The OC designing team faced a very difficult task. The goal for the new design, STINGRAY, was to create a canoe that is very fast in flat conditions and still maintain the surfing ability of our latest designs Mantra and Axis. The solution was in the round "V" shaped hull with less volume then previous designs but maintaining the significant amount of the front aft rocker that was successful in the Mantra and Axis. We went through 4 prototypes, starting in April 2001.

The latest hull prototype was approved by our team of paddlers in September and we decided to improve the hull performance in gliding surfing speeds 12 miles /hour and higher by adding the sharp chimes. These sharp edges work like spoilers for water flow at higher speeds. This resulted in less water drag and faster performance while surfing. One of our team riders quoted: "I couldn't determine the maximum speed of this boat,, it keeps speeding up once your up on the bump". At that point we knew our mission was accomplished. We addressed some never before used features like a retractable leash, tearshape foam stationary seat with the bungee storage and a compartment for the drinking apparatus. A new AMA was shaped and tested. It rides forward about 5 inches more then our pervious deigns, this allows a more streamline shaped hull like this, more maneuverability.

Another new feature is the rear iako attachment into the AMA The iako enters the AMA vertically from the inside of the AMA In case of a heavy load on the AMA the iako is never submerged and doesn't slow the paddler down. We are very satisfied with the Stingrays performance, its overall look and new features. We hope you like it as well.