I’ve narrowed it down to these three, although the Seayak probably won’t win simply because I can’t test paddle it. But I do like the Prijons I’ve tried.
The Capella (16.6 rotomolded) is an inch narrower in the beam than the Sirocco, but for whatever reason felt more stable to me. The Sirocco felt a tad faster (or maybe just had better glide). I like the looks of the Sirocco a little better than the Capella… it’s so hard to decide but I’m leaning toward the Sirocco. Any opinions are welcome.
Donna
Capella
What capella are you thinking of? Probably the 160? My wife paddles the 160 and she really liked it, however, she’s finding that after a full season on the water, she could probably opt for a more narrower beam. She’s just ordered a Sirius.
You may want to factor in…
The kind of bulkhead used in the rotomold boats. P&H and Valley use a welded plastic bulkhead, I do not know what Prijon uses. I do know that Current Designs uses foam or plastic glued in. Both of my friends with the Scirroco’s have had failed bulkheads. No thanks. Foam eats up 10 or 11 inches of linear space and it is structurally weak.
Check with the manufacturer to see if you can hang a footpump off a welded plastic bulkhead. I’ve never tried it, but the mfr may say it’s possible.
Augustus Dogmatycus
MMV
Capella
It’s the plastic 16.6 version (16’8" length, 22.5" width). I do value stability, so I can’t imagine ever wanting anything narrower myself. Strange, though, that the Capella felt more stable to me than the Sirocco, which is 23.5" wide. I think it’s the hull design that makes the difference. The Sirocco is almost round bottomed (they call it a shallow V, but the hull is very smooth) and the Capella appears nearly flat under the cockpit, with more of a “v” toward both ends. Both are nice kayaks. Like the color of the Capella better (I’ll get a better deal if I pick from what’s in stock).
Donna
thanks
This is the kind of feedback I was looking for. Quality bulkheads are important, for sure.
Donna
Own a Sirocco
I haven’t had any problem with the foam bulkheads in mine, as was posted, but time will tell. My hatches also manage to stay good and dry even through roll practice. It holds quite a bit too, and I found it did quite well on Lake Superior stuffed with much more than I needed for camping. I think the Sirocco is a nice boat. I’m 5-10" and 175-180 lbs. I think the ideal weight for my boat would probably be nearer to 200 lbs. I can tell the difference in handling that an extra 20 lbs makes.
Dave
All of the boats
you mentioned carry a lot of volume. If that is what you are looking for, then all three boats are great in slightly different ways. The hull design varies quite a bit from boat to boat. You really should paddle all three of them t determine how the higher volume effects the feel when in the water. This will vary greatly depending on your weight and/or load. All three will carry enough gear for a week.
Prijon has the best plastic of the three you mentioned, but the CD and P&H plastic is good. The new Seayak features a small day hatch with a neoprene sock just in front of the cockpit unlike the conventional day hatch on the other two. The Seayak has a rudder, the other two have skegs. The welded plastic bulkheads in the P&H certainly have the advantage, but minicell foam bulkheads have been used for many years and are pretty darn reliable (some of the new foam bulkheads are so water tight that they require venting like the welded plastic or composite bulkheads.)
All three hull designs have been around a while and have been well tested. Though the hull designs differ greatly, all of them are fantastic in their own way. Much depends on your usage. You won’t go wrong with any of them froma quality stand-point, but you shoudl buy the one that fits your body and your needs the best.