I have a Pungo and a Tsunami
The Pungo and the Swifties in my fleet can’t go everywhere the Tsunami can but the Tsunami can go anywhere they can but even then the Pungo gets a fair bit of paddling every year because yes, sometimes it’s nice to put the toes in the water and not every trip needs two bulkheads and the re-entry skills
I got a lot of miles out of the Taunami and made several advances in my skills before dropping even more money on longer and lighter boats for more challenging conditions and I still think of the Tsunami as my daily driver type boat, unless I’m canoeing.
You will find the Tsunami is in another class from the Pungo so someone paddling a pungo would be working hard to keep up.
My advice to you, in paddling and in everything else, is make it as enjoyable for your wife as possible and you will do it a lot more. If the Tsunami does not work for her then keep it for yourself and spend some $$ on her boat, something comparable or better.
Something else to consider is good paddles. Consider about $140 for a good entry level paddle such as Aquabound. When you settle on boats invest in decent paddle, at least for her if money is tight. Boat width affects required paddle length.
I’m down to 12 kayaks and 7 canoes, 3 boats should not be considered excessive.
Nope
You are still not getting it. Your wife will have a far more physically difficult time powering the pungo 140 than the tsunami. So you put her in the easiest boat for her to power, the tsunami, and you take the pungo 140. The tsunami is plenty well sized for her to pull her legs out, l am about 3 inches shorter but heaviet of the arse these days. I do it in much smaller scale boats every time I launch and land. And stay near shore anyway, and if wind comes up while you are on the water you can't change boats on the water too safely with a pungo anyway. It is quite doable with a sea kayak, l have done it.
Celia’s spot on
I have a keyhole cockpit 16.5" wide and it’s easy to pull out my legs and hang them off the side.
A good balance exercise while you’re sitting in your cockpit is to do a full 360-degree circle with your legs hanging off the side.
Keeping up
Hey TyanTa, I think it’s great that you’re getting out there. I also think the boats you have will suit you fine for starters following the restrictions pointed out above. Regarding sizing, your wife is fortunate to be tall so deck height and foot pegs shouldn’t be an issue for her. She is light though at 130lbs and would require a lower volume hull for her to engage it properly. You mentioned a Tsunami 125, I’d be looking to get your wife a faster boat than yours rather than a slower one to keep everybody happy. Maybe a Venture Islay 14 LV or if she wanted a long boat a Tempest 165.
If you want to do a little reading on fit on different models check out this web site. http://frontenac-outfitters.com/kayaks/ They are a kayak retailer but they list suggested weights in the description of all the kayaks they sell. I find it a good resource and their weights seem to allow for some room for gear too.
And on paddles…
Get the lower powered person a smaller size blade, not a bigger one. That is another common mistake - guys thinking that they need to get wife of girlfriend a huge blade size so they can keep up.
But it is too much resistance in the water, and it ends up being much slower. As well as doing a job of the smaller person’s joints. So go for a mid-sized blade for your wife, if anything smaller than yours. She can paddle with a faster cadence and be effectively as fast or faster as far as paddle power goes.
The boat is as above - the narrower the hull the easier it’ll be for her to power the boat.
Celia first post was dead on right
Pungos are not for Georgian Bay period!!
Another note on Tsunami kayaks. My friend who loans out boats to get NEW people into kayaking on a regular basis uses Tsunami’s to do exactly that. Puts people who have NEVER kayaked before into Tsunami’s all the time. No problem doing so. People from ages of 14 to 70.
Sell both pungos get another Tsunami for the wife, maybe a 120 or 135.
I have 3 boats for different uses but
sometimes it is hard to decide. I recently got a Pungo 140 and it can’t be beat for flat water and comfort. I love WS phase 3 seats.Great river boat. I am 6’5"/ 230 lbs and the cockpit feels too deep to me.
My everwhere boat is Tarpon 160 SOT, which is why I think the Pungo is deep.
I have had the 160 in some nasty ocean stuff I hope to never see again down to a 12’ wide creek.At 16’ , the turns were interesting.
The last is an 18’ surf ski I may never tame.
I’ve gone through a dozen boats to get to this point and think I’m done, but my wife and friends disagee.
Anyway, a Pungo 140 is too big for your wife.
