I am close to purchasing a new Necky Dolphin to take advantage of an end of season sale without trying out any of its competitors (maybe a big mistake). I am looking for a SOT kayak that performs well in lakes, sloughs and mellow rivers, thus I think speed and tracking are more important to me in a kayak than great turning ability or stability. Based upon what I am looking to do, does anyone think I would be better off with another model (eg. WS Tarpon 140, Cobra Tourer, OC Scupper, etc)?
I have read that the Dolphin tends to swing around in the wind or with waves coming from behind. Does anyone know if the optional rudder helps with this problem?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Neck Dolphin - Speed
I’ve paddled my mom’s Dolplhin with rudder and leg straps more than a few times, and it is fairly slow and overly bouyant in the bow (to help it surf, as if you’d want something that long in the surf much!) It’s slower than the Necky Kyook 14’9" touring kayak she usually uses, that’s for sure. If the wind/waves come up on the bay, it’s annoying to paddle becuase its bow tends to want to bounce up and down with the waves instead of slice through them. I’m 6’ and about 170, andit’d be worse for a lighter paddler. I’d look elsewhere if you desire speed. Rudder helps maneuverablity when cruising but certaily doesn’t help speed. I don’t have any experience with other longer sit-on-tops, but you’d certainly find good speed with most sit inside touring models (the 22/23"-wide models in particular).
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I am close to purchasing a new Necky Dolphin to take advantage of an end of season sale without trying out any of its competitors (maybe a big mistake). I am looking for a SOT kayak that performs well in lakes, sloughs and mellow rivers, thus I think speed and tracking are more important to me in a kayak than great turning ability or stability. Based upon what I am looking to do, does anyone think I would be better off with another model (eg. WS Tarpon 140, Cobra Tourer, OC Scupper, etc)?
I have read that the Dolphin tends to swing around in the wind or with waves coming from behind. Does anyone know if the optional rudder helps with this problem?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Necky Dolphin, Speedless
I have a friend in the club I belong to who had a Dolphin. That was the slowest boat I’ve ever seen. He has since replaced the boat with a seda sit on top. Don’t buy that boat if you actually want to paddle any distance. It is very, very slow! Go look at Wilderness Systems Cape Horn 16 sit on top (plastic). That boat is fast for what it is. It is stable and it tracks well without a rudder. There are several people in the club who fish from them (Cape Horns) and use them as touring boats if they know we might run over oyster beds. You can actually hear the Dolphin coming as it plows water in front of it’s bow just like a tug boat does. Don’t buy a boat without testing it…if you can.
It’s a matter of taste
The Tarpon will paddle straighter and faster than the Dolphin but I like paddling the Dolphin better. If you are going to paddle a variety of water types the Dolphin will be more versatile than the longest Tarpon. If you are sure you just want speed, the Tarpon would be a better boat, but see if you can try a Heritage Seadart too. The Dolphin is actually modestly fun in small surf and I would presume also able to do mild whitewater. Go to www.sit-on-topkayaking.com and post the same question and you will find people that own several of the boats you are looking at. They may also give you a better feel for needing a rudder. The dolphin I demoed did not have one, nor do most I see out here.
Id go with something else.
I didnt much care for the Dolphin.Though shorter the Spike is almost as fast as its water line is about the same.Necky makes some real nice boats but their strength is in SIS touring yaks,not SOT’s.
Hey
I owned a necky Dolphin and now own a T-160!! no contest. The Dolphin is a slug, tippy, and stays full of water, its also heavy and cramped leg length wise. The T-160 tracks waaaayyyy better!! The Dolphin is much more tippy then my QCC-700!! And I don’t consider the 700 tippy at all actually!! IMHO you should get a 160 and skip the 140… it’s a bit of a slug too, but still a better choice then the Dolphin…
Fun In The Ocean, But
– Last Updated: Sep-07-04 12:43 PM EST –
I bet SeaDart paddled the Dolphin in the ocean, rather than flatwater. I paddled one on Monterrey Bay on a typical day with 3-4 foot swells and 2-3 footbeach break, and it can be fun. Some people love them in big swells, and even breaking waves.
If speed is important, it is slower than some boats that are much shorter.
For flatwater, I would pass on the Dolphin. Not what it was designed for...
If you want flatwater speed from a SOT on a budget, I have a 16'6" fiberglass Seda Revenge you could talk me out of cheap.
thanks everyone for your advice
thanks everyone for your advice … I’m going to look for a different SOT than the Dolphin
why
why does everyone not like the Dolphin? It has a cool design and looks like it has good storage capacity. What is it about it? Is it mostly the stability or is it something else?
Did Not Say I Don’t Like It
I never said I didn’t like the boat, but it is a rough water niche boat. Not for your average boater.
Fine Boat…
I’ve always liked the Dolphin for what it is. I know people that can use any boat they want and if they take a SOT they choose the Dolphin. As soon as I have room I will look for a older Canadian built one (pre OK, different plastic). I’ve seen the Dolphin do great in the right hands… GH
I purchased a Dolphin
for my daughter and paddle it frequently myself. I have been in quite a few different kayaks and I am really taken aback by those that claim the Dolphin is “very, very slow” and “a slug and tippy”. It is far from either. It is not VERY fast but can paddled at a fair clip. As far as tippy, I find the boat not tippy at all. I can re-enter the boat in open water without any difficulty. To me, this would not be possible in a “tippy” boat. My 13 YO daughter just paddled her Dolphin 28 miles this past weekend with no problems at all. Your best bet would be try before you buy. Hard to always do, but great advice.
More Info Required for replies
When people post they need to include more info like… I paddled it on an open coast with 3-5 foot swells and took it out through the surf, I weigh 200 lbs and I’m 5’8 with most of my weight not in my caboose. I like to surf and paddle in waves…pretty seaworthy SOT.
or I’m 6’6 weigh 360 lbs and if my boat moves a bit side to side I think its tippy, I always paddle on flat, still water etc etc.
I can respond that way.
I am 5’9" and about 225 lb. Both my wife who is 5’4" and about 1/2 my weight have Dolphins in addition to our closed deck boats (Gulfstream for me, Perception fiberglass Shadow for her).
Although I prefer to paddle my Gulfstream, the Dolphin is used if I am going to be paddling caves or taking some beginners out. I have crossed from the mainland to the Channel Islands (about a 13.5 NM crossing) with the Dolphin.
Alhthough it is not a very fast boat, I can keep up with most closed deck boaters and maintain a 3 knot speed with it.
It does handle rough water very well for a SOT and it is really fun to surf.
It is not nearly as stable as my Gulfstream but it handles rough water (5 - 10’ breaking swells) better than most SOT’s but not as good as the Gulfstream.
If I were buying another SOT, I would still keep the Dolphin on my short list.
OK
– Last Updated: Sep-08-04 7:38 AM EST –
Why I hate the Dolphin: First I am 6'3" 245. The Dolphin is cramped cockpit wise, even though it’s a SOT!! The foot wells don’t accommodate a size 12 Teva.., they also don’t go out far enough, so I have to paddle with my Legs at an uncomfortable angle. The boat feels to me like you are sitting on top of a round log, with ZERO secondary stability. You have to be “On” all the time. No relaxing and drifting with your Eyes closed on this boat. It turns ok, the Scupper holes let water in not out, you will be paddling in a puddle even with foam golf balls stuck in the scupper holes. In slight surf its ok, but no better then my 16’ tarpon. On the other hand in any wind the boat wants to weather cock as the bow rids up much higher then the stern. Like I said compared with the T-160, it’s no contest. The T-160 Glides much longer between strokes is way easier to push to higher cruising speeds. And tracks like a train, something the Dolphin doesn’t do very well. I think the problem is in the design, as to me the Dolphin seems like it was originally a regular Kayake that they made into a sot by lowering the deck and molding in a seat. The T-160 seems more like a SOT from the ground up. Just my opinion. As for tippy ness, like I mentioned I don’t find my 21 inch QCC tippy at all. I think my CG is just way to high in the Dolphin, or that I am exceeding its hull capaticity or something. Its like trying to sit on a beach ball under water!!! I owned the Dolphin for about 1.5 years. I’ve owned the T-160 for about 3 or 4. The longest trip on my T-160 in a day was over 40 miles. Yes the Dolphin “LOOKS” cool, but for me its not, I also think the Cobra Tour “looks” cool and cant wait to paddle one of those to see for my self. Now if QCC would make a sot that would be cool!!! BTW I have also tried the old Futura Ski the one that looks like a shark, it was fun fast and tippy, but not really and expedition boat!! BTW I would expect that boat to be a little tippy!! Not a 28” sot!!!
Dolphin versus others
I have two Necky Dolphins and have used them an awful lot in flat or ocean conditions and have enjoyed the hell out of them BUT the market is much larger now than it was 7 years ago when I first purchased them and many more choices now.
To purchase another Sit on top now I would go with the New Tarpon 160 and yank that silly factory backrest.
A paddler 5’10" is probably to tall for the leg wells in a Dolphin and the boat has no secondary stability.
Brian