have you paddled it?
Can you?
When I had mine, my experience was that the brand and speficially the looksha family had a following. I liked mine, could roll it ok, but it was extremely redduer dependent and I wasn’t 100% happy with the seat (which is subjective; I’m perfectly comfy in the NDK fiberglass bucket).
But the plastic seemed rather thin and flexy.
I think 1k is a bit steep for almost any poly kayak.
Recap etc
– Last Updated: Jan-31-08 11:21 AM EST –
There is a larger discussion around about where the older sea kayak designs fit in these days. I started a thread about that here - should have gone to been discussion but forgot. As to this one -
I agree that $1000 for this boat is high. If it is a plastic Looksha 4 it's older. My RM CD Squall, a not unreasonable benchmark since it is a similarly functioned boat, was I think $1300 new. (And it weighed less.)
The Looksha 4 is a boat that I hold in high regard. It did a great job for what many sea kayakers wanted to accomplish for a long while, which was to trip from point A to point B and not have to worry much about staying upright on the way. I did recommend an older ruddered boat not that long ago, to someone who wanted an inexpensive and reassuring guest boat. I said a Storm, but just because I have a lot of seat time and personal comfort in its sister the Squall. The Looksha would have fit in there as well.
Both of these boats strike me as the Morgan horses of sea kayaking. They do the critical things well and they are honest boats whatever that means. It's just that I wouldn't recommend them for someone who had specific skills goals that other newer boats might better support.
It is still pretty unclear to me if this poster should be looking at an older style tripper, or something in the Chatham line or a boat like an RM Tempest for their paddling purposes. That is where I have a problem suggesting they get the Looksha, especially since if they can pop the $1000 for the Necky there are probably a number of newer plastic boats that they could manage.
I loved my Squall and remember it with the fondest thoughts. But I wouldn't be happy trying to make it do what I want to now.
took up the challenge and…
on a windy day here I took my old Looksha IV out for a paddle. It did weather cock slightly, not more than I remember though. But it surely wasn’t rudder dependent. But maybe my boat handling skills have improved enough since I last paddled it to offset its unruly ways.
not sure how easy the necky is to roll
My Elaho is among the easiest kayaks I’ve rolled. If you’re rolling a ww boat, you would have to be careful not to windowshade the Elaho.