Hi everybody,
I need your help once again. I am about to buy a kayak and I have found these two: 16ft Gaspe touring kayak by ClearWater Design and
15.5 ft St. Lawrence touring kayak by ClearWater Design
Their price is $800 and $700 brand new!!
What do you suggest for a beginner level?
I cannot try them so I have to compare them and base my decision in a different way.
Could you help me on this?
Thank you guys
“I cannot try them” !!
–Then you should not buy either one.
It is as simple as that, unless there is a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Cheers,
JackL
had the same issue
I sat in these boats in a shop in Naples. given their cost, I would think there would be demos all over the place and it would be a low end starter boat for the masses. this is not the case.
The boats themselves (I looked at both) appear to be a pretty thin plastic, (not necessarily a bad thing) except that you would probably have oil canning problems if you are not careful. Also I remember reading reviews that the plastic was way too thin on the hull but this has been addressed supposedly.
I will tell you the single thing that stands out to this day is the hatch covers. Imagine the top of a shoe box and that is what you have with a couple of straps to secure them. Looked horrible and you can tell this would catch water and spray up in your face every time.
Can’t tell you how it paddles as I never even held a paddle with it. Maybe it is a great boat. but if so, as I said before, why isn’t this either in a bunch of rental fleets or as a specialty top end performer.
I suspect that instead of being pleasantly surprised, you might just get what you pay for.
Paul
find a place
where you can try the boats. If you are planning on spending that amount of money, make sure you are happy with your purchase. It’s a buyer’s market. You may even find a quality boat someone is up-grading from. Don’t buy too quickly. Look at all your options.
Enjoy the buying experience, and paddle safe…
St Lawrence
The St Lawrence by Clearwater was my first kayak when I started double blading 7 years ago.
It was ok for an entry level boat and it took me a lot of places but it’s long gone now.(my brother-in law still has it)
It was very hard tracking with a weird hull design that featured a flat bottom that dropped down to very skeg like shape at the bow.It was thin and prone to oil canning,the hatches leaked a lot and the coaming was not recessed enough to hold the skirt on properly.The cockpit was poorly designed for body contact with no consideration for thigh/knee bracing. The upside was that it was fairly fast.
Although it’s technically a sea kayak I would put it into the classification of a rec boat,good to keep at the cottage in case a guest wants to poke around the inlet after dinner but don’t take it on the high seas.
In fairness to Clearwater,it’s priced in the rec boat range so you’re getting what you paid for.
Cheers
Bert
thank you
thank you it’s been usefull!!!
I am not buying and…still looking…
Ciao Paolo
thank you
concise and straight to the point.
Effective as it should be.
Thank you I guess you are right.
Ciao PAolo
thank you
This was really usefull !!!
Thank you again I am not byuing and… still looking around
Ciao Paolo
Prijon Calabria…check it out.
Buy used
If your looking for a “first” boat, look very hard at the used market. Most sellers will let you demo the kayak and you will save a lot of money. You can get a lot more boat for the money if you buy used. Take the money you save and buy some great gear! Don’t break the bank on the boat and neglect the proper apparel and safety gear.
Paddle well…
be sure to try before buying
I’ve learned the hard way, my story is on the next message board.
It turns out that the only mistake I didn’t make was buying a Pungo from Gaylans for $399.00.
That was just pure luck. However it has turned out to be a good boat for an overweight beginner.
My third boat was a big mistake for me, I’m still bitter about it. I just wanted something light weight I could handle on my own on and off of my van. I was too naive and trusting of what I read on line and also the dealer and spent too much money on something I can not use.
So now I’m pinching pennies as well as trying to change my diet habits. I’m also warning folks to be more than a bit careful when buying a kayak.
found a website selling demos
try
http://www.quietworldsports.com
These prices on used demo boats looked pretty good - just found the website or I’d have stopped there on my way home, from going home to Kalamazoo. Jackson Michigan