Outlaw Rampage Arrived!

[michaelnel]

My NFO / Dave Scadden Outlaw Rampage arrived this morning. I inflated it as far as I can with my crappy pump (Metro Magic Air) and it's probably at about 1/2 lb.

I have an LVM pump, Kwik Gauge and K-Pump 200 on order, but they're not here yet. The thing is sitting 1/2 inflated in my hallway right now, sure looking forward to getting it on the water!

I am also waiting for a set of Scadden's CF oars... the ones that come with the boat are serviceable, but the CF ones will be so much nicer.
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[flygoddess]

RIGHT ON!!!! Welcome to the OUTLAWS...did I mention you now have to wear a red bandana around your arm....LOL
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[michaelnel]

Do I have to wear it all the time, or can I take it off while I sleep?

I've had some time after work to check this boat out a little more, and I am very impressed. It's really well made.

The seat is all cloth though, there is no metal at all in it. It will be interesting to see how it holds up to a day of fishing. I can't tell too much yet because as I mentioned, the pump I need to top it off hasn't arrived yet and it is rather... uhhhhh..... flaccid right now.
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[flygoddess]

No steel struts up the back sides?




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[michaelnel]

Ooops! Yes, you are right and I was wrong. The steel struts are there. I guess I was looking for something more substantial and didn't notice them.

Did you find that seat to be pretty comfy? It's very thin, only about 1/2" thick, but then on my boat it is sitting on top of that inflated floor that is 7 or 8" thick, so that will likely add some comfort.

Oh, that and the 50lbs of fat on my butt, that should help too.

Thanks!
Michael

PS: It did NOT come with the bag, I was mistaken there too. I ordered the bag and a patch kit today. I think the bag will be worthwhile to keep the whole mess together in the car, and to protect the boat from junk in the car.
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[flygoddess]

You will have to let me know what the bag looks like. Mine is black and about 4' long by 32" wide (for the frame). I would think you can get by with a smaller bag.
Look forward to reviews.

Oh, I love that seat, and at the time, I had a boney bum....don't worry about that now, LOL
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[michaelnel]

The bag I ordered is this one. I don't know the dimensions but will measure it when it arrives. I'm sure it's too big, but it will allow me to put the oars and pumps and maybe the Omega fins too.
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[flygoddess]

Okay, I thought that was the bag we were getting as well, but nope. Like I said ours are black and not the PVC coated cloth.
I am so excited for you!!!!
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[michaelnel]

Funny, in the little place where I live there is no place big enough to put the boat down on the floor flat, it has to stand on its side in the hallway. So I can't lay it down and adjust the seat straps for my leg length and stuff. I guess after my pumps arrive today I can get it fully up to pressure and then bring it outside to do the rest of the setup.

It sure does look HUGE in my hallway! []
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[peter805]

Congrats !!!

Best of luck with your new boat.

Peter
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[michaelnel]

Thanks Peter. I may take it out to San Pablo Dam Reservoir this weekend. It's liable to be raining but I'd be in waders and rain jacket anyway, and rainy days can be good fishing days.

Gotta get this thing wet!

BTW, that K-pump works great! I had ordered the K200 but they sent me the K100. That may be a good thing since I have an LVM pump to fill the major volume and the K100 works really well for topping off (way, way easier than with the cheap double action pumps), and the K100 fits perfectly in one of the Rampage's side pockets.
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[peter805]

I know how you feel about getting your new ride wet.
Now, now , now- trust me, I know []
Best of luck and take some pictures.

Peter
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[michaelnel]

I'm going to go tomorrow rain or shine. Unfortunately, although NFO told me my CF oars would be shipping yesterday or the day before when I ordered them, it turns out they don't have any. Yesterday NFO told me their supplier (Sawyer) had been telling them "2-3 days" for a couple weeks.

I wish they would just be up front and say "They're out of stock right now and we have no idea when they will be in.".

