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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Buying Kayak without tryout
Posted By: Mark Drozda In Response To: Re: Buying Kayak without tryout (Hugh)
Date: Monday, 22 January 2001, at 11:51 a.m.
: Hey being in Regina I had almost the same problem with the tryout problem.
Notes on some boats:My choices were all plastic
Necky Looshka Iv - I have a Necky Kyook and I have tried the Necky Narpa. I liked the Necky Plastic but I wanted a bigger boat.The Looshka is 22 wide...(kinda tippy for Photographing) The front hatch is so small it is hard to fit anything into it.
Pros...Lots of used ones to buy.
The Storm - I like the physical look of the boat. Nice features. I have heard a lot of bad reviews on its plastic. Easy warping and oilcanning.
Pros They have been around for awhile...Used ones are obtainable
The Kodiak - I had a prijon whitewater boat. Great plastic...they do not even need to have a front bulkhead support. (They even sell glue sticks that fix the gouges)
Nice features -reasonable seat and backrest. Adjustable thigh braces (nice) Gas Pedal foot braces (nice) Under 60 pounds.
Hatches are a bit flimsy but quite accessable to store gear.
Cons: Not many boats around to try out or buy used.The Kodiak is the boat I bought. I have only managed one short overnighter with it so far. It paddles quite nice.
I have seen the Storm, it is nice, but heavy. It should fit you pretty well
: though a bit of padding may be in order. I have a Solstice GTS and it
: can't turn very quickly but can haul gear very well. The Storm has similar
: characteristics. I have paddled the Cape Horn and it is an interesting and
: fun boat. It would probably not fit 14 days worth of gear unless you are a
: minimalist. I have not seen the Kodiak though Prijon can make a nice boat.: My quick word on repairs is this: Fields repairs can be the side of a plastic
: milk carton and duct tape until home is reached. If you do not have access
: to a person who has experience repairing boats (as well as the tools)
: fiberglass can be repaired fairly easily but the products to fix it tend
: to be temperature sensitive. Glass can take quite a bit of abuse. Kevlar
: is much lighter (usually) as is the carbon/kevlar mix. It can be very
: finicky to fix (kevlar hairs can rise to the surface of the gel coat).
: Holes in plastic boats occur fairly rarely. Fixing holes in plastic boats
: sucks and tends to require specialized equipment. Removing dents is easy.
: Ironing or shaving the hull to remove plastic scrapes is doable but unless
: you are worried about performance or looks, why bother? Buy UV protectant
: and use it regularly.: The key to kayaking is to have fun. The 2 boats you chose that I know about
: are nice boats.: Hugh
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