Just wanted to give a quick update now that I’ve had my Scorpio MV for a few months. I paddled the Tempest for a year so before getting the Scorpio. Now that I’ve been in both boats, I think I really do favor the Scorpio.
I’m about 6’ and 155-160 lbs, so the 170 may be a bit big for me. Heck, the Scorpio MV might be a bit big, too, but even though it’s slightly wider, it looks like the sleeker boat. I think the 170 might be just a little faster, but the difference is pretty negligible.
Things I still like about the Tempest: Hull is slightly more v-shaped where my feet are, so I think it’s a little more comfortable on the outside of my heels. It slices through waves better, while the Scorpio likes to ride up them and slam down.
Things I like about the Scorpio: Initial stability is MUCH better than the Tempest. Seat is more comfortable, IMO. 4 hatches. Boat is still a little big, but seems less “tub like” than the Tempest. Unfortunately, the skeg on the Scorpio sucks. Once I put it down, it’s extremely hard to raise it again. Also, I like the thigh braces better in the Tempest, but now that I’ve tweaked the braces in the Scopio, and added some foam for my knees, it’s pretty dang good.
That’s about all I can think of at the moment. Just wondered what your opinions were, for those who’ve paddled or own both boats? I think one of the biggest plusses for the Scorpio is it’s stability. I was joking with my friends that I feel almost invincible in that thing. OTOH, while the Tempest has good secondary stability, it can feel pretty squirrely in rough water (maybe that’s because of my weight). Paddling in cold water, I’d feel a LOT safer in the Scorp than the Tempest.
Also, forgot to mention turning. The Scorpio is much easier to turn than the Tempest. The Scorpio is surprisingly maneuverable for such a long boat. The Tempest feels like a freighter.
You have more experience in those boats than me. I had not realized that you got rid of the Virgo. Your assessments are excellent. I was a bit disappointed that you gave up on the Euro paddles in favor of the Greenland paddle. Although the Greenlands are amazingly efficient paddles, they are not noted for speed. From our conversations, I got a sense that you would be able to reach much higher speeds than you did. You were doing well in the 140 Tsunami. I don’t recall off hand, and would be grateful if you refreshed my memory. Can’t recall what paddling technique you used. I dropped out of that discussion when it became hard to sift through the babble of misinformation.
You were one of the best sources that I read on the forum. It was distressing for me to follow comments that obviously had far less experience with the boats than you did. That’s one of the issues with posting data direct messaging, opinion trumps facts.
I appreciate the update, and still have hope that you experiment with paddle technique. I know you can improve efficiency. Hope you scan some of the excellent threads on the Tempest. I can offer suggestions on low angle paddles, but I depend on you for details of the boat performance. I’m looking for a 260 cm Kalliste. After verifying the limits of my paddle arc. I realized I would benefit from a longer paddle, if I can control the oscilation. One point to mention is that a longer paddle alows you to change the fulcrum length with a wider grip. If you use the paddler’s box, the wider grip isn’t an issue and it opens your breathing. I see not performance penalty between the 240 cm and 250 cm. The 260 cm offeres 2 inches per side. Anyway. Don’t adhere to old wives tales. Experiment.
Hey, thanks for the reply, and good to hear from you again! I haven’t been here on the forums much lately (too busy paddling, haha). I do still have the Virgo. In fact, I had it out today! It’s a fun boat, but I typically favor my longer kayaks. It’s nice when it’s windy and I don’t want to deal with all the length of the others, and it surfs really well! Anyway, yeah, I’ve still been using my GP. Most of my paddling buddies are slower than me, so I’m plenty fast with the GP. Plus, my body thanks me for it. I’m rarely sore anymore, at least from the actual paddling. If anything, my butt gets sore from sitting too long, and my heels will get sore from resting on the hull for hours on end. You’re right about speed, though. If I were racing, I think I’d choose the Euro blade!
I have thought about a longer paddle. I use 220 cm at the moment, but being about 6’, and paddling boats in the 22-23" width range, maybe longer could work. When I got my Scorpio, I was thinking I would sell the Tempest, but I’ve found they are different enough that I may keep both. I wish I could combine the best qualities of each! The Tempest is great, but I really need to pay attention in rough water. OTOH, I’ve taken the Scorpio out in 20+ mph winds and 3-4+ foot waves, and that thing is a beast. It just eats that stuff for lunch. Here’s a quick vid of the Scoprio in action:
I like how you track (the channel marker segment). The conditions look similar to the conditions I get with winds over 20 mph, but I don’t think I’ve ever encounter more than 30 to 36 inch waves. Long paddle only works for low angle. What speeds were you getting in your 140 Tsunami. I can’t recall, but I was impressed. How do the four boats compare for speed?
I don’t have the Tsunami anymore, but I was getting probably in the 3-4 mph range. It was a 140. With all my boats now (Virgo, Tempest and Scorpio), I can pretty much hit around 4 mph without a whole lot of effort, and that’s with the GP. If I’m really paddling hard for speed, 5-6 mph is doable, but that’s usually sprinting. Today, I hit slightly over 10 mph in the Virgo, but that was when surfing. Any of these boats with do a nice, leisurely touring speed of 3.5 mph with almost no effort. If I’ve got a good tailwind, cruising along at over 4 mph is a piece of cake.
Can’t compare the boats mentioned. Just wanted to say that at 5’10” 150lb the first Scorpio LV we got didn’t really have room for my feet (size 10-12 shoes) without having to put one heel behind (versus next-to) the other. My wife has smaller feet - so the LV is now her boat and I got an MV. Not quite enough foot space - but surely doable. An HV would just have too much overall volume for my weight. I wouldn’t say the skegs on our Scorpios are perfect - but they’re 85% as good as I could want.
We do most of our kayaking on inland lakes (2-4 miles long) and do the Great Lakes (Erie mostly) 2-3 times a year. Maybe once every year or two we get to the Atlantic (PEI Canada, Outer Banks, NC, USA Ware River estuary, VA, USA. )
