What do you know about Jolt Kayaks?

Advice
#1

Hi,

I am in the Florida Keys and am searching for a single person ocean type kayak.

Have located one second hand and it is a Jolt Sport.

Does anyone have any feedback about the seaworthiness of this brand? I am familiar with ocean kayak only.

Thanks!

#2

Twice the caffeine and all the sugar
of regular kayaks?

#3

see product reviews
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=1196



Looks like a discontinued rec kayak by Old Town (OT sport). Should be rugged, but I don’t think I’d take it on the open sea.

#4

Jolt
I was looking at the Jolt at one time as a crossover boat, whitewater/flatwater. When I checked into it, most of what I heard was that it was a pretty good one, able to handle Class I-II and maybe Class III, depending on the paddler.

#5

You might be better off with a used
touring kayak sized to your weight. Another issue is that if you are paddling around the keys, you NEED a sprayskirt that fits the boat and keeps water out of your cockpit. There will be many nice days when you can get away without a sprayskirt, and, sooner or later, a day when a proper sprayskirt makes the difference between getting back to the landing and waiting for help.

#6

Does not look too bad for seaworthyness
The drop skeg should let you track and paddle fairly well, it has a small cockpit that you can put a skit on. The hull shape looks reasonable. If it’s fairly inexpensive I would go for it and start paddling. If you are going to go long distances you would want a longer kayak. Also you don’t say how much you weigh.



Get some floatation bags for it and a spay skirt. I would get rid of the seat it comes with and make your own minifoam seat or buy a whitewater boat back band and install it.

#7

It should work okay
but I suggest either a Neoprene spray skirt or a Nylon skirt with an Anti-Implosion Batten Rod to keep the water out. Lastly, if there are no bulkheads in the kayak, get some kayak flotation air bags for the front and back, as well as a bilge pump and paddle float. With that, you’ll have the bare essentials for sea kayaking. However, this kayak will not be as fast or efficient as one of those longer 16’-18’ full expedition sea kayaks. Also, with air bags in there, you wont have much room for gear, so just do one or two day trips. The kayak is not big enough for multi-day trips.