Hi Guys,
I'm a novice paddler looking to buy a kayak for calm rivers and coves. I'm looking at the Necky Rip 10, and Pelican Quest 100, exactly and Old Town Heron 9XT Between these, which one is more stable and tracks easier?
Thanks!
need more information
What's your size (height and weight) ? Such small wide boats may not be the best choice for you but we can't know that without more detail. If you are a big guy (over 200' or over 6' 2") or a smaller person, they could be quite poor choices. Have you test paddled this sort of boat and other models of kayak to get a feel for what they do? You should choose a kayak based on what fits you and your intended type of paddling, not based on an incorrect assumption that a certain style is "for novices." It really doesn't work that way.
All 3 of those models you name are going to be slow and fairly sluggish and will limit the range of places you can paddle to mild and shallow inland waters near to shore. If you are an average sized person and only want short day trips where speed (as in keeping up with other people) doesn't matter) then these would suffice. The Necky is the highest quality of the lot and at least has a skeg and a sharper bow to correct the tendency of such designs to wander. The Pelican has very little to recommend it other than being cheap. It has no skeg, is 30" wide and and has no bulkheads. It's little more than a plastic bathtub. The Heron (and Rip) at least have a stern bulkhead. But that does not necessarily make it much safer than a boat with no bulkheads. Adding an inflatable flotation bag in the bow would make them safer. The Pelican should have float bags in both stern and bow. That adds $50 to $60 to the cost.
Being "stable" is relative. In flat water nearly any boat is stable, even if it "feels tippy" to a new paddler. If you are out in surf, waves or a situation where you could encounter power boat wakes, a short wide boat is less stable than a longer narrower boat.
The Rip is serious. Are you?
I think your learning curve in the Rip will be painfully steep. Flat bottomed, low rocker, sharpish chines, slab sides, just made for excitement.
On the other hand, has Necky gone and changed the name of a true surfing classic again?
Thanks!
Thanks for the reply. I guess there is a reason why the Pelican is so cheap.
I’m 168lb, 5’10". I don’t plan on doing long day trips, just 2 hour or so single trips so 4hr round trip max. Guess I’ll get the Necky then.
Thanks!
Eddyline Sky 10
Somebody just asked on here about the Eddyline Sky 10 – looks like it would be a better performing boat than any of the ones you listed.
Eddyline Sky 10
I’d love to have the Sky 10,unfortunately it’s hard to find one here in Vancouver BC, not to mention, it’s quite a bit outside my budget.
Not the same Rip
It’s no longer a surf boat but a recreational kayak. 
naming
Yeah, it annoys me when vendors use the same name on products that have been re-designed to such an extent that they really are not what they were in the first place. “Rip” implies something fast and maneuverable. “Drift” might be a better name for the newer model.
Rip 10
I purchased a Necky Rip 10 this spring - the 2013 model which does not have the skeg (was heavily discounted). I’ve paddled it on the inland lake where I live and it handles waves and chop fine. A well made, solid boat, it’s fun to paddle through the wakes of ski boats. Tracking issues are easily corrected with a stroke or two so don’t mind not having a skeg. It’s a fine boat for relaxed paddling; takes more energy to get it moving at a faster speed.
The Necky has a large open cockpit and you’ll get lots of paddle drip and splash. I purchased a Seals half skirt (size 5.0 to 7.0) which solved that problem. Plus it has a handy zippered compartment to hold stuff on the deck.
My only issue with the Necky Rip 10 is the single bulkhead and the large cockpit, because I wanted to paddle nearby bays of Lake Michigan and some of our very large inland lakes. As luck would have it, I found an Eddyline Skylark on our local Craigslist and purchased it. That’s the kayak I take to explore the bays and other lakes, while the Necky is my work-out boat for home use.
yeah
I was pretty astonished and saddened to see what they have done to the rip. Why wreck a good name? I love my old school Rip in the surf.
Go with the Rip 10
I would go with the Rip 10. It’s a great paddling boat with a large cockpit that is going to provide more versatility than the other too. The Rip has another advantage over both as well, for models built from 2014 on - it has a built in drop-skeg. So you can change the performance of your boat based on your needs. With the skeg lowered for optimal tracking, or raised for quicker maneuvering. You can see more info on the Rip series if you visit www.EscapeToTheWater.com
Thanks!
Hi guys! Just wanted to post an update on here and to thank everyone for their input.
I ended up getting the Rip 10 because it’s on sale in my area and I’ve already taken it out to Deep Cove. I must say that I’m very impressed by the handling and tracking of this boat. Its top speed may not be the same as what I can achieve in a 14’ or even 12’ kayak, but it’s fast enough, especially since I usually paddle with a friend who’s on a SUP. Overall I’m very satisfied.
Perhaps the only real downside that I’ve noticed is that the Rip 10 is not the most convenient 10’ yak to load onto my car (as opposed to my friend’s Pelican 100). My car doesn’t have factory rails and quite frankly I’m not about to spend $600 on aftermarket hard rails to transport a $500 kayak, so I ended up getting the Malone Handirack, which I hope will work in the interim.
Anyway, thanks again for everyone’s input!
Good buy!
Glad you like the Necky. It’s a sweet boat.
Just be sure to use cam straps to hold your Necky to your car versus ratchet straps.
Cam straps
Haha thanks! Yeah the kit that I bought came with cam straps only.