pursuit 14 foot Kayak : opinions?

Hi. I’m thinking of buying a 14-foot pursuit kayak (140 DLX) at costco, because it’s cheap and all I can afford. Wanting to do touring/overnighting. Has anyone ever tried one? Is it a complete waste of money? Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me.



http://www.costco.ca/en-CA/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10289628&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1



One more thing: is there a search feature on this board? thx

think twice
I’ve looke d at the boat’s stats and I don’t think that it’s the right boat for what you want to do. First and foremost a 14’ kayak probabally isn’t going to cut it for multi-day touring trips. You’d probabally be okay for overnights, but i think you’ll be pressed for space. While the boat is 14’ only so much of it is going to be packabel space and since the boat only has a rear hatch with a skeg your amount of space will be limited. You can do what you want, but keep in mind that you can most likely find a used 16’ to 17’ plastic kayak for the same price or probabally a little more.



Hope everything works out for you.

Not the best for the money
Better boats can be had for this price – might want to try before you buy



Look at Sierra Trading Post web site, they carry reasonably priced 15-17 footers for not much more.



Also, a lot of sales are coming up, and some demo stock can still be had for a very good price.


Thanks
Thanks for the replies. My problem is that I’m in the middle of the Canadian prairies, and decent used touring kayaks simply cannot be found here. But I’m going to give the Pursuit a pass based on your advice.

Check
http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/ca



Not many out there at this time of the year, but keep checking.

probably be alright
I am not sure what kind of water are we talking here. i assume lakes/slow rivers. also, it may have a hatch but in the back but i don’t even think it has a rear bulkhead…

In flat water, it would be ok for lighly packed long weekend trips but nfg for any sort of skill learning because of how bathtub-like it is. Lack of front hatch isn’t an issue, Most Mariner kayaks don’t either and they have a cult following. just use drybags.

For 700 bucks though, not a very good bang for the buck. but,beats not having a boat at all. On the other hand i don’t think the 14 footer is much better than the much cheaper pelican 10 footers,either is a cheap overnightable rec boat.

Build It Yourself - Ya, Really!
If money’s tight and you want a lot of bang for your buck, take a hard look at building a stitch and glue ply/epoxy kayak. There are dozens of good designs out there, and most are pretty simple to build, requiring no specialized tools or skills.

The VOLKSKAYAK that I build is a 17’, 25" beam, 40 lb. sea kayak with fore and aft bulkheads; very simple and straightforward construction, needing the minimum in time, tools, skills and money. I allow about $400-500 per boat for top quality materials, and figure a first build, working from plans and raw materials, should take about 80-100 hours - the next one should take 60-80 hours. I find mine seaworthy, tough, and a joy to paddle.

Just Google S&G kayaks - that’ll get you started. Any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail.