RE: [Paddlewise] kayak reviews and advice needed

I agree that used is a great way to purchase your first boat: not only will
your technique improve as you get more *boat time* but your tastes are
likely to change too. In other words, what you like now probably won't be
your first choice in a year or two. Further, one can usually sell a sea
kayak purchased used for close to the same amount -- at least here in
Seattle...

Regarding the *fit* I'd make sure that I could pad out the cockpit if it
didn't give me a perfect fit right off -- I think too many people buy a boat
based on *best cockpit fit* instead of performance characteristics and the
ability to make it comfortable and controllable -- Years ago my wife
purchased a Mariner Sprite that fit her perfectly but it was too responsive.
She now has a Coaster which didn't fit her nearly as well but is a much
easier kayak to control. By using foam we were able to greatly improve the
fit so she now has fit and control. (Yes, the Sprite has been replaced with
a series of kayaks that are less responsive). 

Regarding the kayaks you mentioned, I haven't paddled the Perception boat
but the Looksha Sport is a fun boat to paddle. It carves turns well and is
short enough for some river use. It's not a fast kayak because of its short
length but unless you're paddling with a FAST group, you're unlikely to be
very constrained by the hull speed. If you want a little more hull speed,
try the regular Looksha IV (either in plastic or composite) -- its a great
boat but costs more especially if you get hatches and bulkheads
(recommended).

The Squall is a good boat also but I prefer the Looksha Sport. By the way,
Necky now has a Looksha Sport LV or some such designation indicating lover
volume. I just (Sunday) paddled it in Deception pass. It doesn't have a lot
of room for gear and if I weighed allot less than 175lbs, it would be a neat
day boat. For my weight, the regular volume Sport works much better -- it
pivots on the gunnels better and carves turns better (I think I had too much
of the LV under water -- but not enough to do stern squirts).

Hope this helps,
Eric Sonett

-----Original Message-----
From: Harold Kroeker [mailto:Harold_Kroeker_at_mbnet.mb.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 12:31 AM
To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] kayak reviews and advice needed


For your build and intended use, I think that you should seriously consider
the Current Designs Squall. My wife and I are of similar build to you and
your wife and paddle fresh water exclusively, We both tried a number of
boats before we chose the Squall. I even preferred it to the somewhat
larger fibreglass version,  the Solstice GTS HV. We have done a number of
day trips and a wilderness trip for a week and have been extremely happy
with our choices. After using my Squall for a year, I tried the GTS again
and still find my boat more maneuverable and easier to roll. I am now
hoping that they will make a fibreglass version of the Squall since I want
to move up to fibreglass but don't want to move to a larger boat.

Harold Kroeker
Winnipeg, MB
Canada

At 05:37 PM 5/3/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>
>My wife and I are looking to add kayak touring to our long list of athletic

>endeavors. For now we are looking for boats that come in just under $1,200 
>each. We'll use them for a couple of years and then move into more advanced

>kayaks.
>My wife likes the Perception Carolina Exp. and I am trying to decide 
>between several but I seem to keep coming back to the Necky Looksha Sport 
>Exp.
>We can't test the boats out because touring demos and rentals aren't the 
>thing here in Northern Utah.
>Anyway, I'm looking for other folks opinions on these boats as well as who 
>we should and should not order from.
>My wife and I are both on the light side, 115 lbs (5' 7") and 155 lbs (5' 
>11") respectively and we plan on sticking to large lakes and reservoirs to 
>begin with before moving on to some of the calmer river stretches. Two or 
>three day trips will be the norm and I'd like boats that have a good 
>balance between speed and maneuverability.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Ron and Nancy
>
>
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