Wilderness Vs Elie

Wanting to get my first Kayak and I’m torn between the Tsunami 145 and the Elie Strait 140 XE. I have sat in both in the store but never been on the water with either. Is one brand better than the other? Has anyone had any experience with either of these kayaks? I am 5’8 225lb. Lake and slow river use.

Andy info/advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Reputation
Never paddled the Elie but have spent plenty of time around the Tsunami 125, 135 and 140. I know WS has a pretty good track record and the Tsunami line is quite successful. The Elie, on the other hand is made by Pelican. They have a reputation of being kind of low end. Things may have changed, I don’t really know for sure. I would say, which ever one feels best to you, just proceed with caution.



Gary

demo them on the water
if possible.

recent review
The latest issue of Adventure Kayak magazine has a glowing review of the Elie 140EX. I’ve been eyeing it myself for a while but unfortunately it has been impossible to find a regional dealer who stocks them so I could test paddle one. The thermoformed hull could be a weakness I suppose but I have been impressed with reports on the boat and by the features.



Tsunamis are as common as rabbits – true that they are solid and reliable with a good customer service record, but I’ve used them (as rentals and in borrowing a friend’s 140) and have found the performance meh-inspiring compared to my own similar sized boat (Venture Easky). I think if you tend to flog your gear and are willing to trade a little bit of performance for durability, the Tsunami would be the ticket.



I admit maybe my attraction to the Elie is purely aesthetic (as well as a tendency to prefer novelty over “standard” products). They are good looking and somehow seem more polished and sleek than the Tsunamis, even though the specs could hardly be more similar. I’m probably delusional but Tsunamis to me are the kayak equivalent of Dodge Darts.

Dagger Alchemy L
Sweet little boat…

and if you get the Digital version of AK
If you get the digital version of the mag, they also had a video review of the Elie Strait 14 along with it. I must admit it looked pretty nice and also at a really good price. Their only negative was that the hatch covers were not as waterproof as they would have liked.

Agreed
The Alchemy looks like it would be a fun little playboat. :wink: