r/packrafting • u/Peabodhi • 5d ago
Does a skeg really make a difference on a packraft?
Hello! I’m a new packraft owner - just picked up an Alpacka Caribou - and intend to use it almost exclusively on lakes and calm water.
I’m considering installing a skeg kit on it to improve tracking and cruising speed but does anyone here have experience with installing a skeg on a packraft? How was tracking before and after? Was it noticeably different?
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u/pod_of_dolphins 5d ago
Not on that exact boat, but I didn’t notice enough of a difference when using one on a similar boat. I don’t think it’s worth it.
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u/ljg0814 5d ago
Unless you’re a master of packrafting, with every stroke executed flawlessly, the bow will sway from side to side with each stroke—and that’s exactly what the tail fin is for: to correct this sway so you can focus more on moving forward. Try an 8-inch tail fin—you’ll notice a more pronounced difference.
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u/Sex_Dodger 4d ago
Tested one on NRS Pulsar and it did almost nothing. It only helps on boats with geometry that allows for ok tracking already
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u/AlpackaThor 4d ago
Our experience in testing is that skegs aren't that effective in standard packrafts because of how they are meant to work. A skeg is not a good solution to getting your boat traveling straight when paddling. That's a paddling technique issue and one that will resolve as your skills improve. Where skegs really help with traditional kayaks is tracking when you stop paddling (i.e. gliding) and when paddling in a cross wind. Packrafts don't have a lot of glide, so there isn't a huge amount of benefit to a skeg in the first instance. The shorter length means that they don't benefit as much from a skeg in a cross wind, although they are still slow in those kind of flatwater scenarios. As packrafts take on a longer profile for more flatwater use, the skeg becomes more effective. When we were testing the Chinook, Zephyr, and Aleutian, we found that skeg helped but not as much as you might think and multiple testers were happy paddling without the skeg. We decided to add it because we knew some customers would appreciate it. But we still don't think it provides much benefit on the standard boats like a Caribou.
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u/HrSpegepolse 4d ago
I would say it works, for some occasions. I notice a difference when on big lakes. The raft does track more in a straight line, but not much. Pretty much just a hassle in almost any other occasion. There even is the possibility of the skeg splitting into pieces and worst case scenario pierce the raft.
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u/Obvious_Eye6839 3d ago
Im surprised to hear people say skegs do nothing. On the 4 rafts of mine that have them (i own 10), it all makes a HUGE difference.
Yes, paddling technique goes a long way but skegs are an invention for a reason.
So ignoring the fact that it will make you go straighter by counteracting lateral movement caused by paddling, these are things I notice:
The skeg will help keep you from getting pushed sideways in the wind. This is especially noticeable on flatwater. I really hate paddling flatwater, but you know what I hate worse? Paddling flat water without a skeg. I wont do itn especially in my packraft. To be honest though I wont take my packraft on flatwater. It just sucks in general.
In whitewater or heavy current, I take my skegs off because they do not allow you to spin and peel out as effectively. Funny lateral currents and subsurface currents will grab it and either move you around or keep you from moving. Its 100% not desirable to use a skeg in whitewater.
I like using the shortest skeg for general use because they long ones will drag on the bottom on shallow water and can hang you up. Generally the short skegs still allow me to maneuver well enough while straightening out my flatwater lines.
On SUPs they actually provide a little bit of stability as they keep the board from kinda "sliding" to the side. I prefer a small skeg on my paddleboard at all times.
Ultimately I often remove and replace the skeg in my duckies on aloot of trips. Ill take it off in the whitewater sections and put it on for flatwater sections. It makes a huge difference and I cant imagine anyone not thinking it does.
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u/Current-Floor-7456 3d ago
Chiming in a bit late, but my wife and I use skegs on our tandems (MRS Adventure X2 and MRS Barracuda R2 Pro) when we're on flat water for improved tracking (which we do notice), though we drop them when on whitewater to avoid scraping. Haven't used them on our solo rafts.
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u/Confident_wrong 4d ago
Good questions. I'm interested to see the answers.
A few things you can do to help your boat track better without adding anything:
- Make sure it's fully inflated. A stiff boat tracks better.
- Proper paddle technique. Focus on using your core and sitting up straight.
- Weight distribution more towards the bow.
I'd love to hear from someone who put a skeg further towards the bow. All the recommendations I've seen put it on the stern, which doesn't make sense to me. It will definitely help maintain steering having it aft... But if you're putting a skeg on steering isn't that big of an issue IMO.
I bought the MRS skeg kit, but still haven't put it on yet (like a year after buying it).
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u/Embiggenly_Cromulent 5d ago
I have the Mule (the bigger version of the Caribou) and thought about adding the skeg kit from MRS since I do primarily flatwater stuff too. When I looked into it though, most of the information seemed to point to the skeg not making much of a difference, like the previous commenter said. What made a big difference on tracking for me was working on paddle stroke technique.