I am about to buy my first kayak and am considering either a perception Carolina 14.0 or a wilderness pungo 140. I plan on paddling small lakes, larger lakes (lake Cumberland), and slow to moderate rivers. I want the 14’ over the 12’ due to the extra storage and more speed. I would really like to outfit the kayak after I buy it with some fishing gear as well, but that isn’t going to the the primary use, I also plan to use it for “kayak camping”.
Right now I am leaning toward the Carolina due to the smaller width (faster? I assume). I don’t care to sacrifice some stability and having a huge cockpit isn’t a priority.
Does anyone have some experience with either the Carolina 14.0 or the pungo 140, or both?
Thanks
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very similar boats
Neither boat is going to win races. And the speed differences are probably undetectable unless you are planning on traveling longer distances paddling full bore the entire time, so I would disregard speed in the equation.
In my opinion decide what you will be doing most in the boat, and one of the boats will seem better suited for that task. I personally like WS outfitting better than Perception outfitting.
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Primary use
I would say that I will be pretty evenly split between fishing, overnight/longer camping trips, and even just paddling around the local waters on a nice day.
Turning-which is better
Also, which of these would be better at turning?
You consider these to be simila boats?
http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/product/index/products/touring/carolina/carolina_14/
http://www.wildernesssystems.com/product/index/products/recreational/recreational_pungo/pungo_140_recreational
They seem quite different to me.
I consider both as rec boats
Both are not very task specific, but both are good recreational/general use kayaks.
Still very different specs, fit and
handling. Not much the same except length and material.
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Neither
Both should be easy enough to turn as far as the hull is concerned. You are talking relatively quiet water, and if you really can’t turn boats like these you should consider getting some help.
That said, the Pungo lacks much of the control surface that makes turning easier. You turn a boat most efficiently by controlling the edge, without your thighs under something you have a lot less control to manage the edge. Hence the value of a smaller cockpit - you get that control surface.
Can You Try Both
Can you find a place where you can try both boats?
To me at least, how boats perform on the water doesn’t necessary match their specs on paper.
Limited choices?
In the 14’ category there are more choices than the two you’ve mentioned. Why the limited menu?
IMHO a better performing kayak would be the Venture Islay (review here on P-Net)
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Pungo
Easy in and out.Easy access to your fishing/camping gear almost like a canoe.I have no experience with a pungo but people seem to like them.
As an alternative to the Carolina consider a CD Whistler. I’ve owned both.I’ll wear out my Whistler before I sell it.I don’think I’ll be able to kayak by the time I wear it out. Great boat. Mine is an older model. I believe they made the cockpit opening a bit larger and raised the front deck. I like my version better. Personal preference for the tighter fit.
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Price
I’m limiting my choices to these two due to the investment, for now I do not want to spend more than $1,000 on the yak
Leftovers
2013 Leftovers. Who doesn’t love leftovers? 
Keeps it under that $1k mark.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org
Leftovers Online?
Any suggestions where to buy a leftover 2013 model online, I don’t really have a local kayak shop in rural south central Kentucky.