I recently ordered a Tempest 170 in kevlar mainly due to the difference in weight to glass which on the old Wilderness Systems website were shown as 22kg and 26kg. Looking at the new Wilderness Systems website they are now both listed as 25kg. What’s the real weight and should I cancel my order for kevlar if there is no significant weight advantage?
Kelvin
Weight…
I had a FG 170 Pro left with me for about 4 months. It weighed 58lbs (yellow deck). I have never weighed a Kevlar 170.
If you are really concerned as I was when ordering my last boat. I had a max weight written on the order and that I would not accept the boat if it arrived over that weight.
May sound anal but if you pay $1000 extra for a promised weight you should get what you were promised…
It did come in under weight… 
wilderness systems
old site was wrong on the wieghts, I had a 165 tempest glass and ordered a 165 tempest kevlar to save wieght, yep paided $500 more to save 2 pounds. It was suspose to be 9 pounds lighter. Had I known I would have stayed with the glass.
Dennis
60 lb
My 2006 T170 pro weighs 60 lb. It has the WS hatch covers, not the 2007 KS covers.
Before that I had a T180 pro that weighted 10-15 lbs below spec, right at the website speced weight of the kevlar 180. I was thinking maybe I got a kev 180. Not so. Good strong boat though. Just less resin in the layup I guess.
Paul
no consistancy
compare the Tempest 165 Pro weights, between the 170Pro and 165Pro they have three different conversions in lbs for 25kg.
Sounds like they’re saying the kevlar will weigh less than the glass one but there’s not enough consistancy (in production or mangagement) for the marketing dept. to provide any degree of precision.
glass
my $.02 is that for general rough use boats it’s the way to go and the money can be used for gas or a fancy paddle. If a person really wants a light kayak they would be looking at kayaks designed and built with that in mind. 4-6lbs won’t make much difference on general rough use or touring and anything that damages a glass boat that requires repairs will do the same to a kevlar boat.
averages
I just tsalked with our composite shop leader and he said with the infusion process it is hard to make a huge difference in weights between the 2 materials. The standard f/g 170’s have averaged (over the past 2 months) 56-57 lbs and the average kev 53-54lbs.
I will be getting some more beta soon.
steve
how about
strategic placement of s-glass instead of gel coat in hull areas and hand some graffiti taggers cans of spray paint for UV protection?!!
On a semiserious note I wonder if the use of infusion methods and core materials is making a “kevlar” kayak kind of superfluous from a cost/weight standpoint.
yep
much as I hate to say so…
our standard glass is alot of bang fer the $$$.
steve
it’s good
besides, no one needs a bullet proof kayak anyway.
As the cost of Kevlar and carbon…
…spirals upward I would expect to see fewer really light weight boats. More likely a token layer of Kevlar included in the hull to make the buyer feel good. This makes the FG layups a better deal.
The lighter layups are available in some boats but at a premium that most buyers are not willing to pay…
Thanks Steve NM
nahhh
eliminate gel coat, use core materials and s-glass and I bet folks could have lighter kayaks,then have it made in China.
con mucho gusto
we have actually had a number of discussions with the sales staff and marketing trying to solidify these issues.
The infusion process is quite good and has drastically improved the composite vessel, especially in 'glass. The reduction in material in the kev edition doesn’t do much to reduce weight as the inner and outter molds (infusion process) makes for a uniform, stiff package.
good luck
steve
A couple more questions
After looking at the new Wilderness Systems website I have a couple more questions.
The plastic Tempest 170 is listed as 56lbs, the same as fibreglass, is this correct?
The plastic tempest 170 features says it has kajaksport hatches but the pictures show it with the grey and black wilderness systems hatches, which ones does it have?
thanks
Kelvin
yes and oops
close to the same weight in roto.
here are the latest weights of production boats:
Tempest 165- FG:55lbs KE:49lbs
Tempest 170- FG:57lbs KE:52lbs
Tempest 180- FG:60lbs KE:55lbs
roto have the original WS hatches, not the KS. maye someday!
steve
weights
My two kevlar tempest 165s weight 51.4 pounds and 52.1 pounds the fiberglass I had first weighted 54.3 pounds.
Not enough diference to warrent the exta cost, had I known I would have stayed with all fiberglass for the price difference.
That being said we love the kayaks and would deffinately buy the 165s again, they will be with us for a very long time.
Dennis