While perhaps not reflective of current Hurricane models, I owned a Hurricane Tracer at the same time I owned an older Eddyline Nighthawk 16 and a newer Eddyline Raven. It’s been a while since I owned the Tracer so I’m going from memory here. While the Tracer handled well and was an enjoyable boat to paddle, the quality wasn’t on par with the Eddylines. Everything from hull/deck flex (Tracer was considerably more flexible), bulkhead design and installation method (Hurricane bulkheads were simply set in place and sealed with a silicone type of goop, while Eddyline has an I-beam shape where the bulkhead meets the hull/deck, and the bulkheads and are glued into place to function more as a structural member. I had to reseal the Tracer, which one could argue is a maintenance item, but I haven’t needed to do so on an Eddyline) The seat bracing was thinner/more flimsy on the Tracer. I had to seal the skeg box and adjust the skeg on the Hurricane a couple of times, and it was never as smooth as the Eddylines. The Tracer’s hatch covers didn’t seal as well and the hatch rings were not as rigid as the Eddyline boats. Hardware, toggles, and lines were of better quality on the Eddyline boats.
With that said, the Tracer I owned was purchased second-hand, was well used, but had no significant material or structural issues. I don’t think it was a terrible boat, but the question was about how it compared to Eddyline. I’ve never owned or paddled a Delta.
This is the whole reason I started this thread. I enjoyed the Santee 116 immensely and still do, have had a great deal of fun with it and will continue to, it tracks well, is stable, aI think it is a good design, this boat is old, very old and if I put a little McQuires cleaner wax on the top deck it would sparkle even after all these years. But a few things have happened that make me question if it is as well built as I thought. It did not feel right on my shoulder, so I used several different methods and two different scales and the boat weighs 50 pounds, Hurricane says 38. I noticed a crack in the Coaming, I thought it was because I hooked a bungee to the Coaming to pin the boat to the wall of the van. I took a look at it and the Coaming was cracked so the base 60-70% around the whole darn cockpit. Like I said, I have no idea what was holding it on. That is design and materials, that did it for me I can’t put money into it to repair it, I am going to just ride it out. That is another thing I wanted to know, are there other Thermoformed boats that are better built because I like Thermoform boats for a number of reasons.
Thank you for that anecdotal assessment, which I think is fair and realistic. But it would be more helpful to compared current models.
There are two disadvantages to holding onto a thermoformed kayak too long: possible degradation of the material, and outdated designs. Eddyline, Delta, and Hurricane have all updated their designs. The Tracer is gone, the Merlin is gone, and the Deltas are sleeker than the first generation, which were kind of tank-like.
The material is important, but so is the hull design. Having owned 2 Deltas, 2 Eddylines, and 2 Hurricanes and compared them side by side, I believe that the Delta and Eddyline plastics are thicker than Hurricane’s. However, in the transitional recreational length, Hurricane’s hull is much better than Eddyline’s. The Hurricane Sojourn, for example, has a much better design than the Eddyline Equinox. Deltas have the best combination of stable hulls and material thickness and stiffness, but the cockpit is short for some people.
These brands are also at different price points. Again, I think Hurricanes are a nice product in their recreational niche, at a lower price than their competition. On the other hand, if you’re into shorter kayaks, the Delta 12.10 is a very capable kayak that can be found (if you’re lucky) for around $1200 in the off season, which is a very good price for the quality.
There’s a pretty clear distinction between the appropriate uses of thermoformed and rotomolded kayaks, clearly stated by the manufacturers. Why are we talking about waterfalls and white water with thermoformed kayaks?? And then blaming the brand for not holding up in those conditions?? That doesn’t make sense.
Yes. Eddylines and Deltas, but are you going to trash them by using them in the wrong conditions? If so, they’re not worth the money and you’re better off with rotomolded. No thermoformed kayak will hold up for long in white water, running up against rocks, going over waterfalls, dragged on rocks, dropped from car roofs, etc. You probably already know that you can’t do any of that in cold water or cold air temperature.
