My girlfriend and I just returned from a great day spent at Okeeheellee Park, in West Palm Beach, FL. The park was the site of the Adventure Times Canoe and Kayak Exposition.
We had a great time! There was about eight manufacturers with about 30-40 different models available. So for our $8 donation to the nature center we got test drive a bunch of stuff. There was food, drink, etc…Jennifer and I met some really great people. Thanks, Adventure Times Staff!
The wind what whipping up a nice chop on the lake - so I thought is was a great day for test driving new boats.
I am coming from a whitewater background and will be purchasing my first long boat.
Of everything I tried (about 12 boats)I liked the CD Gulfstream and Impex Assateague the best. Very responsive and playful.
I’m 5’ 10" and 175 lbs. The boat will be used for a broad range of conditions from the surf to outside the breakers to protected water to the Inlets and Intercaostal waterway.
Besides the two boats named above what else should I paddle?
I’ve always admired the Impex boats,
though I am a whitewater paddler and don’t know much about touring and sea kayaks. Did you get to try any Neckys?
Both of the boats you mentioned seem
fairly high volume for someone your size. I owned a CD Gulfstream for many years and it was a bit big for me (at 6’ 1" and 200 lbs.) Both boats you mentioned are great boats, but if the shop in your area has some Nigel Dennis kayaks you might want to try out the Explorer or Romany, or if they carry Valley products there are any number of boats,like the Nordkapp LV, Aquanaut, Avocet, or as a previous poster mentioned Necky, has some boats like the Chatham. I’m from NE so I don’t pretend to know shops that may be in your area. I do know that Sweeetwater Kayaks in St. Petersburg (bit of a drive from WPB)carries a wide selection of the boats I mentioned above.
If you liked Impex: Force 4
Beyond that, too many choices that would work…