Thanks
The OP did augment his post - take a look above. I’d be very interested to try the Raven when I get a chance locally…
Clarifying and responding to the OP
I have no opinion on the topic, and while I think the OP should clarify the OP, I can read what it currently says.
There is nothing in the OP about wanting a boat to play or surf.
The minor point in the OP is that the total A to B distance traveled will be no more than 5 miles.
The major point in the OP seems to focus on traversing A to B through the seaward or landward “push” of “extreme current and tides.” Coupled with this major point is an implicit statement that the Necky Looksha Sport is not satisfactory for this purpose.
So, if anyone is familiar with the design features of the Necky Looksha Sport, then the OP seems to want a hull design that can paddle through and against the push of extreme currents and tides better than that hull – and is further asking if either the Romany and Raven has such features, and if so, which one has more of them.
Perhaps CapeFear has answered the implicit question, but no one has done so explicitly in the comparative context of the Necky Looksha Sport.
another shop to help you choose
Your money may be best spent at this point getting your son a lesson. Another wonderful shop in the area is Osprey Sea and Surf Adventures in Westport, MA. Carl Ladd is a highly ranked instructor, and a really fun guy. I would send anyone to him for advice. He often has used and consignment boats, and also sells P&H, and Venture sea kayaks.
I second what someone said above about surf and playing in rough water - don’t buy a boat until your son figures out what he wants to do. He may think what he wants is to just sprint in a straight line, but that might be because he’s never seen the crazy fun stuff you can do in a sea kayak. I’d think most 18 year olds would be attracted to the wilder side of the sport if they were exposed to it, so getting him a couple lessons in fun water might be a good idea.
Taking it a step further
"Taking advice from people that have not even paddled the boats is of little value."
I would go so far as to say taking advice from people who have paddled both boats is of little value and taking advice from people who have not paddled one or both of the boats is of no value.
falcon…
…thanks for the additional info. It sounds like the back deck is at least as low as the RP Alaw. I’m 5’6" @ 145 so I might be a little small for the Raven. On my RP I have hip pads and the boat fits me very well. I can get really flat over the rear, which helps greatly when doing rotations in the soup.
Still hope to demo one… going to Grand Marais next month. Maybe I’ll find one there:)
love it
Had a Rockpool and liked it a ton. I now have a Raven and love it more. I have to say the fit is diff and they paddle in diff ways. Same user for sure. No loss of speed in the Raven, coming from a guy that also owns a Fathom from Eddyline and that is one fast boat.
oh but
they’ve read the reviews! ::: heavy sarcasm on/off:::
Well done.
old Raven or new Raven?
there are actually two boats named Raven in the Eddyline lineup just to confuse things further. The older Raven is a retired model. The newer Raven came out within the year and is not an updated version of the older one.
How much does he weigh?
And how tall is he? Age is less important.
I can’t believe nobody has gotten these questions answered before giving recommendations.
eddyline efficiency
I’m glad you chimed in on this. I have been considering a Raven. Edddyline has a history of making efficient hulls. When I saw this boat, read the reviews, I was interested. I really don’t want a slug just for “rough water” handling and playfullness.
New vs Old Raven
The reason the The “new” Raven is named after the older Raven is that the design concepts were very similar. The older Raven was a radical departure from the North American designs at the time. It was playful, user friendly and became Eddyline’s most successful model. The new Raven retains that playfulness, but does not sacrifice speed or tracking.
Raven vs …
Nice to see one of the Raven designers posting here. They deserve congratulations! I have a Nighthawk, Fathom and Raven, and I have paddled several other well-known kayak brands. There is no substitute for paddling a boat for a period of time before forming an opinion. As someone has already noted, the Fathom is a fast boat, going either forwards or backwards I might add. Surprisingly the Raven is nearly as fast while also being very playful. It loves rough water. Rolls are fun, single-hand back deck rolls are quite manageable. You will have a hard time finding a better all-round kayak.