I’m considering purchasing a Tempest 165 or perhaps a P&h Capella 160. I’m 5’5" around 170 lbs; more of a cylindrical shape than round and currently paddle a Carolina 13.5. I have not seen either boat but plan on test paddling each of them in a few weeks. How will the fit be on the Tempest; I like to be snug but not tight, would the Capella be better or any other suggestions? I plan on using the boat on inland lakes, Lake Erie, and some calm ocean paddling. Thanks and BTW I have size 9 feet.
jbwiz
gotta
try em of for size.
Your question is like asking which jeans fit better…Levis or Wrangler?..or Calvins? 
Either boat will suit your needs…but fit is something YOU will have to judge.
steve
fit
Capella 160 is most likely to be too small
T165 will fit very nicely
Still, if you have access, try both.
Keep in mind, Capellas come in different sizes - Cap 163 is something I would suggest to try.
Capella 161?
A more tweaked hull than the 160 anyway, and may be a better fit than the 160.
But you’ll have to sit in then - things like leg angle and thigh length could come into play here.
Both fine boats
I have a Capella and know the Tempest well.
Make sure the hatches on the Tempest are good and either boat is great.
It will come down to what you like.
either boat will grow with you.
(congratulations)
Try them on
I own a roto 165 and rented a roto Capella 160. The latter was a little roomier. They both paddle backwards very nicely (among other things). But you need to try them yourself.
Capella
– Last Updated: Sep-26-08 5:44 PM EST –
might be a bit "twitchy". A neighbor bought one without paddling it first (BIG mistake) and found it too twitchy. I paddled it a bit and had to agree, primary was a bit like a Pintail. He sold it and bought a WS 165 Tempest and never looked back.
What era Capella?
The Capella name has been applied to quite a few hulls over the years. Current models (especially poly versions)tend to be quite different from earlier ones.
Tempest 165
I am 5’11" and 180 pounds. My Tempest 165 is tight, but I love it.
Thanks
– Last Updated: Sep-27-08 8:35 AM EST –
Thanks for all the info. I'm anxious to try out the Tempest 165 and Capella 160. I'm concerned about the hatches on the Tempest however. Both boats are 08 models. Thanks again.
In the minority here
Have owned two poly tempest 170’s and one 165. None of my hatches leak with any significance. there may be the occasional tablespoon in a day hatch or a half a cup in the rear hatch if you deploy the skeg a lot and roll at the same time. And I do a LOT or rolling. The first tempest was a rental from florida Bay Outfitters that had withstood a year of abuse in florida sun and sand with minimal care. The 165 I bought from some kite rental shop on the outer banks which was half buried in sand when I got to it, and the third had a badly deformed hull that I managed to straighten out for the most part. So none were stellar brand new boats but they all had one thing in common. The hatches did not leak.
I don’t want to insult anyones intelligence here and talk about really pressing down on the edges to seal it and will agree that there may be an issue with the large hatch in the back with rescues as it does not appear to be as tightly mated to the deck as the others, but frankly, I just haven’t had the problems I keep hearing about. Not discounting that they don’t happen, but I had a Foster Legend that leaked significantly more. I guess it depends on the boat?
Paul
Paul
Tempest Hatches
The hatches on my '08 165 only leak couple of teaspoons after a half an hour of rolling practice. They leaked a slightly more before I applied a coating of 303. I agree with Paul. You need to make sure the hatches are secure. They can appear to be sealed when they are not.
Some are just defective
– Last Updated: Sep-27-08 11:06 AM EST –
My two rear hatches do not leak a drop. But the front one leaks quite a bit - about a quart of water after only may be 20 rolls. It is very clear why - once fully set, it feels a little loose, so I can see how water can come under its edge and seep over the rim of the hatch opening (which has a top which does not press against the rubber, only the sides do and not very well to that). It is fully closed of course, as far down as it can go, just the match b/w rim and hatch cover is not perfect. A cord around it might help - have not yet tried that.
On top of that, both rear bulkheads leaked badly near the area where the skeg cable passess thru. APpleid a tube of sealant liberally and that was fixed (but is somewhat ugly - whish I used less).
All this on a brand new '07 model which has never seen water before...
On my Tsunami 145 before it none of the hatches leaked, but one started to develop a crack in the rubber for no good reason (also a new '07 boat, used sparingly for under 4-5 months at most)...
I always take off the hatches after paddling and put them back on only before I put the boat back on the car. They are always garaged and some 303 applied infrequently. A little of it on the rim makes it really easy to close. That keeps them in good shape.
ditto
I agree Paul—I’ve owned a 170 RM for 5 years—when I first bought it(new) I had a problem with leaky hatches, particularly during rolling practice–when I started pounding the perimeter of each hatch cover the problem went away—BTW the problem was only about a pint of water in the hatch after an hour of rolling—not terribly significant but still noticable–stopped after I started securing the hatches properly—I couldn’t do it just eyeballing them, I had to actually pound them with the heel of my palm.
people love to jump on Wildy hatches
and immediately say that they read that they suck…
i have no issues with the wildy hatches that i have had on 4 tempests…