{"id":26077,"date":"2017-10-31T19:13:22","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T19:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unsponsored.co.uk\/press\/?p=26077"},"modified":"2017-10-31T19:42:38","modified_gmt":"2017-10-31T19:42:38","slug":"skirt-covert-going-deckless-oc1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unsponsored.co.uk\/press\/skirt-covert-going-deckless-oc1\/","title":{"rendered":"From Skirt To Covert – Going Deckless In An OC1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before 2014, I\u2019d only seen a Pyranha Spanish Fly and a Big Dog OC1 on the rivers around Scotland. They looked weird and I didn\u2019t like the idea of swamping and kneeling when I could have a comfy kayak seat and a spraydeck. After stumbling across a group of OC1ers in Glen Etive one New Year\u2019s Eve, I really had my eyes opened to the C-boat world, albeit a rather mad one! After enjoying open canoeing for the past few years and becoming impartial to the single blade, I\u2019ve recently decided to take the plunge with a Silverbirch Covert 9.3. <\/p>\n

\"From<\/p>\n

This is what I think of it so far\u2026<\/p>\n

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It gets called \u201cthe tub\u201d and \u201cthe bug boat\u201d but the Covert 9.3 is proving itself to be a finely tuned, forgiving and boofy speed machine. Despite looking like a hunk of heavy plastic, the deck is beautifully finished with ash gunnels and thwarts, adding style to functionality. The level of confidence this boat gives you is surprising, having \u201csurvived\u201d paddling experiences in a converted Dagger Atom and an old Dagger Detonator, the Covert makes you feel well looked after.<\/p>\n

The Covert is just over 9-foot but UK based Silverbirch also make a larger 10-foot OC1 with tandem capability and are releasing an 11-foot \u201cRebel\u201d soon. Also made in the UK are the Hou Canoes Dropzone OC1s which look bomber on harder white water. Pyranha\/Venture import a variety of L\u2019Esquif boats from the USA where there is a thriving OC1 community.<\/p>\n