or their new zephyr…performance but
not as long as the tempests…
r
take a sea kayak class
It’ll include the use of a boat, and give you some skills to make you a safer paddler and a smarter shopper.
Ditto on the Demo
Hi there. I want to re-emphasize the importance of either a demo day or rental time. Better yet, borrowing a buddy’s boat and finding out what their list of pros and cons.
As far as your list goes, I’ve only paddled the Tsunami 140. Haven’t tried the others. But Flatpick is really the authority on this stuff so I’d go by his concepts for fit. Also, have you considered calling WS and asking their advice. I know sometimes it can be nice to have a human voice on the other end of such a large purchase.
Regarding the Tempest 165, I would definitely consider it. Given both your location, size, etc it really is worth looking into. Don’t know if you can find used locally, but it’s a great boat and one you won’t regret. As far as lifting, you will learn and figure out your abilities. I’m 5’3"…okay, my docs office says 5’2" (damn them!) and have no issue lifting my T165 roto. It lists at around 57lbs and though I don’t try to lift it fully loaded (bad for me and the boat) I do lift it with a few things in the hatches and my camelback 2L bladder strapped to the seatback. All that stuff can add up but I’m doing ok. Learning to shoulder it isn’t really that hard…just give yourself time to learn.
As far as racking it up alone, that’s no problem either. Find the system that works for you. I have a VW Passat with Mako saddles on the front rack and Hully rollers on the back. I throw a bath mat on the trunk (to protect the car if I slip up) and once I get the bow in the hully rollers I just slide the boat on up. Can do the whole process entirely solo. We had an SUV and it was a little more involved for me to do this alone but the sedan has made life much easier. As you’ve probably seen from some other threads there are endless rack configurations.
Good luck whatever you wind up with and happy paddling! Don’t forget to save a little if you can for a decent paddle!- Toddy
ouch.
will advise those that can do.
steve
TSUNAMI 14.5
HI THERE
I OWN THE 14.5 AND LOVE IT.
MY HUSBAND IS 6’6 230lb AND FITS GREAT IN HIS.
GO TO A PADDLE FEST COME SPRING AND TRY THEM ALL
TARA
Uh
No slight intended to your use of the boat, but iIf your 6’6" 230 lb husband fits great in a Tsunsami 14.5 it’s not the size for a person 8" shorter and 80 pounds lighter to use in an area like Santa Cruz.
This has been mentioned before - it’d be nice if you could find a way to stop SHOUTING WITH CAPS.
saw a Tsu 125 today
vertically displayed at REI, so I got to look at it from every side but the hull.
Never really noticed how rotund it was bow to stern. BIG cockpit as mentioned. Lot of rise at the foredeck. I think a slender person like the OP can do better as far as fit.
=:-0)
“I think a slender person like the OP can do better as far as fit.”
5’10" 155lbs.
ya think???
steve
Tempest 165
You gotta try one.
diplomacy
rare here, I know
sorry Kudzu,
that’s not the boat for me, much as I know you are fond of yours.
I like much lower volume, much narrower beam, more rocker, smaller cockpit, very low profile fiberglass hatches, and a simple seat - not the oversized, overengineered Phase III seat. Frankly that seat makes me laugh! Finally the Tempest, even the 165, weighs a lot more than I want to tote.
My North Shore Fuego is 44 lbs, just under 15’11" feet and has the right amount of waterline for me to move the boat efficiently. Remember I’m a small person. 20" wide, the cockpit 16"x26" The foredeck is 10. 5 inches high, while the rear combing is 8.5 inches high. 44 lbs. It’s red over white trimmed in black lines, with a pure white layup inside.
That’s me & my likes. None intended to battle those who like the seat or the Tempest, nor to slight Steve as a designer. Buy it, live it, love it in peace and good health… as I do mine.
tis the season and we s/be kind to one another on the “nice boards”. If we could paddle together sometime I’d be sure to get us some chocolate yogurt at the takeout
tempest seats
My first sea kayak was a Perception vizcaya–seat was awful–high back, hard, ass numbing—couldn’t stay in the boat more than one hour–and I was used to hard uncomfortable seats in my white water kayaks–
I bought a Tempest 170 for my second boat and was amazed at the difference–comfortable seating—adjustable to fit my size–your comment that it is “over engineered” is an oxymoron—no such thing as an overengineered seat. I c oould stay in the boat comfortalby for up to 2.5–three hours—the seat alone was worth the price of the boat–
I suppose if you are not staying in the boat for long periods of time or traveling over long stretches of open water but paddle on places where you can pull over and stretch than seat comfort wouldn’t really matter–not dissing your boat. It obviously works for you and your paddling style. For mine, there is no better seat than the W/S Tempest—I’m looking for a second boat now and am trying to figure out how to buy the Tempest seat and put it in a Romany.
Hey Dawn
You are an inch taller than me and about 8 pounds lighter than me. That’s pretty dang close. Go paddle a Tempest 165. You just might be able to skip the beginner boat step and save yourself some cash.
good luck
"I’m looking for a second boat now and am trying to figure out how to buy the Tempest seat and put it in a Romany"
good luck
we have some rigid policies that state " we sell BOATS…NOT seats"
go figure. seems like we could make more $$$ selling seats as an accessory but I’m not the CEO!
steve
Seats are personal
– Last Updated: Dec-16-07 10:28 AM EST –
Actually, I think Kudzu was suggesting the Tempest 165 to the original poster. Friendlyfire's Fuego is not a boat that many will be aware of - an older model that's no longer in production - but it's a good boat for someone her size.
As to seat fit, it is a funny thing. I can sit with a fair degree of comfort all day in the hard, short, barely supports my east bones seat in my Explorer LV. I have about three or so hours total time in the much more nicely engineered seat in my P&H Vela before things start cramping up, I can't straighten up my lower back and I would do anything to get out of the boat. I spent two days in a new Capella 161 this last summer and had exactly the same thing happen, so it's not the era of the seat in my older Vela. I just do much much better with the same seat that others find they need to cut out of the boat.
For what it's worth, when I had time to ride a road bike (hopefully I'll soon have that again) I found the same thing. Everyone else I knew was getting these heavily designed, gel filled seats with fancy holes etc and I was still riding just fine on my old fairly hard narrow touring seat a la the early 1980's.
seats
well I could look around for a used tempest and just transfer the seat—might be a little more than I could afford though considering I can’t afford a brand new Romany:) but the good part is I just want the Romany for shorter day paddles so I wouldn’t be spending as much time in the seat. lol