I would add the NDK Romany Sportive to your list. It’s slightly longer, about 15.5 feet I think. It’s their LV poly model, a very good all around sea kayak.
@SuperflyTNT thanks for the tip - that looks like a very nice kayak. But I think probably a bit beyond my price range
Hi All,
I wanted to provide an update and to say a big thank you to everyone who replied to my post with help and advice. After looking at many boats and trying a few, I ended up buying the Dagger Stratos 14.5S. Although I’ve only paddled it a couple of times and on calm water so far, I absolutely love it! I’m not mad on the colour (would have preferred something brighter) but I didn’t have a choice on that due to general lack of availability of this model. My partner and I started a sea kayaking course yesterday and we’re joining a paddling club that has all kinds of programs across many disciplines. Very exciting .
Great result! Looks good, and now come the modifications.
Is a skirt on the way to you? You can do a lot of stuff with this boat once you have that literally covered.
Outstanding choice. And the color pops! You will learn to roll it in the next year too.
Hi All,
An update on my Stratos adventures so far … I absolutely love this boat and so feel I definitely made the right decision in purchasing it. I’ve completed my first sea kayaking course using it and re-entries are no problem over the rear deck. It’s stable, tracks straight and is nimble in the surf (have only tried small stuff up to 1.5M so far). I haven’t tried to roll in it yet but will be attending a clinic in a few months when the water is a little warmer, as well as another sea kayaking course. I’ve taken it up a narrowish river (what you folks would probably call a creek) with a fast current but no rapids. Also paddling a couple of times a week on our local reservoirs right now in Winter in a mixture of glass as well as some pretty rough conditions and this boat hasn’t missed a beat. I’ve resisted the temptation to do any modifications while I experiment with different ways of gear storage. I feel as my skills and fitness are improving so is my level of enjoyment. I’ve joined a club and really getting a lot out of this activity, especially as an outlet during lockdown. Looking forward to a few overnight trips come Summer!