and some noticeable asymmetry in other fittings. Nothing major though.

The footboard appears very well made and there's no squeaking (distracting on the V8)

Draining

The boat has double bullets and drains at a similar speed to the V8 as far as I can tell. The drains have non-return valves that work well in keeping the water out when stopped, though small bits of weed interfere with them. More of a problem paddling inland though.



All in all I'm very pleased with the boat. It looks great, fits me and undoubtedly challenges me to improve. It's beyond my skill level to race on the sea (the V10L would probably be a more attainable target), but for the flatwater use that was my intention it is perfect.

I just wanted to bump this thread and see, are there are new/further thoughts from Pulse owners?
I'm thinking of getting one, but there aren't any around here to try out. I'm 67kg, 183cm tall and currently paddling an elite sl. I'm pretty interested in getting into something shorter/lower volume. It feels pretty risky to order a boat I've not tried or looked at, but it sounds like a great boat and is more affordable than a (relatively) locally available uno/v11/spark/560m. Any incite or experiences would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Hi Candasurfskiguy,

I just sold the boat last summer. Much of what I wrote above is still my view of the boat.

I never really got confident enough in it to take it on the sea but it has been used for flatwater racing and training (often 4-5 days a week).

I got a lot faster in it (think sprint speeds of over 17kph) and similar steady speed to what I can manage in tippier K1s.

I think the only difference from above is that I came to think the build quality was a bigger step down. While part of that may be luck and just so much use it also seemed like the boat went very soft around the cockpit in only a few months and seams cracked in various areas, which I haven't experienced with the epic and stellar boats.

I was hoping to hear whether your perspective had changed much.

Were the cracks just in the gel coat or did they require repairs? My old v10L got quite a few of those spider cracks in the gel coat, which I never tried to repair.
Which layup did you have?

thanks

The spider cracks in the seam did seem to weaken it with quite a few small chunks coming off. That said, the boat never seemed to take on water.

I had the hybrid layup one.

The other observation over what I wrote above is that it seemed much more manouvreable than other skis of the same length. It perhaps has a bit more rocker than comparable boats.