Him
This is going to be short, I’d just like some input. I’m in the market for my first kayak, willbe mainly paddling lakes, slow moving rivers, no whitewater. Some friends have a Pungo 140, which I’ve tried, lots of room to move around in and for storage, and I was going to get one of those. Then I tried a Necky Manitou 13, which seemed very fast and zippy. But tighter to get into.
I’m new to this forum, could some folks give me pros & cons of both?
Thanks!
Gary
Not quite the same…
– Last Updated: May-05-08 4:57 PM EST –
I came from a Pungo 100 and bought a Manitou 14. I liked the Pungo until I took a multi-day sea trip in various sea kayaks. When I got home, the Pungo felt huge (the width). I quite like the fit of the Manitou. It feels like I'm connected to the boat, not (as someone else here said) sitting in a bathtub. You'll have more control with thigh contact. I'm about to buy something smaller (interested in a Prijon Capri Tour) that's also relatively narrow. I'd never buy an ultrawide again. The Pungo 140 might be good for the kind of paddling you'll be doing however. Just one persons opinion.
Cockpit size
The biggest differences are cockpit size and boat width. The big cockpit on the Pungo makes it easier to get in & out, move around, arrange fishing gear, etc; and the extra width makes it a bit more stable on relatively flat water. The disadvantages are that you have less contact with the boat and therefore less control. being able to edge and lean when you want to is important for good boat control when conditions get more challenging. It’s also hard to keep a skirt sealed on a large cockpit when the waves start dumping in your lap.
If you want to work on advanced skills, including rolling, the Manitou would be a better choice. If you’re more interested in comfort the Pungo might be better.
I agree with kayakjak
– Last Updated: May-05-08 8:58 PM EST –
I have both a Pungo 12 and a Manitou 13. They're just very different boats. I use the Pungo on a flat water lake about 50 yards from my house. I can put anything in the Pungo, including my dog, and it's comfortable as my sofa. It's also as slow as my sofa would be if I put it in the lake. . . .
But I wouldn't dream of using the Pungo on nearby rivers -- class I or II -- nor on the ocean. That's why I bought the Manitou, which is perfect for either rivers or ocean. The Manitou is fast, stable, fast, etc., but it's not a sofa and my dog won't fit while I'm in it. I usually use a sprayskit on the Manitou, but a sprayskirt on a Pungo would look like a tent. You get the idea. . .
Once you get hooked on kayaks, you buy boats, plural. I have five now, each for different conditions. (Whitewater gets a Fluid Spice; I have two boats for guests, which means kayaks that are almost idiot-proof: a sit-on-top and a Dagger Delta, a big wide bus of a boat, almost impossible to flip.) And I feel like a wimp: a friend of mine has 14 kayaks! Fourteen! He's got a jones, and a tolerant -- or uncaring -- wife. But he's a great humanitarian, because by his example we can always tell our wives that HE'S got 14 friggin' kayaks -- we're not THAT crazy! :-)