A friend of mine who weighs about 100 lbs wants to get into kayaking. She’s got her mind made up on a 10’ Wilderness Systems Tarpon. She’ll be lifting this thing on and off her truck alone. I tried talking her into getting something lighter (probably not a SOT)
So my question - what do you who paddle them think about the Tarpons? are they mostly for fishing or do they make handy recreational yaks as well? do they track pretty well? are they really 55 lbs or are they heavier?
thanks!
Tarpon for small paddler?
– Last Updated: Jul-23-16 10:31 PM EST –
At 100 pounds, your friend is also probably fairly short and short framed. She may find the shorter Tarpons to be too wide for her. At her natural paddling stroke, her hands may be striking the sides of the boat.
A boat that's a couple inches narrower may be better suited to her dimensions yet still be plenty stable.
Shop around and try several boats before making the decision. She wouldn't want to spend $700 or more on a boat that is wrong for her size because it was the first thing to come along.
Tarpon 100 is a good boat
I paddle one frequently as a volunteer at our state park, and it is a sturdy boat, tracks well, but weighs at least 55 lbs.
The Hurricane Skimmer 116 is a lot more fun to paddle, and weighs 42 lbs. I have the Skimmer 128, but have also paddled the 116, and highly recommend it.
http://hurricaneaquasports.com/our-kayaks/sit-on-tops/skimmer-116/