For a beginning kayaker, which is the better of the two for use in bays, intracoastal waterway, freshwater rivers. I’m 5’11" 190 lbs.
I can’t help you but I do have pretty much the same question. Also, is 14 feet too long for wide rivers?
Tsunami for me
This past spring, I tried several boats in this class and the Tsunami 140 was the clear winner. About a year ago, when I was looking to buy my first kayak, some wise sage on Pnet said “The only way to find the right boat is to first buy the wrong boat and paddle it around for a long time.” This is what I did. During the past year, I was able to discover what aspects of kayaking were most important to me.
#1 on the list was tracking. My first kayak was recreational, and like all rec yaks, it tracked like a bumper boat in a county fair. Of the handful that I demoed this year, the Tsunami tracked best (rudder up). The Phase 3 seat is very comfortable, and the seat/thigh braces combination gives me a great feeling of control.
The Tsunami is fairly stable. I can’t comment on speed, because I don’t have a GPS and really can’t tell how fast I’m going. But I keep up with 17-footers just fine.
It also has a few amenities that I like. The simple paddle holder strap on the side is invaluable to me. If I ever own another kayak without one, I’ll add it myself. I also like the day hatch. I didn’t feel that the rudder was a must-have, but I got it anyways, and it’s handy on those windy bays.
I’ve only owned the boat for a few weeks, but the honeymoon is definitely still going strong.
speed and such…
good observations, mate!
seat comfort- no brainer.
tracking- balanced design works best. if the boat goes where it is suppose to, it tracks straight AND turns well.
speed- we DO have GPS, and heart rate monitors, and data bases that tell us that yes, short boats can be made to keep up with long boats.
glad you like your Ts!
steve
I just ordered a Tsunami 140
I just ordered one, my second kayak. My first was a rec tandem I shared with my wife. We’re switching to two singles. I really like my old Pamlico 145T, especially as a single it had lots of room for fishing and camera gear, coolers etc, and handled really well, except for the tracking. I may switch my order to the Tsunami 145 for the little bit of extra cockpit room. I’m 5’6" at 180 lbs and it felt a little tight getting in and out in one dealers showroom.
What did YOU think of the Pisgah?
Smittylover,
I’m thinking about getting a Pisgah also. I’m just a little bit scared that there is almost ZERO information and opinion out there about this boat. I paddled it and liked it quite a bit, but I’ve got very little frame of reference.
Thanks!