Oh well. I hav the cheesy stock $3.99/pr aluminum ones that come standard with the boat, and between those and my flipfins I ought to be able to get around.
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[flygoddess]

I wouldn't say Carlisle Oars are lacking in any aspect

http://www.google.com/products?client=sa...CCkQrQQwAg

Up till last year, they are all I ever used.

If the supplier was tell Dave 2-3 days and he passed that on to you...well, I guess he had more faith in the supplier than he should have, is all.
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[michaelnel]

These aren't Carlisles. These are the same ones they use on WaterStrider boats, in fact all of the oar hardware (oars, oarlocks, oar keeper clips) on these frameless NFO boats is that same stuff.

They'll work, but they are nowhere near Carlisle/Cataract/Sawyer quality.
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[michaelnel]

Well, it's Saturday morning. It's raining. Boat's packed up in my car along with my fishing gear, and I am typing this while wearing my waders and boots. I'm leaving in about 15 minutes, gotta try this puppy out. Hopefully the crappy weather will keep most of the powerboat loonies off the lake today.

I'll report back when I return.
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[michaelnel]

Fishing wasn't much good (caught & released one 12" rainbow), but everything else was pretty great!

The LVM inflator / deflator pumps those five chambers up real fast and deflates them so the skin of the boat is pretty much flat, makes it easier to fold up.

The K-pump K100 pump topped off the pressure quickly and the Kwik-Gauge verified it at 3PSI.

I have some reservations about the Omega Navigator fins. They are SUPER hard to latch and unlatch, and I almost fell out of the boat trying to latch and unlatch them. No amount of kicking would lock them if they were flipped up, and no amount of pressure from the other foot would lock them down either. I had to cross my leg across the other and use both hands to operate the latch. It's a neat idea in principle, but they are way too hard to operate, IMO., especially when the Outlaw's foot bar is there. On the other hand they are easy to kick and provide great propulsion. I took them off after a while and just rowed.

The standard oars do suck pretty bad. The plastic paddle surface rattles around, the joint where the two halves go together wobbles, and they wobble on the oarlock pin. Lots and lots of slop in the system. In spite of that, it was pretty easy to row the boat along at a pretty good clip. I could do without all the rattling and wobbling of the oars, but they manage to work pretty well. Dave Scadden says the CF ones work three times as well, so they will certainly be a pleasure to use.

The boat itself is awesome. It tracks straight and sits high in the water. My ass is completely out of the water, in fact even my knees are just barely in the water when using the fins. When using the oars, my feet are up on the cross bar (wihich is not out of the water BTW, your heels and lower legs drag when rowing.

That 1/2" thick seat is very comfy, the side bags work very well. The boat packs up pretty small when I have deflated it with the LVM, and fits in my little Honda Civic's tiny trunk along with the oars, pumps, anchor, and all my fishing gear.

I'm super pleased with the boat and am very glad I bought it. Pretty sure my pram is going up for sale now.
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[michaelnel]

I met Dave Scadden this morning at the Pleasanton, CA Fly Fishing show. Very nice guy. He said he has a tracking number for the CF oars coming from Sawyer, and they should arrive Tuesday.

Hope they can ship them right out to me.

He had a pair of the new version of the oars on an Outlaw Challenger there at the show so I got a good look at them. The blades are very cool. They are asymmetrical, and have the bottom edge cut off at an angle. This makes them work better in shallow water, and helps the oarsman avoid that irritating "catch" with the bottom corner of a blade catching the water on the return stroke.

They are also foam filled, and Dave says if you let go of the oars the blades will float the oar right up on the surface.
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[flygoddess]

That sounds killer. I haven't seen the new oars I guess. And the oars you received, I have never seen.
I ordered the CF oars with my boat, but my hubby already had some cf's so his came with the regular Carlisles, that is why I though you got them, but you have a different oar system all together.

I did take a picture of the bag for our Outlaws and Yes, the whole boat including oars fit in it.


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[michaelnel]

When I get the new oars I will take some pictures of them and post them here. They really are unique looking, and when I think about the shape I am pretty sure they are going to really work well.

I saw the bag for mine at the show too, and it is the one I posted a picture of. It will make a pretty small package.
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