Long story short, I purchased a LL XP10 for $700 a few weeks ago, was at least from 2011 or earlier given the old style logo on the boat.
I enjoyed pretty much everything about it except for the fact it was so slow…
So I recently sold it (for what I paid) and picked up a Tsunami 145 (with rudder). I was told the boat was about 6 years old - they were asking $900 but after a few emails said they’d take $700 (what I had from the previous sale).
I picked it up from a house on a large lake - it was stored inside a climate controlled garage, properly on a rack. It looks almost brand new (still had that new smell in the bow storage area), no scratches on the bottom to speak of.
Now here’s the crux, according to the 10-digit hand scratched serial number, this seems to be an 07?
Did I pay way to much, and will the boat last a few seasons?
All of that notwithstanding, I had a chance to paddle it this past weekend for a couple of days and it was a dream.
Too much?
No idea. But, the good new is it will last many more than a few seasons provided you store it correctly.
How much is
2 years of non-use in the garage worth to you?
To me the issue would be the old phase 3 seat vs the new.
Good point
I suppose the concern is that since it's my first (well second) kayak, and my interests tend to be fleeting, I purchased used in the event that if my interest waned my losses would be minimal.
I should add thay I've been an avid canoeist for about 35 years - so in this case the interest is less of a gamble.
inscrutable philosophy
Your philosophy is sound and the price isn’t bad if it was well cared for. Sounds like you’ve probably done this before…
Condition…
Is way more important than model year…
well kept boats last decades
I’ve bought several rotomold plastic kayaks that were made in the early 1990’s , in other words they are now over 20 years old, but because they were properly cared for and not stored in heat and sunlight, they were just as good as a new boat when I got them. Plastic can last a really long time if you don’t abuse or neglect it. Kayaks really don’t “wear out” in a certain number of years or uses like cars or even bicycles. All but one of the 5 kayaks in my current livery is 8 to 12 years old and all are in great shape.
Somebody, even the first owner, may have only had an 8 year old kayak for 6 years. Dealers don’t dump them every season (again, these are not planned obsolescence automobiles.) A kayak could easily have been at a dealer for a couple of seasons before being sold. They don’t have a “shelf life” with proper storage.
There is no absolute on kayak pricing. If you want that boat, you will pay what the seller wants for it. Price will depend on how much competition you have from others who want to buy that model, what shape it is in, how desirable it is for waters in your region, how badly you want it and how reluctant the seller is to part with it.
Fair deal.
it sounds like an OK price. It was well kept and stored very well.