They’re light weight and relatively low priced.
http://www.paddling.net/buyersguide/showBoat.html?boatID=1996&boattype=Kayaks
Trooper
I looked at the specs and it looks like a great size for smaller paddlers. I was hoping you would get some responses from someone who has paddled one. It looks like they are only available on the east coast and then only a couple of shops. I am concerned about what appears to be a raised back deck but I have only seen pictures.
I’m hoping for responses from paddlers
also.
They do ship to the west coast, but it cost more than shipping to the east coast and midwest.
Consumers Reports said they roll over.
Nice kayak,
not-so-nice photographer. The front to back view is the worst angle of a kayak. the side is the best in my opinion. But still, that trooper is beautiful!!
Said that before
about Suzuki’s and had their reputation severely damaged when Suzuki took them to court and won. Seems they rigged the tests to make them roll over.
Meanwhile, govmnt said they roll over.
They roll over. If CU fudged, it was not a hit amiss.
Did you read the original post?
Please stay on topic. You can dicuss Consumer Reports in your own thread in the other forum.
I want to discuss Sidekick Kayaks here.
Thanks.
Of course, but since when do we have
to stay on topic?
Since you said so…
Several times in past posts.
I’m glad they put better specs on pnet
because their own website is heavy on video and light on specifics. They are described as “fiberglass.” The stated weights are good for the size of the boats.
Both their kayaks look like fast pocket cruisers for average-sized people, lightly loaded. I like their cockpit design, but with my wide-set hip sockets, I doubt I could get into either kayak. I’m too big for many kayaks.
So, we’ll bump this to the top again in case someone has sat butt in either of these boats.
The Trooper is actually 23" wide, not
20" as stated in the p.net specs and on the Sidekick web site. The Trooper is more beginner friendly than the Vertigo.
Width
Well that would kill it for my wife. At 20" she was interested but not at 23". Her current boat is 21" and she does not want to go wider. May have to take another look at the other model.
I can relate
my dads favorite car is the Suzuki samurai
The Vertigo is 20" wide.
It’s more fitness / race oriented.
The Trooper is 23" wide and more all-purpose oriented.
Entry
The Trooper also has 15" of clearance at the front of the cockpit. I am looking for closer to 11". The boat has way too much volume.
Is the QCC Q10X too deep for her?
It’s 12.5" deep in front of the cockpit, or is that what she paddles now?
How high are the thigh braces?
10X
That is one of the boats I am looking at. She has a Guillemot with the cockpit dropped down 1" front and back. She loves the boat but is getting tired of refinishing it every year. Conditions here are really hard on varnish.