Finally bought a Yak...

[bdrannik]

After a few dives with dkramer and MoteMan and seeing their yaks I decided it was time to bite the bullet and pick one up.. Since my usage will be approximately 25% diving and the balance done exploring/touring I decided to get a rig that is not quite optimal for diving but will get the job done..

Purchased a 2009 Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160 in "Sand" color - here are a few pics of the display model at Economy Tackle in Sarasota where I bought it (I'm leaving tomorrow for Salt Lake City and will be picking mine up when I return around the 28th - it's currently sitting in the box in their warehouse):

For a paddle I chose the Adventure Technology "Xception SL Tour Carbon OS" for it's light weight and 15% oversized blades.

Hope to join the gang in the upcoming months on a Yak trip.. (dkramer is probably happy that she doesn't need to tow me out to Red Rock reef any longer.. And yes, I was kicking.. hehehe) Have a good day, Brent.

 

[dkramer]

Nice boat! I like it better than the other one.

 

[bdrannik]

Thanks - one feature that I liked on this one vs much of the competition was the actual hinged "hatch doors" instead of a round rubber boot to fight on and off. For a flag mount I'm thinking of putting a rubber scupper in one of the drain holes with the pole epoxied into the scupper. Have any other pole mounting ideas?

 

[dkramer]

I just stick the end of mine into the scupper hole. Remember, if you attach the flag to the boat, ya gotta use the bigger flag.

 

[Sh@rkW@tcher]

Thanks - one feature that I liked on this one vs much of the competition was the actual hinged "hatch doors" instead of a round rubber boot to fight on and off. For a flag mount I'm thinking of putting a rubber scupper in one of the drain holes with the pole epoxied into the scupper. Have any other pole mounting ideas?

That is about the way I mount my flag, and I've had good success with it. one addition is you might want to add a short bungee with a clip to the flag staff. Clip it to the boat, it'll prevent loss if the wind kicks up. BTW very nice yak! I would have opted for a more visible color but a great design.

 

[losttravelerfl]

It looks pretty good to me... i was curious what aspect of it you consider to not be optimal for diving?

 

[bdrannik]

It looks pretty good to me... i was curious what aspect of it you consider to not be optimal for diving?

A) At 28 inches wide it's not quite as stable as many such as the Wilderness Ride 135 at 32 inches or for example the Cobra Fish N' Dive that dkramer uses at 36" wide.

B) Has a 375-400lb weight limit, vs 600lbs for the Cobra Fish N' Dive. If you want to carry for example more than one tank for day out at the Venice Boneyard or a set of doubles for a deep dive you could possibly overload it if a diver of "larger stature".

C) At 72lbs it weighs more than either the Ride 135 at 64lbs or the Cobra Fish N' Dive at 57lbs. The additional length (16' vs 13'4" or 12'6") and weight can make vehicle loading/unloading and the trek down to shore more difficult.

D) As also mentioned by MoteMan a bright orange, yellow, or red would be much more visible - especially for Gulf/ocean diving. Since I plan on owning this unit for 10+ years I wanted a color that wouldn't be quite as susceptible to the eventual fading from the sun. On the other side of this equation take a look at the photo of dkramer's Cobra Fn'D in the link below - I believe it's 8+ years old and still looks great. So the color fading my not be an actual problem..

If my percentage of diving use was going to be higher than 50-60% or so, instead of my 25%, I would have selected something such as the Cobra Fish N' Dive.

Here is a photo of dkramer and MoteMans kayaks - the one further away is a Cobra Fish N' Dive - I'm not sure what kinds Motes is.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/at...beach-shore-yak-diving-9-22-9-25-img_9100.jpg

And a photo of the 32" wide Wilderness Ride 135 mentioned above compared to the Tarpon 160 below it:

Note lengths in real life are not the same (13'4" vs 16')... Photo issue..

The Tarpon 160 with it's added length and reduced width will be faster and glide longer with each paddle stroke which is why I eventually decided on it vs the Ride.
The Ride 135 has an easily accessible compartment hatch directly behind the seat that is a nice feature - I wish the Tarpon 160 had it.. The two photos above show one of the differences of the 2009 Wilderness Systems models: The 2008 and earlier models use the large rubber push on covers over the hatches like most other manufacturers.

Brent

 

[Peter_C]

With a few mods it should be ready to go diving! Narrow is better than wider. The length will help with speed and stability. I have never dumped my kayak over and mine is regular width as shown below in the specs.

Specifications:
Length: 13' 5" / 4.09 m
Width: 28.5" / 0.72 m
Weight: 58 lbs. / 26.3 kg
Mirage Drive Weight: 6.6 lbs. / 3 kg
Capacity: 350 lbs. / 159 kg

 

[Da Nizz]

congrats on your new yak! I hope to join you in a yak dive. It may be a pain to lug around but its so much better than swimming.

 

[bdrannik]

Thanks Nizz/Mote and hello to Peter...

I could possibly be off on the weight of the Tarpon 160 since I've seen both 62lbs and 72lbs listed. Stopped by the dealer today to measure some deck areas for compass mounting and he was pretty confident it was 62lbs.

Currently packing the bags to head for the airport later today. Going to Salt Lake City to celebrate the Thai New Year with some folks and then should be back sometime between the 28th and the 2nd. I'll try to check in from SLC if I can find some WiFi locations.

Note: Anybody interested in a 17.5' custom built Pygmy Coho wooden sea kayak with cockpit skirt, swing keel, and 40lb weight? Fellow in the marina where I keep the Tiara has two of them for sale - think he's asking $1200 for each of them. About 10 years old but suppose to be in excellent condition. He's a retired fellow and wife does not yak any longer and doesn't like him venturing out on his alone. Going for a kayak trip around the bay with him in early May so I'll get some photos. It looks like this photo I found on the web: http://www.pygmyboats.com/mall/4_071.jpg
Some more info the this model:
http://www.pygmyboats.com/mall/coho.asp

Brent