-- Last Updated: Oct-19-06 8:13 PM EST --
Has anyone had the opportunity to try out the new Hurricane Santee Expedition (14' Light Touring kayak)? Thoughts? Thanks!
Not I, but I’d suggest you consider
the tampico instead (if u specifically want hurricane). If the exp has a width of 26" it may be a pretty sluggish yak.
happy paddlin trails,
kurt
Santee Expedition
The dealer in Kalamazoo MI just got his in today and my brother-in-law is going to paddle it tomorrow weather permitting. He sat in one and said it was really comfortable and well built. Ryan is about 5 ft 10 and 230lbs and has been looking for something stable, comfy yet able to cruise that has front/rear bulkheads and is under 50 lbs. I’ll relay his test drive if it happens since he doesn’t do the internet can you believe it? Misses out on all the great P-Net info!
I’m looking forward…
to his thoughts. My local dealer just got one in but probably won’t be getting anymore in until January '07 or later. I’ve heard good things about the Tampico and I’m going to look more closely at it but the Expedition really caught my attention.
Expedition Demo
After an inspection at my local paddling shop last week and a good bit of time doing research online, I arranged for a demo of Hurricane Aquasports new Expedition today. At 14 ft long, 26” wide and 46 pounds, I would call this a light touring or day touring boat. As with all of Hurricane’s models, this one is made of Trilon…a form of plastic with an appearance more like that of fiberglass and a density slightly less than standard poly. The Expedition is available with two cockpit options…a standard style cockpit of 38” x 21” and a “Sport” or rec style cockpit with a larger 50” x 24” opening. The well padded seat offered multiple adjustments and was very comfortable. Rudders or skegs are optional add-ons. Both versions have front and rear bulkheads with front and rear storage compartments. The front compartment on the “sport” version has to be accessed from inside the cockpit instead of from the top. The hatches are rubber and seemed to be a little difficult in getting on and off. The boat didn’t get up to speed as quickly as I would have expected but once it did, it coasted along well when I wasn’t paddling. It tracked and maneuvered well, especially when I leaned into some of the turns. Even when leaning into some of the turns, I felt very stable and not at all “tippy”. I’m not sure this boat is the one for me but it’s one not to miss if it falls into the category or class into which you might be looking.
I have an older Santee…
…that is holding up well. Hurricane does a nice job, better quality control than the bigger manufacturers (IMO).
I too would demo their Tampico before choosing.
Santee Expedition
Sorry for the delayed report (2nd hand as it is) of my brother in laws test. Short version-he ordered one! Loved it and said at his size it was stable but also responded well to edging and sweep strokes. He bought the regular cockpit size and at 230 lbs he said getting in and out was a snap yet he didn’t feel like the cockpit was over-roomy. He didn’t order with a rudder since he said it was pretty windy when he test paddled and he was impressed with tracking. The original poster called it a good day touring boat and Keven agrees but he did bring all his camping gear and stuff to see how it fit in the boat and he felt the boat would be fine for the weekend trips he want to do on the AuSable river. We are kinda shocked Kev finally pulled the trigger and bought a boat since he’s been test paddling for over a year.
Thanks for the responses
– Last Updated: Oct-27-06 4:25 PM EST –
Thanks for all of the responses so far. As you may have seen, I finally got to demo one myself and posted a review in the P-Net Product Reviews section. As I mentioned, it seems to be a good boat but not quite what I was expecting....it might just be that I set my expectations too high. With the clean lines and slick trilon finish it seems like it should be a little faster. Of course, at 26" wide and with my 200+ pounds I'm probably asking too much out of a relatively short light tourer. I may demo it again soon and make my final decision after that.
Are there any other boats in this same size/weight/price category that you would recommend?