Kayak Advice

Hey guys,
Im looking for a 13-16 ft touring kayak. I live in coastal Sc, so the boat will be used mostly on slow deep rivers, marshes, estuaries etc. I currently have a Pungo 120 but want something more sleek and form fitting. My budget is around $500, the best boats I can find locally are a necky zoar sport, dagger magellan, and aquaterra simitar. The dagger and aquaterra are both longer/narrower but older then the necky. The boat will be used for mostly day trips. Just wondering if anyone could give me some insight about which boat would be best. thanks

Glad to see another fellow Palmetto Paddler here on P.com. I live up near Columbia and get out to Isle of Palms, Cape Romain and Charleston area several times a year. I cannot give advice on any of these boats but obviously your physical size and experience may play a role in the boat choice. I am partial to Dagger boats (especially canoes) but maybe others can chime in after you give us a little more info about your size, experience and wether or not you might consider overnight camping in the near future which is a blast for some barrier island locales.

All three have bulkheads fore and aft. All three have cockpits that could take a skirt. The simitar has some innovative things with hatches and paddle attachments behind the cockpit, and the shear clamp (deck to hull joint) that I’d stay away from just because they are different. The paddle thing is likely for firmly attaching a paddle during “shore” entry and paddle float reentries. It dedicates that area to one use. Where several uses can be from a normal rear deck with lifelines around the boat. The other two boats are similar with hatches we’d recognize and be able to get spare parts, etc. I’d go for the first two and the one that is the most comfortable and the longest. One of them is 16ft. Longer will generally be easier to paddle. Touring boats are generally made to go straight, but a rudder is valuable when there is current, wind or wave that wants to round you up.

The Necky and the Dagger are both reviewed in the review section. Simitar not so much. Simitar, wasn’t that a sword?

Thanks for the responses. I’m 5’10, 170 lbs fit. I have a lot of experience with canoes on rivers and lakes in Va and Wv. Kayaks are new to me since moving to Sc. Ive been kayaking for about a year. 4-5 times, 35-50 miles per week. I’m totally open to the idea of doing longer multiple day trips. The Pungo is a decent boat but I just feel like I’m pushing a wall of water at speed. It’s also iffy with water coming in the cockpit from larger boat wakes. The aquaterra is in great shape. It’s just the age of the boat that bothers me. The necky is in the best shape of the other two, but it’s also the shortest and widest. The dagger is in good shape but the rudder has issues and I just don’t like it. Idk if I should just settle for a boat or wait until my dream boat comes along.

Also, if anyone knows of any touring boats in the Charleston to Wilmington area let me know.

Don’t settle you will never be happy. More boats will come on the market soon with warmer weather.

You don’t seem to like any of them. “Listen to your gut” and walk away.

Perhaps if you’re doing 35 to 50 miles a week these boats are not within your motivation set. The pugno 120 has a 29" beam, these plastic boats have around 24" beam. They would be better but if you consistently paddle 4 or 5 times a week and 35 to 50 miles in that Pugno, think what you’d do with a real seakayak.

Next time you get near Charleston check these guys out.
seakayakcarolina.com/index.html

Perhaps a trip down there and a rental.

“It’s also iffy with water coming in the cockpit from larger boat wakes.” That big Pugno cockpit is hard to cover with a skirt. Still this should not be happening. Are you taking these bow on or some other way?

I had a Scimitar for a couple of years – bought it for $325 to use as a “loaner” but paddled it myself a couple of times. It was very hard to get the thing to track in flat water – even with the rudder deployed (which I hate to do unless really necessary) it wanted to wander right or left. It did help to stick a gallon jug of water in the stern hatch. At the same time I also had a vintage Dagger Magellan, also as a “loaner”, but one that I really liked using myself as well – now that is one great kayak. If I had more room to store boats I would have kept it. I only sold it because it was very heavy (62 pounds) and difficult for me to load and haul solo and I have limited storage for hard shells. The guy I sold it to 4 years ago still has it and loves it – he’s taken it everywhere from rocky class 1 and 2 rivers to the Atlantic Ocean.

