First time buyer here, and I was wondering about the design of the FutureBeach Trophy kayak. It has a dihedral hull design, which looks rather funky. It states that it is fantastic for balance and stability, and tracking is also a key.
My question is wouldn’t the shape of the hull make it more difficult for turning?
Anyone have experience with it?
Thanks!
here’s the link to the website in case you aren’t familiar with the dihedral hull
http://www.futurebeach.com/5_kayaks/index.html
That description fits a lot of kayaks.
Just for basics
At 29.5 inches wide and lengths of 10’6" or 12’ it would be hard for it not to be stable with or without a dihedral hull. And nothing that length should be a real bear to turn in its likely intended environment.
But what is your intended use for this boat? It appears that this boat was designed with fishing in mind (optional swivel holders) and, given the cup holder, no use of a skirt. I also can’t quite suss out whether there are bulkheads assuring dry storage at each end on a quick read, because both models also have a drain plug. Drain plugs usually mean no dry bulkheads, something that is a no-no for big water.
use
we plan on using at local lake and river (small flow). Not much for fishing but photography. It does have a small water tight hold and a large water tight hold in the rear, which excites me. No comparable canoes of this price range have water tight holds. This is on sale at Dick’s the week for $299, reg. $499. At Dunhams, they have the Pelican Ultimate 120 for the same price, not good reviews for it, but a tiny water tight hold (think wallet and keys).
This kayak will be for family use as we start our collection, so we are looking for beginners models at affordable prices. It may go to Lake Michigan, but only be used near shore.
Family sizes range from 4’6" to 5’8" 75lbs to 200 lbs. We’re dying to get in the water, ebay seems to have only inflatables listed, or shipping to too expensive. Any other ideas?
Thanks again!
Looks like
some very creative advertising to me 
Oh those marketing guys LOL
Don’t let the “dihedral hull” be
a selling point. Fancy word but won’t mean squat on the water. Maybe I need a dihedral hull kayak?
If you want a decent fun boat to play in get a WS Pungo 120. You’ll be happier with it for a long time and the kids can have fun safely in it too.
Paddlin’ on
Richard
Trophy 126
I have this kayak. I got it at Dick’s 3 weeks but have not had it in the water yet, hopefully this Sat. If it’s really 299 I wish I had waited, I gave 399, but that’s life.
Go for it!
Can’t go wrong for $300 if it is well made. Should be good for photography, will turn easy, but do not expect it to be fast. The cockpit size seems small enough for effective use of a sprayskirt, but would not allow a big dog or child to ride in…
I can only see a top view on that link, but a rec kayak in this class will be hard-pressed not to be stable and easy to turn. Should large waves catch you though, this same wide hull that makes it stable on flat waters will make it scarry and it will lash around more than a narrower sleeker boat…
Reminds me of the NATIVE "tunnel hull"
Native Watercraft has a design suspiciously similar. They call the hull design a “Tunnel hull”, and use it on boats intended for fishing primarily.
Finally on the water
Went for about a 2hr paddle this morn. The hull is really stable. I actually stood up in the yak. Of the three of us that were there, mine was by far and away the most stable, the other two were a pamilico 100 and a field stream 9.5 footer. It was easy to manuever on the calm water and tracked pretty straight. However, as mention above, it ain’t fast. It’s fast enough for me though. The only complaint I have with it is the seat is horrible. The butt pad came loose and wadded up and the back rest is too short, but thats fixable.
q’s
Chup-if you have any questions about it, just ask.
that dihedral hull
should make it track straighter for a short boat.
My brother in law has a Perception Prodigy-10 and it has a similar hull configuration, and it was noticable to me as how straight he was able to keep the boat compared to my little nine foot Keowee.
For that price if it gets you on the water, go for it!
Cheers,
JackL
made the purchase
I had to drive about an hour, since both of the local Dick’s stores were sold out of this model. Upon first time taking the kayak out, complaints of the seat were not exaggerated! A jury rigged outfit or new seating arrangement is totally necessary. The kayak is very balanced, easily maneuvering in our local tree / debris filled river. The front and rear snub nosed ends do make for slow going, this isn’t going to win any speed races, but the size is handy (fits inside our Silhouette van) and weight isn’t so bad (50 lbs). We’ll see, first time purchase probably yields the $300 we paid, but beats going high end off the bat.
Thanks for the help and feedback.
Native seats are great
Demo the Native boats. Love the Ultimate 14.5 solo or tandem. Super stable plus excellent seats that are removable and can be used as “beach chairs”. They’re not just for fishing.
Paddle?
Just wondering if your Trophy 126 from Dicks, came with a paddle or not. The website lists one in the description, but when I bought it in the store, they had no paddle :(.
dihedral hull
I have the Future Beach Trophy and it is an amazingly stable kayak. It is not the fastest in the water but it is not slow. It turns on a dime!!! I absolutely love this kayak for fun and adventure.