I own a composite Aquaterra Sea Lion that weighs about 57 lbs and I like most things about it except for the weight and it’s overall size is a bit larger and bulkier than I need at 5’6" and 150 lbs, but I have become aware of a half price deal on a brand new fiberglass Currituck with free shipping and am wondering how the two boats would compare for fit and handling for someone my size?
I’ve never seen a Currituck in person.
Would the fiberglass Currituck likely be better fit and handle more nimbly for someone my size than the composite Sea Lion?
Anybody paddled both within a short time of each other so that they could make a reasonably relevant comparison?
How does the durability of the Impex fiberglass construction compare with that of Aquaterra? At 57 lbs, I would be bumping and bouncing the boat when handling it out of the water. A 45 lb boat would be better for me.
I have read the reviews of both boats.
Another comparison that would be useful to me would be the f/g Currituck vs a poly Wilderness Systems Tempest 165, since I spent an entire day in a poly Tempest 165 this summer as a student in a seminar. I liked the Tempest.
I most likely won’t go further into debt by pulling the trigger to buy this Currituck at this great price, but I’d still appreciate any useful comparisons between it and either the Tempest 165 or composite Sea Lion for someone my size - 5’6" and 150 lbs.
The cockpits of both the poly Tempest 165 and the composite Sea Lion fit me well, are comfortable and provide good contact for me.
Thanks.
the Currituck is a nice boat
but it ain’t no 45 lbs. You’re looking at another 60 lb boat.
It all depends on the color. 
Yep, 57 lbs. Lime green / white.
and what color is your Sea Lion?
Teal deck / black hull
black and teal?!
How could you even consider the change? You’re in heaven now. Check out the color scheme on this boat: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3378/3519140185_09cfd844f3.jpg. All you need now is Chinese red! Okay, so the Impex is a better boat. But lime green vs. teal?! Yuck! Give me a break. How could you even consider the trade? Plus, what was that about debt? It’s a no-brainer: no Currituck. (Unless, of course, you can find one in teal and black, with Chinese red trim!)
The teal & black is pretty.
Mine doesn’t have the red trim, though.
I would be changing boats to get a little lower volume, not just for the color scheme, though I do like the lime green and white as well.
Not going further into debt to acquire a boat is great advice, but advice that I’ve had difficulty following the last few years. It would be easier if people would buy the boats that I’ve had for sale for months, but I appear to want more than people will pay for the boats I have. I happen to want boats that are expensive - light weight (45 lbs or less for a kayak and 35 lbs or less for a solo canoe).
I’m confident that this will be the year that I find a kayak that I really like for day trips, not just one that’s ok, but doesn’t really blow my skirt up.
I had a Sea Lion, then a Currituck
The Sea Lion that was a good boat but was way too big for me. I bought a Perception Shadow, thinking that I was buying just a smaller version of the Sea Lion, but I found I had to fight it constantly to make it go where I wanted. Then I bought the Currituck - heaven! Very comfortable cockpit and seat. Very obliging with just a few paddlestrokes needed to steer. A tiny bit of weathercocking that is easily corrected by strokes or the skeg. I had tried nearly all of the kayaks available at the ECCKF. When I paddled the Currituck, my first thought was SWEEET! I still think that after many years of ownership.
I tried the Tempest. It’s similar to the Currituck but seems to have more volume.
The Currituck might be a tight fit if you’re a large person, but I’d say go for it if it won’t break you. I don’t think you’ll have regrets.
sage advice
buy low, sell high
the good thing about $1,700
(the asking price) is that if you ever want to sell it, you can turn around and sell it for virtually the same price
I would
think that at Your size, the 165 T would be a nice fit.
Best Wishes
Roy
similar
at 5-7 and 159, i tried the Currituck several times. Out of all the fine Impex boats, I hated this model. The back deck was way too high for me to do any lay-back stuff.