Can’t weigh in on the Zoar, but there is a clear choice between the Magellan and the Scimitar. The Magellan is a bit of a tank, but in a good way. Very solid build, fits a wide range of sizes of people and performs well in the water. The seatbacks in some of the older ones kind of suck but you can easily replace with a back band.

@Overstreet said:
“It’s also iffy with water coming in the cockpit from larger boat wakes.” That big Pugno cockpit is hard to cover with a skirt. Still this should not be happening. Are you taking these bow on or some other way?

Bow on mostly. The water issues always happen on the rivers when a boat passes from behind the waves catch the boat at an obtuse angle. I understand the mechanics of way its happening, it would just be alot better with a boat with a tighter cockpit. The waves are fun and I would like to have a boat that can handle the rough stuff better.

I think im just going to wait and see what else comes along. Ill check the place in Charleston. thanks

@brndnew01 said:

Bow on mostly. The water issues always happen on the rivers when a boat passes from behind the waves catch the boat at an obtuse angle. I understand the mechanics of way its happening, it would just be alot better with a boat with a tighter cockpit. The waves are fun and I would like to have a boat that can handle the rough stuff better.

Generally the stern deck just aft of the cockpit of kayaks is lower than the front. It allows a lay back move when rolling. A more expensive boat would do similar. Having enough buoyancy in the stern helps. Next time point the boat a little more down wave so the boat takes the aft quartering wave a little more on the stern and paddle “sprint” like. A little surfing is fun. Just don’t take too high a wave to bury the bow. Wearing a skirt (cockpit skirt) also takes care of the problem.

Here is another kayak club that is active in the area. Their web site is full of information. I have not paddled with them but they are well known locally. They have good link listings which might have a club in your area. Getting hooked up and active in a club often leads to unadvertised boat deals for quality boats if they know you and what you’re looking for.
lowcountrypaddlers.net/index.html

I’ll check into them. I also found a dagger vesper and perception esclipse 16 for sale. Is it possible to remove serious dents from the hull?

Perhaps depending upon how “serious” the dents are and placement. Some will pop out on a hot summer day. Restrained careful use of a heat gun can get the area soft enough to be pushed out. If it is out of the water…maybe its not worth the bother.

I would avoid any plastic boat that is “oil-canned” (i.e. dents or flat spots in the bottom of the hull.) They are usually not removable and indicate poor maintenance on the boat such as leaving it stored outdoors in sunlight, which can lead to brittleness of the plastic. There are plenty of well-cared for boats out there. Hold out for that.

The Charleston Outdoor Festival(aka East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival) is in 2 weeks. May be a good idea, to go paddle a few kayaks. Typically costs ~ $10 to get a demo pass. The show is not what it used to be, But it is still a good place, to demo various kayaks. Many folks have used kayaks, for sale. Some of the best deals, can be in the parking lot. It is April 21-23, at the James Island Campground and Park.
https://www.ccprc.com/1542/Charleston-Outdoor-Fest

Ill be in charleston that weekend so ill check it out. I bought a current designs sirocco for $400 at a random yard sale. The family is moving next week and didnt have space to take it so i jumped on it. It was stored in the garage and is in great shape. I took her for a 15 mile paddle today. It seems to be a great boat, definitely something I can grow and learn with. Thanks for everyone’s help!!

@willowleaf said:
I would avoid any plastic boat that is “oil-canned” (i.e. dents or flat spots in the bottom of the hull.) They are usually not removable and indicate poor maintenance on the boat such as leaving it stored outdoors in sunlight, which can lead to brittleness of the plastic. There are plenty of well-cared for boats out there. Hold out for that.

This is also a classic result of hauling the boat with ratchet straps… too tight. “Ratchet Strap” and “too tight” are the same word meaning. Might not be a problem in the boundry waters but in semi-topical Florida the 98 degree days put a bend in the boat.