The Scupper Pros basically have the same hull design but two different storage configuration. One version had front and back hatches. While the Scupper Pro TW (tank well) had the open area in the back and a hatch in front. The Scupper Pro for an intermediate paddler is a pretty stable and still relatively fast.
When Tim Niemier went to create the new version of the Scupper Pro with Swell Kayaks. He did drop the footwell of the Swell 14, giving in a lower center of gravity. It’s talked about in the his description:
What is not talked about is that the lower footwell results in more water sitting in the lower cockpit area when the kayak in not moving. When it moves, the Swell 14 has a newer scupper hole design that supposedly drains the water faster. The scupper design is talked about in the 2:30 of this video:
Interesting development! I see a fairly big impediment to those becoming popular, namely, their increased weight compared with the old Scupper model. All that recessing and added features such as footrails and seatbacks carry a weight penalty.
62 lbs vs 55 lbs for the 14’ Scupper, IIRC, despite being slightly less wide.
Yup! Ultimately, after initial excitement about Swell, I am still hanging onto my “classic” Scupper Pros rather than going with the newer Swell version.