Listen
to Celia.
wow
There’s a lot of good replies and back and forth on this post. I am new to kayaking this year and in late March my friend and I purchased our first kayaks. Based on where we live and the type of water we have to travel it was recommended we go with recreational kayaks. The place we bought the kayaks from gave us many option and narrowed it down to Current Designs Solara 13.5, Pungo 140, and Jackson Tupelo 12.5. We tried many kayaks before we purchased and I can say our least favorite was the Pungo, and after talking to others on message boards we were steered clear from this craft. So, in the end he went with the Solar and I went with the Jackson. We both seem to be happy with our purchases. Bottom Line: Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, opinions of others are great. But you have to be in a kayak that you feel comfortable, safe and secure in. Best of luck in your decision.
first day in
I want to do a longer reply to address everyone but I'm on my phone - just wanted to comment on the first day on the water.
We decided to take both 140s as we knew she could ha dle the 120.
On the note of paddles, we both have aqua-bound paddles.
As everyone pointed out, Celia nailed it. Our friends showed up with a Necky Manitou 13 and an Dagger Atlantis 16' sea kayak. Needless to say the Pungo was the slowest.
I really liked the Tsunami but quickly traded out for the Pungo so my wife got to try it. I was still faster than her with me in the Pungo but she mentioned the angle paddling the Pungo irritated an old shoulder injury that wasn't noticeable in the Tsunami. She tried the necky and likes it as well (aside from the seat).
I think we will be looking for another Tsunami. I'll have to do some research and see which one would be a better fit for her. That or, as everyone keeps mentioning, some faster boat that has equal stability.
Tsunami 140
I have one and it’s a very capable boat for what I do. I had it out on lake Erie in some nasty stuff and it handles well and stays dry.
My wife has a Necky Manitou 14 and it’s nice too; actually more similar than different. I like the tsunami more but often switch back and forth.
My usual paddle is a 4-10 mile lap around the harbor. Cruise speed around 4 mph average.
Note in stability
Glad you found out earlier rather than later what kind of boats will work better.
But do not judge stability by how a boat feels to you. Even at a taller height, someone your wife’s weight can feel very stable in something that would feel to you like you were trying to balance a 2 by 4. I know, I am her weight.
In the category of boats you are looking at, around 23 to 24 inch wide, you would have to make an effort to find something that would feel unstable to her after she had a little seat time. The same boat might put you into the water within 10 ft of shore, but as been said boats are designed for an intended paddler size. And you two are not the same size.
So believe the manufacturer if they say a boat that is an inch narrower than the Tsunami 140 has fine stability for your wife. They are right.
To gain the most enjoyment from
paddling, imho you two should think about enrolling in some beginner paddling(kayak) lessons, wherever. You won't regret it.
Once you two gain a level of skill in balance and command of your paddling strokes...choosing that kayak for you will be that much easier.
After this weekend…
1) We definitely want to take lessons. My wife had some basic rescue lessons years and years ago. I just want to make sure I have proper form etc. We were out on the water over 6 hours this weekend and not once did I feel tired in either Pungo or Tsunami 140.
2) Aside from ‘fit’ for my wife’s kayak, we’re trying to determine what other variables are at play. For someone 5’7, would length of paddle matter much? Both of ours are 230cm. Technique also is a question, addressed by point 1.
3) I’m hooked. If it weren’t for others, I likely would have been out all day, every day this weekend. Now I just need to get my wife there 
4) Side question: do any of you dog owners bring them along? If so, how? (We don’t have dogs but our friends do and my mom is wondering the same.
@ Celia, what kayak(s) do you use and for what type(s) of water?
If your wife is paddling the Tsunami,
she might prefer a 220cm paddle, rather than 230cm.
Now to get your wife into the game…
In sequence on your questions -
1) Yes to lessons, by a disinterested third party to whom you pay money. Biggest buzz killer I have seen on the water is the husband trying to take over "helping" his wife.
2) Hardly anyone paddles touring kayaks with 230 cm paddles any more, which is why you can find very decent ones cheap on EBay. Paddle length varies based on the style of paddling and the width of the boat and the size of the person. But I would not be surprised if someone took a good look at your wife in a boat like the Tsunami and recommended a 215 cm paddle. She is a bit taller than me, and if it is in the torso that means she can keep a paddle clear of knocking the boat more easily than I can. And I paddle a 205 cm for my sea kayaks.
