Tempest 165 RM
– Last Updated: Apr-01-09 8:36 PM EST –
While most of the suggested boats at composite will be $2,500 or more new, you can start out a lot lower with a fine low volume boat in it's plastic version-the Tempest 165 is a nice selection for the waters you describe. Your weight would be fine for the boat but not sure about your height so test paddling is important. Numerous posters hear mentioned leaky hatches in the older plastic versions, but perhaps new boats have sold the problem. Look for a dealer near you for Wilderness Systems. It and the Valley Avocet RM are probably the two most praised day boats in RM material.