Looking for info in the Venture Kayaks Skye kayak. Interested in this as a second boat and a primary boat for my wife.
Already looked on the Venture Kayaks website, but looking for info from somebody that as actually paddled this boat. There are no reviews on PNET.
We currently own a Tsunami 145 and Impex Assateague. My wife primarily uses the Tsunami and has a hard time keeping up with me on flat water. Want to get her a boat that is more quicker yet stable. The other part of the equation is that I also have to fit in the boat (6" 6") and there are not a lot of boats that I can do this. I fit in the Skye.
Not looking for a “tippy” boat for my wife as she is not comfy edging and stuff. We liked the Tsunami because it was pretty stable, albeit a barge.
TheBigYaker
Venture Skye
You don’t mention your wife’s dimensions but given your height, unless she is tall herself, she might have trouble filling a boat you would be comfortable in. Also, while a longer waterline can mean a faster boat, the paddler has to be heavy enough to keep that waterline in the water. I have never paddled a Skye but it’s advertised as a boat for medium to larger paddlers. I would rate myself as a medium paddler & my husand as a large. There is no way he and I could comfortably paddle the same boat and get optimum performance out of it.
look
at an impex outer island. front bulkhead is way forward so will fit you low volume so will fit your wife. very stable friendly boat, good in quatering and follwing seas, fun to roll. only difficulty is that it take a while to turn.
Can’t fit the others…
If you two can’t fit each others clothes then you’re likely not going to fit each other’s kayak. Much like skis, bikes, etc.
Get you wife an Impex Force 3 or 4 but then you’re going to work hard keeping up with her. 
See you on the water,
Marshall
www.the-river-connection.com
Hyde Park, NY
Thanks, but…
An Impex OI/Force is out of the question. First, I can't fit in either and the boat is supposed to "fit" both of us. Second, my wife is not a skilled paddler and doesn't do it often. Going straight with a reasonable speed is desired. Being able to edge a turn, having strong bracing strokes a roll, etc., or handling difficult chop won't be for her. Third, there is no need to get her a composite boat. A plastic boat is fine.
The goal is to be able to go out with her for a 4 to 8 mile paddling in calm water and not have her get exhausted trying to keep up. She is about 5'5 and average weight for her height. We'll do it mostly in the summer in warm water in protected water.
I thought the Skye would be a good boat because it is 17 feet long, fairly big cockpit, yet wide enough beam to make it stable without it being a barge. Looking for input from folks that have actually paddled one.
TheBigYaker
Venture Skye
I run a sea kayak school and we added the Venture Skye to our plastic fleet this year (which includes CD Sciroccos, Valley Avocets, P&H Capella 160s/166s). The Skye was brought in to replace our Sciroccos, and so far we’re quite pleased.
I’ve always liked the Scirocco, but our experience was that it will fit a larger paddler than it can hold upright (that is it gets very tippy as it approaches the upper weight limits)…especially for top-heavy individuals. By that same token, it doesn’t fit a small paddler very well (way too corky and prone to weather cocking at the bottom of the weight range). As an outfitter, we want a boat that can be as versatile as possible: easy to paddle for a beginner, able to edge and manuever for an intermediate, able to fit a range of sizes, enough space to pack for a multi-day trip, comfortable, etc. We decided to sell off most of Sciroccos and replace them with the Skye, and after seeing it in the water, I think it was a good choice.
Here’s a quick run down:
- Stability. The Skye is a hard-chined boat with a relatively flat bottom. It’s got loads of primary stability on the flat. There’s plenty of freeboard and the boat edges nicely with good secondary stability.
- Fit. Although the Skye is a little wider (23") and has a large cockpit, the fit is adjustable. The thighbraces are whitewater style and can be moved in. The seat also can be adjusted up (sort of like on the Tempest), so even a smaller paddler can get good contact with the braces. There’s plenty of leg-room in the boat and space for large-footed individuals.
- Outfitting. 3 Kajaksport hatches, full perimeter deck lines. The lines are molded into the boat (no RDFs), but that’s how our Sciroccos were too. Skeg is a very simple, easy to maintain system with a rope, ball, jam-cleat and bungie. I’ve never seen one so easy to deploy/uphaul however. It’s literally a matter of pulling the rope 1/2" forward with almost no effort.
- The boat is single layer poly, not triple layer like the Capellas. Our Avocets were 2004s and were also single layer but seem to be stiffer. This boat seems comparable in the regard to the Scirocco.
- Price. A lot of p-netters seem to have forgotten that price is sometimes a consideration. At an MSRP of $1,199, you’re getting a lot of boat for the price. It’s definitely better outfitted than any other boat I’ve seen at that range (which is more like the price you’d pay for a Perception Carolina with 2 hatches, no perimeter lines, no skeg, etc.)
Disclosure: I am a P&H team paddler, P&H and Venture are owned by the same company. That being said, my company uses a lot of different boats in our fleet and wouldn’t pick one that wasn’t suitable to our needs.
Nice. Thank you
I debated going to a WS Tsunami 165 or 160 for the speed as we both liked the Tsunmai 145 except for it being a barge and slow.
I can get a brand new Skye for about $900. Can’t touch a new or even used Tsunami 165 or 160 for less than $1300. The Skye is definitely worth the test paddle for me and my wife.
TheBigYaker
dude
Not being negative here, but i think you’re wasting your time/energy searching for the perfect boat for her. The thing is no matter in what boat your wife will not keep up with you.
Assuming you’re a fairly strong paddler and she’s a fairly casual come-along once-in-a-while paddler.
This sort of sounds like the situation with me and my(now ex) girlfriend. I realized the only way she can really keep up with me is if i paddled a whitewater boat and she had my 17 ft cape horn.
So as an alternative, why don’t you get YOURSELF a short slow boat for when you paddle together, or just slow down to her comfortable pace?
Have you cnsidered
a Wilderness systems Tempest 15? We have a woman in our kayak club that has one and she is hard to keep up with. Might be just hat you are looking for.
Don’t look at the Outer Island
If you are paddling an Assateague, then you will not like the fit of the Outer Island. It will be way too tight.
skye kayak
I have a skye and an Orca kayak. I am a woman and of average size. I find the cockpit a bit roomy but after putting foam padding under my legs the boat fits great. I am a novice and find it very easy to paddle. The skeg is drop down and it works great. The Orca has a rudder and you steer with your feet. I do not like rudder at all. Im getting rid of the Orca and keeping the Skye. The initial stability is good as well as secondary stability. If you can get to a boat demo I would recommend you both paddling it so you arent stuck with a boat neither of you really like. My husband has an Esky by Venture kayaks and he bought it after trying it out. I didnt care for the boat but I really liked paddling the Skye and he didnt like the fit of the Skye.