Fair. I have nothing bad to say about the Hurricane Santee 116. You get a lot of boat for the money, you will get your moneys worth out of the boat by far, may be a better value for the money then Eddyline or Delta, great starter boat to find out what kind of paddling you want to do and to learn the basics in a stable but still performing kayak and I believe may have better designs. As old as this boat is and what it has been through some things are expected, what do you want. But two things are facts, this boat weighs 50 lbs and the Coaming is cleanly cracked through and through a good 60-70% all the way around the cockpit with no structural damage, just a material failure. What that means is for each person to decide, perhaps we can not expect more from a boat this old and used this hard. I still don’t know it’s age, the previous owner’s repair wiped out the serial number and it was him that went over a waterfall towing the boat in some minor rapid, not me.
For the third time, it was the previous owner who did that with the boat, not me. I am fully aware of that is not what the boat was designed or built for. Look, I got the boat for a song because of the damage and had a blast with it and it still looks good and I got many times over my moneys worth out of the boat and at its price new may be a better value then Eddyline or Delta. But I was wondering if there are other Thermoform that are sturdier (I know you still can not go banging off of rocks, in whitewater in freezing weather)
I know that, I am just explaining why I started this conversation. Now does that mean Hurricanes are junk, no. They are a good if not a very good value for the money, maybe the best value for the money and maybe a better design. But they are not the most sturdy Thermoform out there. I didn’t know if that was the limit of a Thermoform, that was the limitations of the build process. Turns out it is not. There are other Thermoforms that are noticeably stronger, but they cost more, so there is a trade off. It is up to each person’s preference, kayakhank not withstanding.
Those roller ramps are death to composite boats and can cause severe damage to the hull and gelcoat. I would be hesitant to use them with a thermaform boat, especially in colder weather. They are best used by rotomolded boats.
You can only know this if you set kayaks from the three manufacturers side by side and compare the stiffness of the decks, coamings, and bottoms by pressing down on them and then paddle them in front and side waves to check for flex. Referring to CURRENT models.
As for the price, Hurricanes have gone up quite a bit. MSRPs:
Hurricane Sojourn 135 $1700
Eddyline Equinox (14’) $2149
Delta 14’ $1995
Delta 12.10 $1495
Of those four, the Delta 12.10 is the best price for the quality. The Eddyline is the highest price for the worst hull—the Delta 14 is better quality for a lower price. I have the Sojourn 135 and the Delta 12.10, both brand new, but purchased in the off season at substantial savings. The Sojourn paddles better than the 12.10, but the 12.10 has better material. All a trade off, as always.
I can only comment on what I have experienced, kyakhank can only comment on what he has experienced, those comments are based on that experience with those models and those ages of those boats. It is not a testimony on the current state of the market or reflects on the changes in the market since those older boats were made. All of my comments are referring to an older model Hurricane Santee 116 and how it stacked up in price, performance and durability compared with boats of its era. I am in no way are making general comments about Hurricane or its overall quality through all of its models and where it stands presently. All of my comments pass through this boat and end there and I am at a disadvantage because the serial numbers have been wiped out and I do not even have a manufacturing date, The boats finish is excellent even after all this time, the hull is a nice design, stable and cuts the water well, has a nice little glide, there prices were lower back then and was a good value but this boat is not as strong as I thought it was and weighs a lot more then I thought it did.
@mjac , you said “I can only comment on what I have experienced”. That’s true for the vast majority of comments and commenters here … we’re just a bunch of paddlers sharing opinions based on our experiences. It’s all good.
Then there are those few who insist on presenting their opinions as absolute fact. The “I’m right and your wrong” attitude is easy to spot so that’s not an issue, but the pretentiousness still steams my buns. Trashing one opinion doesn’t strengthen another. It’s not a zero sum game.