Length of paddle matters a lot, as does weight and apt blade size to the power of the paddler. High angle paddles can be shorter than low angle paddles, if you take lessons these days oddds are high you will be shown high angle paddling. The better the fit the easier the paddle and the less likely to cause joint damage. Those $400 paddles are worth it after a few hundred thousand strokes.
3) Get her a faster kayak than yours - best advice you got above. It appears you like to drive forward and you will either need to give her a speed advantage or slow down. Or both.
4) No dogs in sit inside kayaks. If you want to bring a dog, get a SOT or a canoe.
I think my boats are in my profile, but what I use for sea kayaking is primarily a P&H Vela, then an NDK Romany for days that I need to be very conservative on safety and I still have but don't much use these days an NDK Explorer LV. Bopth of the latter two boats are too big for me in volume, but the Romany is just one of those all around flexible boats even if it isn't fast. My goal is to get my paddling back solid enough to take out the Nordkapp LV that my husband had, but for that I need to get the roll tuned back in on both sides. Still too big for me in volume, but it is a slick boat thru the water and can make up for that as long as I am not trying to break any speed records.
I paddle Maine ocean, inland lakes and rivers when not in Maine, have paddled coast of RI and CT but not in a while. Wouldn't mind getting back there next season.
If I were to buy a new boat right now, or pick up a recent used one, two on my list would be the NDSK Pilgrim boats or the smaller P&H Aries. If I was looking for a plastic boat to pick up relatively cheap to mess around in sloppy fun stuff, the smaller Wilderness Systems Alchemy. All of the above should be correctly sized for me and run a bit shorter on length than a full length major tripping boat.
If speed is an issue, you do not want to go to a boat that is high in playability. Hull shape that favors high maneuverability is a speed killer.
Paddles & Dogs
I’m 6’0", “normally” proportioned, and a high angle paddler. I use a 210 paddle (a bent shaft Werner Cyprus) on the advice of an instructor who I really trust. I think a 230 is probably quite a bit too long for your wife unless she paddles low angle and/or has a long torso.
I can just see putting a small, well behaved dog in a cockpit as big as a Pungo’s but I don’t think I’d really recommend it.
Started researching Alchemy
So I started to look at the Alchemy and found a used one for sale. Curiously, the Frontenac Outfitters website pegs the upper weight limit at 140lbs for the 14s while the 14l starts at 165lbs. Seems like a bit of a gap in their lineup.
With my wife in at around 135lbs (I guess I was a smidge conservative with my initial estimate) that doesn’t leave much wiggle room.
That detail aside, I was pretty excited by the prospect of the Alchemy as its efficiency on the site is rated 6.5 vs my Tsunami’s 5.
Now I see the Stratos which from what I can tell is similar, just with a bit more room. I have found a used Alchemy 14s but it’s a good drive away; I’d like to be sure before spending more time/gas/money on this. Unfortunately we don’t have anywhere nearby to try them out first. Of course I haven’t come across any Stratos used either…
On the used front, I see the aforementioned Alchemy 14s and a Tsunami 125, the people are asking the same price.
On the Tsunami front, Frontenac comes out and says they do NOT recommend the 125 as it’s sluggish. They prefer the 120 or 135. The 135 seems perfect to me except that it has the same efficiency score as mine, yet something I read on their site suggested it was still a bit of a step down in speed from the 140.
On the note of speed, I was reading through some comparative threads here and one commenter noted that given the Alchemy’s whitewater routes, it was nice and quick in the lumpy stuff but SLOW on flat water.
So confusing! Such contradicting information…
Ideally we would go to a place where we could test them all then scour for one used. Barring that, I have a Tsunami 125 and Alchemy 14s on the table that I could spring for if I had some confidence in the decision.
no
I know my dog well enough to know he’d rather not be stuffed into a cramped cockpit so I can feel like a good dog owner.
135
The Tsunami 135 is a small person/womens version of the 140. It would be a good match, with your wife in the 135 and you in the 140. The 125 is a large person version of the 120. Neither of you are suited for that boat.