I’m planning to buy a sit on top kayak for overnight camping trips and floats down easy rivers (i.e. no whitewater above easy class II). I’ve narrowed my choice down to the Tarpon 120 and Triumph 13. I’ve found lots of info on the Tarpon 120 but very little about the Triumph other than a few simple reviews. I’m hoping someone here can comment on how these two boats compare. The Triumph seems to be a faster boat due to its 13.5’ length and I wonder how much maneuverability is lost at that length in comparison to the Tarpon 120. They’re both about the same weight but the Triumph being longer may be easier to load onto my car by myself since it’d be a bit easier to get the front up and then leverage the other end up (bad shoulders keep me from being able to lift it over my head). I expect to do lots of solo trips so being able to get it on and off of my car is important. I’m 5’10" 140lbs. in case that makes a difference. Also I do not expect to be doing any fishing. I took a Tarpon 100 out for a trial run last weekend on an overnight camping trip with my girlfriend and it hauled everything fine but was very sluggish and I’m now looking into getting a longer/faster kayak instead.
Thanks in advance for your response.
Don’t forget the hatches
Unless you have found an older that 2006 Tarpon the hatch are those awful leaking ones with the hinges. Those hinged hatch covers are made for flat water only. It the wind blows some chop up, then you’ll get water in your boat. If you capsize you’ll get a lot more water in your boat. I’d run away from that unless you are planning on staying in really calm water all the time.
So my vote is not for the Tarpon even though it is a very comfortable boat. I love my original tarpon, but even it’s giant hatches leak less than the new tarpons now that I have re gasketed it.
Good point about leaky hinged hatches
Thanks for the tip on those leaky hinged hatches. I actually liked them quite a bit on the Tarpon 100, but that weekend I was on a lake and never tipped the boat. The Tarpon 120 I’m considering is actually the 2008 model, rebranded as a Perception Pescador 12. It has the old style hatches.
Maneuverability
I see that this post is a couple of months old but I figured I’d give a little input. Just paddled a Triumph today and it was very easy to maneuver. Paddled it right after a Necky Vector (14) and found the triumph to be easier to turn. While the triumph is a slightly shorter boat than the vector I think it had more to do with the hull shape than the length. Both boats would take an edge to turn but the triumph turned quicker and more reassuringly. That said, I didn’t find it terribly difficult to keep in a straight line either. Hull shapes on the tarpon are also pretty similar to the triumph but the tarpon seems to carry it’s width further forward and aft as opposed to the triumph. Vector was a little quicker in a straight line, slightly better glide too. Vector gave me a wet seat, I’m 210 lbs.
Good luck.