WS Tempest 170 or other 17' boats

[whymyeye]

I am looking at upgrading to a long boat to tour around Greers Ferry lake.

Does anybody have experience with the WS Tempest? or any other long touring/sea kayaks?

[CRB357]

I had a Tempest 170. It is a really good and well made boat. Fast and tracked well. I didn't have it long bc it didn't fit me well. I'm 6'1 220lb big body frame. I had to completely remove the thigh braces to get in it. I sold it after just a month of ownership. So if you are a larger body type, keep that in mind.

[fzburk]

The Tempest 170 is a very good sea kayak.

Others that may be what you're looking for: Necky Looksha IV, Perception Eclipse, CD Gulfstream, Looksha 17, Tsunami 175 all in plastic

and one near you at

https://littlerock.craigslist.org/boa/d ... 91318.html

A lot depends on your budget and how light you want the kayak to be. Your size and comfort/skill level will determine a lot, too.

I've paddled almost every 16/17 foot kayak out there, kind of like shoes. You have to try them on.

Mark

[whymyeye]

Thanks for the replies.

I went ahead and picked up the Tempest 170. Even though i am a smaller guy, with the backband all of the way forward, it works well. The 165 may have been a better fit but i have no complaints.

This longer boat really tracks and feels much, much faster that my other shorter boats so i can really cover some miles over here on Greers Ferry. It is a blast to go out when the weather is windy and the seas are rough. We can get some pretty big swells and normally i have the whole place to myself.

I am really looking forward to camping out of it this fall.