Demo day - Anas Acuta, Avocet LV, and Tempest 160 RM
Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 9:05 am
I went to the Kayak Centre demo day in RI this weekend. Specifically I was looking for a boat that would carry enough gear for multi-day trips, has a low back deck for layback rolls, is sized for a small paddler, and is fast and nimble. It's a lot to ask from one boat, but one doesn't know until one tries them.
First up was the Avocet LV, since I currentlly paddle an Avocet (rotomolded) for my expedition boat. This is a zippy kayak, turns on a dime, and pretty fast given its 16' length. It rolls very easily and has moderate secondary stability. I knew it wasn't going to be the boat for me (not expedition size) but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I also demoed the glass Avocet. It felt a little faster than my poly model, but I didn't think it rolled as well. Mostly, in both these boats, I missed the hard chines that I've come to love in my Mariner Elan.
I sat in the Aquanaut LV, the Pintail, and the Nordkapp LV, but these boats had cockpit coamings that hit me too high up on my back for layback rolling.
The Anas Acuta, however, fit nicely. I took her out for a spin and didn't want to come back. Very nice secondary stability, very easy to roll, turns awesomely fast when laid over on the side. Loved the hard chines. I can see why it's a popular rockplay boat, even though it's the oldest composite model out there. Not particularly fast nor slow, and I didn't think it offered enough advantage over my Elan to make it worthwhile to trade up. (I may change my mind...) But if you want a fun dayboat for a small paddler, try this one.
I sat in the Wilderness System Zephyr but found the cockpit to be too high for me. Ditto the WS Tempest 160 composite, which has an upwardly flared coaming in the rear. This was the highest cockpit of any I tried. It actually hit me in the shoulderblades when I leaned back for a roll. Yuck.
Finally I tried the Wilderness System Tempest 160 (Rotomolded). This had a more conventional cockpit coaming and it was low. I took it for a spin and ended up paddling it for about a half hour. Loved it. It handled very much like the Avocet, but had killer secondary stability. Effortless balance bracing, without using the paddle. Very easy to roll. This is an awesome and inexpensive boat. One big drawback is that the hatch covers are not very tight. I wouldn't trust them to be completely dry. I think the Valley hatch covers are far superior. Also, the Tempest was slow, as poly boats can be.
So I didn't find a clear winner for my purposes, but did discover some fun boats out there for day tripping.
First up was the Avocet LV, since I currentlly paddle an Avocet (rotomolded) for my expedition boat. This is a zippy kayak, turns on a dime, and pretty fast given its 16' length. It rolls very easily and has moderate secondary stability. I knew it wasn't going to be the boat for me (not expedition size) but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I also demoed the glass Avocet. It felt a little faster than my poly model, but I didn't think it rolled as well. Mostly, in both these boats, I missed the hard chines that I've come to love in my Mariner Elan.
I sat in the Aquanaut LV, the Pintail, and the Nordkapp LV, but these boats had cockpit coamings that hit me too high up on my back for layback rolling.
The Anas Acuta, however, fit nicely. I took her out for a spin and didn't want to come back. Very nice secondary stability, very easy to roll, turns awesomely fast when laid over on the side. Loved the hard chines. I can see why it's a popular rockplay boat, even though it's the oldest composite model out there. Not particularly fast nor slow, and I didn't think it offered enough advantage over my Elan to make it worthwhile to trade up. (I may change my mind...) But if you want a fun dayboat for a small paddler, try this one.
I sat in the Wilderness System Zephyr but found the cockpit to be too high for me. Ditto the WS Tempest 160 composite, which has an upwardly flared coaming in the rear. This was the highest cockpit of any I tried. It actually hit me in the shoulderblades when I leaned back for a roll. Yuck.
Finally I tried the Wilderness System Tempest 160 (Rotomolded). This had a more conventional cockpit coaming and it was low. I took it for a spin and ended up paddling it for about a half hour. Loved it. It handled very much like the Avocet, but had killer secondary stability. Effortless balance bracing, without using the paddle. Very easy to roll. This is an awesome and inexpensive boat. One big drawback is that the hatch covers are not very tight. I wouldn't trust them to be completely dry. I think the Valley hatch covers are far superior. Also, the Tempest was slow, as poly boats can be.
So I didn't find a clear winner for my purposes, but did discover some fun boats out there for day tripping.