I currently have an Old Town Cayuga 146 which I bought as a beginner boat 4 years ago. I have had some wonderful experiences with it and still enjoy it but I am thinking it may be time to move on to a better boat now that I have a lot more experience. Doing a lot of research I have narrowed it down to 2 choices because I like the idea of the thermoform plastic, a multichine hull, the length and width of these 2 boats and a dealer not too far away handles this make. The Seaward Cosma TX at 16’2" and the Seaward Infinity TX at 15’5". I have read the reviews here but wonder if anyone else has additional information or experience with these boats. I am a woman, 5’7" 150 pounds and pretty strong for my age of 60. I do frequent long day trips and may do some camping. Stability is important because I am always solo. Thanks.
Seaward Kayaks
Check the review section on Paddling.net. I’m not familiar with those specific boats but i have paddled a couple Seaward boats and they are well built. Why just those 2 ? Vaughn Fulton
Perimeter rigging?
Am I seeing the pics right that the Infiniti lacks perimeter rigging all around, or is it pictured with color-coordinated line that is blending in? Especially for solo use, I’d suggest a boat with full perimeter rigging so you have lots to hang onto both for loading the boat and if you capsize.
On the flip side, the Infinite has a small day hatch or equivalent, that you should be able to get to on the water without pulling a skirt. In terms of how you paddle and carry gear, does this make a diff to you?
I know nothing about how the boats paddle, so above is all I can comment on.
boat specs…
hi…I looked at the boats on seawards site…i see a difference in width , the Infiniti is 21.5" wide vs the Cosma @ 23" wide…personally …i would pick the cosmos since you stated you might use it for camping. 2nd item I noticed is the hull depth , with the Infiniti having the edge there…the Cosma has a tad more storage space.I have no experience with Seaward boats, so I can’t offer any comment on how they handle. You might want to look on Seawards website for review
http://www.seawardkayaks.com/products_tx_infiniti155.php
PS: good eye celia …the perimeter lines do not go all the way around. easily fixed i would think.
Adding perimeter line
If the recessed deck fittings have a spare hole, it wouldn’t be a problem to add static line to complete the perimeter rigging. Thing is, I don’t know anything about the RDF’s that Seaward uses. Anyone here?
Seaward Kayaks
Thanks for your help and suggestions. If I get a chance to test paddle these boats this spring I will. There is a very good paddling centre a few hours away. I live in Northern Ontario so travelling to test a good variety boats is usually necessary.