@Punterpete said:
Any other suggestions for 14 - 15 foot lake-river-estuary kayaks?
Necky Looksha Sport
Dagger Stratos (probably S for your size)
P&H Delphin 150 or 155
Valley Gemini
The Tsunami 145 is a higher volume boat for bigger people – you are an average sized guy and don’t need that volume to slow you down (all the Tsunami line have a 5 suffix in the number to designate the “large” size of that particular model.) Tsunamis are boring to paddle and would not suit your stated purpose.
If you can find a Venture Easky 15, you would find that a nice boat. I have the lower volume Easky 15LV (I am only 5’5", 150 #) but my ex boyfriend who was your weight but a couple inches shorter, got the standard Easky 15 and loved it. I’ve taken mine everywhere from the ocean to mild whitewater – super comfortable and nimble boat that I can easily get to a decent speed, They are lighter than the equivalent length Tsunamis and many other models. One of my most frequent paddling buddies has a Riot Edge 14.5 – it has similar dimensional specs to my Easky (which is 15’ x 22") but weighs 15 pounds more! So she has to work a little harder to keep pace with me. Venture is a Brit company (the boats are made in the UK and it is a division of renowned sea kayak maker P & H) so I imagine they should be available for reasonable cost in Oz. Good looking boats with nice features and fun to paddle.
Of the choices you have at the moment. I would go for the Edge. But look for an Easky first. The company has discontinued them in the US but may still stock in other countries.
Thanks for all the advice!
I had a look around for the P&H Delphin but only available at full retail (yikes!) And in Melbourne which is 1000 km away. Nice looking boat though. Same story with the Venture Easky. I’ll keep looking though.
The advantage of the Riot Edge 14.5 is it’s readily available. Willowleaf, is your friend happy with theirs?
It’s a bit long but any thoughts on the seayak classic model? It’s a bit longer than I want but looks interesting.
Thanks for all your advice.
Cheers,
Pete
If the Tsunami is such a good deal perhaps you could get it just in order to have something to paddle for now, and then take your time finding one that really fits you. You should be able to read-sell it, right?
@Doggy Paddler said:
If the Tsunami is such a good deal perhaps you could get it just in order to have something to paddle for now, and then take your time finding one that really fits you. You should be able to read-sell it, right?
We all start somewhere and seldom get the perfect boat the first time, or second, or third or …
I am tempted, but I already own an old Dagger Catalyst 12.8, do you think the tsunami will be any more sprightly? The Dagger is 62cm wide.
Also, anyone used a seayak? Which is another option right now.
Pete
The Edge will be more “sprightly” than the Tsunami. FWIW, my friend loves her Edge and I have paddled it when we’ve switched off. It’s a nice boat. For one thing the Edge is 22" in the beam (57 cm) so it is 2.5" narrower than the 24.5" (62 cm) Tsu 145 – this makes a significant difference in performance (i have had kayaks from 28" to 19" in beam). Just look at spec photos of them also – the Tsunami is a barge and the Edge is much more sleek. Peruse these two side views. Like the difference between a minivan and a sports car.
https://www.wildernesssystems.com/eu/en/kayaks/tsunami-145
https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/868032/riot-edge-145-kayak
Seayak made a bunch of models so it’s not possible to weigh in on what you are seeing without more info. Generally they are sturdily built boats but a lot of the models are as stodgy as the Tsunamis.
It the Edge is in good shape and a decent price I doubt it would disappoint you, and it would be noticably faster than your Catalyst being longer and narrower.
There is a brand new edge for sale in orange for $AU1000 or about $750US. It will be about $700 US if I don’t take the paddle it comes with.
Seem like good value? It means it comes from a shop rather than 2nd hand so warranty…
The Seayak that’s around is the model Seayak Classic, I think it’s 59 cm wide and 490 cm long. Bit of a busy looking beast.
Thank you all once again for your real world advice. Much appreciated.
Pete
And particular thanks to you Willowleaf.
Any one have any experience with a Prijon Seayak Classic?
$750 US would be a great deal here for an Edge – that’s 30% off list so they are not even breaking even on the boat (dealer margin on kayaks is that low).
Seayak Classic looks like similar specs – sort of midway between the Tsunami and Edge in profile but beam of the latter. Can’t report any experience with it. Manufacturer doesn’t rate it highly for “agility” (6 out of 10) so it may perform more like the Tsu. Have you looked at the user reviews here on the site?
$750 US would be a great deal here for an Edge – that’s 30% off list so they are not even breaking even on the boat (margin on kayaks is that low).
Seayak Classic looks like similar specs – sort of midway between the Tsunami and Edge in profile. Can’t report any experience with it. Manufacturer doesn’t rate it highly for handling (only 6 out of 10) so it may more resemble the barge-y Tsu in that respect.
Let us know what you end up with and how you like it! A new boat is always exciting…
Thanks Willowleaf. I think I’ll go with the edge, I like the look of it and it’s in my budget. There is a 2nd hand one for approx $400US but it’s heavily oil canned on the bottom so I think I’ll go new.
I’ll let you know if I bite the bullet.
My friend with the Edge has messed up her boat since we first started paddling together 5 years ago – left it mounted for weeks in the summer two years ago on her car roof rack (she doesn’t have a garage and has to park on the street) and had it cranked down with those horrible ratchet straps. Softened and squished it so badly that “oil can” is an understatement – it is so badly warped that it pulls to the right now and she has to compensate like crazy with her paddle stroke. I warned her too late about avoiding those straps and now her nice Edge is pretty sad.
I tried out a Tsunami 145 today. Ugh! It was well made but felt like I was paddling a wet log. Totally crossed off the list. I tried another kayak which was 15 feet long and 55cm wide, what a difference! It felt a little tippy but was totally fine after sitting in it for a couple of minutes.
Going to look at a Dagger Cortez 16.5 tonight. Boat looks to be in great shape and the guy only wants $250 US. Seems about the right shape and will (just) fit in my storage area.
That 15’ x 55cm boat you tried matches the basic proportions of both the Edge and my beloved Easky 15LV, so you understand why this is such a great size for a kayak. That “tippiness” is what makes it handle and glide so well. The secondary stability (how far you can lean it to the side without capsizing) may surprise you. Many boats that feel “wobbly” due to have a more vee shaped hull are actually more stable in waves and rough water than the flatter bottomed “barges”.
And you see what I mean about the Tsunamis being so sluggish. Besides which the 145 is for big guys (like those scary huge Samoan rugby players), I warned you off that one earlier.
Yeah, I thought I would try the Tsunami to see if I could live with it. Nope! The edge is looking better and better. I am going to have a look at a Prijon Catalina next week to see if I can get into it ok.