by Jim Kerrigan

Created on: December 24, 2009

Choosing a kayak is a matter of first deciding what its use is going to be. There are many factors that determine the uses of a kayak but the two ends of the spectrum are rivers with flowing water and tight turn and open water fresh or salt.

River kayaks are concerned with turning and maneuvering in flowing water. They need to be easily turned and quickly accelerated to avoid collisions and to control the changing direction of the kayak.

Open water kayaks are primarily concerned with tracking or maintaining a strait line of travel without blowing around in the wind. They are harder to turn to resist the effects of wind and current and maintain a strait line of travel or course.

Because the missions are so different the structure is directly opposed. Thus one turns easily and the other doesn’t.

Then there are ride on top models and ride inside. The ride on to are wetter than the ride inside they are more stable than the ride inside but they are slower than the ride inside. The ride on top usually have open storage bins behind the pilot. These “tank wells” as they are called allow the pilot to reach gear without having to open sealed hatches. The tank well and cockpit are self bailing and do not hold water. The sit inside kayaks have sealed compartments and a sealed cockpit but gear isn’t as accessible. Both types come in river and open water models.

Beyond these concerns and concepts my advice for a good all around kayak is a wilderness system Tarpon 120. This 12 foot ride on top has a very well designed hull. One would not expect a 12 footer to accelerate as well as the Tarpon 120 does. It has a tank well, a dry compartment in the bow, and a self bailing cockpit. The ride is wet however plugging the holes in the cockpit with foam golf balls works real well. I have ridden all three lengths of tarpons as well as several of their competitors and surprisingly the model that worked the best with the least amount of control issues was the Tarpon 120. I have used mine now for four years. I seldom get to ride in it because I allow guests to use the 120 as I use my 140. The 120 has never delivered a bad experience for anyone I have put in it. Several asked to try my 140 and after the wind blew the bow around and they wrestled with it they asked to use the 120.

The only other statement that I would make would be I live in Florida were I to live up north I would have opted for a ride inside due to the colder weather. In that case I would give the wilderness system tsunami 120 a serious look. I have almost bought one a couple of times and still might even though I live in Florida.

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